"There's no way you're stopping Lord Kaos, not on my watch!" Brute cried as he staggered up and wiped himself off. The smoke curled around his limbs, and accented his muscles as he pounded his fists together. "As long as I stand, I'll fight so that Lord Kaos can reclaim his empire! He'll finally have the rightful kingdom he deserves" — Brute chuckled and twiddled his fingers together — "and then, he can take me fishing, just like he promised!"

Talk about skewed priorities, Chihiro thought as she grunted and pushed herself from the ground. Her body still ached from the sores that robot left her as a lingering reminder of her failure, but she shook it off and snarled.

That Brute stood before her, his body glowing red. Perhaps that was the light of the shield, brimming down on him and reminding Chihiro of her failures with every moment she laid on this battlefield. The Conquertron lingered in the skies, distant, but still close enough that she could probably catch up to it with a running start!

Chihiro slapped a hand against her shoulder and closed her eyes. She focused entirely on the feeling of running as swift as the wind, taking strides as fast as a cheetah, going as fast as she could until she could reach that Conquertron! The magic popped and crackled in her blood, bursting against her skin in a way that felt like her body was about to burst. She gritted her teeth just to keep from screaming out in agony, but then, it settled. What left was a smooth, swift feeling, chilling like a soothingly cold breeze on a hot day.

A warm, scaly feeling came to her next. When Chihiro snapped her eyes open and turned down to her free hand, she found a purple paw wrapped around it. Spyro flew beside her now, and his eyes were a cool, calming violet in color as he squeezed her hand.

"We'll leave this guy to you!" Chihiro cried as she turned back to the others. "We're going after Kaos!"

Chihiro didn't even wait for a reply from the rest of her group. No, she turned around and bolted immediately, rushing across the battlefield in wide leaps and strides. Not once did her hand release from Spyro's grip; instead, she squeezed it as tight as she could. Her head craned up to the dome, and its bright red light lorded over her as it blocked her off from that Conquertron, from her target, from her chance to fix her mistakes. Her hand shook a little, but another squeeze brought her attention back down to Spyro, and steadied her heart with a single glance of his violet eyes.

"If we attack with all our power at the same time," Chihiro shouted over the winds that whipped around her as she ran, "we might be able to break a hole in that thing!"

"Worth a shot!" Spyro shouted back.

His wings flapped as they reached the edge of the ballroom floor. they sprung from the floor with one last stride, soaring well above the crowds of shouting and gasping robots and the battle below! The brimming red light of the barrier laid inches from their faces, and they both clung tight as Spyro lowered his head, bearing his horns so they'd be the first thing to make contact. With a flap of his wings, they shot towards the barrier and flung out hands and paws. Magic charging around them with such fury that they became miniature suns of raw elemental power, and with one more flap, they both smashed right into the barrier!

Chihiro's body let off some ugly cracking noise. A sharp pain shot through her hard enough that she let out a bloodthirsty wail! The pain clouded her vision, but left it just clear enough that she caught her magic burst pressed against the barrier, which stretched like rubber as they pushed tighter. Not once did the barrier thin or break! In those few moments, it just stretched back and shot them down to the floor like a catapult!

Chihiro hugged Spyro tight and turned around, and braced herself for the full impact of the marble floors as the world around her screeched. Something yanked her by the neck, pulling her away from Spyro and across the air. The movement was so sudden that it brought twice the pain, and left Chihiro gagging and gasping for air as her captor pulled her back. Before she knew it, her eyes faced Brute's bloodthirsty ones as he chuckled.

"Thought you could pull a fast one on me, didn't ya?" Brute chuckled. He tugged a bit on his jacket, and pulled it down to reveal a glimmering red core embedded directly into his chest. Its red light pulsing like a heart's beat as it burned against his skin. "Too bad! As long as I stand, that barrier stands with me!"

Brute cackled as he slammed Chihiro onto the floor, and she screamed as her head crashed into cold, hard marble! The few shards that broke off slashed into the back of her scalp, and she shuddered as she rolled on her side. She patted the back of her head to be met with something warm and wet—oh, god, she was bleeding, wasn't she? Regardless of if she was or not, her head throbbed so badly she couldn't even see!

She barely kept her eyes open enough to find Spyro by her side. His wings curled around the rest of his shaking body like a security blanket, and he groaned in pained tones Chihiro could barely make out as he tried to get up. He shook so badly that he couldn't even lay upright! It was all he could do to just lay there, just as it was for Chihiro!

The blood pounded and rushed through Chihiro's ears like a raging river, and blocked out all other noise as Brute sauntered towards her and cracked his knuckles. He raised a fist, surely ready to strike down—but before he could, a bright flash of chartreuse light burst forward, and shone so bright that it burned against Chihiro's eyes! She winced, planted her face on the floor as the light's heat brushed against her back, and only barely heard Brute scream over the rush of blood in her ears. Chihiro finally turned around and opened her eyes. Though her vision blurred, she barely made out Brute soaring across the sky before diving down below the battlefield's floor.

Then, something rough and wooden brushed underneath her and Spyro. A cool sensation rushed through her veins, and energized her like she just woke up and was ready to face the day! The haze in her head cleared enough that she could see and hear properly once more, and the first thing she found herself looking at was Tree Rex! He smiled as he carefully cradled her and Spyro in his palm while its grooves glowed with green light.

