Authors note: Half way through this chapter, the style changes from being told in past tense to being told in present tense. I apologize if that messes up how you read the story, but I wanted to see how it would work half way through the story, and I was to lazzy to edit the rest of the style. Also, for the readers who have forgoten about Theresa, you get to see more of her perspective in this chapter.

Cold waves lapped at her feet, stinging them slightly with the salt they contained. The sand beneath her had turned squishy, and oozed slightly from all the water it contained. The scent of salt and water was carried on the breeze that flew over the beach, and seagulls squawked in excitement as they flew over the sea.

Theresa reclined on the beach, watching as her gryphon companions played. Echo was carefully constructing a sandcastle, and Angia was gathering seashells. Hakkon was poking at a crab, and Cyrus was covering himself with a pile of kelp. Cyrus quickly dashed out of the kelp as a wave came towards him, and instantly darted back when the wave receded. It was days like these that Theresa enjoyed most, days where nothing really eventful happened, so she and her friends could go off and do whatever they wanted to.

As much as she enjoyed these types of days though, this specific day was strangely unpleasant. She couldn't help recalling the first fight she had been in, the way that blood had been spilled all over the ground, and the way that everyone had collapsed out of pure exhaustion. It was bad enough seeing her friends so worn down and beaten, but then a deranged wizard had attacked her.

She had been in so much pain that she could hardly stand, and when she begged for her grandmother to come to her, the old woman never came.

"This whole realm is a dream, so why is it that it causes me such pain?" Theresa wondered.

"Why has my grandmother not come to me, and what's with all the dreams I'm having within this one!?

The eleven year old found it strange that when she fell asleep in this realm, she didn't wake up somewhere on earth. Even stranger was the fact that she was capable of having nightmares within this dream.

"Why is the pain I feel here, almost of the physical plain?"

Once again she felt as if she was burning, and she couldn't stop the shivers that were wracking her lithe frame. She felt her heart freeze with terror as she remembered Kaos's shrieks of anguish. Her nights had been haunted by memories of that fight, and despite how much she pretended everything was alright, it really wasn't. She hadn't been able to accept that this place was reality, and yet she couldn't shake the feeling that it was more then just a dream.

"I don't understand…." Theresa murmured, her distress heightening with each passing second.

How was it that her reality was tied to this dreamlike landscape? Never in her life had she encountered this before, and it wasn't discussed at her school either. How was she going to return to earth, and back to the Skylands at will? Was it even possible to go between the two realms?

A strange weight settled within her chest, and her heart beat at unnaturally quick pace. She could feel the adrenaline building up inside her, just waiting to burst in to her blood stream. Her flight instinct strengthened, and she had the sudden urge to leap away from the beach.

"There's nothing wrong, there's nothing wrong, there's nothing wrong!" Theresa's mind chanted fearfully.

"Theresa…" A voice like nails on a chalkboard called.

"What!?" Theresa gasped, turning her head from side to side in order to pinpoint the sound's location. Her breath hitched in her throat when she recognized Kaos's voice.

"Theresa!" The voice repeated, this time in an urgent tone.

"What do you want?" Theresa muttered, her voice trembling with fear. Her hands clenched in to fists, and cold sweat poured from her brow.

"Theresa, help!" Cyrus called suddenly.

"Cyrus!?" Theresa replied, her paranoia dying slightly as her friend darted toward her.

"Hakkon is stranded in the ocean, you have to save him!" Cyrus squawked with horror.

Theresa was already darting towards the salty waves before Cyrus finished speaking. The world around her changed drastically as she entered the waves. Cold water nipped at her hands, face and feet, and her eyes began to sting from the salt. The eleven year old shut her eyes tightly, and then opened them upon realizing that she wouldn't be able to find Hakkon if her eyes were closed.

Seaweed wrapped around her feet, and pulled her beneath the waves, and her chest ached from the lack of air in her lungs. The young girl swiveled her head from side to side, and yet she was still unable to locate any sign of her young friend. A feeling of panic gripped her as the pressure in her chest intensified, and she rapidly swam to the surface. Theresa quickly gulped up a mouthful of air, but retched and gagged as a wave struck her in the mouth.

The young apprentice was tugged beneath the waves, and her throat constricted painfully. Her eyes began to water from the salt that entered them, and she began to shiver. A feeling of terror pierced her heart when she found no sign of Hakkon. She spent three more minutes beneath the water, and then resurfaced. She was being dragged down by the weight of her soggy cloths, and her eyes were stinging so much that she could barely see. She ignored her discomfort however, and focused on getting back to the beach, all the while she tried to wrap her mind around what just happened.

