Long, long ago, before there were the Swap Force, or the Trap Masters, or all the other groups of Skylanders we've come to know today, there were the Elder Elementals.

They were one of the most legendary groups of heroes in Skylands' folklore, and the ones who serve as the ancestors for every group of heroes we've come to know today. Their heroism, compassion, sense of justice, and determination lifted Skylands from the depths of tyranny, and it’s their example that shaped the very core and foundation of the Skylanders themselves…

But, all that can come later. Rather, let's focuses on when their story began.

Thousands of years into the past, the Arkeyan Empire ruled over all Skylands with an iron fist, both literally and metaphorically. Once upon a time, they were just incredibly technologically gifted humans who spent their days farming and creating in peace, but that all changed when one of their own was approached by one of the Ancients. This Ancient, left vengeful against his own kind for facilitating that Ancient's exile, gifted the Arkeyans with not only the secrets of the Magic Element, but the Eternal Magic Source itself!

Using the power granted to them by both their experiments with the Eternal Magic Source, and their own highly advanced technology, the Arkeyans would conquer lands and drive out those who lived there in order to transform these worlds into outposts and factories, assuming they didn't force the lands’ native populations to build countless monuments to Arkeyan rule instead. The Arkeyans were tyrants who lusted for power and control, and no matter what, it seemed like it was impossible to stop the, for they were far too numerous and powerful.

The other Ancients were horrified at what the Arkeyans did to Skylands, to the world they created, but there was so little they could do. They already exerted most of their power fighting off the Ultimate Evil prior, and there was no way they'd be able to combat the entire empire in their current shape! So, they devised a plan.

They lured the rebellious Ancient into a trap, stole part of their magic essence, sealed them away, and it was then that the remaining Ancients used the last of their magic to christen champions who would fight against the Arkeyan king and all of his forces. These champions were blessed with not only the powers of light and darkness, the very elements that keep all Skylands in balance, but the very magic essence of their element's Ancient! This gave them godlike power in their own right.

As the Ancients gave up their life force and faded away, they blessed their new champions with new titles, and a new moniker by which all Skylands would soon know them as…

The Elder Elementals, guardians of all Skylands!

For years, the Elder Elementals fought valiantly and tirelessly alongside the free magicians (the ones we know as the portal masters of old) to protect Skylands from Arkeyan tyranny, and liberate those held captive by Arkeyan rule. But, like any freedom fighter who fought for some time, soon they grew weary. They fought for ages, yet no matter what they did, no matter what awful Arkeyan concoctions they took down, the Arkeyan Empire would bounce back with tenfold more to replace what they lost! How could they possibly bring an end to this cruel empire's control over Skylands?

This question plagued our heroes' minds for ages, but finally they drew to a conclusion: theywould storm Arkus, the capital of the Arkeyan Empire, take down the Arkeyan King, and destroy the iron fist by which he ruled Skylands!

For many moons, they carefully planned and plotted, and now, it all came to fruition on this very day! Within the heart of Arkus's base, the Elder Elementals and the ancient portal masters crept throughout the shadows of Arkus's strongholds. Their footsteps were light, and their appearances were shielded from prying Arkeyans eyes by the shadows cast on the walls. Their hearts were tense and their jaws were clenched as tip-toed through the stronghold. Would they be found out and stopped? Would they make it to their objective in time? It was hard to tell, but nonetheless they swallowed their fear and proceeded straight into the throne room. The hidden treasure of Arkus, the place where the Arkeyan King lazed about while his armies conquered Skylands…

And hopefully, his final resting place.

That throne room was where they all thought he'd rest, but as the lights went up, they found the throne room completely empty! There were no robots to be seen, no servants that dashed to and fro, and most of all, the king himself was absent! What was going on?

The Elder Elementals and ancient portal masters alike whipped their heads around in tense fear, but as they did, the head of the ancient portal masters turned their head around and gasped! Right then and there, their eyes locked on an Arkeyan spy device!

