Blobbers was cleaning the Core very thoroughly.

"Hey Blobbers, why don't you take a break and have some lunch." Sonata advised.

"Okay." Blobbers responded.

"The Core of Light is nearly complete, but we aren’t done yet. The caves underground go deep. These train tracks should lead you to the lava lakes, where you’ll find the Eternal Fire Source." Hugo informed.

"Okay, Gill you're coming with us. We might need you water powers." Mikey said.

"Alright." Gill Grunt nodded.

"Hex, whaddya think?" Stealth Elf offered.

"I'm good to fight." Hex agreed.

"Nice! Then I’m coming along!" Stealth Elf declared.

"I'm coming, too." Sonic Boom added.

"Don’t count me out." Prism Break volunteered.

"Sling, you still strong?" Pinkie asked.

"Of course." Flameslinger nodded

"I go too." Voodood added.

"Ooh… That sounds dangerous." Diggs noted.

"It will be. Only creatures of the deep dwell there." Hugo agreed.

"We can take them." Sonata assured.

"Well, at least it will be warm. And hey, my leg is all better now! I’ll get the train started. Are you ready to go now?" Diggs asked.

"Just need a Tech Skylander to come with." Pinkie noticed.

"I shall accompany!" Drill Sergeant volunteered.

"Sure. We could use your drills." Pinkie smiled.

"Okay! ALL ABOARD the express train to certain doom! Choo! Choo!" Diggs declared as everyone climbed aboard and were taken to their destination.

Later, the train stopped as Diggs wore a train conductor hat. "Alright. I guess it’s up to us to get the Eternal Fire Source. The track splits here. One way leads to the old mines, but it’s caved it. You’ll have to find a lever to switch the tracks so we can choo choo down to the Lava Lakes. I’ll just keep shoveling coal while you look around for the lever."

"Okay, Stealth and Hex you two come with me and scout ahead. Everyone else stand guard at the train." Sonata said.

"Right." Stealth Elf and Hex nodded as the trio went ahead and were soon ambushed by enemies

"Let me handle this." Hex assured before Sonata saw barrels around them with fuses connected.

"GET CLEAR!" Sonata shouted before one of the barrels suddenly exploded in flames as Sonata used her water powers to shield herself and the duo.

"Thanks, good eye." Hex said in gratitude.

"But who laid one of those fuses?" Sonata wondered before a Fire Spell Punk came out from one of the barrels before lighting another fuse.

"I hate Spell Punks." Hex groaned.

"Another barrel’s gonna blow!" Sonata noticed as Hex threw up a bone barrier and the Kunoichis got ready to strike.

"Permission to take point, Mistress." Stealth Elf requested.

"Granted." Sonata confirmed as Stealth Elf flipped over before slashing the Fire Spell Punk, allowing Sonata to rush forward. "Mystic Slash!" Sonata shouted as she defeated the rest of the enemies in the area before Hex spotted something to the left.

"I think I see some pickaxes." Hex noticed as Sonata gave one to her.

"Let's get moving." Sonata said as the trio forged their way forward and found some controls for the rails. "Help me with this."

"Right." Stealth Elf nodded as the three pushed the lever before it switched, spinning the tracks 90 degrees, making a path for the train.

"Get the train moving! Prism, you're with me and Sling on protection." Mikey responded.

"Alright." Prism Break said as everyone else got in the train before it moved forward with the trio. The trio beat a pair of Magma Walkers along the way before everyone soon stopped at another spin track.

"Oh what a surprise. Need to find another lever. HA! Who built this thing anyway!? They know nothing of Mole Engineering." Diggs laughed with a grumble.

"Come on." Mikey urged as Prism and Sling ran up, but Flameslinger started lagging behind. The lack of rest time was starting to catch up. "Easy, pal. We got you."

"Incoming Lava King!" Prism Break informed as Flameslinger tried to fight, but his body was too worn out.

"Prism, cover us. I gotta get Flameslinger to the train." Mikey said.

"You got it!" Prism Break nodded with his gems glowing before he gave covering fire as Mikey carried Flameslinger to safety.

"I'm... Sorry." Flameslinger apologized.

"Don't be." Mikey responded as Prism Break used Crystal Eruption, defeating the Lava King.

"You okay, Sling?" Prism Break asked.

"…I’m not sure anymore." Flameslinger admitted.

"Everyone else had time to rest, you haven't." Mikey pointed out.

"I can still fight." Flameslinger responded while Prism Break fired his beams at boulders, breaking them and revealing a cannon on a bigger set of tracks before looking behind him, getting an idea.

