As their mother's car came to a stop, Chihiro and Mamoru tossed the car door open, and bolted outside so fast that it was like they were set on fire! Mamoru's eyes were wide as he hit the grass; he dashed into the crowds set up in front of the open space between the library and the pharmacy, and Chihiro dashed after him as she wove between the crowds.

"Hurry up, Mom! It's gonna be over by the time we get there!" Mamoru cried as he waved back to their mother. "You're going too slow!"

"Mamoru, calm down!" Chihiro’s mother scolded as she stumbled out the car. With a sigh, she closed the car door behind her. "The presentation hasn't even started yet, see?"

Chihiro stopped in her tracks and frowned. Unfortunately, she couldn't exactly tell if it did, seeing as how the crowd choked out most of the sights! A good bit of it was parents with excitable kids tugging on their clothes and gushing about how excited they were; they were followed by some lingering passerby who drew into the crowd, entranced by its massive size and whatever flashy displays laid out above; and an odd film crew or two topped it off… But there were so many of them that they completely blocked the presentation itself out!

Chihiro jumped up and down in some attempt to catch a better look, but it was fruitless. She was far too short! Chihiro grunted as she hit the ground, bent down and prepared to jump—but right before she sprung up, someone tapped her on the shoulder!

"C'mon, Chi!" Mamoru shouted as he grabbed her by the hand and dragged her away from the crowds. "There's a free spot over here!"

The two of them dispersed from the crowds, and towards the sidewalks that led out to the streets between the display's resting place and the various shops that lined the other side of the road. Sure enough, Mamoru was right; there was an actual view of the presentation!

There, at the very end of the crowds, stood a platform with orange and yellow banner decorating its top and TV displays bearing the menu for Skylanders Giants on their screens. They all paired with cardboard mock-ups of all the characters new and old that were supposed to come with the game. The largest screen of all belonged to a massive TV hung from the heart of the display, and that archaeologist and employee from the news report stood right in front of it!

"Testing, testing, one, two, three…" the employee mumbled as he tapped his microphone, cleared his throat and beamed. "Welcome, welcome one and all! Thank you for coming to our pre-release presentation on Skylanders Giants! In case you were unaware, Skylanders is our hit new video game series where toys come to life before your very eyes, and it all has to do with…"

While the employee prattled further and further on, Chihiro and Mamoru crept further up the sidewalk, until they were just a few feet away from the stage itself! Now that they were closer, they both could get a better view at that archaeologist dude. Judging from the glare the archaeologist shot that employee in the midst of his never-ending speech, the archaeologist didn't seem particularly amused with all the theatrics.

The employee gulped as the glare pierced him like a dagger, cleared his throat and adjusted his tie. "O-of course, we're not here just to advertise our new game, nope, not at all!" the employee claimed as he yanked the Tree Rex figure and waved it around.

Whoa, whoa, whoa! Tree Rex cried from within the man's grasp. My head's spinning!

Chihiro gasped, and stepped back as Tree Rex's voice entered her mind once more.

"I knew it, I knew heard him speaking! This has to be the actual Tree Rex!" Chihiro whispered as her eyes fell on the box. "And if he's real, surely those have to be the other Elder Elementals in there!"

What's with all these lights?

Why's everything so big?

How'd we get here? Are we even in Skylands still?

Chihiro rubbed her chin as the chatter faded out.

"Well, that solves one problem, but how am I going to get them out of here?" Chihiro frowned and crept closer to the stage, until she left Mamoru behind and fell amid the masses at the head of the crowd instead. "Maybe if I got close enough while everyone was distracted and used my magic, then I could make a distraction and sneak them out!" Chihiro whispered to herself with a smile. "Sounds good to me. I just need to find the perfect opportunity."

Chihiro let a low chuckle, just low enough that nobody could hear her, and lifted her head back to the stage as the employee continued to prattle.

"Today, we're here to showcase these mysterious Skylanders Giants figures that were found at a dig site just a few days ago! These characters are the ancient heroes of Skylands, the Giants!" The employee grabbed all the other Elder Elementals' figurines out, and laid them in front of the box one by one. "And if you want one of these enigmatic ancients of legend for your own, you can just head on down to wherever Skylanders toys are sold and pick one up for only fifteen ninety-nine…"

Chihiro smiled, and shoved a hand in her pocket far enough that its cyan glow masked from public eyes.

