Drip, drip, drip… The soft melody of dripping, leaking water echoed through the dark and chilly halls of a ship's prisons. The wooden boards creaked with every flight the ship took; they reeked of drenched wood and swamp water. Everything around was so, so, dark, and only lit by the faint beams of moonlight that drifted in from the holes in the ship itself. Footsteps patted here and there, yet not a single soul could be seen underneath the cover of shadows. Several, however, could definitely be heard, for the sound of groaning stirred from a single cell with rusted bars, and faint beams of moonlight trickled in to unveil its unlucky residents.

"Ugh, what happened?" Spyro groaned as he sat up and rubbed his waking eyes, oblivious to the scratches that covered his body. "How'd we end up in here?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, lil' buddy," Gill Grunt mumbled as he popped water out of his earholes. "My head's a blur!"

"And my core processor's completely jammed!" Bouncer moaned as he tried to sit up, winced and ducked underneath as the ceiling started to cave from his height. "I can't remember anything" — Bouncer paused as his eyes glowed brighter and softer in time — "well, save for something about a ship…"

Ninjini pursed her lips as she finally opened her eyes. She turned her attention to Bouncer as she leaned herself against his arm, trying to push herself up, but the sight of a sparkling amulet on Bouncer's chest stopped her in her tracks.

"Wait, what's with this amulet?" Ninjini asked as she gingerly lifted up the amulet with her fingertips and turned it around. "I know for a fact that you weren't wearing this before." Ninjini's brow raised as her eyes fell to her own chest, where a similar amulet rested on her top and sparkled with just as intense a light. "And neither was I!" Ninjini turned back to the others, who all had similar amulets pinned to them. "Or any of you!"

A few eyes raised as everyone turned down to the amulets, but a soft cough from aside turned their attention towards the bars!

"Don't get yourselves in a fuss, they're just protective amulets," remarked an aged, worn voice from someone adjacent to them. It came from someone hidden in the shadows of the dark prison corridors so that only their glinting white eyes were seen. "Can't have the prisoners getting drained of all their life force before the cap'n gets to them!"

"Wait, cap'n? Like a pirate captain?"

"No, no, Ma, I don't wanna go to school," Flynn sputtered as he stumbled off of Crusher's lap and shook himself awake, gasped and leaped back as he found himself in the cell. "Wait a second, this isn't my mom's place, and it isn't the Dread-Yacht, either!"

All eyes glittered. The silent realization struck everyone as they lowered their heads, and they glazed around in some attempt of making out whatever they could of their surroundings.

"That's right! We got ambushed by those pirates!" Stealth Elf remarked as she and Cali slid down Ninjini's arm and craned their heads around. "By the looks of it, they won."

"Forget about the pirates!" Cali cried as she crossed her arms. "We need to find the Dread-Yacht and get out of here!" Cali winced and peered out towards the endless night sky from a small hole in the woods. "Wherever here is, anyways."

"Just leave it to me!" Trigger Happy cried as he balled forward and whipped out his pistols. With his finger hot on the triggers, Trigger Happy released and fired out golden coins, their paths set towards the bars. "I'll bust us out and we can get the Dread-Yacht in a" — Trigger Happy grunted as the coins bounced off the bars and slammed him right in the face — "jiffy!"

Bouncer knelt down and grunted as Trigger Happy rolled backwards and right into Hot Head's leg. "Regular old weapons might not get us out, but I know what can!" Bouncer cried as his wheel spun and screeched. "ALL SYSTEMS GO!"

Bouncer grunted as he slammed right into the mechanical bars that blocked them off, but rather than breaking free, the bars sent a massive electrical shock right through his systems! Sparks flew off his robotic body as he spun backwards, teeth chattering and mouth sputtering and all. As the sparks finally ceased, a burnt and tired Bouncer groaned as he landed in Ninjini's arms. Ninjini frowned and leaned him against the wall. She ran glowing hands over his injuries and whisked them away, but the sight of those white eyes glaring her down brought her to a stop.

"There's no hope, you know," remarked that aged, worn voice once more as the eyes closed and shook. "There's no way you're getting out of here!"

"How can you be so sure about that?" Ninjini asked. Her own blank, white eyes narrowed while a small pout crossed her face.

Spyro frowned, snapped his claws and crafted a ball of light. With a simple bounce on his end, the ball of light slipped between the cell's bars and illuminated the creaky, run-down wooden halls. With the light unveiled, it revealed that across from them was another prisoner!

The prisoner was a thin, feline creature, probably a mabu from looks but it was hard to tell. They were run so ragged that their tan fur clung to their body, and patches of their moon white hair fell and scattered across the floor. Their clothes were stained and torn to where they looked more like bags or blankets with the way they draped over the prisoner's skinny frame. Their blue eyes were dull and worn, and made a perfect companion to the dull, despondent frown on their face.

"There's no going back for you once you've reached the ghost pirates' hideaway." The prisoner sighed and scratched their head as even more of their silver hair fell out. "Your ships get stowed away in the ship graveyard, and as for you yourselves…"

The prisoner shuddered and clutched their thin, shaky body. Spyro just pursed his jaw and clasped his paws.

"What happens to the prisoners?" was all Spyro asked as he furrowed his brows.

"If the cap'n likes you enough, she'll make you part of her crew, whether you like it or not," the prisoner explained. "And if she doesn't, well" — the prisoner gulped and broke into a shuddering fit as their dull eyes shrank — "I can't even bear the thought!"

"We're not joining any pirate crew!" Trigger Happy insisted as he bounced up and down. He paused for a moment, and chuckled as he rubbed his chin. "Even though I would look good in the hat" — Trigger Happy shook his body and crossed his arms, a firm pout on his face — "but that's not the point! We're busting out of this place and getting our ship back!"