"You got an idea, Prism?" Mikey asked.

"Yeah, *Gets behind the cannon* but get back." Prism replied while getting behind the cannon as Mikey and Flameslinger got at a safe distance. "Here we go!" Prism Break declared as he refracted a small beam, lighting the fuse and firing the cannon, wrecking a wall and opening a way in.

"Not bad." Flameslinger noted as Mikey and Prism Break moved forward, finding a lever and a Soul Gem.

"Found Eruptor's." Prism Break informed as Mikey pulled the lever and the tracks changed before a barrel behind him and Prism Break exploded.

"Guys!" Flameslinger shouted as he aimed up and fired his Super Volley Shot, raining even more burning arrows as they managed to hit the Fire Spell Punk hiding, defeating it. "Mikey, Prism!"

"We're okay! Thanks for the save, Sling." Mikey said in gratitude.

"No problem. Let's go." Flameslinger replied as the trio went back into the train before the girls soon caught up.

"My turn!" Pinkie smiled as Drill Sergeant and Sonic Boom followed her.

"Full Scream Ahead!" Sonic Boom declared with her battle cry.

"Licensed to Drill!" Drill Sergeant beeped with his battle cry as the trio traveled ahead of the moving train while taking out some Flame Imps and Magma Walkers along the way before stopping at a gate.

"Hmm. This gate leads to the Crystal Grottos, but it's locked! See if you can find a lever to open it." Diggs notoced.

"Lever detected. Follow me." Drill Sergeant informed as the trio moved forward, finding a bomb before he fired at a barrel from his Auto-Blaster on his head, revealing a Fire Spell Punk.

"Burning Bone Ball!" Pinkie shouted as Sonic Boom unleashed her sonic attack, with the two attacks defeated the Fire Spell Punk.

"Right this way." Drill Sergeant instructed.

"Isn't that where we took this path?" Pinkie asked.

"Affirmative, but bombs found here are required to break through Tzo Crystals." Drill Sergeant answered.

"Point taken." Pinkie responded before she suddenly dashed off deeper before returning with a treasure chest.

"Pinkie..." Sonic sighed.

"Sorry SB, waste not want not." Pinkie smiled before dashing off as Sonic Boom grabbed the bomb before the two caught up with the party girl, returning to the train before blowing up the Tzo Crystals with the bomb, seeing a lever guarded by a Lava King and Flame Imps. "Strongest attacks at once!" Pinkie ordered as Drill Sergeant's upgraded drill rockets started spinning faster, ready to launch as Sonic Boom breathed in deeply. "Fire!" Pinkie shouted as Drill Sergeant launched his drill rockets before they exploded on contact, followed by smaller rockets flying at them as Sonic Boom let out an extremely loud shriek from all around her with the sonic waves bouncing off enemies while damaging them. "Burning Bone Ball!" Pinkie added as her attack defeated the enemies. "Double it, everyone." Pinkie urged as Drill Sergeant switched the lever, causing the gate to open before Pinkie returned with another treasure. "Let's go deeper!"

"Make it fast." Sonic Boom replied as the trio boarded the train before it moved down the tracks. Later, it came to a stop, due to missing tracks.

"What happened here? The track's been sabotaged! Hmmm." Diggs pondered.

"I think I know how." Mikey noted as he looked out to the right and saw Glumshanks mining out train tracks with a pickaxe before he noticed the turtle and ran away in fear.

"It'll take us hours to go around on foot." Sonata groaned.

"This looks like a job for a Mole! Push those giant stone blocks to bridge the gaps, then I’ll build new tracks on top of them." Diggs informed as everyone got to work and soon the new tracks grounds were laid.

"Alright, let's get moving." Sonata urged.

"Well done, everyone! We make one heck of a team! I’ll repair the broken tracks and we’ll be off!" Diggs responded before doing that as Pinkie returned with another chest. "Okay, done! And it went quicker since you guys helped."

"Everyone, in the train!" Pinkie said.

"Let’s move!" Diggs agreed as everyone got back in the train befoer it moved down the tracks deeper and deeper. Along the way, Glumshanks was in its path as he ran away with the train chasing him before he jumped off the tracks.

"That'll be a nasty burn." Mikey winced as the train soon stopped at the end of the tracks.

"Now here we are… the Lava Lakes. Let’s split up. I’ll keep this train running while you go find the Eternal Fire Source!" Diggs said as everyone forged their way through enemies until they reached the Eternal Fire Source while Pinkie was wearing a Lil Devil hat, making her feel faster.

