Within a single, lonely room of the vault, light shone from only the faintest presence of lamps rusted by millennia of dormancy. The light illuminated a sparkly, gold stone tablet that rested on a surprisingly rust-free podium which stretched out from the waters. Its engravings held no signs of erosion in spite of the thousands of years it spent sitting there and gathering dust; the map carved into it was clear as day and shimmered brilliantly.

That is, until a long shadow fell over the podium. The scent of smoke that floated in from the other rooms came to a close as a large Conquertron landed right in front of the podium. Its descent was so forceful that it splashed water across the cavern, including the podium! The rocking waves nearly knocked the map straight off the podium, but the Conquertron quickly claimed it before it could fall into the waves.

"Careful now!" chimed Arkilles from within the Conquertron as he gingerly lifted the map to his face. "It would be such a shame if this map was lost to the waves after all the work I did to get it~" Arkilles chuckled to himself, the Conquertron tilting its head in tandem with his laughter. "Anyways, Conquertron, scan this map into the databanks!"

"Understood, your radiant highness," bellowed a voice from within the Conquertron.

Its eyes flashed red as they panned back and forth over the map held ever so carefully in hand. Within the Conquertron itself, a map formed in its control room! The bright light of the map stood like a luminescent screen over the windshield, its features slowly drawn over the map itself.

Before the map stood Arkilles, who chuckled and drummed his fingers together.

"Oh, it's so close now! Once this map is finished, I can head back to Arkus and get my empire back!" Arkilles proclaimed, spinning around with the joy of a schoolchild. "I'm sure it's just the way I remember it! After all, with all the security there, I doubt anybody's gone spelunking in the past few millennia. All my robots, Arkus's inner workings, I can just feel their presence in this room!" Arkilles laughed again, but his tone turned lower, a bit more malicious. "One I get the fist back, the Arkeyan empire will rise again!"

Arkilles shuffled back over to the pilot's seat and jumped in. His legs crossed together as he ruffled his head, but he blinked as he lifted his hand.

"That's right, this body doesn't have any hair." Arkilles shook his head. "Ah, but that doesn't matter, I can make a nice hair growth potion for it once I meet up with the royal alchemists back in Arkus. Have I missed its pleasures… Those bumbling monkey-things and meddling trolls simply don't compare! Why, I can already hear them say—"

"Stop right there!" cried another voice from behind.

Arkilles raised a brow, jumped to the controls and swerved the Conquertron around. The downloaded map jumped into a simple round glass dome embedded into the console. The dome flickered with white and blue light as he did, and outside, the Conquertron laid the real map back on the podium as it turned around.

The Machine Ghost’s body flew back in, and planted its own feet on the waters.

The Conquertron clenched its fists as its eyes dimmed, but quickly released at the sight of the Machine Ghost's robotic body.

The Machine Ghost's body gained its fair shares of dents, cracks, and bumps still. A bit of steam poured from a few angles, but orange light spread across its body and sealed each gap up, good as new! The body's hatch poured open, and out climbed and flew the Elder Elementals and ancient portal masters. They all seated themselves on the body’s shoulders as it closed the hatch, and they drew into fighting stances, fists raised and legs spread!

"Well, well, look what we have here!" Arkilles teased. His voice was echoed, and a bit more robotic in sound as he spoke. "A bunch of washed-out heroes and some old ghosts of the pasts! I'm surprised you managed to get this far!"

'Enehana snarled. Their teeth gritting together as Nemir pulled them back before they could do anything reckless. Sihiri turned to them with a nod, and 'Enehana nodded in turn as they stepped back. Their scowl stayed stuck to their face, but they merely crossed arms with tight fists, and let their brows dig into their eyes.

Sihiri raised her hand to her throat and cast a spell. "Your reign of terror's revival ends here, Arkilles!" Sihiri bellowed, and her voice echoed to one of a thousand as she stared down Arkilles. "Nothing's going to stop us from stopping you—not your armies, not your tricks and traps, not even death itself!"

"Sure wish it stopped him, though!" Vatra scoffed from the other shoulder.

"I heard that, you know," Arkilles remarked, piloting the Conquertron directly in front of the podium. Arkilles chuckled as the faint sight of burning flames came from where Vatra stood, stroked the Conquertron's chin and sighed. "Unfortunately, I'd say I'm just as stubborn as you pests are! After all, I'm downloading the map as we speak, and my loyal subjects are just dying for their emperor-king to take the throne back! They've been waiting so patiently, so I'm afraid I can't keep them waiting any longer!"

The Conquertron drew back, and Arkilles sneered within its depths.

"So I can't entertain you for long. I'll just have to end your miserable existences right here and now!"

The Conquertron thrust forward with haste, and its legs leaped from within the water's grip with not a single hindrance from the waters below. No, it was as light and elegant as a swan's flight! It shot forward as it thrust a punch right into the heart of the Machine Ghost's body—but the Machine Ghost’s body clapped its hands and created an electrical shield, one quickly reinforced with a bright flash of purple magic! The flash left it so strong and tall that it completely blocked the Machine Ghost’s body, and everyone that surrounded it, from view.