"That's what the last person who had that call said before, too." The prisoner shuddered and buried themself in their coat. "And the guy before him, and the one before him, and the one before that one too!" The prisoner scoffed and turned around. "What do you think you have that they don't?"

"Well for one, we're Skylanders! We're not your ordinary dudes!"

The prisoner turned back to Trigger Happy and blinked, and burst into guffaws so loud that they rolled on their wet, chilly stone floor! Their laughter devolved into a coughing fit as they pushed themself up, and a smirk crossed their face. "Skylanders, you? Don't make me laugh!" the prisoner cried. "What would Skylanders be doing in a place like this?"

"Well, you see," Spyro winced, "we kind of got a little" — Spyro shot a glare back to Flynn, and so did everyone else who shared a cell with Flynn at the moment — "off course."

"But, more importantly, we've gotta get our ship back!" Gill Grunt remarked as he walked up between Trigger Happy and Spyro. "We're gonna bust out of here no matter what!"

"Well, good luck with that is all I have to say!" The prisoner scoffed as they crossed their arms. "This pirate crew here is one of the meanest, the toughest in the Outlands, and anyone who opposes them gets sent to" — the prisoner shuddered again — "the rapids." The prisoner gulped and turned away from Spyro and Gill Grunt's prying eyes. "The rapids, they're some of the awfullest places there! The currents are high, there's guards at every angle, and their torture chambers… I can't even bear the thought! Some say you can even hear the prisoners' screams in the distance."

The prisoner sighed and turned around. "I wonder if that mermaid girl who they tossed down there is alright. Rita, I think her name was?"

Spyro and Trigger Happy both craned their heads, but Gill Grunt gasped and dropped his jaw.

"Wait, correct me if I'm wrong," Gill Grunt asked as he lowered his hands, "but did you just say that there was a mermaid named Rita here before, and she got taken to those rapids?"

The prisoner turned around and slowly, hesitantly nodded, but gasped and scrambled backwards as Gill Grunt latched onto the cell's bars!

"Just where are these rapids?" Gill Grunt demanded! He snarled as he squeezed the bars harder, but another electric jolt surged through him! He reeled back, gasping for air as he crashed back on the floor!

Spyro gasped and immediately went to Gill Grunt's side, but Gill Grunt just pushed himself up. His teeth gritted while the static crackled and popped from his wet scales, and he could barely keep his eyes open, but he still forced himself to stand and glare down the prisoner.

"What's got you in such a fuss, son?" the prisoner asked. "This Rita girl—"

"She's my girlfriend!" Gill Grunt spat, his voice hoarse from pain but still with fighting spirit. "If, if she's here, I, I, I have to find her!"

Another jolt of lightning surged through Gill Grunt's body, and he cried out once more as he collapsed to the floor! The lightning's surge dimmed enough that Spyro and Trigger Happy could prop him up enough for Spyro to heal him. Spyro cast a healing paw and dismissed the static from Gill Grunt's body, but Gill Grunt just snarled and wrangled in Spyro's grasp. He itched to escape as he struggled away, so unlike the cool and collected gillman he usually was. No, a fire lit in his eyes, and he was rared to go!

In spite of his eagerness, the prisoner didn't seem encouraged. Instead, they seemed more somber as they dove deeper into their baggy clothes and turned away.

"The rapids' gates are on the upper decks," the prisoner warned as they popped their collar, "but be warned, it's heavily guarded, and from what I hear, locked off by an Elemental Gate as well."

Gill Grunt's eyes fluttered, and his temper ceded as he clasped his hands. The prisoner shied away from Gill Grunt's view, but Gill Grunt just nodded.

"Thank you."

"And what about this ship graveyard?" Flynn asked as he pushed past Gill Grunt and Spyro. "We kind of need to get our ship back, too!"

"That's just ahead of the docks," the prisoner explained. "If you can get past the guards, then go—"

"ALRIGHT, TIME'S UP!"

A deep, booming voice rattled the floorboards and shattered the few windows around. Ahead of the halls, white light poured in as someone slammed the door open! In from the open doors came several ghastly pirates clad in tattered coats and hole-filled hats. They were all headed by one pirate dressed in some amalgamate of a mage's getup and pirate clothing, a look only accented by his long, bushy beard and a twinkle of silver that shone from his neck.

The prisoner let out a sharp gasp, curled up in their tattered clothes, and shuddered as the pirates strolled from cell to cell, block to block, with their blank, glowing eyes alert and ready.

"Please don't be me, please don't be me," the prisoner whimpered as the pirates strolled closer to the cells.

Beside them, everyone tensed as their eyes fell on the oncoming pirates. Ninjini dove into her bottle in a flash of purple smog! Bouncer gasped and clasped the bottle just before it could hit the ground, lifted it up and frowned.

"Timah, what's wrong?" Bouncer whispered as he held the bottle close.

"I've got a plan," Ninjini whispered while her bottle shook in tandem, "just trust me!"

The pirates came to a stop at the space between the Skylanders' prison and the prisoner's own. Their eyes glowed a bit brighter as they fixed on the shuddering prisoner. The prisoner gasped as they peered up for a sole second and dove back into their clothing, but they completely froze as their cells doors opened!

"Haul 'em in, boys!" the pirate heading the team cried. "The cap'n needs some new blood!"

The prisoner gasped again, and their already-quite-pale face turned sheet white as the pirates strolled out like zombies and grabbed onto them! The prisoner screamed and squirmed as the pirates latched onto them and pulled them out, but they were unable to escape despite their protests. The pirates' grip held tight in spite of the blank looks they held as they presented the prisoner to their head!

