The Bitterness of Freedom

Skylands, an endless archipelago of floating islands. Some so small the average person can lie in the middle and nearly reach over the edges. Other floating landmasses are so large they take days or even weeks to travel end to end. Magic is the lifeblood of the Skylands; it has permeated every living creature and inanimate object alike. This is my home, or rather was my home. I am a Skylander; one of the protectors and heroes of all Skylands. We are vastly different and varied from one another but bound together to keep our world and those beyond it safe.

We were banished to Earth and frozen in plastic by Kaos, the would-be Emperor of Skylands. We did not stay banished. Not wholly at least. It is due to the Portal Masters that we can return to Skylands, however briefly, and fight back the deluge of Kaos' forces. Who am I? I am a Hex. Yes, a Hex. Not the Hex. There are many, many more like me out there. We are more commonly known as Hex-types or Hexlings; the same name classification works for everyone else now wearing the face of a Core Skylander. Cores are the most renowned of us all, the names everyone knows. Not all of us are lucky enough to have made such names for ourselves. While our names might be more obscure make no mistake: we are still fierce fighters and protectors of the Core of Light.

Most know the story of our banishment but it focuses only on the most renowned of Grandmaster Eon's forces. Portal Masters can tell you there is not simply one little figure for each Skylander but a multitude of us. With our consciousness bound to these items we sometimes find ourselves looking at another frozen as we are in the banishment and the curse that came with it. Why did this happen; why were we stripped of our identity and turned into clones of famous Skylanders? No one knows yet. The Cores themselves are not sure how to react to finding so many others wearing their face. I do not think even Kaos intended it; it is obvious he feels hunted when all he sees is many faces of those he so despises. Somewhere out there lies the answer to our banishment.

Then there is the banishment itself. The resulting series of events following it was peculiar, we were sold as toys to children and some adults with possibly a sense of understanding we were something more. Some Portal Masters are better than others at bonding with us and allowing us freedom of range when we are summoned. Others see us as toys, plain and simple. Lifeless, emotionless and unaware lumps of plastic. We can travel with our Portal Masters or go on our own if they are willing. Sometimes the Portal Masters themselves communicate with one another and aid us in our quests. We depend heavily on Portal Masters to do everything for us now. We cannot even move our own two feet on Earth to travel without them. We are at their mercy as well when it comes to returning to Skylands. If not for their compassion and understanding our situation might be very different. Our network has grown stronger in one respect with the addition of so many new Portal Masters. In another it is strained. So many of us have yet to find our way back to Skylands.

Forgive me, I became distracted. As I was saying I am a Hexling. My true name is Seraphina Reve even though it is easy to mistake me for Hex. What does this mean? My banishment changed everything about me, it stripped me of my identity and uniqueness and I, like other Hex-types, found myself patterned after the Skylander whose name we now bare as a title – Hex. I am an undead sorceress and like everyone else in my class I wear the black winged cowl and black as night gown that Hex wears. I look like her in every physical way; I look like every other Hexling out there. I am aligned with the undead element; a far cry from who I was originally. Perhaps it is just as tragic for all Hex-types as it was for the true Hex. Perhaps the bitterest element of this whole limited freedom in Skylands comes from the fact many of us lost families. I have seen Skylanders separated from loved ones that were not banished and there are those like me; we and our loved ones were banished. This makes it harder to find them again and I cannot tell you how many times I have run into other Hexes like myself searching for their family with nothing more than a description of what type of Skylander their person of interest had become. I have run into many Skylanders that now wear the face of the most famous of our ranks that search endlessly for friends and family.

I am searching for my family as well. I have found my cousin, Teranika, now known as a Stealth Elf and her new husband, my oldest childhood friend, Rafer who has become a Flameslinger. My brother and sister are still missing; I do not even know who they have become. Then there is my would be husband… Kaelin Alistair, now known as a Fright Rider. We were banished on the eve of our wedding, an act to bond our two allied kingdoms together by blood. I have not stopped searching for him this past year. I found him once, a quick word in passing before the portal connection closed and I found myself frozen again in plastic. It hurts terribly to search, lose then search again for loved ones. But we cannot blame our Portal Masters for they have their own lives to live.