The employee got another glare from the archaeologist, coughed again and hastily pressed a button on the controller he held in his other hand. The screens around them all faded to black for a few moments, and they lit in shining blue as a single message flashed onto its screens.

"Please place a Skylander on the portal."

That definitely caught everyone's attention! Soft whispers came from the crowd as all eyes fell on the screens, and Chihiro clasped her hand tighter.

"This kinda feels wrong, stealing them like this," Chihiro whispered but shook her head. "But, I'm gonna have to do it if I'm gonna get them home safe."

The employee carried on with another spiel, and lowered the Tree Rex figure over the portal display as Chihiro slid her hand out of her pocket. It was all so slow and tense that time came to a crawl.

Chihiro lifted her hand out just as Tree Rex hit the portal… And an error message flashed onto the screens! The employee gasped as his eyes fell on the repeated message decrying an error with the figure, and chuckled as he removed Tree Rex from the portal. Chihiro hastily hid her hand once more.

"Well, that's quite odd," the employee remarked as he rubbed Tree Rex's base off with his shirt and placed Tree Rex back on the portal. "Let's try this again!"

Tree Rex hit the portal once more, and the screens all glowed with the Life Element's symbol for a few moments—but once again, the error messages flashed onto the screens! The employee winced, took Tree Rex off and placed him back on to similar results yet again.

The crowds grew irate as they mumbled and scorned, and a few even trailed off back to the parking lots.

"No, don't go!" The employee pleaded as he tossed Tree Rex back into the box. "We, we're just having a couple technical difficulties here! Nothing to worry about!" The employee yanked Bouncer off the stand and put him on the portal. "Maybe this one will work!"

Bouncer, in fact, didn't work at all! The same lag and error screens showed once again, and the angered crowds grew even louder in their displeasure. So, the employee switched Bouncer off for Thumpback, Ninjini, Hot Head, and every other Elder Elemental on hand…

But none of them worked at all!

"Talk about a waste of time!" cried one member of the crowd.

"I'm going home!" shouted another.

"Something tells me I shouldn't get this game," mumbled a third.

The crowds dispersed, and a few even stopped to pelt stray fruit and veggies at the disgruntled employee! As the employee dodged a tomato, he winced while sweat poured down his brow, grunted and wiped a banana off his forehead as that slapped him head-on!

"There has to be some good explanation for this!" The employee grumbled as he checked the display. "Maybe something's wrong with this portal…"

Chihiro grinned and shot out her hand as as the employee bent down to check and everyone made their leave.

"Finally, a chance!" Chihiro whispered as her hand glowed bright. "I'll just send out a magic smoke bomb real quick, then slip out the Elder Elementals and teleport them back to my room before anyone notices…"

"Chihiro? Chihiro? Where'd you go?" her mother called amid the crowd. "We're going home, everyone else is leaving!"

Wait a second! Chihiro's hand flopped down to her side while the enchantment lifted from her veins, and her eyes glazed back down to the crowds. Above the crowds, her mother's familiar hairbun weaved through the masses of people as her mother drew closer to her! Chihiro narrowed her eyes, but they jumped open and wide as her mother walked up to her side!

"Chihiro, there you are!" her mother asked. "Didn't you hear me say we were going home?"

Chihiro winced, turned around and found herself face to face with her mom. She shook off her moment of fear, tried to yank her hand away once more and frowned.

"Let me go, Mom!" Chihiro demanded, "I've gotta do something!"

"What's there to do, Chihiro?" Her mother sighed, her voice a bit more irate than normal. "Mamoru's already waiting in the car! Come on, now!"

But, while Chihiro tried to thrust her way out of her mother's grip, she didn't notice that she was far from the only portal master in the area!

As a parent dragged their crying child away from the crowds, a toy-sized Kaos marveled the stage with a grin on his face, and a toy-sized Glumshanks held tight to his back with a rubber band! His clothes were torn, his head was covered in bruises and scuffs, and all over, he looked as if he had seen better days. Still, he scuffled and shuffled through crowds much larger than he was with a determined step!