She had witnesses the panicked expression on Cyrus's face, and the terror in his voice. She had entered the ocean in order to find Hakkon, and yet there was no sign of him. She couldn't accept that the young gryphon was dead, and yet if he wasn't dead, then where was he?

"He isn't dead, I know he isn't dead. Everything that happens here, happens in my mind, and I wouldn't let him die! But if he isn't dead, where is he, how can I find him?

The second she got to shore, she felt herself grow ridged with terror. Her heartbeat quickened, and a brutal realization settled on her mind. Ice cold waves continued to lap against her, and yet she could not bring herself to move. Time seemed to stop completely as her terror gnawed at her mind.

"We may not be able to die, but we can be tortured. We can still feel pain. If Hakkon isn't on the beach, then he must have been captured by Kaos, and if Kaos captured him, then he will torture him!"

The realization was like a bullet to her brain. The rigidity in her body vanished abruptly, and pitched her in to the soggy sand beneath her. The waves behind her grew stronger, and tugged fiercely at her legs. Saltwater and sand filled her mouth, and her throat stung, and yet she could not bring herself to move. Her thoughts were filled with Hakkon, and about everything he could be going through. Her eyes grew misty from her sorrow, and yet no tears leaked out.

"Theresa, Theresa!" Cyrus called, darting up to his friend.

Theresa felt her heart wrench as she saw the look of relief in her friend's eyes.

"I'm sorry Cyrus…" she murmured, her voice heavy with sorrow and exhaustion.

"Sorry about what?" Cyrus questioned, tilting his head to the right side.

"About Hakkon." Theresa replied, her eyelids growing heavy.

"It's okay, you tried your best." Cyrus soothed.

For some reason Cyrus's words stung her, and she felt as if she were burning. Hakkon had been captured by Kaos, and yet the young gryphon didn't even care! For a moment Theresa couldn't say anything, but suddenly she began to snarl with indescribable rage and disgust.

"How can you say that!? Hakkon has been captured by Kaos and you don't even care! I know he can't be killed, but that doesn't mean he can't be tortured! He could be going through hell right now, and you're not even the least bit afraid! He's your brother, you're supposed to care for him!" Theresa's voice rose to a wail, and ended abruptly as the sound died.

Her throat felt as if someone had rubbed it with sandpaper, and her whole body felt heavy. She had used the last of her strength to express her disgust toward Cyrus's apathy.

"What are you talking about?" Cyrus asked in genuine confusion, "Hakkon is okay, my mom saved him!"

It took a moment for the words to register, but when they finally did, Theresa felt her heart pound and her gut twist. Hakkon was safe? Her feverish mind swam with relief, and she felt as if she were floating. Despite the fact that she was on shore, she could still feel the waves tossing beneath her, each one trying to consume her.

"Hakkon is safe… Theresa murmured in a daze.

"Of course he is, what were you thinking?" Cyrus asked, a hint of anger creeping in to his tone.

A sense of guilt and shame stung Theresa, and she wanted nothing more then to apologize for her harsh accusations. Unfortunately her mouth had sealed shut, and she could barely open it.

"Why does this always happen when I need to apologize to someone?" Theresa wondered in despair.

"I…" Theresa croaked, the words she wanted to say nestling painfully in her throat. A broad shadow came across her and Cyrus, and the duo looked up to see Sonny glaring down at them in disapproval.

"So this is how it is then? You let my children go off on their own, and then blame my son for your failure to properly care for them." The gryphon growled in a threatening tone.

A pulse of adrenaline filled her, and yet, even the adrenaline burst couldn't help her to move. Theresa stared numbly at Sonny, taking in the gryphon's rigid posture, and distant gaze. Sonny continued to glare down at the human, scorn and fury in her emerald orbs. The eleven year old couldn't bear the shame she felt, and so she turned away from Sonny.

"You don't have anything to say in your defense!?" Sonny screeched, her voice trembling with rage and another emotion Theresa couldn't identify.

Theresa continued to look away from Sonny, her heart growing heavy with guilt. Her eyes continued to mist over, and her whole body ached.

Sonny turned away from Theresa, and rallied her children. The gryphon family then took flight, and left Theresa behind. The young girl rested on the shore, letting the events of the day sink in. it was hard enough for her that she couldn't save Hakkon, and that she had snapped at Cyrus, but then Sonny had to come to her, and rub her failures in her face. Sonny's words had stung more then they should have, and Theresa couldn't understand why.