"IT'S A TRICK!" they cried as they summoned their staff. "THEY KNEW WE WERE COMING!"

The entire room whirred and spun into life right as they said this! Screeching robot noises raged like burning flames as Arkeyan robots swooped into the room, sirens rang at full volume, and bright red lights like blood dyed the stronghold a deep crimson. They were under attack, and it was time for them to fight! They had to protect their city, their emperor, from the force that tried to tear them down at the very root!

Unfortunately for them, that force was as unstoppable as they were mighty! The strongest of the ancient portal masters' ranks banded together with the Elder Elementals, and together, they cut down Arkeyan forces without breaking a sweat! Halved robot corpses sparked with magic static, and exploded into gnashers that strayed smoke about the room. The sight of the dead robots that choked out the room around didn't make the Arkeyans relent; in fact, they fought harder than before!

Above the skies, a tanned person with reddish-brown eyes, and messy ginger hair who dressed in trousers, sandals, a long jacket, and a wheel pendant all colored in shades of red spun around the room; flames jetted out of their sandals' soles and propelled them well around the room. Though the bandages wrapped around their hands turned slightly singed from the flames that spewed from their palms, they hardly cared as they cast their flames on a fleet of Arkeyan warriors!

They flew back as their flames fell over the robots, and smirked as the robots screeched while flames melted and mangled their own bodies! The flames melted away their metal feet, and hardened their metal till the robots were fastened hard to the floor, veritable sitting ducks waiting for the hunter's shots.

A string of large, shiny purple orbs slammed right into the robots’ backs and blew them to bits! The robots' mangled, melting corpses collapsed onto the floor and exploded. The orbs' caster—a large, elven woman with blue skin, glowing white eyes, and fiery red hair tied into a ponytail—just smirked as she floated over their dead robotic bodies.

"They just don't make these robots like they used to, do they?" asked the elf. "I recall your grandparents being quite the challenge back in the day!"

She smirked as she brushed off the purple and blue armor that covered her body, and then the large, pink bottle strapped to her back. As she did, she took no notice to how a large, monstrous robot crept up behind her and lifted up its hand cannon…

However, somebody else did! A scream pierced the air as a gigantic laser of bright purple energy slammed right into the robot's side and sliced it clean in half.

Another figure emerged as it exploded and cast cyan smoke over the room! A human with skin that was dark as the radiant night sky, and only further accentuated by their vibrant purple locs all styled into the shape of a star with a long, flowing ribbon in its center like a shooting star's trail, sparkling purple lips, and bright purple eyes floated out from the mist. Their layered purple gowns and the purple wheel pendant they wore stood completely unscathed by the wreckage!

"Ninjini, are you alright?" the human asked as they floated up to the elf.

Ninjini nodded and stretched out a palm for the human to rest in. "Thankfully. You saved my skin back there!" Ninjini affirmed as she and the human smiled at each other once again, yet lifted their eyes back to the battlefield. "Now, if you ask me, these tin cans look like they're begging for a fight!" Ninjini raised a brow at the human. "Why don't we grant their wish?"

"Gladly!"

Ninjini and the human both dashed across the battlefield as they shot their blasts towards a fleet of Arkeyan copters, but another fight ensued behind them!

A large ent with massive horns who was made entirely of bark stormed across the battlefield with surprising speed despite his massive size; all the while, he held up an arm and shot bright, harsh blasts of green light that wove through and blew up the rows of robots that just filed in. He lowered his arm as the smoke filtered in from the robots' demise, but grunted as something blindsided him and pushed him across the floor! He dug his heels in and cracked the tile floor below him as he locked arms with his assaulter, a gigantic red Arkeyan Ultron, and the two of them locked in a stalemate!

Their hands gripped each others' forearms so tight that it cracked them both, and their legs trembled as each tried to outmatch the other. The ent clenched his teeth as he tried to push back against the Ultron—but, ultimately the Ultron won out! The ent relented for a single moment, and that slight shift in power was all the Ultron needed to slam him forward and pin him against the wall.