"Are you two alright?" he asked.

"We are now," Spyro said as he stood up and flicked his wings.

Tree Rex nodded sagely. His smile disappeared as he glanced first over the ballroom, next up to the barrier. Its once bright, imposing red glow faded to a lighter color, it thinned enough that the sky broke through in some places—and then, it flickered! It faded in and out, the red lighting it once imposed on the battlefield relenting in warm afternoon hues. A bright flash came, and it solidified into a burning crimson once more!

A few small gasps came from down below as the red light washed over them, but the largest of them all came from Chihiro. She blinked as she glanced first to the barrier that stood strong over the arena once more, and then to the empty space over the ballroom where Brute fell. She stilled her gaze, leaped out of Tree Rex's palm, and floated over to the edge of the battlefield.

"Brute's gone, right?" Chihiro asked. She gazed down into the massive fall below and the pool of water it ended in, which were tinted red by the barrier's light. "So why hasn't the barrier gone done?"

A soft, barely-heard plink or two came from the pool as its water rippled just so slightly that it could hardly be seen. The ripples grew as the plinks continued, and garbled noise like a babbling brooks came from the waters, shaking the pool even further. It shuddered and lashed against the stone walls it sat in. The noise grew louder, clearer, rising with the waters as they gushed up.

No, the waters themselves didn’t rise on their own! In fact, it was more like something came out of them! The babbling noise cleared into laughter as the pillar of water sank back into the depths. A figure rose from its waves, and cackled as two spell punks clad in gold and green robes strained and lifted him out!

"You can't get rid of me that easily!" Brute cried as the spell punks heaved him up before Chihiro.

Chihiro gasped, summoned a sword, and hopped back as the spell punks dropped Brute before her.

His eyes shone with a new kind of venom, a red pulse not unlike the looming lights of the barrier. The power core flashed beneath his armor, and that red glow quickly spread to the rest of his body as he cracked his knuckles. A sneer crossed his face and he released his knuckles. The glow glazed over his muscles; it highlighted them, and accented his high-held, imposing stature as he crossed the battlefield.

"I swore on my life that I'd make sure Lord Kaos got his empire back and we'd get our fishing trip!" Brute proclaimed as he drew his hands into fists. "If I let you beat me that easily, I'd be disgracing his good name!"

Brute pounded his fists together, and the pool shuddered, shaking the arena along with it! The tiles below his feet rattled, yet Brute didn't move an inch from his spot as water splashed and tiles rushed up from the bottom of the arena. The tiles fused themselves to the existing battlefield and formed a proper floor. Brute pounded his fists together once more, this time doing so with such force that it punched the air with a sound wave!

The force knocked Chihiro on her back. She grunted as she forced open her stinging eyes, and found that Brute's red glow faded. The spell punks who lifted him up now surrounded him, and circled around him as their bodies glowed with a green light!

It pressed against the red glow that came from Brute before the green ate the red whole. Its light was so bright that it highlighted the dull greens of Brute's own skin before it engulfed him completely in its grip! An agonizing, ear-bleeding scream came next, leaving the barrier shaking and the crowds of Arkeyan soldiers in the stands covering their ears.

Brute's body warped underneath the blanket of green light that smothered him. His limbs stretched and thinned as his body lurched over. He rose taller, growing like a tree until he stood only a few feet away from the barrier itself. His limbs twisted together like vines while beams of light spread over the cold marble of the battlefield. His hat slipped away, carried off by the winds as the light from Brute faded, and unveiled him at last…

Well, if that could even be called Brute, anymore.

His skin turned to some kind of vine-like substance, and his arms and legs became masses of vines that flooded the battlefield below! The armor over his arms and legs fused into his skin as tall, firm thorns, but the rest broke off—or maybe it merged completely into his body too, as the large brown patches that covered his chest. Long, thorny branches like fangs jutted from his massive open jaws. His eyes glowed with that same green glow that transmogrified him for only moments before he let out another mighty, bellowing roar!

The force of his voice was so great that it shot the spell punks who enchanted him right into the stands, but it lasted for only a moment before he groaned and slowly lifted his arm. Its massive weight cast a shadow over the battlefield as it crashed down with such force that the tiles around cracked! The marble shards from the battlefield leaped up and slashed against his arm, yet they left no marks against its tough hide. Instead, they collapsed down to the broken floor, but as Brute pounded again, the tiles they called home rumbled and collapsed!

The tiles fell in a zig-zag pattern as they short forward, fell down to the water, and splashed into the depths in droves as the waters came right for Chihiro!

She gasped, leaping up and preparing to fly off. Right as she jumped into the air, the familiar feeling of rough wood hit her back! Tree Rex swept her into his hands before she even realized. She blinked as he leaped up and landed on the middle part of the ballroom, the sole part that hadn't completely collapsed underneath the weight of Brute's strike.

She turned to her side as groaning came from it, and smiled when she found Spyro and Gill Grunt beside her. The sharp sounds of a screeching wheel came to her next as Bouncer and Hot Head wheeled up next, followed by another sharp pound as Crusher slammed the top of his hammer into the ground and leaped across on it like a pole vault!

Hot Head shifted back to normal and grimaced. "That's one big weed!" Hot Head remarked as he lifted his gaze up to Brute.