The Conquertron plunged its fist into the shield and blew it to bits. It crated a shock wave that knocked the Machine Ghost’s body into the waters. The lightning coursed around the Conuqertron’s fist, spread to its chest and head, but the Conquertron quickly stifled itself. The lightning faded as Arkilles chuckled and staggered out.

"Ah, so you're still not very quick to lie down and die. I should've guessed that when you showed up again after ten thousand years!" Arkilles remarked. "Ten thousand years, and your souls still refuse to rest. My, how miserable. Surely you'd have better, much more enjoyable things to do in the afterlife than fighting little old me."

"Conquertron destruction formation, now!" Tree Rex cried as he leaped off of the Machine Ghost's body’s shoulder.

The other all cried off and shouted in agreement as they leaped off and followed after Tree Rex. Sihiri and Ninjini were the first to join him as they flicked out their arms and shot purple light. The purple light moved underfoot, consolidated into stars, and landed underneath the feet of those who couldn't fly as it soared forward!

The stars propelled them right towards the Conquertron. While the rest of the group flew on stars, the actual fliers diverted away and swerved around the back! The ones in front charged for Arkilles.

Arkilles snarled as golden light formed in the Conquertron's eyes and emerged as sharp lasers. Before the lasers could make contact, the front group split! The lasers hit the walls instead, blasting small holes into their rocky, metal-laced surfaces.

The golden light formed in the eyes once more, but quickly faded as something smashed into the Conquertron's back and knocked it forward. A creak sounded as its stone casing started to smoke. Arkilles turned around, and met with Swarm, Eye, and Ninjini all shooting hot lasers of colorful light right beside him!

Luz and Vatra floated in. with a snap of their fingers, the lasers doubled in size, and grew so hot that their colors bled out. Their prior hues replaced with a searing white that melted away the metal in the Conquertron's front!

The Conquertron stumbled back and forth as the lasers' heat spread to the lower half of its body. With its balance offset, it stumbled right for the map!

"No!" Arkilles cried as he took control of the Conquertron and swerved it away from the podium.

The Conquertron crashed through one of the walls instead, sending water pouring through the newborn cavity in its bodice. It quickly stumbled back and slugged a punch right for Swarm, Eye, and Ninjini's group. The group scattered, the punch hitting nothing but thin air and lingering still!

Ninjini and Swarm jumped onto the arm. They smiled as burning flames sounded off from the side, right as Bouncer flew down beside them! Ninjini summoned a pair of swords, leaped up, and sliced them together as she shot slashes of magic right into the Conquertron’s arm casing!

The arm cracked, bits of calcified metal and rock crumbling into the depths. Strings of sharp, hot, laser blasts pierced through the casing and cracked them further! Parts of the casing peeled off, unveiling rusted wiring underneath. With one last blast of solid air from Swarm, the casing shattered completely! The loose wiring was all that remained.

Sparks flew from small gashes in the wires, and snapped towards Swarm and Bouncer. They leaped up while Ninjini cast a platform underneath Bouncer.

Arkilles' growling grew deeper, angrier, by far as he glanced down at the Conquertron's casing-free arm. He lowered it to his side and swung around, his still-intact arm swinging along and nearly grazing the group! They stumbled forward, and fell together onto one star platform while the intact arm swung into the ceiling, smashing one row of its beginning! The ceiling crumbled as its remaining half tumbled towards the ground, threatening to crush all underneath!

Just before the wreckage could reach, a bronze glow surrounded it! It stopped in midair before it shot forward, slamming right into the Conquertron's chest! The Conquertron flew back, flew straight into the hole it broke into the wall earlier, and collapsed underneath the broken ceiling's weight.

Sparks flew from its hinges as Arkilles grunted and tossed the rocks away, staggered back up and hunched over into the heart of the fray. A massive dent laid in the Conquertron's chest, one with gashes filled with sparking wires, and steam bellowed from the hinges! The sparks from the exposed arm grew into full-blown electrical fires as water seeped into the wires' gaps, and sirens wailed from within the Conquertron!

"Error, error! Major damage has been sustained to systems!" bellowed a voice from within the Conquertron.

"Yes, I'm aware!" Arkilles cried as he jumped to the console. Arkilles winced at its sights, all pushed in and smashed together while half its buttons and levers fell off and piled at his feet. He quickly shook his head and pushed, pulled at anything he could. "Now shut up and give me the button that does something about it! I don't have time to fiddle with useless machines!"

Back in the outer world, Jorden and Crusher both grinned as they bumped their fists together. They turned around to where the Conquertron creaked up. It lifted its head while steam burst from its back, a glint of malice shining in its eyes, and the two of them readied their weapons in turn.

