"Now the gate to the Dinya Mirin should be here," Nemir said as he fixed his crown and pulled up his robes some.

He cleared his throat as he glanced over the masses of purple rock and dark, smoky skies that laid before him. The chilled, cool air raised goosebumps along the skin and chilled the very core of one's soul. Nemir’s attention wasn't fixed on that; or the occasional dead trees and tumbleweeds; or even the bony brambles that entwined with dead vines, and the sickly purple leaves that burst from the cracks in the floor. No, his eyes instead focused on a gate comprised of spiky bones, and the shiny, silver disc with an Undead Element symbol carved on it in its heart, which beamed with sickly undead energy just from a glance.

"And here they are."

Nemir hummed as he strode over to the gate and placed a hand against its disc.

Behind him, Chihiro crossed her arms behind her back, and hummed as she glanced at Spyro. "So, Spyro, what is this Dinya Mirin place supposed to be like? Think it’s anything like the place we had to get the Undead Source from, or is it like that Darklight Crypt place?" she asked as she tapped her foot.

"Well, maybe not," Spyro replied as he scratched his chin. "Sure, the Underworld has a reputation for being gloomy and morbid, but I read that around these parts, there's a thriving community of natural Undead Elementals who made a living for themselves doing business in the more supernatural fields with the living. It's one of the oldest-lived intermortal communities between the living and the dead, and one of the most diverse ones at that—"

"And if you want to know, you can find out for yourselves," Nemir said as he stepped back.

Spyro and Chihiro both blinked, turned away from each other, and found that the gate finally receded in the moments they spent talking.

Its bones just barely peeked from the earth now, and decorated the top of a long, spiraling staircase made of much smoother and sleeker purple stone compared to the old, cracked stone of the world around. Faint music and the howling of ghosts echoed from the bellows of whatever the staircase ended at. They were sounds so faint that it was hard to hear them over the wind, or figure out whether they were born of joy, mourning, or something else entirely.

Spyro and Chihiro glanced at each other once more, and Nemir floated over to them as he gently draped two simple pendants over their necks. They were both made of a ghastly ribbon and a single skull for a charm. The two of them lifted up their pendants as a strange, almost chilling kind of energy resonated from them. Protective amulets, perhaps?

"These pendants should protect you from the Undead energy inherit to the Dinya Mirin," Nemir explained. He beckoned for them as he floated towards the staircase. "Now come, follow me. The Dinya Mirin is just down this way."

Spyro took down the stairs first, jumping in the air and flying down. Chihiro skipped after him. She hopped down the stairs two at a time to keep pace with his flight. Her hands clasped and released as she glanced down at the walls of sleek obsidian that made up the world around her.

A faint shimmer of light shone beside her as she ran her hand against the wall, and she frowned. The sounds that echoed from the staircase grew louder, and merrier. She hit the last step as light poured through the path ahead, and crept out while craning her head the entire way.

As she left the pathway, she stumbled back and gasped, for confetti popped in her face! For a place in the Underworld, the whole area around was filled with life!

The streets shone in bright shades of purple and cyan, even milky whites and shiny silvers. Ghouls, ghosts, and creatures of all kinds raced down the streets and cheered, all while they brandished party poppers and sparklers of ghastly energy! Stands and stores with signs that bore colorful displays lined the streets, all in a wellspring of undead styles. Crypts from Eastern Siebenbard, houses shaped like giant urns with distinctly Kanokatasenese styles, and even graves and old temples reminiscent of Turkish monuments she’d seen in her travels on Earth! It was a hub of everything Undead, and it warmed the cool air with a feeling of unity and uniqueness alike.

In the heart of it all, a whole parade stormed down the way, complete with a band of ghosts that performed music on invisible instruments! The smells of baked good rang in the air, and a glance aside showed that it came from a few ghosts in baker's clothes who handed out pies and crepes to couples lined up a stand. Heh, Chihiro didn't think Batterson's chain delivered here, of all places! Music and laughter rang in the air, warming the otherwise-cold winds of the underworld. It was a sight that left Chihiro smiling as she stood and basked in it.

Beside her, Nemir chuckled and lowered his crown, yet kept it clutched to his heart in lieu of his head.