Hot Head was right. Even the Elder Elementals were hardly a speck compared to Brute! Someone of that size would take an eternity to pass! Just the sight of him left Chihiro's heart bubbling with rage. Arkilles probably set this all up so he could make an easy getaway! She gritted her teeth, about ready to erupt, but a soft laugh from Tree Rex above cooled her rage.

"Why are you laughing? There's no way we'll beat that guy before Arkilles makes his getaway!" Chihiro cried.

Hearing this, Tree Rex gave Chihiro a warm, kindly smile. "He's a pretty big guy, true," Tree Rex remarked, and his smile grew as he glanced towards Bouncer, Crusher and Hot Head. "But, we're—URK!"

A thick vine slapped around Tree Rex and squeezed him tight, so tight that Chihiro slipped out of his grip! Tree Rex's eyes bulged out of his wooden skull as the vines leaped up and squeezed him tighter.

Chihiro reached out to cast a spell and free him. Her hand stretched out, but another vine latched around it and squeezed! The pain was sharp and numbing; it joined with a second surge as another vine latched onto her free hands. A third vine squeezed her waist and yanked her from the floor!

Chihiro's body strained as the vines flew off, and they dangled her above the pits of water before. She couldn't cast a spell or fight her way out. Their grip was tight and constricting, and squeezed her so that her body might've popped in half if it continued any longer! Her eyes blurred, but she forced them open nonetheless and glared back at Brute.

Brute flung his head back, and cried as his eyes glowed in a toxic shade of green!

The water splashed and roared below Chihiro as the pools below turned green, and an entire forest of vines shot up from their depths! They were giant snakes that emerged from the leaves and struck for their prey. They lashed out for the others, and yanked them off one by one, slapping weapons out of hands and flinging them like rag doll. The vines themselves teetered across the pools and the battlefield!

The vines that squeezed Chihiro tightened, and she shouted out as hot, shocking pain raced through her body. It shot in bolts, coursed like lighting as her face ached in one spot and numbed in the other. The rest of her body grew so numb she wasn't even sure it was there anymore. The pain clouded her vision, and she struggled to keep sense of the world around her as it numbed her brain.

A few sparks of light, one red and another orange, caught her eyes, and she turned her attention to the side, where someone just… Slipped from the vines? Wait, those glows that slipped—they had to be 'Enehana and Vatra! The two of them held out their hands, and flares of fire and light came from their blurry bodies as they shot at the vines! The blasts bounced off and vanished soon after, disappearing without a remnant left. Still, ‘Enehana and Vatra didn't relent. They shot again and again, their blasts bashing and lashing against the vines' bodies.

Finally, one vine thinned before it unwrapped, and it sank back down into the ground! A few more vines joined the first one, and a figure with a brown spark glistening from their body leaped out. They clapped their hands so strongly, so firmly that it rang in Chihiro's ears!

A sharp shing came next, and the pain surging through Chihiro's body relented a little. It was just enough that her vision cleared, and the rest of her body felt like it was attached to her head again. Something like a tingling feeling lingered in her wrists while something cool and solid came underneath her.

She glanced down to find that the vines which one held her unwound! Instead of the vines, she stood above the pools below on a large, shiny brown crystal that skewered right through the largest of those vines. Chihiro smiled for a moment, gasped and jumped away as the vines twitched and glowed green—but instead of reaching for her, they shot out and repaired their own wounds as they flew towards the battlefield!

The vines latched around the battlefield as they wove themselves into a tight bridge that covered out the gaps in the floor. their glow faded and they swayed just slightly. Tree Rex dropped onto them as a green glow faded from his own eyes, but the vines didn't even flinch. They stood tall as he made his way to the battlefield, as did the others!

Chihiro teleported onto the battlefield as they filtered in, but the moment her legs hit solid ground, they completely gave out and she fell to her knees! Her body ached with tingling, stinging pains, and her chest ached with a heavy pain, as if a weight dropped right onto her shoulders. Guess those vines took more out of her than she thought, so she sparked up her hand with a little bit of healing magic and massaged her shoulder with it.

The sounds of the others plopping, panting, and resting echoed around her, but she smiled and sighed. The healing magic flooded into her body and worked its, well, magic! The aches faded away, and her body swelled with strength and magic in its place, enough that she jumped to her feet and stomped on the battleground!

Cyan magic lit the ballroom floor. Its tiles glowed like the dance floor it was as the light engulfed everyone around her. When the light faded, they all jumped back to their feet! They all mumbled in awe and flexed a little, just to test the spell—but didn't stick for long.

Another mighty roar came from Brute and nearly blew them into the walls! Feet just barely stuck to the battlefield as everyone held their own against the blow. They all glanced up to find Brute listlessly swaying from side to side.

Some kind of glowing green drool seeped from his jaws, and burned against his skin before he roared again! That glowing green spittle splattered across the battlefield, and steamed for a moment before it evaporated under the harsh red light of the barrier. It left behind large, white onion bulbs with withered sprouts poking from the gaps in their tattered skin.