Jorden and Crush crept forward on their star platforms as the Conquertron lifted itself higher and charged. Sparkles shone at the back of their platform like an engine revving. They gasped and flew off as a searing hot laser shot for them!

The Conquertron resorted to spinning around as fast as it could, lasers shooting from every orifice of its top as it did! The lasers smashed through rocky walls and cliffs, boring holes and leveling formations and platforms around. The smell of hot smoke filled the air. The sheer heat evaporated the water, lowering its levels to about half and increasing the Conquertron's speed as it spun further. It rotated like a top around the battlefield, and stirred up tsunamis as its lasers' light cut through the stone around them!

A few of the others ducked down, but Inochi stood firm and clapped her hands together. Beneath her, a green glow shone underneath the remaining waters, tinting them into a sea foam shade. With a flick of her hand, a whole garden of giant flowers grew around the Conquertron, and shouldered the light's blow!

Their stems drank up the raging lasers, and their closed buds absorbed the light. They grew in brilliant shades as they unfolded, twisted around the Conquertron and bit into its shoulders! Their stems squeezed around the legs and yanked them out of their sockets. Their heads dug further into the shoulders and tore out parts of its wiring. Even as the Conquertron struggled and tried to break free, its limbs could barely even wiggle!

Thumpback and Brawl both sped out on their stars, and whooshed past Inochi with such speed that her kimono fluttered in the breeze!

Thumpback glanced back at her and nodded as he pulled out his anchor. Beside him, Brawl summoned a javelin of bone, and lifted it well above his empty head! They came in close while the Conquertron lifted its head. Its eyes charged with golden light, and they tossed their weapons right through the Conquertron's eyes!

The glass shattered and poured into the depths, and the cannons inside laid smashed to pieces. In fact, a few of the cannons' remnants clung to the head of Thumpback's anchor as he reeled it back in!

The flowers finally unwrapped and faded back into the depths. The Conquertron, released at last, fell down against the wall. It stood freed of its legs and unable to move, its left arm was completely fried, its head cannons left in pieces, and anything in its chest surely in the same state. Even its communications garbled, the faint shouts of Arkilles screaming and panicking warbled by thick, heavy static. The water seeped in further and drenched its chest while parts of its armor began to fall again.

"It's completely defenseless!" 'Enehana cried as they frantically waved their arm. "Get in for the kill, now!"

The static around communications started to clear, and the first thing that came over its cleared speakers was Arkilles, laughing and cackling with his whole chest! A jetpack emerged from the Conquertron's back and lifted it up, pushing around the waters below. Its damaged body dangled like a puppet over the waters. The others backed away as Arkilles' laughter continued, and the Conquertron raised its right arm, the only intact part of its body left.

"You haven't won just yet!" Arkilles cried, his voice strained and cracked as he flailed the arm around. "I still have one arm, and by the great Ancient, I intend to use it! Even if it kills me a second time, I won't let you beat me to my own empire!"

Arkilles's laughter grew frantic as the Conquertron thrashed, and spun its arm around the best it could! It slammed near Tree Rex and Hot Head first, nearly knocking them off the platforms they rode on. It swung to the side and into Swarm's chest, slapping him right out of the air! A pillar of ice rose and splintered as it caught Swarm in its grip.

Beside it, Dej gasped and jumped up as the arm swung for him, landing on its wrist right as it stopped. The arm's casing froze underneath Dej's feet. He clenched his brows as he summoned a sickle made of ice and leaped up.

"Alright, it's time you froze for a second!" Dej cried, slashing his sickle in the air. "Take this!"

Solid ice blasts emerged from the air with every slice, smashing into the arm and freezing it solid! It laid stiff and frozen in its place; it was completely unable to move even as Arkilles cried out and flailed it around. Arkilles grunted, swerved left, and a burst of billowing flames slammed into the arm. It bubbled as the ice melted off, and the arm went with it! Its metal turned gooey as it dripped into the depths of the waves!

"No! Not my arm! Not my last line of defense!" Arkilles cried as the last of the arm melted away.

He gasped as the jetpack's flames petered out in turn, and the Conquertron hit the floors with a clunk before he knew it. Arkilles gasped, and sputtered in strained, trilled fear as the Elder Elementals and ancient portal masters all surrounded his broken, hapless Conquertron. They raised their weapons, all aimed for the Conquertron’s chest and throat, and Arkilled hyperventilated, his breaths straining and whimpering as they inched in closer.

"Oh, woe is me, this truly marks the end of my empire! To be beaten in such a shameful fashion, what a disgrace!" Arkilles bawled, and leaned back in a way that almost made it seem like he would faint. "I suppose you are going to wipe my spirit from this plane, deny my entrance into the afterlife, and leave my soul to wither away into nothingness!"

"It's what you deserve, Arkilles!" Vatra cried, flames engulfing his hands and burning at his hair's tips as he spoke. "Thousands dead, entire islands wiped clean, all those who couldn't even stand a chance against your armies… Have you no shame?"

