darkSpyro

Welcome to the first post of a new story in darkSpyro, created by yours truly, zookinator! I have wanted to create a new story for the Fictionaires to read since I started up a story in Bulbagarden, but I had never had some good inspiration. Well now I do! But I cannot explain what it is until you read this first chapter of 'Skylanders: Enchained!!'. Are you ready for an adventure? Well, The Darkness is...


Chapter 01: An Unknown Evil Returns...

Far into the Outlands, there lies a place of pure hatred, deceit, and pride. There is nothing visible, for there is no light, but the sounds of warring personalities are all to clear. The Banished Lands are the home of... The Darkness. The very impersonation of evil, none who enter are ever unchanged by their influence. This includes Kaos, the Doom Raiders, and every other villain who had dared to touch The Darkness physical, or in the heart...

The Darkness, after their latest defeat by the Trap Masters, are now more vile than ever. They had plan after plan fail for rightful control of the skies since after the Arkeyans fell by the first Skylanders, the Giants. They also had failed even when the weakest, but most important, area of Skylands, the Cloudbreak Islands, was defended by the Swap-Force. The defeat they most hold hated in their hearts was the restoration of the Core of Light. Oh, how they loathed that contraption. They would never conquer Skylands as long as that still ticked away with the Eternal Sources. That dream would never come to life unless the Skylanders were... put aside for later...

One such personality, Deviousness, was coming up with a new plan as this is written. Here goes the conversation of the personalities:

"That miserable defeat of Kaos was unforgiveable! We gave him the perfect plan, aside from some details, and he goes and ruins it! And he decided to ally with the Skylanders of all things! He must be left out of this next plot!" Deviousness roared in the inky blackness. Another voice piped up to this, sounding like the personality of Pride.

Pride responded, "I understand you, brother! Kaos is now no longer the main play piece of our schemes. Oh, how I would like to get my hands on him! But, alas, our malevolent minds do not have bodies. Oh, the indignity!" Another voice spoke, this time being Greed.

"I would love to as well, as well as wringing my hands on the creator of the Core of Light, and all of Skylands. I want it all!" Greed spoke. Deviousness quickly drove this banter to the main topic.

"Anyway, this new plan involves someone who has been on the back burner for a while, as he was not considered fit for our purposes. But now, after he and his descendants, with the latest wanting revenge on the Skylanders, we have a use for him." Deviousness explained. Pride was curious as to how it could be so.

Pride asked, "Who would this new playpiece of The Darkness be? Surely it is not mightier than us?" Deviousness groaned with irritation.

"No, Pride, nothing is mightier than us. Really, I wish that you would not be such a worrywart for our new villains! Do you remember The Enchainer?" Deviousness questioned.

Greed replied, "Oh, that ancient relic? I thought he was slain long ago for wanting to take control of the Dirt Sea after the land sharks insulted his helmet! He is my type of guy, though..." Greed cackled.

"He died, but his namesake did not. His son took over as The Enchainer, but there has not been much movement of him since the Giants overthrew the Arkeyans. But now, we will use him to rid us of the Skylanders. Let me explain..." Deviousness started. Ah ah, I won't ruin this for you, my readers. This is a private conversation for the dozens of spirits of The Darkness.

~~~~

Just a month after the trapping of Kaos, Skylands was at true peace. There were no major villains left to plague Skylands, and the Skylanders could finally rest and enjoy themselves, with some occasional missions to solve disputes of Troll, Cyclopes, Greebles, etc. There was now a celebratory party for their Return to Skylands anniversary. You see, instead of being locked away as figurines at Earth ,they were instead teleported back to their beloved home, and fought for their Portal Master named Jeffrey back on Earth. He has since lost interest in Skylands, and no longer officiates. But there is now no need for him now. The Villains have all been trapped in the Villain Vault, and they will never rove the lands again.

Right now, the captains of the Special Squadron, which contained the Trap Team, Swap-Force, and Giants, were discussing party plans. Snap Shot was thinking of Traptanium Statues of every Skylander(which would be created from the Traptanium looted from Kaos' Ultimate Weapon) Wash Buckler and Blast Zone wanted to make a showcase of each of their special 256 combinations, with the finale beign a Super-Swap (where all of them would Swap all at once.). Tree Rex had nothing special in mind, except a huge feast for all of their guests. Tree Rex was a food aficionado at heart, despite being a tree.

Snap Shot then explained how his idea would work. "It's simple, all we have to do is get Short Cut to go all Edward Scissorhands on the lumps of Traptanium, and presto! We have our statues! Hey, I just made my first Earth reference!" Wash Buckler disagreed with this idea however.

"Do you remember how many Skylanders there are? There are 132 of us in total, and I do not believe that the Traptanium we have is enough to create all that! Now, Blast Zone, you were saying?" Wash Buckler asked. Despite the duo's differences, they got along quite well.

Blast Zone then clanked his armor, then responded, "Well, we would go like this, see? First we go Free Ranger and Boom Jet, then we go with the former and Stink Bomb, then we just-"

"And when would our luxurious dinner begin? I have a full seven course feast plan that would make even Chomp Chest and Wrecking Ball burst! Those 256 Combinations of yours would simply have to wait for another day. Now, Batterson, get to work on that cake for Flynn. I have a feeling he will want some credit for saving Skylands like the rest of us. It is NOT just for his prideful personality!" Tree Rex interrupted. Batterson was nearby, and he quickly dashed off to tell the cooks to make a tiny cake for Flynn.

Hugo then came over, with a larger bundle of scrolls all wadded up in his hands. "Oh dear, oh dear! How are we ever going to get all of this done in just a few hours? I- whoah!" Hugo yelled as he tripped over a tentacle of Wash Buckler's. Wash was quick to react, and another two of his tentacles grabbed Hugo and his scrolls, with neither touching the ground.

"You know, Hugo, you ought to spend less time worrying and more time basking in the fun were having. Besides that, we will have the best fiesta that Skylands has ever known!" Snap Shot yelled. Hugo then took a deep breath to calm himself, and he looked over his scrolls again.

"Well, that would be nice, Snap Shot, but I believe that unless all of you are going to be having a lack of special entertainment, you better get cracking. It's nine A.M., and the party starts at six!" Hugo explained. The foursome then all dashed off in different directions, each directing their corps to get themselves organized. This is going to be interesting...

Chapter 01 Part 2 (because of character limits):

