A rogue lightning bolt split through the sky, slicing through the storm cloud Jack Thunder stood on. He plummeted through the sky, hitting many clouds on the way down as the Emerald Woodland rapidly rose to meet him.

CRUNCH! He crashed through the canopy of the forest and landed in the underbrush below. Lucky, as he had fallen headfirst, and if he'd landed on the ground, he might have not been able to get back up.

Not that he wasn't hurt now. "ACK! I had to hit every cloud on the way down, didn't I?!" the storm gremlin griped as he rubbed his head. "Where the heck even am I?"

He looked around. The trees blocked out most of the wind and sleet, but even they struggled and broke under the brunt of the storm. That's when he noticed a pair of violet eyes peering at him from the shadows.

He grabbed the staff beside him in the bushes and brandished it in their direction. "S-Stay back! I don't want any trouble!" he barked, hoping the quiver in his voice didn't give him away.

The eyes merely stared back at him. Jack Thunder's trembling intensified. He internally cursed himself for letting his fear show in front of a potential enemy. This was not how heroes were supposed to behave. Suddenly, a teal and gold forest dragon stepped from the shadows. It was the biggest he'd ever seen!

"A storm gremlin? What are you doing in these woods? And in this weather?"

"AH!!!" Jack Thunder was not expecting the dragon to talk. "Hff... Oh, goodness, you scared me!" Small tears gathered in his eyes. "I've made a huge mistake! I-I was trying to summon a rainstorm here, but it all went haywire, and now there's a massive tornado headed right for us! If I don't find some way to stop it, it'll tear right through this forest!" he gasped for breath as he finished.

The dragon turned her gaze up to the sky. "Oh gosh... What are you going to do?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out!" The storm gremlin wracked his brain for answers, trying not to freak out. "Wait... I remember something!"

He thought back to a few years ago. He had been trying to clear the clouds out of the field behind their house. Rather than just throw them into the sky like he had been used to doing, he decided to create a miniature whirlwind to clear them out a lot faster. Unfortunately, he hadn't thought about the possibility of it running out of control and chasing him across the yard. Frosti ended up banishing it, but what was the incantation she used?

"Ugh! I wish I could remember!" he lamented. But he wasn't one to give up without a fight. He gazed up at the sky with a determined expression. "Still, I've got to try!"

Jack Thunder turned to the dragon. "I think I know what to do. Can you fly in this weather?"

The dragon looked uncertain. "I... I can try. I've flown in storms before..."

"Good. I'll need to get up high for what I'll need to do." He hated asking this of her, but he knew that if he were to materialize a cloud to try to get up to the tornado, he would get sucked in. At least this way, they both stood a better chance of making it out unharmed.

As he rode into the sky on her back, he hoped fervently that he could do this before they got sucked in. No. He was certain. He had to. He couldn't afford to doubt himself now; giving into his misgivings would only ensure both of their deaths. As they flew closer to the tornado, he could see the Wind spirits glaring at him and the dragon. They hissed as they began to launch lightning bolts and heat beams towards them.

They ducked and dove, evading every obstacle the Wind spirits threw at them. Flying upwards over the lightning-filled storm clouds, banking left to dodge an errant heat beam, diving straight downward, they were surrounded by the enemy's sniper fire from all sides.

Eventually, though, they got close enough for Jack Thunder to cast his spell. "All right! I think I'm close enough! Just hold steady!" he yelled over the howling winds. "Spirits of the North and South! I release you from your task! Cease this storm and come back no more!"

And with that, a bolt of pure green lightning shot from the staff. It made its way upwards, splitting the clouds and tearing an ever-expanding hole into them as the spell took hold. A bright piercing light emanated from the staff, blinding the two Wind spirits.

Jack Thunder had never strained his magic like this before. Every fiber in his being was screaming for him to stop. Through the chaos, however, he could see the tornado beginning to dissipate. This gave him the strength to keep channeling, even as he felt like his body would give out at any moment.

And with a final burst of energy, the lightning blasted away all of the clouds, ripping the tornado apart completely. The Wind spirits fled as the sun came back out, shining down on the Emerald Woodland like it was a brand new day.