"Skylands nearly fell into ruin because of your selfishness!" Sihiri shouted, her voice straining with pain. "All so you could fulfill your own desires of having an empire!"

Tree Rex stayed stoic, and only raised his solar cannon as it shrieked, charging with light.

"Ah, so the execution begins now," Arkilles said, his voice quaint and like a whisper. "If these are my last words to be spoken, I simply have to ask… What exactly are you fighting for?"

"To protect Skylands from you, of course!" Tree Rex shouted, his voice bitter and strained as his solar cannon charged its fullest. "It's our home, and we're not going to watch as it's brought into ruin so you can have an empire again!"

"But is it really?"

That single question was enough to raise Tree Rex's brows, and the light in his solar cannon flickered for a moment before it restored. He steeled his glance. His legs shook for a moment before he moved his solar cannon from the Conquertron's chest to its throat. Arkilles laughed, and Tree Rex shuddered as the cannon sparked again!

"Ah, so you have been thinking about that! In fact, I'd been wondering how you'd feel myself. Getting caught up on what I missed was quite an experience, after all."

Arkilles cackled. The once strained tone in his voice completely vanished, and its haughty pride returning as he bellowed with laughter.

"After all, ten thousand years is quite the long time! The places we once called home have changed, been destroyed, vanished to the sands of time, and most of those who lived then are little more than notes in history books. In fact, I'd argue that the Skylands of today is a completely different world from the one we once knew." Another soft chuckle came from Arkilles. "It was quite a shock to me when I discovered it, so I had to wonder how my dearest enemies would take it~"

"What does that matter to you?" 'Enehana spat. "You lost your whole empire, didn't you?"

"Ah, but that's fine by me!" Arkilles chided, and cackled as his words left the others wide-eyed before him. "Empires can always be remade, and so many of my forces were finely preserved. I guess it's true that Arkeyan technology was built to withstand the test of time~"

'Enehana winced, and clenched their teeth while their hands started to spark.

"But look at you! Everything you've cared about is most definitely long gone now! Why are you fighting so hard to protect a world like this? Regardless if I win or lose, this is no place you lot can call home now!"

Sihiri winced and flew forward. "That's not—"

"Oh, but it is true!"

The Conquertron lurched up just enough that it stood the best it could. It smoked and popped, and it gestured a bit as if it raised arms it no longer had.

"Those you once loved have been dead for generations! They're only remembered as faint pages in history books, if they made any marks at all. You'll never see them again, no matter how much you wish for it! All that time spent fighting to live in peace with them was futile! Your family, your friends, your lovers and neighbors… They're all dead! Dead, you hear?"

Luz whimpered, and backed away for only a bit before he rushed for Swarm's leg and started to tremble. A few small sniffles came from him as Swarm nuzzled him close. Beside him, Brawl bowed his head in solemn silence while Eye sank into the cavity on Brawl's top. They only glanced aside a moment as Sihiri shuddered. She shook, and floated back as she clasped her hands over her mouth while tears started to fall.

"Don't listen to him!" Tree Rex hissed as he glanced from side to side, struggling not to move an inch. "He's just trying to get under our—"

"And what of you, wise leader of the Elder Elementals?" Arkilles broke in. "The places you once cherish are nothing like you remember them, even if they're still around!" Arkilles chuckled, and the Conquertron's head barely creaked from side to side. "That's true of all of you lot! Your homelands have been left ravaged and changed beyond belief by the sands of time! Their names have been eroded, and their most treasured places are destroyed and unrecognizable! Why, I doubt anyone there would even know what you would were talking about if you tried to come back!"

Inochi whimpered and bowed her head, and Tree Rex gently swept her into his arms. Nemir floated beside him next; his eyes went wide with shock while he held his crown in his hands, but even he quickly turned away and tried to fix it, as if he hid himself from Arkilles' piercing glare. Nemir shuddered as Arkilles glanced at him. Jorden and Hot Head flew in front of Nemir as a shield, but both of them carried tense, contemplative looks and shuddered themselves.

"Those aspirations you all held, all those things you surely dreamed of doing once you defeated me, well, what good are they to you now? You're all either fragments of a dead era, or dead! The people of now only think of you as legends, as bedtime stories they tell to their children! This world holds no place for fossils such as yourselves!"

'Enehana gritted their teeth further, and their hands shook as Dej wearily clasped one and turned away. Vatra's own flames extinguished as he turned away and joined them, his back completely turned to Arkilles. Above them, Bouncer, Ninjini, Thumpback, and Crusher all shared weary, tense glances as they glanced at each other and the others around them.

Surely, they all held that same conflict: they wanted to refute Arkilles, to cry out and tell him he was wrong…

But, they couldn't.

He was right. Skylands changed a lot in all those years. How could they combat his arguments when this world was so different, and they knew so little about it? When everything they once held dear disappeared so long ago? To hear these piercing taunts from their worst enemy, of all beings, tore right through them.