~~~~

On the other side of Skylands, a forboding tower is the only landmark in a vast sea of devastated islands, with only two surrounding islands giving it its most precious resources: Traptanium and Petrified Darkness, both being mined from deep wells of ore, the workers being armored underlings, with the armor being encrusted with blue shards of crystal.

In the tower, a dark presence takes up the top floor. There are two beings in this room. One is a scrawny troll, who just so happened to be Glumshanks, Kaos' old butler. He was now in chains made of Traptanium, except the chains were a dark purple color. He was whimpering out secrets of his and Kaos, fearing for the worst punishment. The punishment would have been dealt by the being restraining Glumshanks in the chains. This being was The Enchainer.

The Enchainer was a hulking suit of armor, the plates all moving in cohesion with another, and there was a set of chain mail underneath this. The armor was all a deep pitch black ,and it was inlaid with blue crystals as the underlings in the mines were. The helm was in the shape of a wolf, with pointed ears and an elongated snout. The eyes of the figurehead glowed a light purple, staring intently at his captive. What was most interesting was the chains crisscrossing his chest, with it also being bound at his arms. These chains and their links were all made with a special mixture of Traptanium and Petrified Darkness that only he knew how to create. The chains were, as stated before, wrapped around the arms, chest and legs of Glumshanks, and glowing a dark aura around him.

The Enchainer had caught Glumshanks as he was flying towards the tower, saving him from almost certain death. This was at first greeted with pleas of joy, but that was soon replaced with terror as Glumshanks found out who his savior was. He was currently spouting out, "I admit I didn't take showers, but that was only because Kaos wanted to save water, saying it wasn't worth washing me, as I was going to get dirty again from his countless chores! Please sir, I told you everything I know! Please let me out!" The Enchainer gave a deep, unnerving laugh.

"I will set you free, little troll. That is, in my collection of preserved enemies. Hyah!" The Enchainer yelled as he bound the chains tighter around Glumshanks. Glumshanks squealed with pain, and just when he felt like he was going to burst, it suddenly went away Thankful, he opened his eyes again as he closed them from pain. His view presented him with a crystalloid interior, stinking slightly of mustard. Glumshanks, realizing where he was, yelled once more, but it was too late. None could hear him in the Dark Trap.

The Enchainer chuckled once more, and he paced over to his what appeared to be empty wall. But when he came close, the wall shimmered, and out appeared a larger shelf full of traps alike to the dark purple one that Glumshanks was trapped in. With the trap being no bigger than a few inches, it fit perfectly inside his hand, and the space emptied in the wall, with a plaque below it reading "Glumshanks: Futile Butler to Futile Villain". He set the trap inside, and the top molded to form a shape of Glumshanks' head, with the band below glowing a purplish color. The circle right below the head then shaped out to be the same shape as the symbol on Kaos' head, which represented the Kaos element.

"One down, one more to go. Ah, if only there was a way I could get to Kaos now. I am amazed that Glumshanks made it out here to the Outlands. Kaos must be thinking of a new plan to take over Skylands, maybe as to how he can escape his trap. Ha!" The Enchainer chortled in his dark and deep voice. He was walking back to his throne, when there was a sudden burst of wind that shut off all of the candles in the room. The Enchainer knew what this meant. The Darkness was paying a visit.

The Enchainer immediately turned off any other lights in the room shut any other windows as well. The Darkness would not tolerate any light whatsoever. The personalities of Deviousness, Greed, and Pride had visited times before, specifically for matters involving how to make sure Kaos would follow their plans. This was how he kept n touch with the world, as there were no vehicles of any sort left in the harbor of The Enchainer's Tower. All had been destroyed after the Arkeyans fell, as the vehicles were all of Arkeyan make.

There was another burst of wind, and suddenly, a voice burst forth from the blackness. "We have an important subject to talk about, Enchainer." Deviousness stated. The Enchainer snorted.

"Does it have something to do with releasing Kaos? If so, count me out. I can't leave this place, and I couldn't care less as to what fate that midget of a Portal Master did with his life." The Enchainer retorted. Deviousness spat, or at least, it sounded like a spitting sound.

"Do not even mention to me that useless pawn to me any more. He has failed us too many times, and so, he is no longer the king piece. You, however, are just the one we need. We are going to change your time from hiatus to active. If you succeed with this task, we will give you free access to all of Skylands to do what you please, as long as you let the Darkness roam free? Do you wish to hear?" Deviousness responded. In The Enchainer's mind, there appeared the image of an evil-looking ship, easily designed to be his. The Enchainer grinned underneath his helm.

"What would this task be, oh great Darkness?"

nice story!

Thanks, I was waiting for a comment. I will continue on it, I just need to think on it.