"No, no, no!" the prisoner screamed at the top of their hoarse, terrified voice. "No, please, let me go! I'll do anything, just let me go! I don't want to go like this!"

The pirate head frowned, yanked out his cutlass and twirled it around. "Well, there is one thing ye can do," he said as he leaned forward and grinned.

The terrified prisoner rapidly nodded, the sweat trailing fast down their gawking face.

"DIE!" The pirate grinned as he cast his cutlass to the ceiling. "Take 'em away!"

"NO, NO, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

The prisoner's screams echoed down the halls as the pirates dragged them further and further down the halls, and the head pirate himself turned over to the Skylanders' cells! Flynn gasped and trembled, yet forced a smile as eyes fell on him, but everyone else just snarled as they glared down the pirate head. The pirate head hardly seemed concerned, for he just smirked.

"My, my, ye all seem quite lively! I'm sure me cap'n will be pleased with…" The pirate trailed off as his eyes fell on Ninjini's bottle, and they immediately sparkled. "That bottle!" The pirate gasped, shook his head and hastily slammed the cell open. "The cap'n will wanna see it immediately!"

The pirate bolted forward and latched onto the bottle, but as he pulled on it, Bouncer just snarled and pulled it back. The two of them shot nasty glares at each other while Ninjini's bottle became the rope in their game of tug-o-war, and neither party was willing to forfeit!

"I'm not giving this up!" Bouncer cried.

"Then I'll just make ye!" the pirate cried as he drew his cutlass and stabbed it right into Bouncer's side!

His eyes sparkled, and all of a sudden, Bouncer's circuits completely fried! Lightning glowed from his shiny, metallic body while sparks popped off and showered around, and his grip slipped as the pirate yanked away Ninjini's bottle. Bouncer groaned and fell to the floor, his body singed and popping off lightning still, but the pirate just grinned and swung around.

"The cap'n will be very pleased to see this!" the pirate chuckled as they ran down the halls.

The cell's bars shot back up immediately, and the pirate's cackles were the next sound to echo through the halls as the pirate disappeared. The darkness seeped in once more as the door slammed shut. Within the cell itself, Bouncer only groaned as Crusher and Hot Head helped him up. Bouncer winced and slid down while the others dodged the sparks that rained down from his chattering teeth…

And the sound of crashing came from across the way! Though it seemed far-away, it was hardly muffled. It joined with a cacophony of screaming, smashing, whooshing, and summoning weapons—just what could it have been? All eyes turned to the bars as the sound finally dulled, and the door slammed open as purple smoke flew into the halls!

Ninjini chuckled as she flew over, held up a keyring to the others and jangled it around!

"That's my lady!" Bouncer chuckled as he made a fingergun towards Ninjini and winked.

Ninjini chuckled and finger-gunned right back, then with a simple click, the cell bars opened and everyone bolted back out! The purple smoke Ninjini left behind acted as their cover, so they huddled together and grunted.

"Alright, here's the plan," Ninjini whispered as she cast a glance towards the open door. "Flynn, Cali, Hot Head, Crusher, Bouncer and I will head to that ship graveyard and try to find our ship." Ninjini turned her glance back to Spyro and Gill Grunt. "The rest of you, go to those rapids and see if you can find this Rita person. We'll meet up once the Dread-Yacht is retrieved."

Ninjini broke out from the huddle, and with a snap of her fingers, everyone around her glowed with a bright purple lights! Their wounds sealed up as if they never existed, and their scuffed clothes patched themselves up all shiny and new. Grins came from all around and they stretched and flexed, and Ninjini herself couldn't help but smile as well.

"Good luck, everyone!" Ninjini cried as she dashed off with the rest of her team hot on her heels!

Spyro and Gill Grunt turned to each other and nodded. Spyro, Gill Grunt, Stealth Elf, and Trigger Happy dashed right after Ninjini's team, the creaky, damp and cold atmosphere of the prison no longer a damper on their mood.

"Don't worry, Rita," Gill Grunt whispered as his team dashed out the door under the smoke's cover, "I'm coming!"

§

Ninjini winced and ducked underneath the shield of a particularly large building on the ship as she, Hot Head, Crusher, Bouncer, Flynn, and Cali crept across the upper deck. The smoke was a decent enough cover, enough that it kept the pirates from noticing their grand escape, but now, they ran into a bigger problem, pun not intended.

"We're too big!" Hot Head cried as he flailed his arms in the air. A snarling Crusher shushed him, and he frowned as he lowered his hands. "I mean" — Hot Head cleared his throat and lowered his voice to a whisper — "we're too big!"

"Hate to say it, Hot Head, but I think you're right," Crusher whispered back as he ducked behind a post that he was a few sizes too large for.

Crusher winced as the sound of pirates screeching like monkeys sounded behind him. He collapsed into a pile of rubble, and rolled behind a collection of barrels beside a particularly large building on the ship itself! Pebbles popped from his forehead as the pirates' shrieks continued, but then the shrieks devolved to mumbles and they walked off, much to Crusher's relief! He breathed a sigh as the patter of footsteps sounded in the distance, reformed and crouched down behind the building's shade.

"We stick out like sore thumbs here, man!" Bouncer scoffed as he wheeled over and sat beside Crusher. "If we're gonna find our ship and get outta here, we're gonna have to find a better way to do this!" Bouncer clenched his teeth as he shot a glance towards the open decks. "Because it seems like this ship wasn't made with beings our sizes in mind!"

Bouncer craned his head back, and a shrill screech turned it back around! He gasped as a ghastly monkey in pirate getup screeched and pointed towards him, but its eyes started to glow and it completely froze! Bouncer gasped, and bright red lasers burst out from his eyes as he zapped the pirate! It screeched and howled as the lasers surged through its body, but soon the very tired pirate collapsed on the ground as smoke flew from its body.