This is the sad existence of Skylanders. Thankful for our Portal Masters and the opportunity to once again see familiar sights but doomed to be taken from it time and time again. We are immortal and timeless now as the world seems to pass us by while we stand motionless on a shelf with a silent portal beckoning our return.

The rush of travel never seemed to make her feel less dizzy no matter how many times she did it. A strike like lightening deposited the Skylander on a grassy knoll in the middle of an open field. Seraphina crouched for the barest of moments before she righted herself. Her feet never officially touched the ground; she hovered everywhere she went via the gift of levitation her role as a Hexling granted her. She glanced again at her pale blue hands and gave a remorseful sigh. Her skin had been golden at one time as had her hair. Now when she did remove the cowl she wore her hair was white as snow.
But those were thoughts for another time. Seraphina was home again. The sun felt delicious and the breeze that blew was amazing against her skin. It was real and true, not the fever dream haze of other trips to Skylands. If those could be called visits at all.
There were two ways to get into Skylands, one via a means that gave them a restricted amount of movement that stuck them reliving past events endlessly and another that opened up all of Skylands to them in the here and now. Every Skylander prayed for the second means and Seraphina's elation over finding herself completely free to move as she pleased was evident by the grin she wore. The second means also allowed Portal Masters to send every Skylander they had found into Skylands at once. Seraphina was one of thirty that had materialized on their Portal Master's own personal island. She turned to watch others stretch their limbs and shake out stiffness.

"What, you off without a word, Swift?" a Chop Chop-type named Ox called after a departing unicorn and dragon hybrid, a Whirlwind-type. The skeletal arkeyan soldier snorted and waved the whole thing off when Swift leapt off the edge of the island and spread her feathery wings to take flight. Ox was forced to step to the side when the gigantic Crusher-type unceremoniously flopped down in the grass nearby. "Nearly pancaked me, stone man," he glared at the giant.
"I'll try harder next time," the creature of rock grinned. "As the self-appointed babysitter of all Master Sean's Skylanders you take your job seriously. Too seriously. You can't possibly be as cold as your gifted form makes you."
The Chop Chopling folded his arms in front of his chest; metal clicked and squealed when he did. "You try going from an organic being to a fusion of bone and metal in some necromancer's experiment."
The stone giant cocked a thick brow of rock, "You say this as if I too did not undergo a similar change."
"Sorry, Herc," the arkeyan sighed.
"Apology accepted, Ox," Herc nodded. He watched the other Skylanders that had become his surrogate family depart, some via their own means and others flagging down various balloon pilots to pick them up. "You're not racing off, surprise, surprise," Herc called to Seraphina when the Hexling glided up to him and Ox.
Seraphina closed her eyes and shook her head. "No, the time is not right for my cousin and friend to be set loose yet." She looked pointedly at the sun, positioned just above the horizon as it rose. "Their Portal Master will not be active until the sun has nearly set again."
The Crusherling cleared his throat and pushed himself up to tower over the shorter Skylanders before he retrieved the hammer he had set to the side. "My apologies but I do believe I can find my daughter if I'm lucky. Best of luck to you in your searches, Seraphina."
"Thank you, Herc," she offered the giant a weak smile. Herc was an aging hero, in a way he had lucked out by taking the visage of the giant Crusher. He had his youth and strength back, finding his daughter had been an odd reunion. She had found herself as a copy of Sprocket. In one way thinking of their new family portrait was amusing, in another way deeply mournful.

"Go," Ox said suddenly.
"Beg your pardon?" Seraphina turned to make sure the arkeyan was speaking to her.
"Yes, you. Go!" he threw his arms up in an effort to shoo her off. "Look, it's been nearly a month since you found your soon to be husband. Every day since then you've run out to find him. Why is today any different suddenly? You aren't losing hope are you?" If he was capable of making facial expressions the arkeyan's tone said he would have a raised brow and tight expression.
Seraphina gave Ox a sour look and formed a phantom orb in her hands. She tossed it back and forth like a ball before she crushed it in one hand. "Have you spoken to Blackjack recently?" Ox shrugged, yes he had spoken to the Spyro incarnation but obviously hadn't heard whatever Seraphina was about to lead into. "I know our banishment is still a fresh wound but he told me," Seraphina stopped and shook her head. "Never mind, it is not for me to say. Speak to him, know that he found his sister though and learned of another side effect our banishment has." The elven sorceress turned to glide off towards one of the larger balloons awaiting multiple passengers.