"Who woulda thought that fiery vortex had the Fire Source?" Pinkie wondered.

"Something isn't right here." Gill Grunt glared.

"Yeah, no doy." Sonata deadpanned before Kaos’ hologram fake head appeared.

"OOooooooh NOO! I don’t know HOW you did it before, but NOT this time! The Eternal Fire Source is mine, I tell you! MINE! Er, even in the mine…" Kaos declared.

"Just shut up." Mikey groaned.

"Well, let’s see how you like my fire spirit knight! Hahaha!" Kaos declared as a fire spirit in armor appeared, ready for battle.

"Ignitor!" Hex gasped.

"Leave him to me." Sonata said.

"I wouldn’t underestimate Ignitor if I were you." Flameslinger warned as Sonata charged at Ignitor and they clashed blades with each other. Gill knew what Sonata was doing and readied his Power Hose attack

"Now!" Sonata shouted as Gill Grunt fired water at her swords, temporarily amplifying her water element powers. "Tidal Slash!"

Ignitor shot out a flame mortar from the eyeholes of his helm as Sonata dodged it before attacking with a powered up Tidal Slash, only for it to slip through gaps in Ignitor’s suddenly empty body before it crumbled into a pile of armor. Then a boom was heard behind Sonata.

"HOT!!!" Pinkie yelped.

"Nice job." Gill Grunt smiled.

"Thanks for trusting me." Sonata said in gratitude.

"Gill! Don’t you remember that Ignitor can shoot his spirit out and move about like that as an attack?!" Flameslinger pointed out.

"Nope. Mikey, now!" Gill Grunt shouted as Mikey slammed his hammer down and trapped Ignitor's fire spirit in stone, before the sealed fire spirit vanished with his collapsed armor.

"How did you know that would work?" Hex asked.

"Kinda obvious since everyone knows rock doesn't burn with normal fire." Mikey shrugged.

"HEY! You extinguished my Fire Spirit Knight! Now THAT really burns me up!" Kaos growled.

"Bad fire puns expected." Drill Sergeant warned.

"So in return, NOW I’m gonna REALLY turn up the HEAT! Hahaha!" Kaos laughed before the Eternal Fire Source appeared as he used it, causing an inferno to surround the area with flaming stones raining down on the group. Mikey, Prism Break, and Hex threw up shields to protect everyone as Sonata and Gill were dodging the stones before it soon stopped. "Oooooooh! Stand still will you!!! Why won’t you let me torch you!!!"

"Not likely." Sonata simply said.

"FINE! All that means is that you now get to face my faithful Evil Phoenix Dragon! And believe me, it’s got a burning desire to make ashes out of you. Hahaha, I can do these all day, you know." Kaos mocked as a phoenix dragon hybrid appeared.

"Voodood, Prism with me." Mikey requested as the trio charged at the hybrid.

"Sorry, friend." Voodood apologized as they were about to attack before the hybrid suddenly vanished before appearing in another location, leaving flames behind that Mikey, Voodood and Prism accidentally fell onto, burning themselves.

"That barely hurt." Prism Break scoffed before he blasted his energy beams at Sunburn, only for the beam to clash with a stream of fire from the hybrid.

"You go high, I go low." Voodood said as Mikey nodded before the pair attacked Firebird hard and fast, making Sunburn roar in pain before he vanished without teleporting.

"Two down, one to go." Mikey counted while twirling his hammer, Lifestone.

"Worst part is it's the grossest one." Prism Break warned.

"WHAT?!!! Not my Evil Phoenix Dragon! What did he ever do to you!!" Kaos growled.

"Nothing we're not going to do to you." Mikey responded.

"Now I’m steamed! And when KAOS gets steamed, doomed fools like you get pressed!" Kaos declared as he casted another fire spell, making the inferno appeare again before red-orange orbs circled out from the center of the fire pit while leaving mini fire eruptions in their wake. Mikey and the others threw their shields up again, only for the orbs passed through with the fire eruptions harming them.

"Just run!" Pinkie shouted as everyone managed to dodge the fireballs well, dodging flower-patterned flames, counterclockwise flames, crossing flames, split flames and double-crossed flames before the inferno faded.

"OH COME ON!!!" Kaos exasperated.

"You're fighting a losing battle, Kaos!" Pinkie pointed out.

"VERY WELL, you leave me no choice! My EVIL ERUPTOR will… SHAKE YOU UP! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA-" Kaos began to laugh before he started coughing and hacking as a being of magma appeared before Pinkie, Drill Sergeant, and Hex walked forward.