Bouncer just sighed and wiped oil from his face. "Close one."

"You all make a good point," Cali remarked as she leaned against one of the barrels and tugged on her gloves. "With your size, it won't be long before we're spotted. We'll have to find another way of doing this, but what?"

The six of them all frowned and hummed as they knelt down, but finally, Flynn grinned and lifted a hand.

"Actually, I've got an idea!" Flynn remarked. He fixed his cap with a grin and puffed his chest out—which would have probably looked cooler if he wasn't in pajamas still. Flynn grinned, wandered over to Cali, and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Cali and I will scout ahead and find the Dread-Yacht while the rest of you keep these pirates occupied! Then, we'll bring the Dread-Yacht back in and lay the BOOM on them!"

Cali blinked, frowned and tapped her chin. "Actually, that doesn't sound that bad an idea!"

"I agree!" Ninjini said with a nod before she turned to Bouncer, Crusher and Hot Head. As they all nodded in agreement with her, she turned back to Flynn and Cali. "Just wait for our signal, alright?"

Flynn grinned and saluted Ninjini. "Righty-o, genie lady! We'll just wait right here!"

Ninjini nodded. Bouncer, Crusher and Hot Head followed her around the corner with an urge of her hand, and they all turned invisible with a snap of her fingers! Their bodies eschewed from view, they poked around the corner and frowned as their eyes fell on the crew. The crew just shuffled and groaned as they trudged upon in the deck in a harmonious monotony, almost like zombies. They mindlessly mopped the same clean spot on the deck over and over, opened and closed the same barrel, stared at the skies…

"Keep working, you buffoons!" cried a deep, booming voice as an elven pirate with glowing eyes stormed over and waved a cutlass in the air. "This place needs to be ship-shape before you go on your next raid!"

The other pirates all screamed and jumped in the air, frantic grunts heard all around, and they scrambled off to clean!

The elf pirate just scoffed and turned away while the other pirates mopped and dusted and organized. "It's so hard to find good help nowadays," the elf pirate grunted, but the light in its eyes faded and it fell slack! It grunted as it shuffled away.

Ninjini frowned behind the elf pirate. "Not the brightest stars in the sky, are they?" Ninjini remarked as she clutched the side of the building. "Luckily, I've got just the thing to deal with them!"

"Throwing a rock?" Crusher asked.

"Making a weird noise?" Bouncer suggested.

"Blowing the entire ship up?" Hot Head guessed.

Crusher and Bouncer both shot surprised glances down at Hot Head, and Hot Head in turn only shrugged.

"Hey, it was worth a guess!"

"You're close, but not quite," Ninjini chuckled as she turned back to the other three. "Do any of you want to take a crack at doing illusions, by perchance?"

"Illusions, like illusion magic?" Bouncer asked before he shook his head. "There's no way I could pull something like that off! I can't even do a card trick!"

"Me neither," Crusher remarked as he swung his hammer over his shoulder, "fancy magic just isn't my thing."

"I only know how to set things on fire," Hot Head remarked with a shrug.

Ninjini tsked and wagged her finger. A sparkle shone in her eyes as she lowered her hands, and she chuckled as she placed them behind her back.

"Ah, don't be silly! You don't need magic to trick the eyes!" Ninjini remarked as she flew off. "In fact, I'll show you! Hot Head, come follow me!"

Hot Head shrugged as he turned back to Bouncer and Crusher. The two of them shrugged back in return, but nonetheless, Hot Head trailed after Ninjini as she hid behind a pyramid stack of barrels. The two of them knelt down and peered to the side, where a couple of ghost pirates sat down and spoke among each other in grunts, squeaks, and other odd noises. With the invisibility spell, Hot Head and Ninjini were completely unnoticed to the pirates! They had the perfect chance!

"Hot Head, can you send some smoke out?" Ninjini asked.

Hot Head frowned and jiggled his hands. "I'll try."

With one last jiggle and a few pounds, thick gray smoke burst out in puffs from the hearts of Hot Head's palms. It intermingled with the mist that surrounded the area, but, its harsh and fiery scent wasn't quick to relent. The scent trailed through the deck while the smoky mist coated the area in a fine cloudy smog, one where barely anything could be made out from down below!

The pirates that littered the deck all screamed and ran in circles as the smoke took over. The pirates that once talked among each other? They took one whiff of the smoke, grunted, and screamed as they bolted off! Though their grunts were most unintelligible, vague cries of "Fire" and "Help" could be made out between the screams and shouts!

Ninjini chuckled, yanked her bottle off her back and shook it up like it was full of soda! She popped the cap off, and a trio of sparkling pink bottle rockets soared across the skies like comets in the night. Ninjini corked her bottle back up as they disappeared, and her eyes narrowed as she cast them across the fog. The vague figures of Flynn and Cali could be made out between thick, rumbling clouds of smoke as they dashed across the deck!

"So far, so good!" Ninjini cried as she slung her bottle back onto her back and turned behind. "Crusher, stomp your feet as hard as you can, and hit everything around with your hammer!"

"Like this?" Crusher asked. He pounded his feet, sent rumbles and quakes through the floorboards, and slammed his hammer into a metal building as he dented it in!

The pirates all screamed as the thunderous noise of giant footsteps and creaking metal rang across the battlefield, but they could barely make out a thing with the whole deck covered in smoke. All they did was scream as more footsteps sounded, barrels smashed into nothingness, and structures dented and caved right before their eyes with no pressure at all! They screamed in tandem as the barrel pyramid toppled over and smashed right before their eyes. Its groggy liquid fell over the floor in a massive puddle as the pirates scream, but then, they all completely froze while their eyes glowed!