The bulbs shuddered and rocked back and forth for moments. With one last swing, they pushed themselves upright and shuddered as withered tendrils burst from their ends. The tendrils formed a functional pair of legs while their side sprouts twisted into something like arms! Their faded skin peeled away to unveil fanged mouths and round eyes carved into their bodies, their eyes glowed green, and they yowled as they charged forward! An awful fume burst from their spouts as they ran, and they lowered their tops as they shot off burning, fuming bundles of spores!

Spyro winced and ducked as once came straight for him. As it flew over his back, his eyes turned cobalt and he dove into the few burgundy shadows that coated the arena. His body disappeared into their dark sanctuary as the last of the spore blasts passed him by. His shadowy form streaked against the ground, and lifted up slightly as he came in for the charging onion monsters! The sudden, speedy dash threw them off-pace and spun then in dizzying circles. Spyro leaped out, and flicked the shadows off his wings as they spun and squealed before him.

"Stealth Elf, now!" Spyro cried as he lifted his head.

Stealth Elf nodded, flipped out of the group, and towards the onion monsters with such speed and grace that she was barely seen! With one last flip, she landed right in the heart of the group, and sent out a burst of green spores that engulfed the onion monsters! Only their pained shrieks and the sound of slashing blades echoed from the clouds as slices of the wind cut the mist away. It left behind the chopped corpses of the onion monsters as the spores disappeared.

Their slashed halves slid off of their bodies and spilled along the floor as Stealth Elf emerged. She flicked the onion juice from her daggers, turned around, and kicked back another, barely-together onion warrior before it could launch itself at her.

She scoffed as the onion warrior slid into slices behind her, but as she turned around and ran back to the group, a mighty roar sounded from above! She immediately jumped back and brandished her blades, ready to slice—but ducked as a gigantic onion monster leaped right above her!

It crashed on the ground ahead of her with such force that the whole ground shuddered, and it gnashed its teeth as its eyes fell on Tree Rex. The onion monster fell to all fours like some kind of rabid beast and bounded forward. Its eyes grew wider as it leaped in the air and right over Tree Rex. It jumped in for its landing, but a thick orange laser sliced right through its center!

The laser cut a perfect hole in the rest of its body, and knocked its face back onto the ground in the process. The two broken parts landed by Tree Rex's feet, and wilted away as he nudged them aside. Even their rotten remains faded and withered away until they were nothing more than specks of grime on the marble floors.

Tree Rex grimaced as he stepped up. Brute roared again in the distance, and the normally-red lights that tinted the battlefield turned a sickening green as a bright shower of green light rained down from above! Tree Rex held a hand over his eyes and gasped. He slammed his fist against the floor as green vines burst from the battlefield!

The vines wrapped above his whole group, and intertwined until they formed a tight vine barrier that blocked out the light. The sounds of splattering gunk and the screeches of those onion minions roared outside the barrier's safety.

Tree Rex squeezed his eyes shut, and snarled as he stretched his fingers out the furthest they could. Their tips glowed green, and bolts of life magic shot out in five directions before they slammed into the barrier's base. With the spell taken in, the barrier shuddered, and grew larger, thicker as another wave of sizzling acid splattered against its outside. A third wave splashed next, and the sounds of growling outside grew as something rammed into the barrier of vines with enough force that it split open!

The light of the battlefield poured over as Tree Rex opened his eyes, snarled, and zapped off a few of the onion minions with some well-timed solar charges. Even as they flew off and fell into the waters below, Tree Rex didn't smile or rest easy—for he, no, all of them, were completely surrounded!

While he took shelter, the onion minions coated the entire floor around his group. Their beady eyes pierced into souls while onion juice leaked from their gaping mouths. Tree Rex stepped back and winced as a sea of endless white, cloven bodies faced him, but quickly retracted his foot as its back brushed up against 'Enehana.

"There's no way we'll take all these guys out in time to catch up!" Chihiro cried as she rushed up behind him. She winced and summoned a sword. "We'll have to get straight to Brute and take him down…"

Another growl came from behind her and Chihiro slashed it away! That stinging substance that came whenever people cut onions floated forward, and stung her eyes with tears. She quickly wiped it away, slashed a few more, and kicked them off so they would sting her eyes no more. While the onion monsters bounced away, Chihiro winced and turned back to the tightly-packed armies of their buddies that crowded the battlefield.

"But, how are we supposed to get past all these guys?"

"Just leave that part to me," 'Enehana said as they walked up beside Chihiro.

With a few shimmies of their shoulders, they slid their backpack off, flipped it open, and dove inside as they rummaged through whatever was stuck in there. Chihiro could barely make out its contents between the awful sounds of clashing and grinding metal, and it's not like she got a chance. Just as quickly as Enehana took it off, they fished out something small and round and closed it up.

‘Enehana slipped their backpack back on with a grin as they eyed the object in question. Chihiro leaned over their shoulder and raised a brow, for that tiny little marble that now rested in their hand, barely big enough to sit even in the creases of their glove, didn't exactly seem impressive to her. Just then, they stepped forward and slammed it against the ground!

A bright orange flash of light came, one so bright that it warded off the onion monsters. The sounds of something metallic unfolding and spreading out churned! The light faded to a glisten, the vague shape of an airship came into view, and the light faded to unveil just that! The ship comprised of shiny, clean metal, and looked sturdy and big enough that it could probably carry them all! Wait, why would they have an airship of all things in there?

"I always come prepared for anything," 'Enehana said, seemingly reading Chihiro's mind.