"So much has changed here," he whispered, "yet it's just as wonderful as I remember it being." Nemir chuckled, laid his crown back atop his head, and drifted away from the group. "Anyways, the Undead conduction device we need should be sold in some of the shops around here. We'll split up and look. I'll take this end, and you two will take the other."

"Got it!" Spyro shouted as he took Chihiro hand in paw. "Come on, Chi, we've got a device to get!"

Spyro and Chihiro both laughed as they raced through the gaps in the parading crowds. Heart-shaped confetti and colorful streamers rained down on them as they passed by. The two of them laughed as they brushed the dying paper out off their heads; Chihiro chuckled as Spyro pulled a streamer from between her bangs and tossed it away.

Something about the warm atmosphere made the tension of their mission disappear. They hadn't quite had a moment like that in a while. Not to mention, there was so much to see and do that it was hard for Chihiro to not run off and check out all the sights and sounds! She did still have a device to find and a friend to revive, so she grabbed Spyro by the paw and dragged him away to the shops.

They weaved through some ghouls and goblins to avoid the crowds. Crowds were enough of a pain when shopping on Earth, and she couldn't imagine how much of a pain it would be to try and shop through a pack of beings you could walk right through! Luckily, the few crowds were sparse, and soon enough she slowed to a walk. She stopped right by one shop, gently released Spyro's paw, and pressed her hands against the glass.

Within the displays, all sorts of jewelry and trinkets laid lined up and sparkling. Their stands peeked out from the thickets of promotional fliers, and posters taped to the walls on ectoplasmic bases. On one display, there stood necklaces, bracelets, crowns and earrings and more. To the other, there were tiny clocks and other strange devices Chihiro couldn't quite put a name to. A place with fun trinkets like this would be as good a place to start as any, right?

She supposed so, so Chihiro pulled herself off the glass and went towards the door—but she didn't even need to. A ghost with a body the color of honey phased right through the door!

"Welcome, welcome! Welcome to Bane's Baubles and Bijoux, where every ware is a precious gem in the eyes of the beholder!" the ghost proclaimed, before they chuckled as their milky white eyes drifted from Spyro and Chihiro. "Here to get a little something special for your date?"

"D-date?" Spyro and Chihiro sputtered, shooting quick glances at each other and then back at the giggling ghost.

Chihiro stepped forward first, forcing a laugh and shaking her hands a little. "Er, well, we're not here on a date, per say—"

"Aw, don't be coy!" the ghost nudged Chihiro's arm with their elbow, though, being a ghost, it just phased right through and sent chills down her spine. "You know, we have a special deal going on right now for the Festival of Lovers! You buy one, get one half-off!"

"The Festival of Lovers?"

The ghost raised a faint brow, smiled and nodded. "Ah, you must be visitors here. You don't know about the Festival of Lovers, do you?"

"Not really," Spyro affirmed as he shook his head.

"Why, the Festival of Lovers is one of our oldest holidays!" the ghost clasped their hands. "Ages ago, when our town was but a small village, a horrific monster rose from the depths and used its powers to turn our entire populace against itself! Family fought family, friends stabbed each other in the back… Oh, it was horrendous!" the ghost mock-fainted for a moment, their body paling as they did. But, they quickly pulled themself up and smiled. "Thankfully, two lovers bravely stepped in, and used the power of their love to seal away the beast! Now, every year we celebrate the power of their love, and the strength of a couple's bonds!"

Spyro and Chihiro both smiled to each other. That did sound pretty nice, celebrating the strength of bonds. Their moment of enjoyment quickly broke, for the ghost shoved a book of jewelry with ghastly, melting faces reflected in its surface in their faces.

"So, interested in some rings or a necklace for your little lady?"

Chihiro winced, backed away, and leaned in closer to Spyro. "Little lady? Are they talking about me?"

"I dunno," Spyro whispered back. "Maybe?"

Spyro cleared his throat and flew forward, gently pushing the box out of the way. "Actually, we're here for something called an undead conduction device. You've got a lot of odds and ends here, so we wanted to know if you might have something like that?"

Hearing this, the ghost chuckled and withdrew with a bit of a sad look in their eyes.

"Actually, we don't have anything like that here. We just have little house trinkets. If you're looking for supernatural wares, the Moon Cat's Alleyway is your stop! In fact, it's right over there!" The ghost gestured right across the street.