The wall's ornamented walls cracked and crumbled as the ent struggled against his Ultron captor's grip, but it was no use; the sudden blow weakened him, and he was in no position where he could break free! With him taken captive, the Ultron fired up its eyes and shot a trio of lasers right into the ent's chest! The ent screamed as the lasers' searing heat carved into his bark, and burned it away to reveal fleshy phloem that burned and pulsed under the weight of the lasers. Sap-like sweat crept down his face as he panted, gasped, and tried to squirm out, but another laser shot through and completely obliterated the robot!

"Tree Rex, hang on!" cried a mechanical voice as the sound of zooming wheels screeched against the battlefield's hard floors. "I'm coming!"

Tree Rex grunted as he lurched off of the wall and held a hand over his burning chest. He fell to his knees and panted, but a gold and red Arkeyan robot with glowing eyes and a single wheel for legs zoomed over, and lifted Tree Rex back to his feet. The robot winced as his eyes fell on Tree Rex's wounded chest and the sap that bled from its wounds, leaned Tree Rex against his shoulder and turned to the battlefield.

"We need healing over here, stat!" the robot cried as he tried to plug the bleeding wounds with his own hand. "Tree Rex got beat up bad!"

"Did someone say healing?" asked a voice akin to the sound of leaves rustling through the wind on a spring day!

A burst of green light manifested out of nowhere, and from it popped a tall, pale-skinned person with a body round and slightly curved like an apple, pink eyes, and white hair styled in the shapes of roses! They dressed in a pink and green kimono with flowers, leaves, and other natural things printed on its fabric; though it covered most of their body, it didn't quite mask their neck, where a pendant with a shiny green wheel rested against their collarbone. They had a gentle smile on their face, but that quickly faded as their eyes fell on Tree Rex.

"Oh dear, you must have really gotten yourself battered up, haven't you?" the person asked as they floated up to Tree Rex's bleeding chest. "Let me see the wounds."

Bouncer and Tree Rex lifted their hands, and the person cringed as they fell witness to the full extent of Tree Rex's injuries.

"That's a nasty blow indeed! But, it's nothing I can't fix!" The person's hands glowed green as they floated up and placed those glowing hands on Tree Rex's chest. "This'll sting for a little bit, alright?"

The person hummed as the green glow that surrounded their hands seeped into the holes in Tree Rex's chest. They floated away, yet Tree Rex’s injuries completely healed themselves! His flesh's burns faded away while the broken bark melded together to cover his chest, and even the cracks in his arms sealed themselves up like they never existed!

Tree Rex grinned and flexed as he pulled away from Bouncer's grip.

"Thanks a lot!" Tree Rex said as he smiled, nodded towards the person, and cracked his knuckles. "Now it's time I showed these guys why they should be afraid of the bark!" Tree Rex smirked as he bolted forward, but he took one last glance at Bouncer before he disappeared from view. "Bouncer, you help the others! I'm good here!"

"Right!" Bouncer cried as he zoomed away!

Dust and smoke kicked up from the flames Bouncer’s wheel sparked as he screeched against the floor, and his eyes peeled for any sort of danger. Finally, he found what he looked for! Just across from Bouncer himself, a gigantic rock golem grunted as he swung down his hammer on a group of robots, smashed them to pieces, but grunted as another swarm of copters zapped him in the back!

"Ready, aim…" Bouncer whispered as he whipped out his hands and formed guns with his fingers.

A smirk crossed his face as his fingertips glowed with a bright orange light, and he flew back as large orange comets burst from his fingertips.

"FIRE!"

The comets shrieked like hot metal as they soared forward and bowled down the copters; the copters themselves reduced to flaming masses of melted metal within the comets' grip! The golem turned around and gawked as the copters fell, but not at the ones Bouncer took down.