They flung themself onto the ship’s side, and then on the deck with another flip before they bolted towards the ship's wheel. With a single spin, the engine puffed and creaked. It yowled so loudly that the onion monsters around screeched and backed away; some onion monsters didn’t even bother to watch their footing, and fell into the pools! The ship hovered above the ground just slightly. White smoke puffed from its exhaust pipes as its propellers churned with all they had.

"Now get on!"

A squeal came from behind Chihiro, and she kicked away an onion monster before she teleported right onto the airship!

A few rumbles came as Hot Head, Tree Rex, Bouncer, and Crusher all hopped on themselves. The others all stormed forward, taking short moments to blast away the onion monsters before climbing on! The ship tilted a bit with the added weight, but still stood tall as it hovered a bit taller. With a lever pull from 'Enehana, the engines burned faster and the airship zoomed right into the heart of the fray!

The onion monsters squealed as the airship charged into them, knocking them across the sides and tearing gashes into their bodies. That eye-burning stuff reeked off of their exposed bodies as onion juice bled from the wide gaps and gashes left behind. Even more of the stuff streaked the side of the airship before it streaked off, and rained down on the ground as the airship flew forward!

The airship climbed across the skies. Its nose pointed right towards Brute as it shuddered and unloaded a few cannons! The cannons shook like they were going to fire, but another, more powerful quake came!

The battlefield split apart and erupted an entire forest of thick, strong vines burst out! They lashed and slapped against the side of the airship, patting it in some kind of pursuit of something to latch onto. With another push, the airship broke free of their grip and shot towards Brute once more! The vines shot off in turn. They lashed and slapped against the airship's hull as it flew just inches out of their reach.

'Enehana clenched their teeth and the steering wheel as the sounds of lashing, whipping vines grew louder. A screeching metal noise ripped through the air next, and drew away their attention in time for them to catch a vine ripping off part of the hull's casing. They blasted it away with a scowl and turned towards the controls. Their mechanical fingers twitched as they flicked every switch, pressed every button, moved every slider they could…

But the airship itself still ran at about the same speed as it did before, and the vines came in fast!

Another sharp lash came from the back, and both 'Enehana and Vaayu winced as they glanced at the vine that gripped onto the airship's rear! With a wiggle of the airship, the vine loosened its grip and slunk back. Its engine clunked and shuddered as it sped off once more! Its altitude fell slightly, and the vines leaped in—but before they struck, a gust of wind burst underneath the airship and tossed it high in the sky!

'Enehana gasped and released the wheel in their slight moment of shock. A soft, sky blue light dusted their face, and they turned around with a smile as Vaayu leaned down and smiled back. They shared a nod, and 'Enehana turned their attention to the wheel once more. They dutifully steered the airship so that it lingered above where Brute swayed listlessly from side to side.

A few small, glowing green satellites rotated around Brute, and 'Enehana raised a brow at them before pressing a button. A telescope emerged from the hood of the airship, and 'Enehana peered through it before they hummed and turned to the others.

"Everyone, come here!" 'Enehana called as they beckoned for the rest of the group. While the others circled around them, 'Enehana pushed the telescope's lens towards Chihiro and Spyro and urged them to take a peek. "I think I found out what gave him such a boost!"

Taking 'Enehana's urge, Chihiro peered through the lens, frowned and clenched her brows. Those glowing green satellites grew clearer, revealing that they were those spell punks from before! Their bodies glowed with the brightest green hues they held as they lifted their arms and danced around. Undoubtedly, they probably cast life spells on him!

Spyro brushed up beside Chihiro, peered through the telescope, nodded and drew back.

"If we can take out the spell punks, he'll definitely take a big hit!" Spyro proclaimed. He turned to Chihiro with that smug, slightly mischievous grin, the one she knew the meaning of all too well. "Ready to fire things up, Chi?"

Chihiro smiled and summoned a magic sphere. "You know I am!"

The two of them grunted as they split, leaping off the side of the airship and zooming off towards Brute in a flash!

Chihiro zipped in from the left side. She moved so fast that the world around her blurred, and she almost passed out—but, she shook off the dizziness. She flew right behind one of the spell punks, and slammed it in the back with her magic sphere!

The spell punk didn't even get enough time to react. One moment it cast its spells, next thing it knew, it hurtled down to the floor, careening towards the vines. One vine leaped up and snatched the spell punk. The spell punk cried out and tried to wiggle its way free, yet the vine flailed it around like it was nothing more than a toy! A burst of warm red light came from above, and a second spell punk with ember-coated robes joined the first.

The second spell punk screamed, fell in the vine pits, and screamed some more as another vine latched onto it and shook it around! The two spell punks' cries grew shriller as the vines squeezed tighter, and then…

"That's it, we're outta here!" they both cried as they disappeared in puffs of green smoke.

As they disappeared, the glow surrounding Brute faded slightly. His skin grew duller and his muscles weaker! Though it was barely noticeably, it stunned him enough that he lurched forward. He let out confused grunts and groans as he tilted his head around. His head finally lowered down to the ground as his vines started to cease, revealing the unconscious, shrinking bodies of his onion minions. Brute gently brushed the vines with his finger as he grunted some more.