Ox watched her go; he had no desire to set out just yet. He was one of the lucky few, if he could be called that, who knew where their family was. Ox's family was already on the island waiting for him as they hadn't been banished from Skylands. They were good folk but not heroes nor terribly active in the battle against Kaos so they had been spared the banishment. Ox gave the departing balloons one last glance; the faces of the friends he had made through his Portal Master were mixed. Some hopeful, others determined and a few looked resigned. This was no life for them, Kaos had been beaten countless times and their banishment still remained unsolved.
"Ox!" a cheerful voice broke him out of his thoughts. The arkeyan turned back around to find Cheryl, his feline-like mabu wife, running towards him. She was beautiful and her face was lit up joyously at seeing him again. It pained Ox that he could no longer feel her embrace but he held his arms wide for her nonetheless. One day, Ox kept telling himself. One day the banishment would end and the Skylanders would be returned home, Portal Masters needed only to move Skylanders through the sprawling expanse of Skylands rather than across the universe. One day Ox would be his mabu self again and Chop Chop a one of a kind the way it should be.

"Do you ever get tired of ferrying us poor S.O.B.s around?" Nikki, a Flashwing-type, asked the balloon pilot.
"Hey, it pays well. What can I say? And the ladies I get to meet are something else, you know?" the mabu pilot grinned.
"I think we traveled with you a few times," a little round blue armored Wrecking Balling stated in his growling voice.
"His name is Flynn," Seraphina replied. She looked out into the blue and idly counted balloons coming from other islands. Transporting Skylanders around had become a very profitable business and every mabu, troll, molekin, elf and everything in between wanted to cash in on it. "And I thought you were fond of the Dread-Yacht."
"Uh, your name isn't Demona by any chance, is it?" Flynn asked slowly. He eyed the Hexling suspiciously and put a sturdy and squat Prism Break-type between himself and her.
"No," Seraphina replied without looking at him. With so many individuals wearing the same face it was hard to tell them all apart and she as well as others had become immune to being mistaken for someone else.
"Good, cuz she isn't exactly on my best behaved list if you know what I mean," the mabu pilot relaxed visibly then leaned in closer with a hand to his mouth for emphasis. "Bit of a psycho, ya know? Like BOOM – and in the literal, not so good way." Flynn stood back up and grinned as he folded his hands on his hips. "I have the Dread-Yacht alright, this here balloon is way better for carting sight-seeing Skylanders all over creation. My beautiful boat is a fearsome battle ship. Can't be using her to transport Skylanders back and forth from theme parks, ya know. Now, this route has a first stop of the Never-sleep Nexus. Am I right?"
"Right you are," Nikki nodded. She folded her amethyst wings tightly with the clicking of crystal. "The Nexus." She and a few others of Sean's Skylanders looked eagerly to the horizon, past other Portal Masters' personal islands and the edge of a floating continent that seemed to dominate the sky. That was one of the hubs of Skylands, there were four others linked via a mabu and arkeyan data network that let Skylanders post information for anyone searching for them. The database was largely incomplete, there were always unfortunate Skylanders who had not yet found their way into the present to start their own files or find those looking for them.

"Hey, Seraphina. Isn't that one of your father's ships?"
The elf in question looked up from where she had been staring off. Sure enough she saw her father's Capricorn banners flying from the masts of a great ship. "He and my mother must be here!" her mood brightened instantly and she watched Flynn's balloon close the distance between her and her parents eagerly. Her parents had avoided exile but all three of their children hadn't. Seraphina was the eldest and her marriage to Kaelin would turn her from princess to queen. Haven would have been the seat of power she shared with Kaelin. Now with them both banished ruling had fallen to Kaelin's mother once again. Seraphina had visited Queen Elanniah many times during her year as nothing more than a visitor to Skylands and its many kingdoms, the Queen had no word of Kaelin either. Seraphina's last visit came after she had found Kaelin briefly; his mother too had seen him for a short period. All Seraphina knew was Kaelin's Portal Master was a child; Seraphina's an adult with more understanding of things. Her parents could bring word of Kaelin as well, if they had been visited by him. She might find news of her siblings as well. So many hopes and dreams. It was all that kept any of them going anymore.