"WHAT IN THE ANCIENTS' NAME IS GOING ON HERE?" cried that booming voice from before!

The pirates drew their weapons and snarled, and an aura of intimidation they lacked prior started to flare. Ninjini just chuckled, teleported behind the pirates and wiggled her fingers. Down below, the swords, knives, and blunderbusses they held all flew out of their hands. and right over the deck. The pirates screeched as one as their weapons fell out of reach, and thanks to a nice little POP from Ninjini's bottle, all the pirates screamed and whatever kept hold of them broke! Now mindless zombies once more, the pirates screamed and fled off in a panic; their forms gathered together so tightly that they'd have practically merged together if they came any closer!

The smoke flew off and cleared behind them as they ran. What it left behind was none other than Bouncer, Ninjini, Hot Head and Crusher, who were completely visible and smug! Well, most of them were. Bouncer just frowned and narrowed his eyes as the last of the pirates stumbled over their own feet and sat back up.

"Something wrong, dear?" Ninjini remarked as she turned to Bouncer.

"Yeah, actually," Bouncer whispered as he pointed towards the pirates right as they finally got back on their feet and ran off. "Those pirates, they're all wearing bottles just like yours!"

Ninjini raised a brow, and turned a more attentive gaze towards the pirates as well. Bouncer did have a point. Strapped to their backs were bottles much like Ninjini's in shape, their only difference being that they were a translucent white, and hey glowed with ghastly energy.

"But how?" Ninjini gasped. She frowned, pulled her own bottle off of her back and looked it over. "This bottle was specially-made for me by the one who trapped me in it all those years ago" — Ninjini ran her hands over the bottle's smooth surface and clutched its base tight — "but surely, that person would be dead and in the afterlife by now!" Ninjini slung the bottle onto her back once more, snarled and summoned a wishblade. "I have a bad feeling about this."

"HELP MEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" screeched someone in the distance!

Ninjini gasped. She cast another invisibility spell as she turned to Bouncer, and dashed across the deck! The air turned eerier and mistier the further she went, and the strange feelings that surrounded it only grew more intense—not helped by how barren that part of the deck was. There were no decorations, no barrels and crates, or structures, and definitely no pirates! Why was it so clean?

Another shriek pierced the air, and Ninjini slid behind a rare crate pile and peered over—for she got her answer! There, several ghostly pirates kept trembling prisoners wrapped in rags. One of those prisoners, a shuddering ice ogre, got prodded forward by two pirates' cutlasses. The ice ogre's teeth chattered, but it still glared down the elven pirate before it in spite of this.

"I, I'm telling you! You're making a big mistake!" the cyclops cried as it stomped its feet. "Once the Great Evil Ice Lord finds out about what you did to me and my crew—"

"SILENCE!" cried the elven pirate!

Their whole body glowed as their cries echoed out. Not just their eyes, but a strange red and purple glow pulsed from their body, an aura of strength like nothing else! The sight of it was nothing short of unnerving to Ninjini, who backed off a bit and gasped.

"That power," Ninjini whispered. "It's far too strong to be natural!"

The ice ogre screamed and struggled as the other pirates tied it up. The elven pirate closed its eyes, and chanted an eerie, arcane chant as its hands flung to the skies. A bright red orb of light formed between the palms, and the light orb leaped out as it seeped right into the struggling ice ogre!

The ice ogre screamed as harsh red light beamed out from its eye and mouth, all while it struggled and shuddered as red lightning crackled around its dulling body. The light faded and it slipped out of its chains, its body now silent and still. Its eye closed shut as its skin turned a dull, chilly gray, and its body shriveled and wrinkled up like a corpse! Above it, the red light it expelled from its body swirled and spiraled as it formed into a screaming ice ogre face!

However, the elf paid no mind. With a snap of its fingers, the screaming head whisked off into the distance, never to be seen again!

Ninjini gasped, but hastily covered her mouth as her eyes fell on the cold, lifeless ice ogre. She'd seen plenty of deaths in her time as an Elder Elemental, but such a gruesome display of magic, and such a ruthless ritual chilled her to the bone… Using the gift of magic for something so cruel just shook her to the bone! More worrisome was that essence she'd felt; on top of its strength, its energy signature seemed awfully familiar too, a ghost of someone she couldn't quite name.

The elf pirate smirked and wiped off its hands. A ghostly greeble handed off another one of those bottles towards the elf pirate, one akin to the bottles strapped on every crewmate's back. The elf pirate smirked as it uncorked the bottle, and stepped back as the bright spark within leaped out! The spark jolted left and right as if it looked for something, and the elf pirate merely pointed towards the dead ice ogre.

The spark leaped right into the ice ogre's mouth, and the ice ogre's hands started to twitch. Its eye turned blank and bright with white light as it let out a shrill, ear-bleeding screech! It rolled back and forth as it screamed and clawed at its face, as if it fought an invisible enemy. A burst of rainbow light shot from its face as its once-gray body turned a ghastly green and translucent. Its fits and fuss came to a stop as it sat up, and that same eerie glow of power that surrounded the elf pirate now surrounded the ice ogre as it grinned.

"Welcome to the crew, mate!" the two cried in tandem, in the same voice as they shook hands.

In that moment, the voice's filter dropped and it took on a different tone, a cold, sultry voice that Ninjini knew all too well!

She gasped, snarled and leaped out from the crates she hid behind. The pirates all fell and cracked against the floor as she drew her wishblades, and her invisibility spell dropped in that very moment! Her grip was tight, and her face hot with rage as she turned her blades on the pirates. The pirates drew their weapons and screamed while their prisoners fled, their glows fading away instantaneously.

"SOLAVITA!" Ninjini cried, her voice cracked and ripe with rage. "EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT YOU ARE DOING THIS INSTANT!"