Really nice writing! Was thinking of uploading one I was writing on my free time since there's far more meta fanfics than adventure-y ones of the likes of Onk Beakman's(well they're official stories,but I'm thinking of theme), but you manage to keep it entertaining and descriptive even with the small chapters. Nice work,will definately follow!

Thank you for your comments. Hopefully I will retain a nice inspiration for this story. Here goes another chapter.

Chapter 02: The Party Begins in Two Ways

After the few hours that passed after Snap Shot and company's little conversation, the Academy was a mixture of wondrous colors. In the sky, it was a nice pale purple, with nary a cloud in sight. The light wsas reflecting off of the glass of the windows in the building, causing a nice relaxing ambience. This is only the natural light however. The real feeling is the surroundings inside and outside the building.

The Mabu were all celebrating the anniversary of the return of the Skylanders, the greatest defenders this land has ever known. There was a variety of games, like "Pin the Spear on the Cyclops" (for the more bloodthirsty ones) or the classic "Bobbing for Apples". The main attractions were the specific events the leaders of the Special Squadron were discussing: The Swappathon, the Gigantic Feast, and the Traptanium Miniatures.

The Swappathon was a droning affair, but the uniqueness came from the fact that there were different combinations of abilities that the Swap-Force shown off. Such as the classic Blast Buckler Flaming Ink combo. The ink made some particularly explosive rounds this time around, as there was some singed fur when the spectators 'ooed' and 'awed'.

The Gigantic Feast is just as the name implies: Gigantic/ There were foods ranging from all over the world, such as the strange Kaos Kake to the delicious Nattybumpo Nuggets (don't ask why they are called nuggets). Many of the famous aficionados were intrigued by the vast assortment coming from the kitchens of the beloved Academy, with many having to loosen their belts after their enormous appetite. The most impressive display was the Traptanium Miniatures however.

After all of the other events came to a close, Snap Shot strode up the stairs of the main entrance, cleared his throat, and announced, "I thank everyone for being here today. We Skylanders would not feel like our jobs were complete without the thankfulness of the inhabitants of our beloved Skylands!" There were many cheers of approval from the audience, with some such as the usually-tough Brock wiping tears from thei eyes for the compliment.

Snap Shot then continued, "To further show this appreciation, our faithful Trap Master Short Cut has created a vast set of statues based on the forms that we Skylanders assumed while stranded on Earth. What makes these special is that they are made of pure Traptanium, made from the very material that we looted from Kaos' latest plan!" With a shimmer, Enigma appeared behind Snap Shot, and with a wave of his staff, there was another shimmer in front of all the Skylanders, and when they reached for it, a little figurine appeared in each of their hands. "Let this from here on out be a memento of the adventures we shared with Portal Master Jeffrey, and let them also represent the final defeat of Kaos!" Snap Shot finished. There was a raucous roar of approval from everyone in the crowd, and there was a nice steady discussion afterwards involving the many events of the day.

Afterwards, Snap Shot walked back down to the living quarters of the Trap Masters, with a special Traptanium-encrusted doorway to decorate it. In there, there was his best companion, Wallop, polishing off his precious hammers for the next bashing of Troll-heads. Wallop noticed Snap Shot walking in, and so asked, "I came in after I got my little figure. Pretty nice lookin' huh?" Wallop held up the little model of himself, all in crystal-clear brown Traptanium.

Snap Shot chuckled and answered, "It looks nice I agree, but not as nice as mine." He then held out his own figurine, with the material instead being dark blue Traptanium. Wallop harrumphed, and continued polishing his hammers, setting his figure to his side.

Confused, Snap Shot came closer, and asked, "Has there been something on your mind Wallop? Usually you aren't so bad-tempered." Wallop stopped polishing, then he looked over to Snap Shot.

"I would like it if there wasn't any more evil in Skylands, and that would be the best dream for all of us. But where would that put us Skylanders, huh? We would just be figureheads of sorts, just representing the goodness that was brought. We would be useless without villains like Kaos. What are we going to do if we can't protect the citizens?" Wallop asked. Snap Shot was about to reply, when there was a large explosion outside. Snap Shot had hoped it was only one of Pop Fizz's experiments gone awry, but it was far worse than that.

Snap Shot ran over to the window, seeing that the peaceful atmosphere of the celebration ruined by a swarm of little suits of armor, with a set at least four times as larger roaring out, "Attention Skylanders! I am sorry for disrupting your little fiesta, but I am afraid that it is over! I am the Enchainer, and unless you come with me peacefully, you will regret your plight!" He then shook his arms down, and two dark purple, crystallic chains erupted from his arms. Snap Shot immediately recognized them as Traptanium, but different somehow.

Spyro came running forward, ordering for all the Mabu to seek shelter in the Academy. After everyone had left, he turned towards the Enchainer, and replied, "We will not come peacefully, Enchainer! If you mean to harm he Mabu, we will fight! Wrecking Ball, go get him!" After the statement, the little grub worm came rolling out of the crowd of Skylanders, bowling within his magic wrecking ball.

He was just going to hit the Enchainer, when his chains whipped around the worm, penetrating the magic shell, and making Wrecking Ball come to a halt. There was a gasp of shock coming from the SKylanders, surprised at this feat, as no enemy so far has been able to break through the magic of Wrecking Ball's.

Desperate for an alternative, Wrecking Ball whipped his tongue at the helm of the Enchainer. He simply loosened one of the chains and grabbed the sticky tongue, then he gave a large jolt, and Wrecking Ball was in the air. The Enchainer then swung the tongue round and round, making Wrecking Ball increasingly dizzier and dizzier. meanwhile, the Enchainer grabbed with his free hand a crystal similar to a Trap, only darker.