There, another shop that was decked out in glowing which resembled stars, moons, suns, and other magical things sat. A curved sign that resembled a black cat with crescents for eyes read the shop's name in Common. A few ghosts lingered to and fro at its front; they glanced in the windows, or popped in and out of the shop for mere moments while apparitions of short beings swaddled in cloth offered them cards.

Yeah, this seemed like the kind of place that would be super magical, and truth be told, Chihiro was starting to get a little weirded out from the way this ghost looked at her and Spyro. It seemed like a good next stop.

"Thank you for your time!" Chihiro spat out as she yanked away Spyro and rushed into the streets, her head hanging down the entire time.

All of a sudden, the normally-comforting grip of his paw felt strange, cold and alien, so she released and stormed her way in alone. Not once did her eyes lift from the streets. She didn’t look, not even as the sounds of parading cheers, and loud, joyful music that sang about couples and their love for each other rang in the streets; not even as the world thundered around her. She knew it. Something in her gut told her she was going to look up, and she’d meet with someone hounding her about love, about herself and Spyro, about—

"Chi, watch out!" Spyro cried.

Something yanked Chihiro's arm back right as a particularly burly ghost passed through. Chihiro shook her head as she turned back to Spyro. She, she hadn't seen that guy there. She got too wrapped up in what that shopkeeper said.

Spyro chuckled and fixed her bangs a little, but she winced and looked back down. It stung a little, feeling his claws against her skin at a time like this.

"You alright, Chi? You seem a little out of it."

"Yeah, I'm fine!" Chihiro chuckled as she scratched her head. "Guess I just got a little lost in my thoughts there."

A bright purple light brushed against her face, and Chihiro craned her head up to find herself right at the Moon Cat place's storefront.

"Would you look at that, we're here! Better go ask if they have that device!"

Chihiro pushed the door open, and the store greeted her with the smell of fresh incense and flowers. The cool lights of the outdoors turned to warm pinks and reds, like her classrooms on Valentine's Day. All around her, pink and red trinkets decked out the shelves in addition to common magic wares like potions, fortune-telling tools, and more. A love potion to the left, a kit to find your future lover's name to the right…

Her stomach churned at the sight, so she gulped and held her head down as she headed to the back. Maybe the devices and stuff would be there, and she could quickly leave. All this talk of romance felt something akin to somebody dumping a bucket of cold water on her head, and she wasn't quite sure why.

The sound of soft, flapping wings came behind her, and the familiar touch of a scaly paw brought her back up.

"Hey, don't worry about what that ghost said earlier," Spyro whispered. "They just seemed a little eager to sell that stuff."

Chihiro chuckled a bit, but couldn't bring herself to smile. "Don't worry, I'm not," she lied. Well, only half-lied. It didn't bother her, for that itself wasn't what bothered her. It was more that she didn't know why it bothered her in the first place.

"Have you come to get your fortune told, young lovers?"

A cold wind whispered in the wind, and Chihiro jolted up as her eyes moved around the store in search of its source. Her eyes locked on a small wisp of blue smoke that came from the floorboards and billowed into a pillar. Chihiro yelped and backed away as it exploded! On instinct, she crafted a shield, but the smoke quickly faded and she quickly released in turn.

Chihiro turned to where the smoke once rested, and found a ghost so heavily swaddled in robes that only their eyes could be seen.

"Fortune told?" Chihiro echoed, and straightened her posture as she spoke.

The ghost nodded, though it was a teensy bit hard to tell with all their clothing. "Yes, we're doing a special deal on love fortunes for the festival of lovers!" the ghost replied. Their voice was a bit shrill with glee as they clapped their hands. "And you, and that dragon boy, I can smell it—you two are deeply in love, aren't you?"

Chihiro jolted up and backed away as the ghost floated straight up to Spyro and grabbed his paw. Spyro could only sputter out awkward, garbled nonsense as the ghost stared directly into his eyes.

"Now what concerns might you have? How long will your love last? When your wedding day will be? How many kids your partner wants?"

Well, at least they didn't assume she was a girl this time. Chihiro would give them that. She didn't know why, but something about the way the other shopkeeper jumped to that left a bitter taste in her mouth. Spyro didn't seem particularly comfortable as he subtly tried to pull his paw away, so she pushed through and pulled Spyro away.