"I knew it, Glumshanks!" Kaos cried. "I knew I felt a portal's presence here!" Another cackle came from Kaos as he pumped a fist in the air. "Once I get on that, I can definitely get back to Skylands!"

Are you sure about that though, Lord Kaos? Glumshanks asked, still completely motionless from his position on Kaos's back. I mean, there's a lot of beings here. What would happen if someone spotted us? And that's not even mentioning any problems with the portal!

"Oh, there's nothing to worry about, Glumshanks! Those puny earthworms are so caught up in their own simple-minded business, they won't even notice…"

"Let go of me, Mom! I can't leave, not just yet!"

Kaos's ears perked up, and Glumshanks' question was completely forgotten as Kaos peered over to where a few news reporters cleared out. They unveiled none other than Chihiro, who stood firm as she pulled away from her mother's grip! Kaos's eyes practically popped out of his head at the sight!

"The portal-poster! What's she doing here?" Kaos cried as he stumbled back. He blinked, shook his head and smirked. "Actually, nevermind that! Now's the perfect time to get my revenge!" Kaos let out a low cackle, and purple magic lit up at his fingertips. "I'll just blow her sky-high with one magic blast…"

Actually, I'd think twice about that, Lord Kaos! Glumshanks added in. If she finds us, you know for a fact that she'll stop us and take us in!

Kaos paused, and he grumbled under his breath as his palms' light faded away. "For once in your life, you do make a good point, Glumshanks."

And with a crowd like this, one wrong move and the whole place would dissolve into complete and utter chaos! Not that it wouldn't be appropriate for you, Lord Kaos, but—

Chihiro's eyes popped wide, and she paused as she lowered her hands. "Wait a second, that voice I just heard…"

"Chihiro, are you even listening to me?" her mother asked.

Chihiro turned back to the crowds, narrowed her eyes, and gasped as a black cloth fluttered against the grasp! Her hand slipped from her mother's grip, and she dashed through the dispersing crowds as she trailed the black cloth's path.

"Actually, all this can wait!" she whispered as she pushed past a pair of newscasters. "I've gotta stop Kaos!"

Chihiro grunted as she popped past the newscasters, and her eyes fell on the grasses below. There, Kaos's back could faintly be seen as he struggled to jump for the stage. Chihiro frowned as she caught a glimpse of her mother shuffling through the crowds, cast out her hand and zapped Kaos in the back! Kaos screamed as he stood stiff and tall as a board before he fell over, and she rolled forward as she yanked him off the ground!

"I've got you now, Kaos!" Chihiro cried as she squeezed him tight and dove back into the crowds' sanctuary. "This time, you're not going anywhere!"

The spell wore off with a pop, and Kaos's eyes fluttered open right as she loosened her grip, and trapped him in magical ropes! Kaos grunted as he struggled against the ropes for moments, but his gaze turned up to Chihiro and his jaw dropped completely!

"The, the portal-poster!" Kaos cried as he thrust against the ropes. "And here I thought I'd actually have a good day for a change!"

"Sorry buddy, but your bad days aren't ending here!" Chihiro cried! Her voice turned icy-cold, and her hand flared with magic once more. "Cause I'm making sure you never go back to Skylands again!"

Chihiro's hand shrieked with magic as she got ready to cast the spell—

"Chihiro!" her mother called, and from an awfully close distance!

— and she gasped and the magic faded! Chihiro yanked her head back and forth, but not a trace of her mother could be found between the fleeing crowds! She winced and closed her hand, but it was completely empty! Chihiro took a glimpse down at her hand, and gasped as she found it completely vacated!

Down across the ground, Kaos completely freed himself of the ropes that kept him bound, and he made his grand escape!

"See you, portal-poster!" he cried in the distance!

Chihiro grunted, jumped forward and went to make chase. Well, she would've, had something not grabbed onto her wrist and held her back! Chihiro tugged against the grip, but it was so tight that she couldn't break free!

"Chihiro, what do you think you're doing?" her mother hissed from behind. "I told you, we're leaving!"