Chihiro smiled and teleported back onto the airship with a flash! Spyro reappeared beside her once more, the lingering red in his eyes fading for their usual gold. They both nodded as they turned to 'Enehana.

"Now's your shot!" she and Spyro cried as one.

'Enehana nodded, pulled down a lever, and gripped the steering wheel tight as the engines revved.

"FULL SPEED AHEAD!"

The airship screeched with fury as it shot towards Brute, cannons unloading from it the moment it moved! It skidded to a stop just inches from him. Brute turned and let out a curious grunt as he tilted his eyes, eyes transfixing on the charging cannons. Their screech rang in the air as their light flooded further. Its golden orange glow reflected in Brute's eyes as he stared with slack-jawed, almost absentminded curiosity…

But then, he growled and slammed his hand down over the airship, casting a shadow over its top! The airship slid away as Brute swatted at it.

'Enehana winced as they steered the ship up just before another swat could toss them through the air! They moved in a third time, and Brute swung forward as he yanked his jaws open and crashed towards them. The airship once again zipped off just before he could make its metal his next snack. Not that Brute cared—he just lifted his head and growled as he bared his fangs.

"It's no use! I can't get in close!" 'Enehana cried as they dodged another firm swat. "He's too aggressive!"

Chihiro hummed, and then grinned as she held out a hand. "Well, if a close-ranged attack is out of the question," she said as she summoned a magic sphere and squeezed it like a rubber ball. "We'll just go for a ranged approach!"

"Right ahead of you!" Spyro cried from behind Chihiro.

Both he and Vatra stepped out from the back crowds on the airship, and Vatra turned to Hot Head with a smile.

"Hot Head, get on top of the ship and coat him in as much oil as you can," Vatra said. He cracked his knuckles, and his veins heated up with bright, warm light. "We'll take care of the rest!"

Hot Head nodded, leaned over and gripped the top of the airship. He climbed up to its roof, his presence indicated by the thunking noises that rang dully from the metal. The sounds of splattering came next, and Chihiro's attention turned from the roof, to Brute as sleek, black oil washed over him while he wailed and flailed!

The stuff coated Brute’s body like rain, drenching his arms and his chest in its sticky black ooze and trailing down over his body. Flames joined it next, and lit the world around in bright, warm hues as they hit the oil and exploded! Brute was barely visible under the initial explosion, but the flames relented quickly to reveal his charred body as he leaned over and hacked. Those initial fires quickly quelled, reducing to just thin streaks of flames that ran along the thinning streaks of oil.

"Looks like they'll need a little boost!" Chihiro cried as she cracked her knuckles.

She leaped off the side of the airship, this time floating at a distance from Brute. Chihiro rubbed her hands together; they grew tingly and bright blue as her magic flooded to her hands, centering in her palms and fingertips and leaving them with an extra-numb feeling. She shot them out and tossed bolts of thunder right at Brute!

The bolts slammed him square in the arms and chest, and the spark they provided was enough that the flames ignited with fury once more!

Brute's wails rang thin, as if he could barely make them out. Still, he screeched the highest he could as the electrical fires burned away at his skin! Parts of green flesh burned and charred as the flames started to dim, and a flash of steaming hot water jumped out as it splashed over the flames—but they didn't extinguish! No, instead, their electrical base crackled and the flames ignited brighter and hotter than they were before. Brute wailed as the flames stretched forward, tickling his neck and chin and crawling up his arms. The flames billowed their highest and exploded, slamming Brute in the face with a hot burst of fire!

Brute screamed and leaned back. He collapsed over the stands, and completely crushed them under his gargantuan girth as he laid beaten and bruised. He groaned, and raised his jaws like he was about to screech once more. They only laid wide-open and soundless as his head stretched back. That toxic green saliva trailed from his chin as he choked out a few gasps and groans.

"He's down!" Chihiro cried as she floated down in front of him.

The airship lowered down to meet Brute's chest. Crusher and Jorden shuffled forward from its ranks, their bodies glowing brown.

"'N just to make sure that guy stays down," Jorden shouted as he summoned his pickax and set off a few swings. "Let's rock him up!"

Sharp, thin shards of brown energy darted through the air, and joined with larger blasts as they slammed into Brute's wrists and waist! They swirled around him like thick, choking clouds, but soon, their form grew sharp and spiky as they crystallized into gigantic, shiny, and most of all firm crystals! The crystals hugged Brute tight, pinning him to the stands.

Brute couldn't even protest. He was so beaten that the most he could do was wince and groan in pain!

Chihiro chuckled and flicked out her wrist. The sparks of magical lightning that curled around her fingertips shifted, transforming into the shape of a blade. The blade widened and formed into a gigantic cleaver as she gripped its handle. Heaving it above her shoulder, Chihiro turned back to the others and beamed.

"Now let's finish this guy off!" Chihiro shouted as she shot out a thumbs up. "Everyone, hit 'im with your best shot!"

Chihiro turned back to Brute and grunted as she slashed her blade, shooting him with bursts of raw energy that hurtled straight for his chest. As they flew, the bursts joined with lasers and flames, large harpoons and gigantic bullets, sharp crystals and more, but they all fused as one as they slammed into Brute's chest! The blow knocked him further into the stands. His wails of agony continued as the combined attack burst into an array of colors, and the sheer agony of the screams shook even the barrier as the light drowned him out!