"Actually, we came here looking for an undead conduction device," Chihiro explained, pushing herself in front of Spyro. "Do you have one?"

The ghost's face fell a bit, as if they were almost disappointed that Chihiro and Spyro didn't come here for love fortunes, and shook their head.

"I'm afraid we just sold out of our last one."

"Ah, I see." Chihiro turned around and made her way straight for the door with Spyro's paw clasped tight in her hand. "In that case, we'll try elsewhere."

"But wait, aren't you curious about your love—"

Chihiro slammed the door behind her just before the ghost could finish, released Spyro's paw and sighed as she sat on the side of the street. She watched as a colorful float topped with two ghosts in ceremonial robes passed her by. The two ghosts waved down to the cheering crowds around, leaned in to kiss—and all of a sudden, Chihiro's stomach churned and she turned away before she threw up.

A familiar scaly embrace came as a wing shielded over her eyes, and Chihiro nodded as she nestled in closer to Spyro. The warmth of his scales pressing against her, but she winced and drew back. The faint recollection of those words came back, and she couldn't help but frown as they echoed in her head.

"Here to get a little something special for your date?"

"Have you come to get your fortune told, young lovers?"

"You two are quite the item, aren't you?"

Sure, she might've sounded a little stupid, but hearing that about her and Spyro just felt strange. Not once had she really put much thought to it. Sure, she and Spyro said "I love you" to each other all the time, they hung out all the time, and she felt a kind of connection with him that didn't quite feel the same way she felt about the other Skylanders, or anybody else.

But, being called a "couple," something about the word felt strange to her. Were they in a relationship? She guessed they probably would've been, seeing as how they did almost all the stuff couples did, and the way she felt about him wasn't quite the way she felt about friends or family.

Something about that didn't feel right, but, why? Was it because they never kissed, or really gone on a date? Well, they'd gone on missions by themselves before, and dates were just spending time alone, right? No, that didn't quite feel right either. Something about their connection came so naturally, yet just that one sentence was enough to make it strange and unnatural in an instant.

Was it wrong that she couldn't quite put a word to the kind of relationship they had? It should be simple: either they were friends, or they were lovers, but neither word really fit.

"Chi? Chi?" Spyro called, waving his paw in front of Chihiro's face. "Chihiro?"

Chihiro hastily shook her head and nodded. "Yeah, Golden Boy?"

"Are you alright? You were spacing out a little back there."

Chihiro frowned, turning away from Spyro. Should she ask him how he felt about all that? After all, he seemed kind of weirded out by it too. Besides, regardless of whatever they were, or whatever beings thought of them, she could tell him anything. Well, she supposed she could.

"Er, well, kind of." Chihiro teased her hair and bit her lip. "Spyro, are we a couple?"

Spyro blinked and tilted his head. "A… Couple?"

"Well, I mean, I was thinking about what Boomette said the other day, and what those shopkeepers said, and well, I don't know. I mean, I don't really know anything about romance."

"Well, I don't really know the first thing about romance, either." Spyro scratched his horn a little, the same way he always did when he was deep in thought. "I mean, being a couple's just like being friends, but you kiss, and go on dates, and stuff, right?"

"I think it's a little more complicated than that." Chihiro fell back on the platform and sighed. "I mean, people say Marisa and Monika are a couple all the time cause they're together all the time, and they talk about how important they are to each other all the time, and because of how much they care for each other, and how they don't know what they'd do without each other. Heck, they even raised a kid together in one season! We do most of that stuff, right? I mean, we haven't raised a kid together" — Chihiro chuckled a bit — "unless you count taking care of Wrecking Ball, but…"

"So, well, I guess that would make us a couple, wouldn't it?"

The two of them sighed, hanging their heads for a bit. Chihiro supposed he was right, but judging by the reluctant tone in his voice, he seemed just as confused and uncomfortable as she was. Something scaly and warm brushed underneath Chihiro's chin. Chihiro turned her head up, and found Spyro smiling back at her with his wing underneath her chin.

"I wouldn't worry too much about it. We're each other's partners no matter what, right? Doesn't matter if we're friends, or a couple, or anything."

Well, that was true. Even if she didn't really understand what romance was, or what really made people friends, or a couple, or things like that, she knew she cared about Spyro more than anything! The two of them clicked in a way she didn't really click with anyone else. Heck, if she could only pick one beings to spend the rest of her life with, it would be him, no hesitation.