"You know, I never quite expected the opportunity to rub elbows with royalty. You think they'll give me an award or something for bringing their daughter to them?"
Pyrite, the Prism Breakling, snorted and shook a crystalline arm at him. "Ye didna find her, ya twit. She's been visitin' em for a while now."
"Yeah, you're not on my nice list either, Pebbles," Flynn muttered under his breath and turned back to piloting the balloon. He was the greatest pilot in all of Skylands when it came to any kind of aircraft, some people had no respect. Still he just might get a reward for safely bringing a princess back to her parents. He never knew the quiet Hex-faced elf was royalty. "So, Princess," Flynn's tone changed. "What does a girl like you do for fun anyway?"
"Search for my betrothed, Kaelin Alistair, heir to the throne of Haven," she replied with a smirk as she leaned on the edge of the basket.
"Oh, right," Flynn said slowly. "The missing beau. Gotcha," he clicked his tongue, winked and gave her a thumbs up. "Well if it ever goes south on ya." He pointed both thumbs back towards himself. Hey, if Cali was going to play hard to get it didn't hurt to have options. And Flynn had a lot.
"Shut it, fur ball," Nikki rolled her eyes. The Flashwingling paced along the length of the balloon's basket and looked up towards the long balloon that provided the needed lift. She always felt so nervous around it and it was no wonder with the sharp edges she and Pyrite sported.
"Next stop, Never-sleep Nexus!" Flynn called after a few moments of silence. "And if you haven't visited the Gull Galley district yet I suggest you do! I endorsed a whole line of aviator caps and goggles. Fashionable and functional, oh yeah," the mabu pilot announced.

Relief flooded through Seraphina upon seeing the mabu pilot pull back out into the open once he had unloaded the Skylanders Seraphina called friend and taken on new passengers looking to travel to other isles. It didn't stop him from calling to her and asking after her name, the princess simply ignored him. If he wanted her name badly enough he could look into the Reve line himself.
"Say hi to the King and Queen for me, would ya?" Nikki asked as she galloped alongside Seraphina for a while. "I'd do it myself but time's a-wasting. See you later," she chirped happily before charging off in the opposite direction.

Seraphina waved to Nikki and turned the motion into one to remove her cowl. The real Hex supposedly kept her hair short, not Seraphina. She had let her snowy locks grow long where they touched the seat of her gown easily. She ran her fingers through it to fluff it then pulled off the fabric, fingerless gauntlets she wore constantly. She couldn't change her features but she could change her clothing. Some clones had dyed their hair, gotten tattoos and done various other things to set them apart from their originals. Maybe Seraphina would dye her hair but what was the point, her skin and face couldn't be changed. After removing the gauntlets the Hexling's attention was drawn to a group of Fright Rider-types. Voices didn't match originals at least. Everyone had a distinct voice and it had taught many Skylanders how to tell one another apart when they met under different circumstances. She studied them closely; hoping one might be who she was looking for. She doubted it, the Frightlings milled about and while they took note of her none had any form of reaction. The skeletal ostriches were able to tell people apart by scent and Kaelin's Frightling, Stampede, would know her. The Princess's heart sank and she moved on past the jousters and their conversation of adventures they and their faithful mounts had been through.
She could chase shadows later; her parents were awaiting her arrival. Increasing her speed, the Hex-type glided over the grass and onto the paving stones effortlessly as she headed towards the docks and the royal vessel bearing her family's crest.