"Don't try to fight me! You know I'm right!" Arkilles cackled. "You came here all gung ho to fight me again, and didn't think for a moment of what would become of you afterwards! If anything, I'd say you're stupider than you think I am! You rushed in full charge to fight for a world you barely understand, all for purposes that become moot millennia ago!"

They all stood and watched Arkilles. They expected him to laugh in their faces, or gloat further, but instead, he lifted the Conquertron's head and cried only one thing.

"Repair system, start operations on this Conquertron!"

A bright light shone from the ceiling, and everyone gasped. Their eyes went wide as they jolted around while the light rained over the Conquertron.

Its broken body levitated into the air as the light spread around. The light summoned the Conquertron's broken and busted parts from the waters and wreckage, drawing them to the Conquertron like a magnet. The damage its head and chest sustained completely repaired itself as the light shone down. It even removed the calcification, and brought back its shiny gold and bronze coloration! Its arms snapped back into their spots one at a time. The body lifted itself up, and seated itself snugly on its lower half right as the light faded!

The Conquertron revived at last, all sparkling and brand-new as it drank in the gasps and shocked looks of those around.

"Now, don't think poorly of me for doing this," Arkilles said as he raised the Conquertron’s arm, and clenched its hand into a fist. "In fact, be grateful! I'm liberating your from your pointless existence, and sending you where you truly belong!"

The fist came in with a snap, smashing right through the Elder Elementals and portal masters' ranks. Before they could even blink, their bodies flew back and cracked from the punch. Blood dripped from some, and others flickered in and out of existence!

The Conquertron loomed over them as they sank towards the sea, yet they couldn't even open their eyes. They fell closer and closer to the water's embrace, not even motivated enough to move. Arkilles' cackles ringing in their ears from above, the waters moving and sloshing below, the crushing feeling of their bodies begging to just give out already… It all coalesced into one sinking, crushing feeling.

"Think of me when you reach the life after, my dearest enemies!"

"I am afraid that will not be happening!"

A hand swept down, captured the group just before they could hit the ground, and it lifted them eye-level to the Machine Ghost's body. A light formed from the body's palm, cascaded over them. Their wounds healed and their bodies stabilized in one flash, at least enough that they sat up and glanced at the Machine Ghost within.

He said nothing. Instead, he swerved towards a ledge in the distant part of the vault, one far away from the conflict, but close enough to witness.

"I'm lucky I found the instant healing feature of this robot in time," the Machine Ghost said as he dropped them on the ledge.

He turned away, wiped his hands, and his body's eyes flashed red as he glanced at Arkilles.

"Do not fret. I will take care of Arkilles from here, so you just sit back and rest!"

The Machine Ghost grunted as his body swung forward and gripped the Conquertron's side, but the Conquertron swept away! The Machine Ghost's body turned back like it expected a punch, yet stumbled back when it found nothing but empty space to its side. Its head turned to the Conquertron, which had a hand to its chin as Arkilles chuckled within it.

"My, what a peculiarity. Another one of my robots, rebelling against me? A robot like you only exists to be controlled and nothing more," Arkilles mused. "In fact, you shouldn't even be able to talk, let alone think!"

Arkilles grunted as the Machine Ghost smashed a punch right into his face. It shattered the glass in his Conquertron’s eyes once more, and he jumped back with a snarl.

"Actually, forget that! Sentient or not, any robot who rebels against its master should be punished!"

The Conquertron struck with a punch of its own. The Machine Ghost's body turned aside and chopped its elbow, and dented the arm just slightly before the Conquertron elbowed the body's chest! The Machine Ghost hacked as the blow jabbed his body upwards. As he flew, a pair of punches from the Conquertron knocked him into one of the walls!

The wall shattered beneath the blow's impact. Rocks rained down on his body’s head as it slunk down into the waters. Steam blew from the body’s joints, and the Machine Ghost grunted as it staggered back up.

Instead of jumping back into the fight, the body turned tail and ran!

"That's it!" Ermit cried, his voice echoed from the body's speakers. "I'm not dealing with this bloody robot nonsense anymore! I'm going where it's safe!"

The Machine Ghost’s body stopped mid-run and swung around, nearly falling over itself. "No we're not!" the Machine Ghost cried as his body seated itself down, and rushed for Arkilles once more. "We can't just let him run around and hurt other beings!"

"That’s the heroes' thing to fix, not mine!" Ermit grunted, and the Machine Ghost’s body swung back for the entrance once more. "I'm just gonna go where it's safe, and take my robot with me!"

The Machine Ghost’s body came only within inches of the entrance before it completely froze. It stood like a statue: upright and frozen with not even a twitch of its finger! It slightly swung left or right, but every move stopped midway through. All the while, arguing bellowed out and rang around the vault's shattered room.

"We can't leave, not now! At this rate, Arkilles will—"

"The Skylanders should be coming soon, so they can deal with this! I'm not letting a robot I worked hard to win get trashed and go down with it! I'm just some writer, not a fighter!"