Rather, a much larger copter slammed into the ground right in front of him, and tossed broken tile everywhere. Its bent propeller fell off its top as the door completely popped out, and out from the open space popped two humans!

The first was chubby and with medium brown skin that had a warm, sunny undertone to it, one accented by their warm golden brown eyes and spiky blonde hair, down to the golden and white robes and armor they wore, and the yellow wheel pendant that hung from their neck. Beside them, a taller and thinner person with slightly lighter skin walked up and laid a hand on the first person's shoulders.

The second person's hair was longer and ink black, and their bangs were so thick that it masked their eyes; the back of their hair stretched down to their knees and curved at the end. As opposed to the regal and detailed armor and gowns the first person wore, the second person just donned a simple tunic with a belt slung around the waist, tight boots, and a dark blue wheel pendant that bounced against their chest as they laughed.

"That copter never knew what hit it, right lil' sib?" the second person asked as they nudged the first person's head!

The first person just laughed in response. Their cheeks dimpled as they guffawed with their sibling, but the two siblings' laughter brought to a cease from the sound of groaning and flames bursting to life!

Behind them, a tall and slightly muscular person with warm, dark brown skin, black hair streaked with lightning bolt-shaped shocks of sky blue, a sky blue shirt with golden markings and half a side cut off to unveil their left arm, puffy trousers with a string of tight belts wrapped around the waist, and a pendant with a sky blue wheel that hung from their neck, stood.

They glared down the broken and battered copter, right as it burst into flames! They waved their arms with a groan, extinguished the flames with a mighty gust of wind, and shot a glare back at the other two humans.

"I swear to the Ancients," the person groaned as they stormed up to the siblings. "You two destroy everything you touch!"

The two siblings, however, just chuckled to each other and winked.

"Well, isn't that a good thing in a situation like this?" the blonde-haired sibling asked as they summoned a shield of solid light.

"After all," the black-haired sibling said as they summoned a sword made of solid darkness, and shot a glance to the fights that occurred, "I'd say there's a lot of destroying to be done here!"

The black and blue-haired person sighed, and clenched their teeth as they held out their hands. "There's no lie there," they muttered under their breath as clouds formed around their hands and solidified into twin gauntlets!

They took a step forward and went to swing…

"HAILLLLLLLLLL TO THE WHALEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

But a mighty cry shook the room around and turned all eyes to the front, for a tidal wave stormed in!

All three people down below jolted up, and leaped for shelter as the tidal wave flooded in—but the robots they were about to fight weren't as fortunate! The robots got slammed full-force with the brunt of the wave, and short-circuited on the spot; as they sparked and shuddered where they stood, a massive anchor swung into them and tore them to bits!

The anchor swung into the hands of a massive blue whale with barnacle-coated arms as the robots exploded into smoke and fried bits, but the anchor withstood no such damage.

"Hey, what are you three doing standing around?" cried out a regal, powerful voice as someone climbed up the whale's shoulder. "We've still got a battle to fight here!"

That person, who had tanned skin, black hair, brown eyes, and wore silver, red, purple and gold robes reminiscent of a king's garb—an image only intensified by the golden crown dotted with rubies, amethysts, and diamonds atop their head—stood on the whale's shoulder. They held a hand against the side of the whale's head to steady themself. The silver wheel pendant they wore rested cold and still against their neck as they balled their hand into a fist, and a silver aura glowered around them.

The other three gasped as they basked in the newfound person's aura, grinned and launched into the fray!

Not just them, either. The entire room renewed under this person's sudden appearance, and a new fighting strength fell into the room—for they brought reinforcements!

A large creature made entirely of lava and fire slicked down a group of robots with shiny oil and set them alight. While the robots panicked, a person with warm light brown skin and short, choppy brown hair who dressed in patchwork clothes and an orange wheel pendant flicked out glowing, gloved orange hands! The orange glow spread to the panicking robots, and their fear disappeared as they rammed into each other and wrestled to the death!