"I did nothing wrong did I? I mean, snapping at Cyrus was kind of bad, but Hakkon's accident wasn't my fault! If anyone's to blame, it's Sonny, she should have been looking after her family, but she left them behind. And yet when I went to save Hakkon, she blamed me for his accident. How dare she… how dare she!?"

The more Theresa dwelled on the day's events, the more furious she became. She had risked her life for Hakkon, and yet Sonny could only say she failed. Cyrus had told her that the accident wasn't her fault, and that she had done her best, and yet Sonny somehow couldn't see that.

The waves continued to lap at Theresa, each one mocking her. Her clothes were heavily bogged down by sand and water, and her hair was matted and tangled. Seaweed hung over her head, and dripped stinging water in to her eyes. Her skin was burnt from the sun, and each grain of sand that scratched her, sent a stinging pain through her. The sun was slowly dipping beneath the horizon, telling Theresa that she had to return to the ruins, and yet the young girl could not bring herself to obey.

"What's the point? I'll just ache no matter where I go, so why not stay here?" Theresa wondered.

The sun continued to scorch her, and with a weary sigh, Theresa weakly rose to her feet. Each step she took wracked her feet, and sides with pain, and her legs trembled beneath her. She didn't even bother watching where she was going, she just walked away from the beach, and let her despair poison her mind.

"Is Cyrus still my friend? I snapped at him, and he seemed pretty upset. I said such awful things to him, and my accusations were completely groundless. And beside that, am I even aloud to go near Cyrus anymore? Sonny seemed so furious, and I don't think she'll allow me to talk to her children again-"

Theresa's thoughts broke off as the realization settled like a weight in her heart. She was more then likely forbidden to see Cyrus anymore, and if that was the case, then she wouldn't be able to apologize to him.

"But… How can I resolve this misunderstanding if I can't even talk to him?"

The fact was that there was no way for her to apologize, and that fact tore at her.

"Sonny how could you? He's my best friend, how could you forbid me from seeing him, how could you forbid me from setting things right?"

The poison in her mind shifted, and suddenly became directed solely at Sonny.

"If she had been watching them, this situation would never have happened! If she hadn't blamed me for Hakkon's accident, I would be able to visit Cyrus and apologize! How can she be so ungrateful, I lead her back to her children, I healed her wing when she was injured. I was kind to her and her family, and yet she forbids me from seeing my friends!" Theresa shrieked the rage in her flowing out through her voice.

The ache in her body slowly died away, and her sunburns seemed to heal. Her eyes still stung, and she still felt exhausted, but she wasn't in pain anymore at least. Her hands began to tremble with fury, and her eyes seemed to bubble. Without warning, a dark flame blossomed in the palm of her hands, and quickly engulfed her arms. Her mind seemed to fall in to a state of slumber, and the black flames around her swelled. The dark fire branched out across the beach, and ran over to the waves.

The pink and orange sky turned dull, as if all the life was being sucked out of it. A powerful gust of wind swept over her, and the eleven year old felt her feet slowly rising off the ground. Her whole body became racked with tremors and sparks of dark magic leapt off of her. The sand beneath her swirled, and darkened, and formed a barrier around her. Theresa couldn't help but smile sadistically as the storm continued to brew around her.

A cold hearted chuckle passed her lips, and her eyes narrowed scornfully.

"Foolish skylanders!" She hissed, "You may think that you're so great, but you're not! And I swear before God that I will destroy you!" her voice morphed in to a low growl, and suddenly sounded masculine as opposed to feminine. A bullet seemed to pierce her mind as she realized that she was speaking with Kaos's voice.

"What!?" Theresa thought the power she felt starting to fade. She fell to the ground and the sand she lifted fell on top of her.

Shudders ran through her as she saw that the world around her still looked ill. Her heart pounded rapidly, ramming itself in to her ribcage, and her pulse quickened. Feelings of dread brewed inside her, and built to an agonizing climax as she realized that she had sucked the life from the land.

"Hurgh!" Theresa retched suddenly, a stream of yellow bile passing her lips. Spasms began to rack her small frame, and she continued to vomit on to the sand. Her throat burned, and her mouth tasted like rotten milk and eggs. The contents of her stomach were mostly washed away by salted waves, but some of the vile fluid and chunks remained on shore. Theresa shivered when she saw that the remaining bile was a dark purple and black hue, the same color of dark magic.