After a few moments, the Enchainer stopped whipping around Wrecking Ball, and he landed right at the feet of him, dazed and useless. Afterwards, the Enchainer stooped down, and pressed the Trap against Wrecking Ball's forehead. There was a small shine from the trap, and then a bright flash, temporarily blinding all in the vicinity. When their vision came back, Wrecking Ball was gone.

Deeply sorry with the delay, having school and another story to write can be really straining on the creative juices. Anyway, here you go!

Chapter 03: The Enchainment

Everyone in the vicinity were absolutely perplexed as to where Wrecking Ball had went. Gusto, Wrecking Ball's partner in the Pie-Eating contest, questioned the Enchainer , "Where is Wrecking Ball! He can't have just disappeared like that!" The Enchainer chuckled, and from his hand, he held up a dark purple crystal, with the face of Wrecking Ball on top, made from Traptanium.

"Oh, he hasn't disappeared, he will show as an example. Wrecking Ball, come back to the light." He stated. He then slipped the crystal into a slot on his arm, clicked a button, and with another blinding flash of light, there was Wrecking Ball right in front of him, only different. He was not the same happy worm that was there moments before. In his place, a darker, more evil self of him was there.

"Ready to fight, Master..." Wrecking slowly sad in a monotonous voice. There was a murmur in the crowd, astonished that that could happen to Wrecking Ball. Spyro, surprised but not unnerved, gave another order, yelling, "We will not serve you! Skylanders, attack!!" There was then a great roar of mighty warriors, and they all dashed towards the Enchainer.

He shrugged, pointed at the oncoming crowd, and Wrecking charged into it. Soon afterward, a swarm of little knights, all holding purple chains alike to the Enchainer, came into the fray. The SKylanders and the Enchainerlings fought for the very existence of the Skylanders.

Snap Shot was in the tower, firing his arrows where he could at the Enchainerlings. There were far too many of them, and with their small size, they were extremely hard to target. Thatwas evident with Skylanders such as Stump Smash, whose slow smashes could not hit the Enchianerlings. They ended up overtaking him, and restraining him with their chains, making him immobile. The Enchainer then walked up, the trap for Wreckign still in the slot, and he was holding another Trap, this time a dark green.

Knowing what would happen, Snap Shot fired his bow directly at the Enchainer. The shard of Traptanium soared through the air, and met its target directly in the head, smashing into the wolfish helmet. The Enchainer, undisturbed, simply looked up, and pointed at the window. This was met with a large division of the Enchainerlings entering the Academy, breaking through the barrier of Mabu. Wallop then heard smashing on the door to the room, with the clacking of chains as well. "Snap Shot, they're trying to break in!" Wallop yelled over the cacophony.

Snap Shot replied as he continued firing arrows, "Hold the door for as long as you can. We need to make an escape plan." Surprised, Wallop came over to the door, and wedged it closed with his hammers, and himself.

"Are you sure? Can't we do anything to stop this invasion?" Wallop asked. Snap Shot sighed in response.

"There is nothing we can do. The Enchainer intends on capturing all of us, right here and now. If some of us don't escape, there is nothing anyone can do to save the Skylanders." Snap Shot replied. Wallp then stood quiet, focusing his energy on holding the door.