Chihiro winced, turned her eyes back to the crowds, and gasped as Kaos climbed onto the stage! Chihiro's hand slipped out of her mother's grip with a quick yank, but Chihiro just dove back into the crowds, and took shelter among the masses of leaving people. There was no way she was going to let Kaos get close to that portal! Chihiro thrust out her hand, narrowed her eyes and shot a bolt of lightning right at Kaos. The lightning bolt zapped him right at his heels, and tossed him right on top of the stage, where he fell flat on his face!

Kaos grunted and rubbed his face as he sat back up, all while he mumbled some very strong expletives underneath his breath. But, he quickly forgot his pain as he found himself atop the stage at last. Kaos chuckled, leaped to his feet and crept closer to the display—and the portal!

Though, the employee didn't seem to notice this, for he were far more focused on fixing the game setup. In fact, he didn't even notice as Kaos walked right up to him, and waved his arms in the employee's face! Kaos however, just smirked and charged up purple light in his palms.

"And just to be sure that nobody interferes with my return," Kaos cried as he shot a lightning bolt at the employee. "Take that!"

The employee just ducked underneath the bolt, and it hit the TV displays instead! While the employee didn't notice this sudden attack, the rest of the crowd certainly did—for the burst of magic that came from Kaos's bolt seeped into the TVs, and displayed crackling static on the big screens! They all stopped in their tracks and chattered among themselves, their voices now with a hint of intrigue.

"Huh, what's everyone staring at?" Kaos asked as he stood back up. Kaos craned his head back up to the screens and gasped. "And what's going on with those things?"

The employee frowned and pulled himself away from the game setup.

"It is finally fixed?" he asked himself as he turned up to the screens, raised his brows and turned down Kaos. "Wait a second, was that toy one of the ones I was supposed to promote?"

Kaos gulped as the employee locked eyes on him and went to grab him, but before the employee could, Kaos thrust out his hand and shot him with a magic blast! The employee screamed as the blast hit him straight in the chest and tossed him on the floor, but soon he groaned and collapsed unconscious!

"As for the rest of you earth-worms…" Kaos grumbled as he floated off the platform, all while a purple glow surrounded him. "I'll make you all learn to fear the almighty Lord Kaos!"

Kaos glowed a brighter purple, and the winds around him kicked up and gusted into the crowds! While everyone clung to their hats and tried not to get blown off their feet, however, the skies turned a bright purple. Clouds charged with electricity brewed over and blocked off the sun! Everyone took a peek up and several faces turned pale as sheets!

"What's going on with the sky?" someone asked as they scratched their head…

And they screamed as a lightning bolt slammed down on the stand, and knocked out all of the TVs at once!

"That's it, I'm getting out of here!"

"I'm scared!"

"What's going on?"

The crowd's shouts, and the pounding stampede of their footsteps blocked off the sound of anything else as they fled the scene!

"See, now there's a storm coming!" Chihiro’s mother cried. "We really need to go—"

CRACK! A purple lightning bolt crashed down right beside Chihiro's mother, and Chihiro herself slipped away as she disappeared into the fleeing crowds! Chihiro winced as she jumped out of one person's way just before she could get bowled over, and turned her attention to the stage, where the Elder Elementals' figures were knocked over and laid face-first on the stage!

Chihiro rushed forward, leaped onto the stage, and shuffled behind the stand their box was placed on. Shielded from the prying eyes of others, Chihiro yanked Tree Rex from the ground! A smile fell over her face as she ran her fingers over the woody textures of his figure, but she shook her head and reached for Bouncer!

Wait a second, who are you? Tree Rex asked from within Chihiro's hand. Are you that strange other voice I've been hearing?

Chihiro paused for a moment, and chuckled as she reached back out for Bouncer.

Probably! Chihiro replied from the confines of her mind as she collected Bouncer and laid him in her lap. Name's Chihiro Hatsuki, and I'm a Portal Master!

Portal Master?