§

Spyro's footsteps pattered against the wooden deck below him, their sound almost completely muffled by the raging wind and rain around. He and his team left the lower decks of the ship behind a long ago, and the upper decks with their polished wooden boards and shiny metal detailing took their place. But, the sheer amount of guards didn't change from below! In fact, Spyro was fairly certain that the forces got even more numerous than before, or maybe they just seemed more intimidating. Massive, bulky pirates lurked around the deck, and their chains and weapons dragged behind them like toys as they groaned and hulked over.

One pirate passed right behind Spyro's team, and the four of them all gasped and dove behind some crates right as the pirate did a double-take! The four of them snarled and readied themselves to fight as a shadow cast over them, but the roaring sound of footsteps pounding across the deck turned the pirate away. Loud shouts and grunts came from the crowd of pirates that fled to the lower decks, and the pirate that stalked Spyro's team joined them in the ruckus. That pirate drew up a hand cannon and made a beeline for the stairs below!

Spyro wiped his forehead. He breathed a sigh of relief as he popped his head over the crates, and beside him, Stealth Elf popped up and sighed.

"So, do you think we're going the right way?" Stealth Elf remarked as she narrowed her eyes and glazed over the emptied decks. "'Cause I'm not seeing any Elemental Gates here."

"Patience, my dear elf!" Trigger Happy remarked as he whipped out a solid gold deerstalker cap and pipe. Bubbles flew from the pipe as Trigger Happy blew into it, but he smirked and held it aside as he donned the cap. "We've only just begun our hunt! Oh, how I do love the smell of a good hunt…"

Stealth Elf quirked an eyebrow. "Where did you even get that?"

"Trig does have a point though," Gill Grunt remarked as he drew out from behind the crates and adjusted his water pack. "The thing should be around here somewhere. I'm sure of it."

Stealth Elf seemed like she was about to protest, but Gill Grunt started up his jetpack and flew off before she could. However, it was not before he shot a harpoon right through one of the ship's sails and tore it to shreds. Stealth Elf sighed, drew out from the crates and buried her hands in her pockets.

"Guess we're following Gill then," Spyro remarked as he flew up and right past Stealth Elf.

Trigger Happy giggled, and hopped after Spyro as he stowed his cap and pipe in the back of his fur.

Stealth Elf just sighed and trailed up to Spyro's side. "How are we even certain we have the right place?" Stealth Elf asked. She turned her head down as she kicked a piece of splintered wood away, and casually ducked aside as a blast of water blew a dummy shaped like a pirate into her former spot. "All we're going on is that prisoner's word, and for all we know, they could've been lying through their teeth, or even just plain wrong! After all, they seemed like they were locked up there for a while."

Stealth Elf teleported away as another barrel's splintered remains washed over her old path in a wave. She scoffed as she cast a glare at Gill Grunt—not that Gill Grunt cared, as he was too busy muttering under his breath and blasting away barrels with his water cannons.

"And our leader here seems a bit trigger happy."

"But that's Gill Grunt!" Trigger Happy cried as he pointed to himself. "Trigger Happy's me, and I'm right here!"

Stealth Elf scoffed again and rolled her eyes. "Not what I meant."

Spyro sighed and clasped his front paws. He dropped back down to the deck and folded his wings in.

"I can't blame Gill for being worked up, though," Spyro remarked, and his frown tensed further as he watched Gill Grunt. "He's been looking for Rita ever since those pirates took her away, and hearing she's in a place like this… He must be worried sick about her."

Spyro winced as Gill Grunt smashed another barrel, and winced again—but not from Gill Grunt's strange rampage! No, a burst of chilly wind slammed into him and sends chills down his spine. Stealth Elf shuddered and held her arms beside him, and Trigger Happy's fur stood on end before he frantically patted it down. Fallish chills, perhaps?

Spyro frowned, but a soft sky blue glow garnered his attention. He lifted his head towards the path before them, and grinned. There just ahead was an Air Element Gate, so they were on the right path after all!

"Looks like this is the place!" Spyro shouted!

With one flap of his wings, Spyro flew over to the gate while his eyes shifted to a cool sky blue. He reached his paw out as gentle winds swirled around it, but his eyes narrowed and he whipped around! Behind him, a tiny greeble pirate tilted its head and glazed him down until a burst of wind that came from a flap of his wings blew it off its feet. With the greeble taken care of, Spyro placed his paw on the gate and grinned as it unfurled before his eyes!

Stealth Elf, Trigger Happy, and Gill Grunt all hopped up beside him as the gate sank back into the ground. The four of them nodded as they stepped inside. The gate closed back up behind them, and they took one step forward as they landed straight on a warp. Light swirled around them as the world shrieked, and they whisked away in a flash!

They all gasped and craned their heads around as the light faded away around them. After all, the world around was absolutely beautiful! The skies were a crystal-clear blue with hardly a cloud in sight, the islands around were lush and full of grass and flowers, and even the waterfalls that poured over the islands' sides were crystal clear, shiny, and so bright a blue they practically blended in with the skies! The smell of fresh flowers and cool air wafted over gentle breezes that kissed the face. Everything around was so peaceful, from the way the grass danced in the wind, to the clouds float across the sky's oceans…

"It's beautiful," Spyro gasped as he took a step forward.

"I'd hardly call a place like this a prison," Stealth Elf remarked as she crossed her arms and gave an approving nod.

Gill Grunt, however, wasn't quite as accepting. He cocked his harpoon gun as he stepped forward, and his brows tensed as he glared down a butterfly that flew past him.

"There's probably some kind of trick to this," Gill Grunt reasoned. "Be on guard."