"Let's make it three for three." Pinkie declared as Eruptor started running towards the group while throwing lava blobs before she used her Skeletal Grasp to shield them.

"Sorry, Eruptor." Hex apologized while shooting skulls as they hit Eruptor, but he pushed through and when he got close, he erupted, spreading lava all around him.

"Gross!" Pinkie gagged before she jumped as Hex and Drill Sergeant backed away, dodging the attack.

"You get used to his lava barfs." Hex said.

"Hex, attack left! Drill, attack right! I'll go down the middle." Pinkie ordered as Hex started chanting, summoning Troll Skulls as Drill Sergeant revved up his Power Charge with Pinkie powering up her Burning Bone Ball. "...Now!" Pinkie roared as Hex threw the skulls up, making them rain on Erupter while Drill Sergeant charged and drilled through as Pinkie's bone ball coming in hot before all three attacks hit Eruptor, with the combined hit managed to defeat him as he vanished.

"I don’t understand it! My Evil Eruptor’s suffering from aftershocks!" Kaos punned.

"Enough with the puns!" The trio groaned.

"NO MATTER! There’s NO WAY you can stand up to my fire spells AND ALL THREE of my minions AT ONCE! HAHAHA!" Kaos laughed before Ignitor, with both fire spirit and cursed armor back together again, Sunburn and Erupter reappeared, fully healed as the inferno surrounding returned.

"Hit them hard!" Mikey declared before Flameslinger got up with bow in hand and quiver on back.

"No, I’ll handle them." Flameslinger said.

"You sure?" Mikey asked.

"I have to at least do something." Flameslinger responded as everyone backed up before he let our his Battle Cry. "Let the Flames Begin!"

The three Fire Skylanders charged at Flameslinger before he suddenly dashed, dodging them while leaving behind a trail of fire, damaging them before he fired three explosive hellfire arrows, hitting all three of them before Sunburn suddenly teleported behind him. Flameslinger flipped around and fired three more arrows, hitting Sunburn and knocking him out. Erupted ran forward, throwing lava blobs as burning rocks fell from above before Flameslinger dashed towards him. When he was close enough, Eruptor was about to erupt when the elf suddenly ran around him while leaving a trail of fire as Eruptor erupted, but none of the lava hit hit as Flameslinger finished circling around him, creating a Column of Fire, hitting Eruptor dead on as he fell unconscious. Ignitor slashed at Flameslinger, who dodged by dashing before the knight sent out his Flame Form Mortar as the elf dodged it and started running from the Fire spirit within while leaving behind more trails of fire and dodging flame orbs and erupting flames caused by them. Flameslinger soon performed his Super Volley Shot, making hellfire arrows rain down as they hit the fire spirit and the armor. Ignitor yelled out in pain before the fire spirit was whooshed back into the suit of armor, sending him flying onto his back out cold.

"Glad he's on our side." Sonata noted.

"No… NO! NOOOOOO!!! Okay, you may have claimed the Eternal Fire Source, but there is still one more piece left. And let me assure you, I Kaos am not giving up Skylands that easily." Kaos growled before vanishing as the Eternal Fire Source lowered down with the other half of Pinkie’s Soul Gem when Flameslinger collapsed from utter exhaustion.

"You’re way overdue for a long break, Flameslinger. Thanks." Pinkie said in gratitude before picking up Flameslinger as she grabbed the other half while carrying the elf on her back. "Can anyone else carry the other three?" Pinkie asked as Hex preformed a spell to lift Eruptor, Voodood carried Ignitor, and Stealth Elf and Sonata picked up Sunburn before Mikey approached the Eternal Fire Source as Stealth Elf blushed madly at how amazing Flameslinger looked back there.

Everyone was soon transported back to the Core as the two halves of Pinkie’s soul gem flew out and merged back into one before being absorbed into her.

"Well, I’ll check it out later." Pinkie said as the Eternal Fire Source then started floating into the air as Master Eon appeared while Flameslinger was gently set against a pillar with Terrafin standing guard.

"Fire, a force of destruction, yet also possessing the power to burn away all things evil." Master Eon informed as the Eternal Fire Source flew into the Core of Light before Flames started flowing upward underground without burning anything as the Crucible of the Ages started emitting fire from its holes.)

"Just one left." Mikey counted.

"I think all of us deserve a break right now." Pinkie advised.

“Agreed.” Sonata nodded as everyone started taking it easy.

Author's Note

Next Time on Equestria Ninja Girls...

Dragon's Peak