I'm what you guys would have called a free magician in your time. Chihiro grabbed Swarm and Hot Head and stacked them over Bouncer. It's a long story, but once I get you to my place—

A sharp cracked perked Chihiro up, and she turned her attention back to the skies, where the storm above raged strong at ever! Its purple glow grew so bright that it almost enveloped its clouds as a faint aura of magic radiated from it, and just the very sight raised goosebumps down her back! Chihiro clenched her teeth, yanked the box off the stand, and stuffed the Elder Elementals inside it with a snap of her fingers and a burst of magic.

"Actually, give me a moment!"

Chihiro shot out her hand and tossed a bright cyan magic sphere right at Kaos, who seemed so absorbed in his own spell that he surely hadn't the mind to notice…

But right before it made contact, Kaos whipped around and zapped the sphere with a gigantic purple lightning bolt! The sphere and lightning bolt collided in a bright flash that whisked them backstage, far from any prying eyes!

Lord Kaos, what's going on? Glumshanks cried from his place on Kaos's back!

But, Kaos just completely ignored Glumshanks' cries, his eyes fixed on Chihiro instead.

"You just don't give up, do you, portal-poster?" Kaos cackled as his hands glowed bright.

Chihiro flung her hands in front of her body. "I could say the same about you, Kaos!" Chihiro cried. "Now, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. You can come with me…" Chihiro squeaked and jumped in the air as a magic orb exploded below her feet. "Alright, hard way it is!"

Chihiro snarled and shot another sphere—but right as she did, Kaos shot yet another lightning bolt to combat it! Her sphere fizzled out immediately as the lightning bolt pierced right through it, and Chihiro rolled aside just before the lightning bolt got her next! She fell on her side and winced as the lightning bolt slammed into the ground and left a nice, sizzling mark behind, yet turned her attention back to Kaos with a scowl; that awful, smug look of his dug right back into her chest.

Chihiro grunted, swung her hands forward, and summoned a mass of energy spheres that screeched straight towards Kaos! Kaos grinned and flew around the first few, grunted himself as one slammed into him at full force and tumbled aside. He shook it off and zapped the others down with a snap of his fingers! So, Chihiro flung out her palms and shifted her hands into magical laser cannons, punched them forward and shot lasers right towards him—but, he just dodged each one!

Each laser just slipped and grazed past his ugly shiny bald head that reflected the purple light of the area around, or his tattered clothes, or even Glumshanks as he sat and screamed on Kaos's back!

"Geez, guy's so small he can just dodge everything I throw at him!" Chihiro winced as she drew back her hands. The cannons around her hands vanished, but their blue glow lingered on Chihiro's skin. "Maybe I should try something a little more active!"

Chihiro snapped her glowing fingers, and their glow faded as bright spheres of cyan energy leaped from her palms and shot after Kaos! Kaos grinned and leaped out of their way right as they came for him, but what he didn't realize was they looped back around and went right back after him! He turned around, and screamed as they slammed into him and tossed him into the earth. While the ground dented underneath the force of his crash, Kaos staggered back up and groaned. He straightened his robes for a few moments, jumped up and leaped out of the way as Chihiro dove right for him!

He cackled as he flew in the air while the purple glow returned to his body, but Chihiro just leaped right for him! He swept left as she grappled for him and teleported away! As he reappeared, Chihiro bolted forward while a blue glow shone off of her body, fully prepared to teleport.

"I don't know if you should be so worried about me," Kaos crooned as he steepled his fingers. "After all, those people over there seem like they're in a lot of trouble!"

This simple sentence stopped Chihiro in her tracks, and her gaze and glow loosened as she poked around the stage and turned her attention back to the fleeing crowds.

There, people screamed and ran for cover as purple lightning crackled down from the skies and slammed into the ground full-force! Purple fire lit up from the singed ground, and shot fireworks of purple magic blasts everywhere they burned; others in the crowd nearly got shocked to death where they stood by those bolts! It was chaos abound!

In fact, Chihiro could even spy her own mother fleeing in panic as she cried Chihiro's own name amid the crowds!

"Mom!" Chihiro gasped as she wrapped her hands around the stage! Her head throbbed as she bit her lip, sweat creeping down her brow. What was Chihiro supposed to do? Her mother might get hurt, killed even if Chihiro didn't stop this soon!