Spyro frowned as he glanced at Gill Grunt, but Gill Grunt just fixed his eyes on the archipelago ahead.

"It doesn't look like there's any way to get around besides flying." Gill Grunt smirked, and adjusted the straps of his jetpack. "Good thing I've got a jetpack!"

Gill Grunt leaped in the air, and behind him, his water jetpack rumbled as it shot out pumps of scalding hot water! He grinned and cheered as he zipped forward—but, he completely stopped in midair just as he hit the skies! Gill Grunt frowned, lowered his head and jiggled his jetpack's straps.

"What's going on with this thing?" Gill Grunt snarled as he fussed with the straps some more as his eyes fell to the skies below. "Wait a second… I forgot!" Gill Grunt blinked, and his snarl turned to a wince as the water started to peter out. "Without any ground to fly off of, I can't FLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"

Spyro gasped as Gill Grunt fell into the depths below, and immediately leaped off the side of the island as he raced into action! The wind snapped at his face as he plunged into the cloudy depths after Gill Grunt, but with a few flaps of his wings and a shift in eye color to sky blue, he was off like a rocket! White streaks like a comet enveloped him as he burst through the clouds and latched on tight to Gill Grunt. Spyro came to a sharp stop and hovered in place.

"Close one, Gill!" Spyro remarked as a cloud manifested underneath his paws. The two of them dropped down, and Spyro grinned as the cloud floated back up. "But in places like these, just leave the flying to me."

The cloud split in half, forming one for each party. Spyro and Gill Grunt floated up to greet Trigger Happy and Stealth Elf, and two more clouds formed between them all! Trigger Happy and Stealth Elf both hopped on the newborn clouds, and the four of them zipped across the skies. The sound of birdsong became their soundtrack as they glazed over the islands. Not that there was anything remarkable; it was all just the same stretches of islands, waterfalls, and clouds wherever they went.

"Doesn't look like there's any prisons or anything here," Spyro remarked as he shielded his eyes with his paw, and turned back to the others. "Keep looking, we're bound to find it somewhere!"

"Find what?" asked a chilly voice from behind!

Spyro's eyes popped open, and he turned around as a cold cackle came from behind him! There before him laid a ghastly man dressed in some mixture of mage and pirate clothes. His clothes were all covered in spiral markings that brought to mind the Air Element's emblem and cloudy patterns. The man's icy blue eyes were as cold as bitter winter winds, and the sharp, sly smile he held on his face only exemplified it!

"You must be jailbreakers," the mage pirate cackled as he held out his glowing sleeves, "but you're not getting away on my watch! I've already had my perfect record broken once, and I'm not letting it happen again!"

The mage cackled as bursts of wind shot from his palms and headed straight for Spyro and Trigger Happy, but the two of them swept away just before the blasts could land! Spyro snarled and leaned down as the blasts slammed into the side of an island and exploded. His cloud zipped off with a racecar's speed. His eyes flashed red as he shot a fireball right for the mage, but the mage just cast a blast of wind with a simple swipe of his hands, and that blast blew the fireballs to embers!

Spyro cried out and stumbled backwards as the winds hit him. As he sat upright and came to, Trigger Happy and Gill Grunt zipped right past him with such speed that he went spinning again!

"No gold, no glory!" Trigger Happy cried as he whipped out his golden pistols and clutched the triggers. "Bang bang bang!"

"Fins of fury!" Gill Grunt cried as he shot a trio of spiraling harpoons right for the mage.

A swarm of golden coins burst from Trigger Happy's pistols, and shielded the harpoons as they all came right for the mage, who gulped as they came in! The mage's eyes shrank. For a moment, he seemed genuinely scared, but then, he just smirked and blew the storm aside with another burst of wind!

The harpoons and coins flew off to the side inside. They nearly blasted Stealth Elf off her seat as she flew across! Luckily, she dove underneath just in time; she thrust out her palms, and shot a burst of green spores towards the mage. Just as the spores went to hit, the mage turned around and blew them away with another gust of wind. Stealth Elf dodged out of the way, grunted as the spores disappeared, but gasped. She dug her hands and knees into the cloud itself as a mighty gust spiraled around.

Everyone screamed as the winds swirled around and took them with it. They all tossed around in the tornado as their clouds disappeared into thin puffs of smoke, but finally, the winds stopped and they breathed sighs of relief. That is, until they all looked down and realized their rides were gone! Once again they screamed as they plummeted into the depths, but just before they could fall to their doom, Spyro snapped his claws and his eyes flashed purple! Magical purple wings appeared on Gill Grunt, Trigger Happy, and Stealth Elf's backs. All four of them flew up and glared down the cackling mage.

"Looks like we're gonna have to try something different!" Spyro cried as his eyes turned to sky blue.

Spyro took a deep breath in, exhaled and shot out a massive, funneling tornado. He blew backwards as the tornado's winds raged straight for the mage, whose eyes popped open as the sound of screeching winds hit his ears. Te mage gasped and shot back a tornado of his own! The tornadoes pressed and pushed against each other as their winds grew stronger and stronger, so strong that the grass around them cut clean in half, and everyone else nearly got tossed aside.

Finally, the two tornadoes burst into one last, chilly gust of wind and vanished! Spyro and the mage both panted and lurched over. Spyro lifted himself up and flapped his wings with all his might! The gusts of wind that burst from his wings hurtled towards the mage, who in turn just shot off wind blasts of his own. Each blast slammed into each other and exploded with only faint shockwaves left remaining; they were perfectly matched, and nothing they did would work!

Spyro drew back and bit his lip as his last blast got completely nullified. "Maybe I should call on some good old firepower instead!" Spyro cried as his eyes flashed red. He chuckled, and flames burst from his muzzle as he yanked it wide open. "Hope you're ready for some SPYROMANIA!"