"If you don't let those controls go, you really will go down! We're completely vulnerable at the moment! Arkilles could strike at any minute!"

"You let go first! I only got a robot, I didn't want an annoying ghost who blabs around, and uses it as he pleases! You're just a freeloader who didn't come with the package!"

The sounds of splashing waves drowned out the argument as something leaped behind them. The Machine Ghost's body turned around right as the Conquertron leaped up, and the Conquertron punched the body right in the chest! An explosive burst of lightning and fire blasted out from the body's chest, knocking both it and the Conquertron across the room. The Conquertron fell to the left, and collapsed in the waters before it staggered back up.

The Machine Ghost's body hobbled in and clutched its chest. Sparks and flames still burned, but they extinguished with a simple pat of the hand. The Machine Ghost's body charged forward, leaped into the air, and slammed down on the Conquertron just before it could reach full height. The Conquertron collapsed back into the ground, waves flying around it and roaring.

The waves crashed back down, but disrupted once more as the Machine Ghost's body plunged a fist straight into the Conquertron's chest. The Conquertron’s metal and wiring splat right open, and with a twist of the body's fist, a shock wave rang out, and fried what was left inside. The shock blew the wires wide open, their lightning-born flames bursting into an inferno!

Sirens bellowed from the Conquertron's sound system, and its arms and legs flailed with rapid, hard fury. Its kicks rapped into the robot body's back while its slaps beat against its face the fastest they could. It was as if the hands raced to see which one would knock the body's head off its shoulders first!

An explosion of furious fire burst from the chest, and knocked the Machine Ghost's body into the water. Its electrical fires dampened the moment the Conquertron crashed. The body skidded across the waves, the steam that came from it turning to smoke. Its metal started to tear, and pained grunts could barely be heard from the fading speakers as it tried to push itself up. A creak and burst came from the back as something blew open, churning out thick smoke.

The Machine Ghost just pulled his body back up as it clutched its arm.

"Wait, what's going on with you, ghost?" Ermit cried. "Your body, it's all clear and stuff, and why's it fritzing like that?"

The Machine Ghost didn't respond. He just leaned his body down, charged forward and raised its fist. The fist charged with lightning as it grew closer to the Conquertron, who shot out its hand and tried to grab the head. Just before the Conquertron could reach, the Machine Ghost's body swerved away and turned for the entrance once more!

"That's it, we're leaving! This robot's taking too much damage, and it'll take me more gold than it's worth to repair it!" Ermit cried.

The Conquertron slid forward, and slammed right into the Machine Ghost's body as it ran. The body crashed face first into the waves, and only grunts came from both Ermit and the Machine Ghost over the speakers! The Conquertron stomped its foot into the body's wide-open back; the Conquertron not only squashed it, but pushed it straight into the waters!

The water seeped into the body’s back as sparks burst from all around, spreading across the robot's body and then to the Conquertron's. They both froze, their systems rattling and sirens blaring. The sudden shock forced the Conquertron up long enough for the Machine Ghost's body to stand.

"Systems… Systems in major disrepair!" the Machine Ghost panted. His voice turning glitchy and distorted as his body struggled to keep balance in his control. It swayed back and forth, its legs quivering and barely able to stand, and his voice strained even further. "Have, have to make repairs!"

"Yeah, we can do that when we escape, so let's get out of here!"

A red-hot laser shot from the back and knocked into the body's wounds, setting its back ablaze! The hot embers danced and turned to full flames as they spread and churned out even more burning smoke. The body turned around and slammed its palms together, shooting a shock wave right back at the Conquertron!

The Conquertron's sirens wailed as it jolted up, but the lightning froze it right in place! The shock wave settled while the Conquertron slunk over, and the Machine Ghost’s body almost ran off.

But, just as it took a step forward, part of its back creaked! The seared wiring and panels of the Machine Ghost’s body spilled out their guts, hanging over the splintered back of the body itself. A few parts of its armor that barely dangled from its back finally severed themselves, dropping into the deep, raising pillars of water. Sparks flew and snapped at its systems with every water droplet that brushed against the body’s guts.

"Go already! There's no way you'll be able to finish that bloke in this state!"

The Machine Ghost panted. He let his body slouch over for moments and clutch itself, but then, he rose.

"I am afraid I cannot do that," was all he said as he pulled his body to full height and tightened his fists. "I have… Have to finish this battle."

The Machine Ghost steadied his body, and its eye flashed red as the Conquertron raised before him.

"I do not remember much of my past, but whenever I see this robot, whenever I hear this man's voice, it fills me with a rage unlike anything I ever felt before."

The Machine Ghost growled over the speakers. His voice started to raise, and he let out a garbled, glitched scream as his body charged forward.

"I must, I must defeat him!"

The body leaped in the air, body-slammed right into the Conquertron, and knocked it off-balance enough that it fell straight into the water. The body plummeted down and crashed again! Its knees dug into the Conquertron's chest; it lifted its sparking arms and wailed away, smashing its fists into the Conquertron's chest and splitting it right open.