A cackle sounded off and Chihiro turned her gaze backstage; a scowl crossed her face as Kaos dashed towards the stage and cackled. His laughter was a sickening sound that rang well even across the lightning and screaming. He even jumped up and clacked his feet together as he made his grand getaway!

"That coward! Dragging innocent people to this so he can make a getaway…" Chihiro snarled and flung out a lightning-charged hand. "Well, he's not getting away with it!"

A rocket made of solid electricity burned at Chihiro's palm; it zipped right off and slammed right behind Kaos's feet! A massive burst of electricity shot off and completely enveloped the area around him. As for Kaos, he and Glumshanks just screamed as loud as they could as the force of the blow swept Kaos off his feet, and tossed him towards the skies! Kaos grappled for the ground as he flew further and further away, but by then, it was too late. He just disappeared into the cloudy stratosphere, never to be see again!

Chihiro snarled and balled her hand into a fist as he disappeared, but she dashed back around the stage's other way and grimaced. The whole place was struck in parts, with purple singe marks the scattered remnants of lightning strikes and magic blows! Chihiro's eyes drifted down to where the box with the Elder Elementals inside still rested, and she knelt down as she pulled it up. A quick glaze over showed that they were left unharmed by the storms rolling around, thankfully. Chihiro smiled as she clutched the box.

Ahead of her, the employee grumbled something under his breath as he pushed himself off the ground, and rubbed his head.

"Wha, what happened?" he grumbled. The employee rubbed his head as he sat up, and screamed as the singed parts of the stage burst with purple fire!

He joined the fleeing crowds in making a grand escape, but Chihiro just gritted her teeth. She shook her head. and whisked the Elder Elementals away to a space in a back alley safe from magic attacks with a snap of her fingers.

"I can take care of them in a little bit. For now, I've gotta stop this storm!" Chihiro fell to her knees and pressed her palms against the wooden floor. "If this is a magic storm, I bet a no-sell spell would work for something like this."

Chihiro took a breath in, screamed and collapsed as a burst of purple flame slapped her in the back! Chihiro sat up and rubbed her back, but a gust of strong wind captured her and slammed her into the back of the stage! Chihiro grunted as she tried to stagger up, but the creak of something falling off its balance turned her attention above her.

She screamed and teleported away as one of the gigantic TVs crashed down towards her! With a single blink, Chihiro reappeared by the stage right as the TV crashed.

She poked her head around the corner, where the passerby continued to scream and flee—but among them was none other than her mother, who talked to Mamoru as they stood in the heart of the chaos!

"Mamoru, what are you doing?" Chihiro's mother cried as she knelt down. "I told you to stay in the car!"

"But, you were taking so long!" Mamoru retorted. "I was wondering what was going on, so I came to see!"

Just then, a trio of lightning bolts struck around them! Both Chihiro's mother and Mamoru collapsed to their knees, and Chihiro's mother gripped Mamoru tight as she shielded him with her body; both of them caught their breath as the lightning faded. Just as they stood up, bright purple flames burst from the singed spots the lightning left behind!

"Mom! Mamoru!" Chihiro cried as she gripped the stage.

Her eyes were wide as her hands trembled, but she shook her head and held out her hands nonetheless. Her focus fixed on the two of them, Chihiro snapped her fingers and closed her eyes. A whoosh of magic popped her eyes open, and when she popped them open, they disappeared in a flash of cyan! Chihiro summoned a crystal ball made of cyan magic, waved it over, and grinned as it showed a display of her mother and Mamoru safe in the parking lot.

With that taken care of, Chihiro could finally tame the storm! Chihiro whisked away the crystal ball and fell to her knees. She breathed in and out as the magic in her veins grew stronger, and she shot her eyes open as a cyan filter took over her vision.

"Now," Chihiro whispered, her voice strained from all the power that went into her spell. "Stop this storm!"

Chihiro clenched her teeth as the magic in her body surged and cast out over the ground, seeped into the cracks, and fed into the remnants of the storm… But she gasped as the storms and flames grew stronger! The glow around her faltered for a moment, yet she just closed her eyes and dug her hands into the earth!

"NOW, STOP THIS STORM!" Chihiro cried at the top of the her lungs!