Down below, the Enchainer had captured Stump Smash, Eruptor, and Slam Bam. those being some of the slower ones. One by one, the Skylanders would fall to his Dark Traps. The Enchainer then said vilely under his breath, "Let the collection begin..."

~~~~

Feeling something disturbing, Ermit awoke from his hiding place in the attic of the Academy. Being the hermit that he was, being afraid of clouds and all, he had found a safe haven in the Academy up in the attic. There was a lot of storage in there, most of it rather plain, so he was quite at home with nothing disturbing him. But, when he felt the Enchainer's presence, he knew immediately that an old legend of his ancestors' was coming true. The Underlands were returning to haunt Skylands.

He scurried down the stairs, seeing the horde of Enchainerlings rushing through the Academy. He hid behind a pillar, afraid of what would happen if he was recognized, and waited until they all passed through. He then scurried out of the Academy, and dodged through the different projectiles in the way, and found his way to the Dreadyacht, parked in the docks of the Academy. It was souped up and ready for travel. Flynn was, of course, cowering in the cockpit, with Cali and Hugo I nhtere with him. "Oh, I knew we should have put the celebration on a different day!" Clai sighed, and looked over to Hugo.

"In all seriousness, really! They would have attacked us anyway, Hugo! And Flynn, where's the big hero you claimed to be?" Cali replied. Flynn quickly stopped hiding, and popped up into view.

Flynn responded in his oh-so-usual vain voice "I was not hiding; I was just making an attack plan. FIrst we need some large wheels of cheese, then-"

"Oh will you stop your musing and let me in! We have to save Wallop and Snap Shot!" Ermit yelled towards them. Flynn took notice, and he lowered the dock and Ermit ran aboard.

Flynn took back his place in the cockpit and asked Ermit "So, Ermit, what's the big rush? And, saving Snap Shot and Wallop? They're Skylanders, they can handle anything!" Ermite then pointed to the mayhem just happening a few hundred feet away, showing the Skylanders being pummeled by the Enchainer/ Flynn then realized that despite how great the Skylanders were, the Enchainer was something else.

"Alright, so I might be exaggerating a bit...maybe...but where is Snap Shot and Wallop?" Flynn asked again.

"In the Academy. Get this thing flying and we can get to them right quick!" Ermit replied. Flynn took the wheel, pushed some levers and other buttons, and with a whoosh, the Dreadyacht was in the air, flying to the Academy. The rescue mission has begun.

Chapter 04: The Escape

The Enchainer enjoyed his Enchainerlings. They were quick, efficient, and very loyal soldiers. They are magically animated miniature suits of armor that would obey every whim of the Enchainer. They were usually used as workers in the mines, but they also doubled as imprisoners when they were equipped with their Evilized Traptanium Chains.

They were quickly overtaking even the largest of Skylanders, such as the almighty Thumpback, with the Enchainerlings stacking together and chaining their chains to form a large enough prison for the almighty Giant.

The Enchainer walked forth steadily to him, holding a dark blue Trap. Thumpback grunted haggardly, knowing it was useless to fight the Traptanium Chains. "You will never have Skylands so long as the Skylanders remain alive! We will break out of these Traps and weeeee-" Thumpback roared before being sucked into the Dark Water Trap.

"I am afraid that that will be an empty threat. I control you while you remain inside my Traptanium, and you will never pose a threat to me." The Enchainer replied to the now-silent Giant. At this time, almost half of the Skylanders have been captured, they swift and indestructible movements of the Enchainerlings proving deadly to the almighty Skylanders.

Tree Rex was having a better time than most in dealing with the Enchainerlings, his swings knocking back the vicious suits of armor. "There's no stumpin' me, you tiny tin cans!" Tree Rex roared at the last wave of Enchainerlings. Having no minds of their own, they did not take the insult as an insult.

He was quite happy with his situation, and then he noticed the Dreadyacht flying overhead, above the madness of the Skylanders being gradually shrank to just over thirty. He then realized that the only way to survive was to escape, and that was exactly what the Dreadyacht was doing. He waved over to the ship, yelling, "Hey Flynn! Come on down here and lend a ship, will ya?" There was no response, only a shout from Flynn stating "This window is more than glass, maybe some form of awesomeness like me! This thing isn't budging!"

Inside the room that the Dreadyacht was flying next to, Snap Shot and Wallop were having difficulties in keeping the Enchainerlings out as Flynn, Ermit, and Cali tried breaking down the window. Wallop shouted udner the strain of keeping the door upright, "When...will...they...come!" Snap Shot was assisting him, though he wasn't quite as strong as the mallet-wielding warrior.

"They will break through I assure you of that. Maybe with some assistance..." Snap Shot muttered. He then saw Wallop's hammer laying on the ground, and had a thought. He lifted the immense weapon, and swung it at the window, making a graceful fly right into the chest of Flynn, now winded on the deck of the Dreadyacht.

He managed to sputter out, "Geez, those Trap Masters are stronger than I thought to lift these things...help!!" Snap Shot was delighted to hear that, as he wanted to get back at Flynn for his boastful nature. He knew he needed to get on the Dreadyacht, but Wallop needed on as well.

"Wallop, the window's free! Let go of the door!" Snap Shot said while throwing aboard the other hammer, and his own bow. Ermit was watching intently for any Enchainerlings, wanting to hide in case any shown up. There would be no mistaking his kind if they saw him...

Cali yelled in response, "Be quick about it, the Enchainer is coming to the Academy!" Sure enough, the Enchainer had by now finished all but three of the Skylanders, including Wallop, Snap Shot, and Tree Rex. It was hard to imagine, but the Skylanders were nearly done for.

"Alright...here goes...hyah!!" Wallop shouted as he let go of the door, and made the mad dash to the window. Snap Shot followed, as well as a mass of Enchainerlings, whipping their chains for trapping. Before they could be used, the Dreadyacht was drifting away from the window, safely heading out to the air.

Relieved, Wallop started to rest, but realized a crucial fact: The Villain Vault was unguarded. With the Enchainer's Traptanium Chains, he could access the vault, and release the Doom Raiders, and worse, Kaos. He quickly exclaimed to Snap Shot, "Snap! We need to get the Vault! The Enchainer can release all of the villains if we leave it here!" Snap Shot then knew that that could not be allowed to happen, and while strategizing, he saw Tree Rex in the courtyard.

There was one chance to retrieve the Vault now. He yelled down to Tree Rex, "Hey Rex, get the Vault! We'll come down for you to come aboard!" Tree Rex smiled with his woody grin, and charged on through the Enchainerlings, none so far enchaining him. He charged all the way towards the Vault, and positioned himself for lifting it. The structure was heavier than it looked, being filled with Traptanium.

He then stooped down, and slipped his fingers underneath the Vault. Then he strained as he lifted it out of its resting place, and after moments of tension, it came from its spot, within the grasp of the mutated tree. Achedly, he made his way slowly to the Dreadyacht, which was slowly coming down to the ground.

He was nearly there, until a chain wrapped around Tree Rex's chest. Irritated, he continued, slower than before. A second chain wrapped around him, this time starting Tree Rex to inch backwards. Behind the leader of the Giants was the Enchainer, rooted into the ground, and flaring with his dark purple eyes. "I will finish this collection, Skylander! The Darkness has ordered it!" The Enchainer roared in his dark voice. Tree Rex was not ready to go so easily, and so strained with all his might. He then continued forward, dragging the Enchainer behind him.

Determined to win, the Enchainer telepathically ordered his servants to come and assist him with the Giant. They came in a swarm, and they enveloped Tree Rex, unable to stop the masses. He was doomed to the Dark Trap now.