The Machine Ghost's screams and cries echoed through the air, leaving the room to rumble. His body's fists dented and smashed through the Conquertron's chest. With it finally broken open, the body turned for the inner wiring next.

It ripped out the Conquertron's wires, yanked out its gears and devices before it crushed them to bits, and even smashed them against the Conquertron's splintered chest. The body sputtered and rumbled. Flames, smoke, and more bursting from its joints while its armor popped off and splintered, revealing bright red, overheating metal underneath. The Machine Ghost didn't even relent, for he just gored away at the Conquertron will all he had!

"R-repair system, start operations on this Conquertron immediately, quickly, hurry!" Arkilles screamed, a stroke of genuine fear in his voice.

The lights began to shine, but the Machine Ghost's body grabbed a missile right out of the Conquertron's chest, and flung it right at the source of the light! Bright, hot flames burst from the ceiling. The light faded with them as its source crumbled to bits, and both parties lingered on its remains.

The Machine Ghost’s body lifted its hands high. Its eyes fixed on where a shining core rested in what remained of the Conquertron’s hollow chest.

"And now, to finish this!" the Machine Ghost cried as the thickest smoke of them all churned around his body. The smoke would have shrouded it as his body’s hands shot for the core, if not for the bright, hot red light that came from it.

"No, wait!" 'Enehana cried from the stage. "That robot's hit its limits! If you keep going like that, it'll blow and take you all with it!"

"What?" Ermit shouted back.

The smoke cleared, and the Machine Ghost's body swerved away—but not with the core in hand. No, it hobbled up and ran away! All the while, it still glowed like a star as it stumbled and swayed on its way towards the entrance.

"That's it, I'm getting off this wild ride!"

"I'm afraid that won't be happening!" Arkilles shouted back.

A kick came from behind, and the Machine Ghost's body creaked and popped in an ear-shattering volume. It flew across and slammed into the wall behind it, the force popping parts of its armor straight off. Dulled, muffled explosions burst from around it. Parts of its armor seeped out, and its right arm fell right out of the socket; its dangling wires were the only thing that kept it connected to the body still. Lightning popped from every orifice and crackled around it as the Conquertron slunk up to it.

Still, the Machine Ghost's body raised its trembling, rattling left fist, refusing to go down.

"Oh? And what exactly do you think you're doing?" Arkilles sneered. "Do you really think you can kill me in that sorry state?"

A low rumble came from the Machine Ghost's body as the fist rattled harder. It pivoted away from the Conquertron—and towards the map! It popped off, rocketed right for the map before anyone could even blink, and blazed even further as it shot straight for the map to Arkus! The fist smashed right into the map’s center before its flames petered off.

The map's shattered fragments rained down as the fist laid where it once stood on the podium. The fist flopped over and rolled right into the water, sinking into the depths along with the fragments.

A few gasps came from the ledge where the Elder Elementals and portal masters stood.

The most enraged came not from them, but Arkilles! The Conquertron turned back as Arkilles roared. It yanked the Machine Ghost’s body up from the ground and squeezed its head, popping it off its socket!

"YOU INSOLENT BASTARD!"

The Conquertron swung the Machine Ghost's body into the wall, and smashed it right through! The Machine Ghost's body flew and rolled along like a rag doll. Arkilles screamed as the Conquertron rushed forward. The Conquertron pummeled against the body’s side, and smashed down its metal until most parts flattened. The flat parts only inflated as they split open and spewed out mechanical guts!

The Conquertron smoked, its own body turning red hot as its casing split open in turn. It spewed out wires of its own that burned and sparked, but Arkilles screamed and pounded away!

The Machine Ghost's body clanked and clunked with every punch. Its limbs split out as their wires frayed and split open. Sirens half-blared from its distorted, garbled speakers while flames burst and sent smoke flying towards the area.

With one brush, that flame spread to the Conquertron, setting it alight! Its metal melted and burned away, and the wires exploded one by one as Arkilles pulled away! He screamed as they split and dropped its arms to the ground.

The Conquertron leaped up, and crashed through the ceiling's remains as his screams echoed through the skies!

The rubble crashed down, and Jorden and Crusher both lifted up their hands as brown glows pulsed from them—but they didn't need to do a thing.

The Machine Ghost's body charged forward, flew over them, and took the blow as the avalanche crashed down. The body let out another hard clunk as the rocks flattened it. Its chest smoked and flamed as it popped its door open, and spat out Ermit and the Machine Ghost!

The two of them laid sprawled and trembling on the floor. Ermit's body was covered in bruises and sores, both his eyes were swollen and purple, and his already-torn clothes ripped even further, unveiling skin covered in bloody scratches. Beside him laid the Machine Ghost, except he could barely be seen!