That awful, sickly feeling that rang in Chihiro's stomach disappeared. All of a sudden, that yearning to hold him in her arms came back, so Chihiro thrust herself in Spyro's grip and squeezed him tight! He shouted out from the sudden weight, but Spyro quickly embraced her back. He tucked his head in her shoulders, and his legs and wings wrapped tight around her. The whole world melted away, and it was just the two of them, just the way Chihiro liked it.

"I love you, Golden Boy," she whispered as she squeezed him a bit tighter.

"Love you too, Chi," Spyro whispered.

The two of them released as the float passed them by. Chihiro kicked her feet against the pavement as the sounds of music faded and grew in the distance. She didn't really have any idea where to go next, so she supposed she'd sit here and watch the parade while she waited for Nemir to get back. Surely, he'd probably have some idea where to go next.

A loud crash sounded, and Chihiro winced as she covered her ears from the sudden noise. Just where did that come from? It didn't sound like it came from the music, but more like… Chihiro's eyes glazed back to the other side of the street.

There, a few ghosts surrounded that jewelry shop's keeper from earlier, except a strange, pink and blue mist wavered and wafted over them as they shouted at each other. A few others gathered together, and tried to pull the ghosts away as they shouted. The mist spread to the mediators, and their eyes glowed red as they shouted and cursed too!

"A curse!" Spyro cried as he jumped to his paws and flew off. "Hold on, I'll take care of this!"

Chihiro jumped to her own feet and raced after Spyro, hands glowing cyan just in case. She bit her lip as Spyro held out glowing purple paws ahead of her. He clapped as he sent out strings of lavender mist towards the crowds! They both stumbled back as the mist swirled around the cursed ghosts, flashing and shimmering with light for moments.

However, the mist froze and shattered completely! The mist's fragments glistened on the floor like fresh snow. Spyro and Chihiro only gasped, and stared dumbfounded at the mist's dusty remains just before they disappeared.

The curse leaped like a flea around the crowd of ghosts that formed further, dyeing their eyes in swirling mixtures of pink and blue and fixing snarling frowns on their faces.

The crowds all turned around and glared towards Spyro and Chihiro. They clenched their fists and crept in as Spyro and Chihiro backed away with hands and paws raised in an act of peace. The ghosts just closed in further! Their ectoplasm turned redder and warmer as they came in closer, and they crowded tight around Spyro and Chihiro as they pressed their backs together.

"Now, calm down, everyone," Spyro began as he held his paws up further. "We mean you no harm—"

One ghost leaped from the crowds and lunged for Spyro!

On instinct, he grabbed Chihiro and flew in the air! Spyro's eyes turned azure as he flew off at a storm's speed, dropped Chihiro back down on the ground, and took a breath for a moment.

"Spyro, I don't think now's the time to take a breather!" Chihiro cried as she pointed ahead. "Look!"

Spyro lifted his head, and gasped as more red mist seeped out from the ground, infecting the crowd of ghosts ahead! He backed away as the ghosts all slowly turned on each other. Their once cheerful chatter turned to shouts and insults that rang in his ears as his eyes went wide.

In fact, he was so fixed on them, that he didn't even notice the mist that crept up behind him!

Chihiro gasped as the mist rose, pushed himself in front of Spyro, and cast a shield out right before it struck! The mist slammed against the shield, thrust it out of Chihiro's hands, and knocked her back into Spyro with a grunt. The two of them winced as they lifted their heads.

Before them, Chihiro's shield turned pink and blue as it burst into magic, but not the kind of sparkly magic remains that usually came from its expiration. No, this kind of magic was more akin to a murky dough, one that bubbled and popped as it grew legs, horns, and snarling fangs. Finally, it dropped down as a massive beast that roared and swung a claw for Spyro and Chihiro!

Chihiro jumped to her feet and pulled Spyro away just before it could strike. With her free hand, she pelted its forehead with spheres of energy! They phased right through the monster's forehead, but it reeled back just long enough that Chihiro teleported away, out of the monster's sights!

The monster roared as it charged away. Not once did its eyes glaze over the old, rotten crates in the alleyway beside it as they rattled.