The bright, haunting lights eclipsed his form, but below him, the vines and the onion monsters all jolted up. They withered away till they were no more than dust and grime! Their remnants flew off in the wind as the light faded, and then none other than Brute—the normal Brute, not that horrendous monster—collapsed on the broken battlefield!

"Lord… Kaos…" Brute groaned as he laid beaten on the floor, "I, I, I failed you… I'll never be worthy of that fishing trip…"

Brute's head slunk down and laid sideways on the floor as some kind of glowing, toxic substance drooled out of his mouth. His hands twitched not, his eyes stayed blank for longer.

Chihiro sighed and shook her head as she walked over to him, She gently kicked his arm for good measure. Despite the swift blow, Brute didn't wail in pain or react!

"Guess the dude really is out," Chihiro remarked before she lifted her head towards the arena and winced. "Does that mean the barrier…"

A flickering sound like electricity shorting out echoed over the area as the red light of before faded in and out. With a sharp crackle, the red light faded entirely! All that remained was the comforting blues of the afternoon sky with its puffy white clouds.

The sounds that came afterwards weren't that of birdsong or anything normal. No, what came next was a collective, outraged roar!

The ground rumbled, and Chihiro grimaced as she turned back to the stands. The Arkeyan soldiers that once rested there and cheered went rabid! Their eyes glowing crimson as they all piled out of the stands in floods, and they screeched cries of war as they grabbed their weapons. They poured over the ballroom in such tightly-packed ranks that they choked out everything else in a sea of red and gold, and their weapons glinted in the light as they raced forward.

"ATTACK THE INTRUDERS!" cried the army that headed the front as they brandished their spears and swords, guns and cannons towards Chihiro. "MAKE SURE THEY DO NOT REACH OUR EMPEROR-KING!"

Chihiro gasped, slipped out of the way as one soldier nearly took her head off with its sword, and blasted off its head. She leaped back as two more swung for her! The sounds of clunking metal resounded around her as even more of those soldiers surrounded her, and she gulped as she teleported over to the clearer parts of the battlefield. She found herself backed against the soft moss of Tree Rex's leg as the robots shuffled around and turned on her group once more, and swept away as she peered across the battlefield. At the other end, even more Arkeyan soldiers poured in and blocked off the entrance.

"We're surrounded!" Tree Rex cried, echoing Chihiro's thoughts. He raised his solar cannon, clicked it, and a scowl formed on his face. "Everyone, prepare to fight!"

Chihiro raised up her hands, and a consolidation of sparkling cyan magic formed between her palms. She needed something big and solid, something that could wipe out entire waves of these guys—but what? A giant sword? A wrecking ball-sized flail? Chihiro's thoughts drifted away to the mental image of Wrecking Ball attached to a flail, and how he squealed with glee as he ate up the enemies with every swing. She giggled for a moment, but a sharp swing pulled her out of her thoughts, and she jumped away as a halberd-wielding robot swung for her!

The magic dissipated, and she snarled as she readied a blast while the robot swung once more.

Just then, something shot right through its head and blew it clean off! Its arms fell limp as its body toppled over, and its halberd fell to Chihiro's feet! Chihiro lifted her head as the sound of cannons firing shot in the air, and turned around as even more of the oncoming Arkeyan soldiers fell limp.

"Wait, a cannon! That would be perfect!" Chihiro cried. She beamed and pounded a fist against her palm, but her smile quickly faded. "Wait, where did that come from?"

"HEY-OOOOOOOOO!"

A round shadow cast over her, and in Chihiro's moment of confusion, something snatched her off the ground and heaved her up! Her knees hit something solid and wooden. Her eyes fell on a fluttering red bandanna and a pair of brown leather gloves worn with use—Cali's!

Chihiro gasped, and lifted her head to find Cali smiling before her. She glanced aside to find Flynn laughing with his whole chest as he piloted the bird's eye with one hand. The other hand of his spam-pressed a button and fired off cannons at rapid speed! The bird's eye lurched down, and Chihiro fell flat on her back with a sharp thunk!

Her head ached for a moment as the bird's eye tilted upright once more. When she got back up, she found the rest of the group all huddled together the best they could on the bird's eye—which was pretty darn hard given how big the Elder Elementals were. Tree Rex, Bouncer, Crusher, and Hot Head huddled together around the pillar the best they could, and the other, smaller members of their team rested in their laps. The smaller members all clung for dear life as the bird's eye swooped up! The arena below became little more than a speck in the distance as they all flew off, and the cries of the enraged Arkeyan soldiers only a distant wail.

"BOOM! Now THAT'S one for the autobiography!" Flynn cried as he chuckled and flexed. Both his hands latched onto the steering wheel once more, but his head craned towards the others with that silly grin of his. "Not everyone can pull off a swoop n' swerve like that" — Flynn chuckled and straightened his scarf — "but I'm not just anyone."

Cali rolled her eyes, and chuckled to herself as Flynn chuckled and flexed again. She almost seemed amused by his antics for a moment, but that little smile of hers disappeared as she turned back to Chihiro.

"What was going on down there?" Cali asked. "One minute we were making our way in, next thing we knew, Kaos was flying off and the whole place was boarded off!" Cali scratched her head and turned away. "The Machine Ghost was following him, and we tried to catch up, but by the time we got out of there we'd lost them."