The once deep, rich blues of the Machine Ghost’s ghastly body painted a faint, nearly transparent white. Only faint streaks of blue barely kept their color or visibility, and the Machine Ghost glitched and fritzed with every move he made, every breath he took. He couldn't even open his eyes!

Inochi gasped and gently lifted up Ermit. Ermit coughed and hacked as he rested against her, but groaned as she carried him back to their group. With a cast of her hand, she crafted a bed of leaves and laid him down, allotting his coughing to slow some. It lasted for little, for something else crashed through the room, and rattled him so bad that he started again!

The Dread-Yacht burst through at last! Its body smoked, but in a much better state by comparison. It craned its head, and immediately burst for the ledge!

Its front opened up, and Chihiro was the first to rush out with the others quick on her tail. The moment she caught sight of the Machine Ghost and Ermit, her face turned pale and she stopped in her tracks!

"Ermit! Machine Ghost!" Chihiro screamed. Her voice strained to its highest as she lifted the Machine Ghost in her arms and peered up to the others. "What happened? What happened to them?" Chihiro's eyes flickered and she quickly shook her head. "No, we'll, we'll find that out later! Take them to the infirmary, they need medical treatment, stat!"

Spyro and Flynn both frantically panted as they lifted Ermit's bed of leaves and carried him back to the Dread-Yacht.

Chihiro almost did the same with the Machine Ghost, but the moment she tried to lift him up, he phased right through her arms and dropped back onto the ground! She lifted her ectoplasm-covered arms, and gasped as the ectoplasm faded away into faint sparkles.

"Oh no," Chihiro croaked, before she shook her head and turned her gaze to Nemir. "Nemir, you're the undead guy, right? You should know something about this, right? Can't you heal him?" Chihiro turned her head as tears fell down her face, oblivious to how they all stepped away. "Wait, no, maybe—"

"It's alright."

A cold hand brushed against Chihiro's own, and she peered down to where the Machine Ghost laid on the ground. He still flickered and fritzed in and out of existence…

But now, he bore a smile on his face. It was a weak, but kind smile, one that didn't relent even as parts of his body went in and out of existence. Chihiro gasped and lifted him into her arms again, and he smiled as he wiped a tear from her chin.

"My time was bound to come sooner or later," the Machine Ghost conceded, and made a small nod as the bottom of his body devolved into sparkly, glitchy light. "At the very least… I-I-I, I'm gla-gla-gla-glad that I, I, I mana, to stop… Arkil…"

The glitching, sparkly light spread further, engulfing the Machine Ghost's chest, and then his arms. Only his neck and head remained, and even those faded soon. Still he smiled, even as his eyes lowered by the second.

"Glad I met… You… Even if… For a sho-sho-sho-sho-sho-sho—"

The glitchy infection grabbed his neck next, and his chin started to fade in turn—so, he just closed his eyes.

"I'm glad I met all of you… Even if it was for just a short time."

And with that, the infection snatched the Machine Ghost’s head far too fast, and his whole body burst! The white light swallowed it glitchy masses swallowed, and they exploded into blue sparkles that flew into the sky, floating up to the exposed evening sun. Even those disappeared in the sun's harsh light. The sun’s warm red and gold hues engulfed them, and they flickered out just as quickly as they came.

The remains of the blue light faded from Chihiro's arms as she glanced down. Her eyes widened, her tears fell, and Chihiro inhaled harsh and sharp.

Her breath was barely even there as her lip trembled—and with nothing more she could do, Chihiro threw back her head and screamed at the top of her lungs!

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The tears streamed down her face as she flung her head back. She buried her head within her knees, and blubbered so loud that the birds in the skies above flew off. Streams of tears poured, and puddled together at her knees while snot streamed down her face and joined it. Her cries rang even further as she slung down, falling down into the puddle and pounding her fist against the ledge. Not once did her volume relent. She screamed, screamed for the loss of a friend, screamed for the failure of a mission, screamed because there was nothing else she could do but that.

"Why? Why? Why?" Chihiro wailed. She tried to push herself up, unveiled her puffy, teary red-tinged face, yet collapsed onto her puddle of tears once more. "It, it, this isn't fair! Why, why, why couldn't we…"

Spyro flew out from the Dread-Yacht and landed back on the ledge, but he didn't say a word. He flew towards Chihiro and sat down, gently leaned her against his back, and curled around her. His wing folded over her back as she clutched him and sobbed into his shoulder. A single tear shed as he sat down and wrapped around the rest of her body.

The others followed after him, and joined the group on the ledge, but nobody said a word. They stared at the battle's remnants, at the rivers thickened and polluted with oil, at the broken walls, at the podium covered in the gold dust from what was once the map to Arkus, at the ravaged, mangled robot body that once belonged to the Machine Ghost.

"We may have stopped Arkilles from getting the map," 'Enehana whispered as they hung their head to hide their ears, their hands squeezed tight, "but, it doesn't feel like we've really won."

Though nobody said a word, it was clear that they all agreed as they stood, and took in the ravaged remains of the battlefield.