Foreseeing his fate, he knew that this feat should not be in vain. "Wallop, Snap Shot...Flynn. Take the Vault, and protect it from him!" Tree Rex yelled one last time. He threw the Vault onto the Dreadyacht, and it landed with a distinct thud, nearly bursting the timbers. He then was dragged back to the Enchainer, trap in hand. When Tree Rex's head came to the Enchainer's hand, the Enchainer stooped down, and whispered, "You...are...mine!" He then tapped the Trap on Tree Rex's head, and he disappeared, and the Trap's top took the shape of Tree Rex's head.

The Enchainer, triumphant, looked up at the rising Dreadyacht, seeing that the last of the Skylanders were escaping. But also with them, there was a creature very familiar to him. A short man, with long pointy ears and a nose ring. He gasped, knowing what Ermit was. Seething with the fury of those who have held his title, the Enchainer ordered his minions to ready his ship. The Recorder of Ages was not going to escape him.

Really nice! Just check for some phrases with some mispellings, and a bit of overuse of the verb 'enchain'. No need to break out the thesaurus but there are some other simple expressions with similar meaning that could make the reading more fluid.

Fixed some errors I spotted in the latest chapter. Also, if you are speaking of the word 'enchain' too much, it might just be the Enchainer. That is his name, or at least title. There isn't another name for him as of now...

Whoops, meant just 'chain'. With the name it gets mixed up a bit too. I meant using other verbs like imprision, immobilize, etc.

Alright, alright. I'll work on my verb variety. I am hoping to get a new chapter up maybe tomorrow.

Chapter 05: Of the Recorder of Ages

The crew members of the Dreadyacht were in despair, not just for the loss of the Skylanders, but for the humiliation caused by the Enchainer. He was an enemy like no other, using Traps that have only been just recovered by the Portal Masters. He had skills unlike any other Skylander, and was capable of defeating even Giants and other Trap Masters. Why had Skylands not known about this villain?

Snap Shot was checking the Villain Vault to see if all the Villains were still inside, and thankfully, they were. No Trap was out of its place. If someone like Wolfgang or Kaos had come out, it would have been devastating. Snap Shot rested easy at this thought, but he still felt useless as even his strongest of arrows could not penetrate the Enchainer's armor. What was he?

Wallop was securing the Vault to the Dreadyacht, in hopes that he and Snap Shot could use it for the battlefield. Having the Villains made a tremendous difference in the battle strategies of the Skylanders, but they weren't able to be used in this recent fight. The Enchainer was actually commanding his forces away from the Vault that way the Trap Masters wouldn't summon a Villain to assist. How had he known of the Villain Vault?

Cali was with Hugo down in the Hold organizing the rooms for a long trip. They had no clue how long to run, or for where to go. Eon's Citadel was too precious to lead the Enchainer towards, and Woodburrow, along with the Cloudbreak Islands, were too far away to go to without a fueling stop. Where would they go?

Flynn was of course piloting the ship, not so worried about the entire business, assured that he and the Skylanders would solve this problem like they had countless times in the past. But in the back of his self-centered mind, there was a tinge of doubt. The doubt that they could very well fail against the Enchainer. Is he to strong to overcome?

Ermit was the most troubled of the crew, constantly mumbling the phrase, "He's after me. He's after me!" What was he so worried about, and why was he so agitated? The Enchainer wants Snap Shot and Wallop, right?

After a long, mournful time, Ermit finally blurted out, "Oh, I'm so sorry! He's after me! He's after me! He wants me and the Book!" He was shaking like mad, and very agitated ,worse so than even the worst of thunderstorms, when his fear of clouds hits a peak.

Snap Shot, completely perplexed, asked, "What are you talking about? You think the Enchainer's after you? Wouldn't he go after us rather than you? And what is this book?" Everyone was on deck at this time, with Cali and Hugo hearing Ermit's outburst through the thin floor of the deck.

Ermit took a deep breath, so he could start a little explanation of course. He then explained, "The Enchainer is a beast in the battlefield, and captures enemies faster than we can with the Trap Masters weapons and Traps. Why is this? Well, before we get into specifics, let me tell you something which is shrouded in Skylands' past...

Many thousands of years ago, long before the Arkeyans rose, there was just two things, land and sky. The sky was above, and the land was below. On the land, the Mabu had lived, as well as the Ancients, the benevolent beings that operated land called the Underlands. Then there was also the race of Recorders, who recorded the day-to-day events in the Underlands. All were happy, and without contention, except one, but more about him later.

In the Sky, there was total and utter darkness. Miles and miles across the sky, and there was nothing but black. This was the land of the Darkness, the source of the evil of the world. The Darkness enjoyed their presence here in the Sky, with nothing stopping them like 'good intentions' or 'land'. But this would soon change.

The one troubled being that I mentioned was called Scal. He was not a bad Mabu, but he was troubled. For starts, unlike all the other Mabu who look cute and short, he was rather mean-looking and tall, like Nightshade the thief but worse. He had felt out of place in the world, but he also had feelings of the fact that there was something more out there. Something to...collect.

He came to the decision that he should look to the Ancients for help, but they refused any guidance on the matter. Traptanium was a precious substance, and with their mind reading power, they knew that Scal meant to collect something far more valuable than anything else in the Underlands: Life. Only Traptanium has the power to give such a wish.

Without the Ancients guidance, Scal became more...reclusive. He avoided others, and became darker in nature. But worse still, he sought to see the skies, eternally black with the Darkness, and so, he designed a flying machine, the first invented in history. It was a simple balloon, but nothing more. It was enough to enter the Skies and meet the Darkness.

He rose into the skies, and became enveloped in the Darkness, feeling a surge of energy like no other. His mind and body shifted into what the Darkness desired, one that would stop the one thing that could take their freedom: Life. Life makes choices, and they thought in their twisted minds that the Underlanders would attempt to populate the skies one day.

And so Scal became an evil being called the Enchainer, and with his Evilized Traptanium Chains, his reckless desire to obtain every living soul in the Underlands was realized. He rampaged through the Underlands, with the Enchainerlings that the Darkness had also supplied him with. The Underlands were slowly diminishing through his attack. The Ancients realized this, and so constructed three things:

First, the Core of Light. They knew that if the Darkness spread any influence towards the peaceful Mabu, it would be devastating. So to prevent this, they created it, so that only those who seek the Darkness may join it. The Core would protect all in the Underlands in case the Darkness chose to go down and spread their personalities among them.

Second, Cloudcracker Prison. The Ancients needed a prison to hold any Villain that attempted to control the Underlands, and it was made of Traptanium the strongest and most ideal material for this job. But the Ancients did know if the Enchainer could be kept within this, as his Chains were even stronger than regular Traptanium. Even his armor was encrusted with it.

The third, and certainly most influential, was Mount Cloudbreak. There was only one place that the citizens of the Underlands could escape to, and that was the sky. The Underlands were becoming a place of torment, and sadness, and so to avoid that, they must retreat. With the Core of Light, that capability to live up in the sky can be done.

Chapter 05 Part 2

When all was constructed through the Ancients' powerful magic, Cloudbreak erupted with what magic was left with the beings. It spread through the Underlands, and so, chunks of land began to rise, with the Core of Light and the castle of the Ancients rising first. This would make the Darkness go to an area called the Outlands, the only place out of the Core's influence.