A bright cyan explosion of magic burst from her body as she screamed, and it washed over the world around as it cleansed the spells! The skies returned to their normal overcast form, the wreckage of the storm was repaired good as new, and even the TV that fell was repaired and propped back up!

Chihiro panted shallow breaths, staggered back to full height and leaned against the side of the stage. Her legs felt like they were gonna give out on her from all the strength she had to call on, but she did it. She stopped the storm!

"Thank goodness," Chihiro panted as she wiped sweat from her brow. "I almost thought that wasn't gonna work."

Chihiro's eyes trailed back to where the Elder Elementals laid. She skipped over, knelt down and retrieved Tree Rex from the box.

"Looks like you guys are fine." Chihiro smiled and rotated Tree Rex in her hand. "Good thing, too, because I have a lot I wanna talk about with you!"

Yep, you really are a free magician! Tree Rex remarked. Only someone like that could pull off a spell that powerful… But, just what was with that storm? And who was that bald guy you were fighting?

"I'll… Explain… Later…" Chihiro panted as she gripped Tree Rex tight and reached for the other Elder Elementals. "For now, let's get you guys somewhere" — Chihiro gasped and jolted backwards as the box was yanked from the ground — "Safe?"

"That's it, these things have got to be cursed!" the archaeologist proclaimed as he tucked the box under his arm and stormed off. "I'm dumping them in the trash where they belong! They're somebody else's problem now!"

Chihiro gasped, stumbled after the archaeologist, and grappled for the box, but someone else grabbed her shoulder before she could snatch it! Chihiro yipped, and hid Tree Rex behind her back as her captor turned her around. But, it was none other than Mamoru!

"There you are, Chihiro!" Mamoru cried. "What happened to you? There was this weird storm going on, and Mom and I nearly got zapped, and then, there was this big flash of light, and we appeared in the car and—"

"Chihiro, just where were you? Are you alright?" Chihiro’s mother demanded as she stormed up beside Mamoru. "You had me worried sick, running off in the middle of the storm like that!"

Chihiro winced and freed herself from Mamoru's grip. Geez, talk about no respect. Chihiro made a sour frown, but it quickly softened the moment she saw the look of worry in her mother's eyes. She couldn't entirely fault them for not knowing, considering that they had no idea about all this portal master stuff.

"I, I'm fine! When the storm started, I went to the library!" Chihiro exclaimed as she clasped her free hand. "Yeah, I went to the library and hid there until the storm calmed down!"

Chihiro’s mother sighed, but at the very least, she seemed a little less mad. Her frown vanished and her brows loosened up. "Well, I'm glad to hear you're alright. Just don't run off like that again, okay?"

"… Understood, Mom."

Chihiro winced as her mother pulled her and Mamoru back to the car. As they walked back to the parking lot, Chihiro caught a glimpse of the archaeologist as he tossed the Elder Elementals in a trashcan! Chihiro reached out, but she drained her energy so much that she could barely fight her mom's grip, even in spite of the Elder Elementals' cries of shock flooding her head.

"Talk about an awful day," the archaeologist grumbled as he wiped his hands.

"You're telling me," the employee grumbled as he stumbled over and laid an arm on the archaeologist's shoulder. "What'll I tell my boss when I have to explain that the promotion event I suggested turned out to be a bust?"

"So you were using me for advertising!"

Chihiro sighed, averted her eyes as the employee and archaeologist spat, and dragged her feet as she hopped into the car and buckled in. While the car started and drove away, Chihiro curled up in her seat and withdrew Tree Rex from behind her back; her body curled around him so that neither Mamoru or her mother could see him.

What's going on? Tree Rex asked. What happened to the others?

"Long story short, we're gonna need a Plan B," Chihiro whispered at a low enough volume that Mamoru and Mom couldn't here. "But don't worry, I've got an idea. I just need to pick some things up from Skylands and we'll leave tonight. I promise, I'll definitely save them."

Tree Rex went silent for a moment, almost if he seemed a bit worried, but finally he let out a soft, content grunt. I understand.

Chihiro made a soft nod, and stowed Tree Rex back in her pocket as she glanced outside. Though she promised him, she sincerely hoped that this would be a promise she could keep.