"God help me…." Theresa murmured weakly, her stomach growling furiously as it tried to resettle itself.

The young girl sat upon the beach for an hour, trying to forget about what had happened. Her legs grew stiff from her vigil, and the waves slapped at her. The eleven year old finally decided to drag herself in to the nearby woods, having grown weary of the beach.

"God help me…" Theresa murmured painfully as she limped away.

By the core of light.

A gentle breeze blew across the skylands, stirring the flowers that grew by The Core of Light. The sky had taken on a soft pink and orange hue, and a flock of seagulls flew overhead, chattering on about the day. Despite the serenity of his surroundings, Eon knew he couldn't afford to relax. The old portal master was currently looking through the telescope for any sign of Kaos; unfortunately, he saw no sign of the deranged wizard.

"I know you're out there Kaos," Eon thought to himself, "Why haven't you attacked us yet? Have you truly fallen so far in to your curse that you can't even launch an attack?"

Eon's thought broke away from Kaos, and suddenly turned to Theresa.

"Where can you be young one? You were supposed to meet me at the training grounds, but you weren't there. Why are you hiding? I want to help you Theresa."

"Master Eon, have you found any sign of him?" A soft voice questioned.

Eon turned his head to see Hex and Spyro standing behind him. The two skylanders were rigid from anxiety, and Hex's eyes kept darting about, as if she expected to be attacked from behind.

"I've not found any sign of him." Eon replied, careful to keep his own anxiety out of his voice.

Spyro and Hex glance at each other, and then turned back to Eon.

"Where is Theresa?" Spyro questioned, "Shouldn't she be helping us search for Kaos?"

Eon fought the urge to stiffen, and just glanced at Spyro with a neutral expression. How was he supposed to reply to that comment? Was he just going to say that Theresa was missing? If it was just Spyro, he would have been honest, but Hex was with them, and despite all her fearless deeds, she was still considered a relatively new skylander.

"She told me that she would meet at the training grounds, but she seems to have forgotten." Eon said in a tactful tone.

"You mean she ditched!" Spyro replied bitterly.

"Spyro, tell Sunburn, Hugo, and Callie that they are to take their watch now. I want you to check the beach for Theresa, and I want you Hex, to check the Starway Tower for any sign of her. I'll search in the woods."

"Maybe you should search the tower…" Hex states hesitantly.

"I'll search the woods." Eon replies firmly, already marching off in to the wooded area.

Tall oak trees tower above his head, and pine trees drop their nettle like leaves. The foliage beneath his feet is soft, and smells heavily of the pine that builds the majority of it. Beams of light are filtered through the fork like branches of the trees, and create dapple pattern on the forest floor. A river gurgles soothingly in the distance, and yet fills Eon with a pang of despair.

Now that he is on his own, he can try to make sense of his scattered and tormented thoughts. His nights have been tormented ever since his daughter vanished, and that was more then fifty six years ago! A long while after that devastating situation, he had begun to teach students. Teaching the students and watching them grow had helped to heal his broken soul, but that had all gone to waste when they were all murdered.

"They're not all dead." A voice in his mind whispers to him, "Amrya still lives!"

"And he still lives…" Eon thinks weakly.

The old portal master had expected the bitter pangs of nostalgia to assail him once he entered the woods, but he didn't expect them to be so strong. He did not expect the tearing ache in his heart, or for his throat to close off with sobs that instinctively would not escape him; he did not anticipate the sorrow to knot up his insides, or the feeling of betrayal to cut in to him like a knife. With a weary sigh he trudges on, the sweet scent of pine suddenly making him feel ill.

Every drop of sunlight on the ground is a twisted joke. Every leaf that falls mocks him. "You did this." The forest hisses, "If it weren't for you, the Skylands would be at peace."

"I know…." Eon thinks a sudden feeling of guilt overwhelming him, "And I will atone for my crimes!"

"Too late," The forest replies cruelly, "Far too late."

Eon desperately tries to block out the voices, and tries to find Theresa. Fear for the child tears at his mind, and frays his nerves; fear that she may become like his first favored student pulls his thoughts apart. The old portal master breathes deeply, trying to fight through the dread he feels. Each breath is heavy and forced, and soon he is panting and wheezing from the strain of his battered body and psyche.

"Great time for age to catch up with me." He thinks bitterly.