As the islands rose, the Mabu went with their homes, the magic of Cloudbreak recognizing the most ideal areas to lift. The Enchainer was lifted as well, and was lifted without any way of moving off. The Enchainerlings were stuck as well, floating on a lone island. The island gradually moved towards Cloudcracker Prison, and the Recorders of Ages quickly took away the Traptanium chains from the Enchainer and the Enchainerlings. They were put into the prison, and so were forgotten for many years, unable to break through the walls of Traptanium, when their weapons were hidden inside.

Skylands was born, and a celebration was put into place, rejoicing for the Imprisonment of the Enchainer, and with the Darkness being driven from their lives. But there was some sorrow. Only one Recorder of Ages survived the ordeal with the Enchainer, and with the Ancients drained of magic, there was none to make more. The title of Recorder of Ages was then created.

The Underlands now was a desolate wasteland. Massive pits from which the islands came were left behind, and the Darkness could influence the ground down below, and so began to poison the Underlands, making sure no creature was left untouched. Not everyone had escaped with Skylands, you know.

The Enchainer was preserved through magic, and so never died until he was killed. It would be thousands of years until he would be released by none other than the Arkeyans to act as a bounty hunter, capturing those the Arkeyans felt were too powerful for their own good. He done his job well, until the Giants defeated the King before he could get a notice. He was trapped on a remote island, with nothing but a castle, and two mines, one for Petrified Darkness, and another for Traptanium. This was in the Outlands, and so none came to this place, and with his ship supplied by the Arkeyans, it was destroyed. He was left forgotten and ten thousand years later, he has come back to terrorize Skylands."
All present stood in awe as the tale of Ermit's was told. Flynn, however, was only impressed. He asked, "Alright Ermit that was a good story. But is any of it true? I mean, come on, the Skylands have always been in the sky right? And if the Underlands really exist, why don't we go down there to beat up whatever's down there?" Ermit sighed.

"Alright, for your first question, I already answered it with my tale. And second, the Ancients had created a cloud barrier and the lowest point of Skylands so that none would break through as it is a mass of storm clouds. And I with my ancestors fear clouds like no other, fearing that the Enchainer would come for me as revenge for imprisoning him!" Ermit replied. Snap Shot, coming to realization, knew what to do to prove this story.

"You mentioned a book right? If you are a Recorder, like I guessed, you would obviously have something to record everybody's lives. Show us it then!" Snap Shot ordered, using the story against Ermit.

Struck aback, he hurried down to the hold and brought up a bundle, looking like it had not been used for years. Then where it was uncovered, and simple leather book was in his hands, labelled "Clouds: The Bane of Skylands". Wallop was curious as to why the book was labelled this way, so he asked, "So, that book you said you would finish and publish? About why everyone should fear clouds like you do? That is what it is?" Ermit shook his head.

"I assure you, this book is not only my work, but all the other Recorders as well. We try and not make ourselves known, as it will make sure that everyone won't fear the Enchainer's wrath. I was planning on publishing it, but now I'm not so sure I want to be the Recorder. It's a hard job, you know. So, I left it in the hold under some crates, knowing that no one would look under there." Ermit replied. Hugo wasn't convinced, so he snatched the book from his hands, and opened it, studying it like he did with many other books. He then looked up, with an amazed face.

He then stated, "It's all written in here, along other stories, all with different authors! But, it could just be different pen names, so..."

"Are you saying that I'm a fibber?" Ermit questioned. He was rather cross at the notion of him being a liar. Cali quickly reacted to save Hugo from a rage.

"He's not implying that, it’s just that this is all quite hard to believe. If we had some more proof than just a book, we could believe you." Cali replied. Ermit though hard, tapping his head as to how to respond. Where could he go to prove to them he was a recorder?

He then had a bit of revelation, stating "Let's go to Mount Cloudbreak! I know it’s a bit far, but we could do it! If we go down in, there is a special secret none to only us Recorders!" Everyone shifted uneasily, the threat of the Enchainer looming. But, with nowhere else to go, they caved in, going to Mount Cloudbreak.

Chapter 06: The Enchainer's Ruling

Back at the Skylanders Academy, or as it has been newly renamed, the Palace of Crystals, there was a long line of citizens, from Cloudbreak Islanders to employees like Mags, stretching back from the Library to the front courtyard, all being herded in by the Enchainerlings. They were gathered to be evaluated whether or not they would be worth keeping for 'improvements' of the Palace, as there were many things that the Enchainer did not appreciate about the looks of the place, like the insignia on the front door. That had to go in his opinion.

Anyway, they were moving forward slowly as the Enchainer interrogated the Mabu and other species about what they could accomplish around the Palace. If they brought a good use, then he would enlist them as slaves and put them to work. If not, then it was to his shelf of Traps, as new display pieces. Many sought desperately to be made a slave, as being in a Trap was like being in a limbo until you were summoned out of it.

The Enchainer was currently interrogating Sharpfin, as he had also visited the Palace during the festivities so that he could end his debt with the Skylanders. The Enchainer was growing rather tiresome of the whole interrogation process, as he had wanted to get the last two Skylanders, as well as the wretched Recorder, Ermit. He gazed longingly at his shelf of over two hundred Traps, from Skylanders, foes, and simply those only worthy to be trapped. With that collection, there were three empty Traps, one each for Snap Shot, Wallop, and Ermit.

Alongside with this gazing, he was also listening to Sharpfin's droning on as to how he could prove useful to the Academy,such as "I am also a great junk dealer, you know. I could buy a piece of metal rom you, and haggle you into buying it back for three times to price! What do you think of my impressive resume?" The Enchainer snorted a bit, rather intrigued by the prideful manner the Land Shark had towards his salesmanship. But, he also had a lot of wealth, so he might prove useful in other areas...

The Enchainer got up from his rather lazy position of one arm on the desk, with it resting his helm, and straightened himself out. He then replied to Sharpfin, "You seem like just the shark I need, just not from your skills but from your gold. I will need plenty of it to renovate the Palace of Crystals, so unless you give me a monthly payment of one million gold pieces, then I'm afraid you will be nothing more than a nice looking paperweight. Am I clear?" Sharpfin nodded sharpdly, and scurried out of the room. He wasn't sure if he had more than a billion gold pieces, but he knew he could last for a while at least.

The Enchainer groaned from sheer impatience, then roared, "Why must this blasted castle have so many people!" He then gave the newly moved in desk a hefty whack, giving a nasty fracture along the top. He sat back down, not even thinking about the damage he had dealt to his desk, and instead thought of his new throne room.

The Library, or as it is now known, the Room of Trapped Ones, was the first to be renovated, and so suffered the largest change. It had a intense lighting change, as it now had glowing purple crystals as the chief source of light. The books were mostly removed so that he could display his traps with ease, and there were numerous other things done to make it seem more of the Enchainer's personality: Dark and malicious.

Just then, Mags walked in, saying "Hello Mister Enchainer sir, my name is Mags, inventor of so many things there isn't anyway to describe it! I would be happy to assist the renovation of the Aca- er, I mean the Palace to you liking, as I built the place myself you know. I-"

"Quiet! I have heard enough. You may stay as long as you work long shifts in reworking the entire Palace. I want it all alike to the very room you stand in. Am I clear? Sharpfin will supply you with the gold needed. Now go!" The Enchainer roared. Mags gave an eep of surprise, and dashed out of the room. He sighed with impatience as he expected the next commoner, when he realized there were no more. Curious, he got up from his desk, and saw something very irking.