Next to them, a massive suit of black and gold armor with a winged eyeball for a head split in two as they glared down several massive Arkeyan Weapon Masters. The suit punched the Arkeyan Weapon Masters down before they could fight, but the ones who escaped the suit's wrath corralled into the pile from the lasers the eyeball shot! Once they all gathered together, a massive stone pillar exploded from the ground and rammed the Weapon Masters in the ceiling.

While the stone pillar tunneled back into the ground, a person with deathly pale skin, black eyes, and messy brown hair covered in dust marks who wore worn armor smirked and stepped back. The brown wheel pendant they donned shone against the light. They smirked and wiped their nose as the pillar disappeared and the earth closed up with it, but they peered up and gave a thumbs up to a gigantic bee.

The gigantic bee, in response, nodded and zipped forward! As the gigantic bee jumped from side to side, he zapped robots with the massive stingers on its arms. Beside him, a person with pale skin, wavy black hair, and deep blue eyes who donned puffy blue clothes and a blue wheel pendant leaped forward.

They fed massive streams of water into the wounded robots's gaping panels. The robots exploded on the spot, but the person just grinned as they landed feet-first on a stream and flew across the battlefield!

From the safety of a burnt, wounded robot corpse, a pale-skinned child with soft sky blue hair, bright silver eyes, a worn, blue, horned helmet with noticeable cracks in its surface on their head, a baby blue jacket, blue trousers, and a white wheel pendant beamed and giggled as they drank in the action! Their eyes sparkled as the fighting raged on, as if they watched a show rather than a deadly battle. They leaped from the dead robot they hid behind and pumped a fist!

"Alright!" the child cried as their eyes glowed a bright white. "Enough watching, I'm gonna wipe the floor with these bolt buckets, too" — the child smirked as they turned their eyes on a group of quaking Arkeyan gladiators, then summoned a sword and leaped forward — "and you're first!"

Well, that's what the child claimed, but the child just slammed face-first in the floor instead of striking down the gladiators! They grunted as their sword vanished into thin air, whimpered and shuddered as they pushed themself off the ground. They wiped their tears as the gladiators pointed and cackled at them, but they flung out a hand, and shot a beam of light that completely evaporated the gladiators' heads!

The child's smirk returned as they jumped to their feet and crossed their arms, yet they squeaked and leaped in the air—but not by choice!

Rather, a massive red and gold robot stepped into the room. It was so big that its head nearly scratched the ceiling, and every step it took rumbled the world around! Its head bore a crown-like crest, and from one arm hung a massive fist with a power core that glowed like the sun; its presence was so demanding that all eyes locked on it immediately!

The Arkeyans that once warred immediately knelt down and bowed in the large robot's presence, yet the Elder Elementals and the ancient portal masters alike couldn't bring themselves to smile. They all scowled and backed away; some of them readied attacks and weapons just to be safe, but their shared expressions of distaste carried all the words they didn't say. This was the guy they were looking for.

This was the Arkeyan King, Arkilles himself.

Arkilles broke into cackles that shook the entire world around, from the crumbling ceilings to the broken floors.

"Well, well, look who came to visit!" Arkilles cackled, his voice masked under a blanket of filters and amplifiers that turned it robotic and menacing. "The Ancients' chosen ones and the magicians! I'm so glad you came to your own funeral!" Arkilles cracked his mechanical knuckles as his eyes glowed red. "It saves me the trouble of having to pick you up!"

"Oh, we're not dying anytime tonight, Arkilles!" the purple-haired person vowed as they took a step forward and pointed a finger directly at Arkilles' face!

The Elder Elementals and ancient portal masters all stepped forwards and joined them with cries of affirmation, of vows to win and rebuttals, but Arkilles wasn't intimidated in the slightest. He just cackled, stroked his chin, and leaned forward while the power core on his glowed even brighter!

"We'll see about that!" Arkilles cried!

And so, everyone broke out into screams as they leaped into action…