Hearing this, Chihiro instinctively breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank god, we still haven't lost him!" Chihiro panted, before she shook her head and glanced back at Cali. "Anyways, long story short, Kaos's making his way to Arkus!"

"ALREADY?" Flynn and Cali both cried.

Flynn gripped the pegs of his steering wheel tighter, but quickly released them. "Looks like Skylands' greatest pilot is on the chase again!" Flynn smirked. "Just let me call in the ol' Dread-Yacht!"

Flynn stuck his fingers in and whistled, and the Dread-Yacht zipped up with such speed that it nearly tossed them off the bird's eye! Flynn turned back to the wheel, and steered the bird's eye back into its spot on the Dread-Yacht in a few flawless spins, seating it in with grace and a snug fit.

Flynn was the first to hop off, and adjusted his scarf as he bolted over to the pilot's spot. "You might wanna hold on!" Flynn cried as he tapped a few buttons.

Chihiro stumbled off the bird's eye and slipped onto the deck with the others. She sat down and sighed, but not for long!

The ground rumbled underneath her. The moment she glanced down, the whole ship shifted and twisted around her, and tossed her and the others around with such fury that the wind blocked out their shouts and cries of shock! The world blurred around Chihiro before she hit solid ground with a sharp thunk, and when the world cleared, she stood on the deck no longer!

Instead, she and the other members of her group laid strewn about some kind of spacey cabin with a large windshield in the front that peered to the world outside. Behind the windshield stood a large array of controls, and Flynn, who tapped away at the wide variety of buttons with speed and diligence. The sound of shouts and screams ruminated from the top of the cabin. With another loud thunk, the rest of the Dread-Yacht's passengers all spilled out from a gap in the ceiling, and piled over the floor.

Sihiri sat at their top and groaned as she rubbed her head. The moment she laid eyes on Vatra, she floated down and beamed.

"Vatra, how did it go?" she asked.

Vatra winced. He pushed himself up so that he knelt before Sihiri, but his head laid bowed in shame. His hands trembled, their bandages glowed with heat for a moment before they settled, and finally, Vatra took a breath.

"It's worse than we thought," he spat out at last. "Arkilles, he's, he's alive!"

A round of gasps came from the Elder Elementals and the ancient portal masters alike. Among the rest, the news met with quiet confusion and solemn silence. Their whole group crowded around Sihiri and Vatra, choking them out from the others' sight.

"Wait, what now?" Luz shouted, though he could hardly be seem from how tightly-packed the Elder Elementals were around him. "You're kidding, right? That guy should be burning in the Pits right now!"

"Technically speaking, we shouldn't exactly be here standing either," Crusher remarked under his breath.

Though, he spoke a little too loudly, and left it heard well enough that everyone else devolved into a kind of awkward silence. A few feet shuffled, and Crusher winced as he trailed away from the group. Seems he realized he may have said the wrong thing.

"Moving along," Vatra added, breaking the silence at last. "Arkilles' spirit lived on, and he's possessing that rouge free magician and making his way to Arkus as we speak!"

Sihiri gasped. With the gap left behind by Crusher's absence, she could easily be seen squeezing her fist.

"If he's going there, surely he's planning to revive his empire." Sihiri’s voice was cold as ice as she lifted her head up. She cleared her throat, and her voice raised tall as she turned to Flynn. "Is there any way we can catch up with him?"

"On it, magic lady!" Flynn shouted back, throwing a thumbs up in the air.

He tapped his console for a moment. In the next, a wave of static ruminated over the speakers, before it slowly settled as a soft voice crackled over the speakers.

"Hello?" asked the Machine Ghost over the speakers. "Who is it?"

"Hey, little ghost dude!" Flynn called back. "So, heard you were tailing ol' big head to that secret vault, and I need you to—"

"Send you the coordinates?"

"Took the words right out of my mouth, little buddy! You're almost as great as I am. Almost!"

"I suppose that is a compliment."

"’Course it is! Anyways, can you send them here?"

"Give me a moment, please."

A green light shone over the Dread-Yacht's windshield. It faded for a moment, before it leaped right into the bed of controls rested below the windshield! It glowed and pulsed as Flynn glanced down, and he beamed back up.

"Alright, it's over! I'll meet you there ASAP!"

"And I will keep an eye on Kaos until then."

The crackle of static filtered out after that, replaced only by the creaks and moans of the Dread-Yacht as Flynn pulled down on a lever. A few clunking and revving noises came next, and the room started to heat up as the Dread-Yacht leaned forward. Everyone around took their seats or preemptively crafted something to cling to.

Everyone except Flynn, who turned back and smiled with his hands still gripped tight to the wheel. "Hold on to your hats, everyone!" Flynn cried as the engine revved harder. "We're going into overdrive!"

With that spoken, the engine revved its hardest and the Dread-Yacht sped off fast, so fast that the world around was a blur! While the others clung to their seats, or whatever supports they had, they didn't bear the looks of panic from the speed, or the determination to fight they usually held. No, it was more like… Tension, but from the revelations of earlier, or the fight that awaited, who knew?

Either way, Chihiro just sat steadfast as the Dread-Yacht flew. She clasped her hands into tight fists as she lowered her head. Hopefully, hopefully they'd make it in time.