~~~~

Back at the Dreadyacht, there was a bit of a buzz towards the prospect of going to Mount Cloudbreak. There was still several more weeks until they would be able to reach their destination, and they will have to stop for a refueling halfway through. Ermit kept reassuring everyone that they will be glad to have went along with their decision to go to Mount Cloudbreak. Everyone agreed, even in the lowest of reassurance. Where else could they go after all?

Right now, Flynn was of course steering the ship, with him boasting to the world how he could do all sorts of impressive stunts, if there weren't passengers aboard of course. Cali was in her room (which still contained the old Luck-O-Matic) reviewing some ancient-looking pictures of Cloudbreak as she searched for some mention of some sort of secret, like a tunnel of sorts. Hugo was in \a newly redecorated room that was just opposite to Cali's, which was once Persephone's room. and he was reviewing Ermit's book, fascinated by the many stories listed within. Ermit was amazingly in the crow's nest, keeping an eye out for the Enchainer and his minions. He wanted to be the first to spot them so he could warn everybody.

Wallop and Snap Shot were in the hold, readjusting the Villain Vault so that it would be secure when they finally opened it to check on the prisoners, and even interrogate some as well. THye will need all the assistance they could get if they wanted to fight the Enchainer. Unless they did so, there could be almost no chance of beating him.

Hours later, the activity of the Dreadyacht had not changed much, besides the fact that the Vault was now installed into the hold. Snap Shot wiped his hands of strangely discovered dust, stating, "Whelp, its finished. Now, how about we pop open the-"

"Attention all passengers, we have visual of Mount Cloudbreak. I don't know how we made it so fast, but we're here." Fynn said over the intercom. Intrigued, Snap Shot and Wallop stormed up the stairs, and off to the bow of the ship, seeing for their very own, along with everyone else aboard, the volcano name Mount Cloudbreak. There was something off about it however.

Cali, while staring ahead, asked Hugo, "Hugo, doesn't Cloudbreak look...odd?" Hugo silently nodded, and then Ermit replied overhead from the crows nest.

"That's not Cloudbreak, that's an illusion! Turn back! It's a storm!!" Ermit exclaimed. The illusion then faded, revealing the largest type of storm Skylands could get: A CumuloThundla.