King Hayden Reve was a dark haired, blue eyed elf with a medium tan skin tone. His wife, Queen Delyth was blonde haired and honey eyed with paler cream skin. Like all elves from the region of Skylands they hailed from their skin had a decidedly metallic sheen to it most visible in sunlight. The two were enjoying breakfast in their cabin when a knock sounded and the Queen's lady in waiting stepped in with her hands clasped. "Milady, Milord. Princess Seraphina has arrived."
"Please, let her in," the King said as he stood quickly. He cleaned his hands on a fabric napkin then took Delyth by the hand to help her stand as well. The two barely had time to move away from the table before the cabin door opened and their daughter, wearing the visage of Hex like so many others, glided in.
"Mother, Father," Seraphina said as she glided into an embrace with her parents. It was funny how she couldn't wait to move to Haven with Kaelin and start her new life. Now she missed her parents terribly, it was hard to visit them with her banishment restrictions in the way.
"You are looking well, my dear," her mother smiled at her when she pulled back. She stroked Seraphina's cheek; she still saw her daughter and not a Hex clone.
"Have you heard from Anicetus or Eloryn?" she inquired of her younger siblings. Her father's minute shake of his head answered her question. "Kaelin?" Seraphina accepted her father's embrace. It was frustrating for all of them. Her siblings might not have been able to find their way back yet for any number of reasons. There were still Skylanders that had not yet been discovered first and foremost among them. "I miss them," the princess said sadly.
"As do we all," Hayden said softly. He kissed the top of his daughter's head. "Come, we have a change of clothing for you to make you feel more like yourself again. And please, join us for breakfast."
Seraphina smiled, "Thank you father."

As hard as it was to go their separate ways, Seraphina's parents had a kingdom to return to and understood her wishes to keep searching. As her father's flagship pulled away from the port she idly straightened the new soft lavender dress she had donned. So long as her Portal Master didn't close the connection between the worlds she would remain in it. When she was called back the dress would be left in place of the Hex outfit she had sent away with her parents and her return to Skylands would have her dressed as Hex once again. Knowing this she still changed into what her parents brought. It felt nice though to not blend so well with the other Hexlings. It also felt nice to be wearing her signet ring again; her left hand now bore her father's to further identify her. The rings too would find their way back to her parents when she left Skylands, she would have to retrieve them in order to wear them again. One day she would set up a locker on her Portal Master's island to store what she wanted to wear while in Skylands.

"Princess Seraphina or Eloryn?"
"Seraphina," she replied as she turned. As expected it was a fellow Skylander. He was a blue furred gremlin with large eyes and long pointed ears. He stood with a slight hunch that made him look almost simple-minded. His oversized feet and hands were clawed and covered in fingerless gloves, that and the backpack full of potions was all he wore. The Pop Fizz-type dipped into a bow before her and Seraphina nodded her head in recognition. "May I inquire your name?"
"Crevan Mikken, Milady. I am, or rather was, an elf in King Faolan's service." No, he was not dimwitted. His manner belied his underlying intellect and his visage was a good way to fool others into thinking he was a simpleton.
"Ah!" Seraphina smiled, "an ally! It is a pleasure to meet someone who knows of home. You are from Hawk Ridge or an outlying settlement?"
"Hawk Ridge," Crevan nodded. He spread his arms out and motioned to himself, "I was an elven alchemist. When all Skylanders were banished I found myself changed in ways I never imagined. Theory puts us into classes based on what our strengths were." Seraphina gave a sour look to herself; she became an undead because of her proximity to magic? What on earth would that make her siblings then? "Forgive me, Princess. I did not mean to distress you. I have an offer, I find myself active in Skylands for months at a time and would like to pledge my services to you to aid you in your quests. It is no secret you search for your siblings still. Allow me to be of assistance and make contacts when you are away." The princess watched him silently; he couldn't help but notice the way she seemed to bob up and down in her hover while thinking.

Finally Seraphina bowed her head, "I have no allies to help me search on a regular basis. My cousin and her husband are rare sights. I accept your offer, Crevan."
The blue Pop Fizzling bowed again, the potions in his pack clinked and jangled as he did. "I will meet you wherever you determine and at whatever time you set. Let us check the boards for now, after that I will follow your lead."
"We shall exchange pleasantries, I would like to better know the noble individual who has pledged his services to me."

Note from Seraph: I'll try to avoid the use of author's notes. I hate how they clutter up the file and mess up the word count. But I am willing to speak through PM should you have questions.
Time wise this story started after Giants and before Swap Force. I have no idea how far into the games it will go so it won't feature many characters outside of those from the first two games.
Another thing I want to stress is I see the characters designed slightly differently. In the games there is an enormous height difference between Eon and most of the characters. I picture that not being quite so large with the obvious exception of the giants. While the gremlins make for adorable characters in their game designs, in a real life setting they're really just heads with limbs. I imagine them with torsos, still short but they will possess chests, waists and so forth.