His bitter thoughts leave his mind as he hears the sound of a weeping girl. He hurries towards the sound, and stops as he sees the girl he was seeking. Theresa is hunched over a slow flowing river. Her hands are trembling, and her hair is wild and matted. On closer investigation, Eon notices a grimace plastered on his apprentice's face. The old portal master cautiously approaches the girl, and kneels beside her.

"Theresa?" Eon asks in a concerned tone.

Theresa doesn't reply, instead she continues to stare in to the river. Eon fights the urge to retch as he sees thick crimson fluid staining the river. The same crimson fluid is dripping off Theresa's wrists, and the palms of her hands. Her skinny legs bear crimson gashes as well, and her face is in a similar scarred state. Her once lustrous emerald eyes have become dull and vacant, shamefully bearing the marks of sleepless nights.

"What have you done to yourself Theresa?" Eon asks, his tone saturated with sorrow.

"What do you think I've done?" Theresa snips.

Dread surges over Eon as he hears how the girl's voice has changed. It is no longer perky, and blissful, but is now filled with pain and hidden fear. It is hoarse as if she suffers from a sore throat, and it grates like nails on a chalkboard.

"What started this?" Eon asks, referring to much more then Theresa's sudden self harming.

"Kaos…" Theresa mutters in a venomous tone.

Eon stiffens as he hears her words, and his breath hitches in his throat as he tries to force out another question.

"I can hear his voice in my head. He speaks to me, and preys on my fears and insecurities. He haunts my nightmares and revels in my torment. I didn't want to cut myself…" Theresa trails off abruptly, and takes a shaky breath. She then begins talking in a shaky monotone.

"I had no control over myself. My hands no longer belong to me, but to him. I can't tell if the hellish thoughts in my brain are mine or his…"

Another pause and bitter laughter fills the air.

"Then again, I don't really have a brain anymore, because everything I had belongs to him."

A tense silence forces itself between the duo, and Eon patiently waits for Theresa to speak again.

"Please help me. This is unbearable. I can't trust in my own judgment or actions, because they may not even be mine. I can't trust myself to be around my friends, because he may turn me against them. My life is a nightmare, dreams or reality, whet ever this place is, its hell, and I want my patch of heaven back…" the girl's voice breaks off, and tears roll out of her eyes, and mingle with the dried blood on her face.

Eon finds emotions of pity and empathy churning in him as he listens to the girl's heart filled plea, and he resists the urge to brush her disheveled hair out of her face to soothe her. He slowly rises to his feet, and helps Theresa do the same.

"Come with me Theresa, let me help you."

Theresa cautiously takes her mentors hand, and they walk side by side out of the woods.

"What started this?" Eon asks, referring to much more then Theresa's sudden self harming.

"Kaos…" Theresa mutters in a venomous tone.

Eon stiffens as he hears her words, and his breath hitches in his throat as he tries to force out another question.

"I can hear his voice in my head. He speaks to me, and preys on my fears and insecurities. He haunts my nightmares and revels in my torment. I didn't want to cut myself…" Theresa trails off abruptly, and takes a shaky breath. She then begins talking in a shaky monotone.

"I had no control over myself. My hands no longer belong to me, but to him. I can't tell if the hellish thoughts in my brain are mine or his…"

Another pause and bitter laughter fills the air.

"Then again, I don't really have a brain anymore, because everything I had belongs to him."

A tense silence forces itself between the duo, and Eon patiently waits for Theresa to speak again.

"Please help me. This is unbearable. I can't trust in my own judgment or actions, because they may not even be mine. I can't trust myself to be around my friends, because he may turn me against them. My life is a nightmare, dreams or reality, whet ever this place is, its hell, and I want my patch of heaven back…" the girl's voice breaks off, and tears roll out of her eyes, and mingle with the dried blood on her face.

Kaos gnashes his teeth together in fury as he plays the conversation over in his head. How had he lost control over Theresa long enough for her to beg for help? The thought of loosing control infuriates him to no end, and on impulse he shakes the ground with a violent burst of shadow energy.

"How could I loose control so easily?" the deranged wizard hisses in a strained tone.

He paces around his room, trying to ward off his frustration and think of a way to resolve the issue. His mind buzzes with ideas, and soon he come up with a decent plan.

"Yes… I will break her, I will tear her thoughts apart bit by bit until she becomes my willing puppet, and once she does, she will obliterate the skylanders for me!"

Authors Note: Yes the ending is sloppy and rushed because I had no clue how to end this chapter. Kindly review so I can hear if you Liked this chapter, hated it, or want to burn it in a firey Hell.