Much to Chihiro's relief, for she hid behind them. She poked her head over the crates and winced. The monster long since left her sights, but the smashing of buildings, and the cries of scared beings turning to shouts of rage told her enough.

"Just what is that thing?" Spyro whispered as he popped up beside Chihiro. "My purification spell didn't even stand a chance!"

"Hey, what're you doing in our hiding spot?" piped up a tiny voice.

Spyro and Chihiro both winced, dove behind the crates, and turned around with hands raised and charged with magic, but quickly lowered them.

Before them sat two ghosts in long robes. One had short hair styled into a small mohawk, and another had long hair styled into some elaborate, voluminous ponytail with two more ponytails hanging from the sides. Their bodies were a pale purple in color, their eyes milky white, and they rang with a kind of magic power that the others ghosts didn't quite seem to have. Perhaps they were Magic Elementals who hadn't quite lost their elemental alignment yet?

The ghost with the ponytails hummed as they broke free of the other's grip, creeping closer to Spyro and Chihiro in slow motions. They rubbed their hand over their chin as they craned their head back and forth, nodded a bit and smiled.

"You two have quite the strong bond, don't you?" the ponytails ghost said. "I can sense it, you care for each other deeply."

Spyro and Chihiro both winced and warily nodded. What they said wasn't wrong, but after those encounters with those shopkeepers…

Chihiro went to speak, but before she could, the ponytails ghost gripped her hand and pulled her away.

"I'm Payiz," the ponytails ghost said as they held a hand to themself, and gestured to the other ghost, "and she's Havîn. Follow us, we know how to get to safety!"

Chihiro just nodded, not even able to speak.

Payiz dragged her away as Spyro frantically flew behind, and Havîn trailed at the group's back. They ran around winding corners and long straights, all while the sounds of the raging city behind them slowly disappeared into silence.

All around the sights melded together into lengthy walls, and then, they passed through the end of the halls. There, they met the sounds of whistling wind and the sights of cold, stone hills!

Dead blue grass coated a hill that stood right before them, and polished stone steps lined the hill's center as they led up to a large building. The building was topped with a heart intertwined with both vines and the bony brambles of the underworld. Ghastly plants that glowed with an eerie aura filled its base, and a crackling purple barrier occasionally flashed and faded into existence around the building. Was that some kind of temple?

"Luckily, the temple's barrier is strong as ever. No matter how strong that beast is, it'll never break in!" Havîn explained.

Oh, so it was a temple. Chihiro sighed as she scratched her head; she was still a little dizzy from the running, or maybe just from how hectic today was. She turned aside and frowned as the sounds of panting reached her ears. That voice, it sounded familiar. Could it be?

"There you two are!" Nemir cried as he floated in, but soon fell to his knees and held his chest. His face seemed a little bit more flushed than usual. It was as if he'd taken a lot of strength out of himself, but he quickly collected himself and stood nonetheless.

"I'd been looking for you when that strange mist came about, and—"

"Wait, hold on a second," Havîn gasped as she pushed through the crowds. Digging through a pocket in her robes, she pulled out a scroll and glanced it over, taking quick glances at Nemir for moments. Havîn gasped, and rolled it up before she rushed up to Nemir with stars shining in her eyes!

"You're none other than good king Nemir, one of the greatest kings our town had ever known! To think, you're still walking amid the dead, even after all these years!" Havîn clasped Nemir's hand in her own and grinned. "I have so much I want to ask you!"

"Greatest, kings?" Nemir echoed. His own eyes went a bit wide, as if he couldn't believe it himself. "Me?"

"Of course! Your struggles to balance the needs of your living and dead subjects, your fight for the undead to be properly understood and valued, your guardianship of the gates to the Underworld, your valiant fights against the Arkeyans… They're all some of our most treasured historical tomes! Every king we've had aspired to be as wise and benevolent as you!"

A roar rumbled the ground and Havîn gasped as she parted away.

"But, I think I can save that talk for another time! Come on, we have to start the ritual!"

"Ritual?" Spyro and Chihiro echoed.

Havîn and Payiz both grabbed Spyro and Chihiro by the paw and hand, and sped to the temple, phasing right through its barrier.

"Just follow us!" they both cried.

Spyro and Chihiro both winced, and warily nodded as Havîn and Payiz reached the temple's doors. They pushed it open before everyone rushed inside.