Right as Spyro finished his cry, a bright burst of orange flames shot out from his mouth and slammed right through the mage! The mage squealed as the flames seared a hole right through his chest, looked down and gulped as he lifted his head up.

"Oh no," was all the mage said as he burst into winds with a scream.

Spyro gasped as the mage disappeared and lowered his paws. "Okay, maybe that was a little too much firepower," Spyro winced as he turned around. "Either way, that guy should be gone now. Let's get going before we get any more unexpected visits."

Spyro glided forward…

"Oh ho ho, but the party's far from over!"

… And stopped in his tracks as a chorus of cackles ruminated around the skies! He turned back around to where the piles of winds the air mage pirate left behind laid, except they formed into a ball of pure wind and split. An entire ring of these windy orbs formed and stuck in place; a bright azure glow came from them, formed a vaguely humanoid shape, and the lights burst as from them came identical clones of that same mage!

Spyro gasped and flew back, but a massive burst of wind knocked him backwards and sent him tumbling into Gill Grunt! The two of them wheezed as they crashed into each other, and gathered their bearings. Around them, the cackling only grew louder and louder! The winds turned bitter and chilly as the mages all flickered and burst into blue, and the mages divided even further! There were so many of them now that it could make one's head spin. Worse yet, they had Spyro, Gill Grunt, Stealth Elf and Trigger Happy completely surrounded!

"We're not giving up until we get you jailbreakers corralled back in!" the mages all cried at once.

"We're outnumbered!" Stealth Elf cried as she flitted backwards.

Spyro grunted and flew out of Gill Grunt's grip. "In that case, there's only one thing we can do!" Spyro cried as he turned tail and zipped off. "RUN!"

Stealth Elf, Gill Grunt, and Trigger Happy all zipped off after Spyro. The mages cackled and zipped after Spyro's team, all while they shot off bursts of wind and blasts of solid breezes. Spyro and his team members were quick to swerve and dodge, but with so many shooting at them, it wasn't exactly easy! Every blast dodged with just a hair's breath, every blast filled with two more, and the attacks were all so tightly packed in that Spyro and his teammates could barely move! Elbows jabbed against each other as bursts of wind soared narrowly over their heads; screeches rang along with minute cries of pain; cold wings nipped at exposed skin, fur and scales; and the cackling only grew louder and closer with every moment they dodged!

"Alright, this has gone on long enough!" Gill Grunt cried as he turned around and cocked his harpoon cannon. "EAT HARPOON!"

A trio of harpoons shot from Gill Grunt's cannon. With the extra wind, they gained so much speed that they slammed right into a trio of mages, and blew them into thin air without even stopping! The other mages gasped as the last traces of their fallen brethren vanished, but they wouldn't be alone for long. Bursts of flames and shiny gold coins shot forward, and even more of the mages' rank fell to their wrath!

Trigger Happy and Spyro grinned and high-fived each other. Trigger Happy screamed as an azure blur slammed into him and rammed him into the side of an island!

"Ugh," Trigger Happy groaned as his eyes spun around within his head. He popped off, straightened out his crooked wings with a few flaps, and his ears pricked up as something beeped behind him. "What was that?"

Trigger Happy turned around as a fan emerged from the side of the island. He mused it over as he rubbed his chin, screamed and tumbled off as the fan spun off a massive gust of wind! Luckily, Spyro flew over and caught Trigger Happy in the nick of time, but that didn't make Trigger Happy any less dizzy. While Trigger Happy groaned and sat in Spyro's arms, Spyro teleported out of the wind stream and turned back to its path with a grin. The wind blew away the other mages as well! Only the original remained, and judging by the way he held his arms in front of his face, it seemed as though he barely hung on!

"Alright, he's distracted!" Spyro cried as he zipped off. "Let's get going!"

Gill Grunt and Stealth Elf nodded and flew back after the Spyro, the mage long forgotten in their minds. Just then, another powerful gust blew from behind and dragged them back! They all screamed as they tumbled backwards and clung to the side of a nearby island, but even that wouldn't last. Though their hands dug tight into the island's top, the wind was so powerful that it pulled them backwards and drug their hands through the earth.

"What's going on?" Gill Grunt cried as he tried to pull himself onto the island, but slid back down.

Stealth Elf turned her head around and winced. "I'll tell you what's going on!" she cried, her normally-quiet voice strained as she tried to shout over the gust's roars. "Looks like that mage isn't quite done with us yet!"

Behind them, the mage they abandoned sucked in the gust like it was an afternoon snack. As he ate the last of the winds, he grew huge! He was now a giant's size, so big he would have towered over an entire island—in fact, he did! He loomed over the entire string of islands that dotted the skies, all pleased with himself as he wiggled his hands above, and he cackled with all his might. With his gigantic size, his cackles became bigger, too. They were so powerful that the islands below flew off like tumbleweeds at the mercy of his breath, and Gill Grunt, Trigger Happy, and Stealth Elf were quick to follow!

Gill Grunt clung to Spyro's leg as the cackles continue, and Stealth Elf and Trigger Happy clung to the others' legs in turn. Even with their grips held tight, they barely hung in there, and Spyro wasn't much better off! Spyro snarled and dug his claws further into the earth while the island around him rumbled. As the cackles died, he slung against the side of the island and panted, as did the other three.

Gill Grunt snarled as his eyes fell on the gigantic mage. He whipped out his harpoon gun and shot a round of harpoons at the mage! The harpoons twirled in the air as they slammed into the mage's gut, dug in, but bounced off like they were nothing! Gill Grunt gasped and swung everyone aside just as the harpoons shot back and dug into the side of the island.

Trigger Happy smirked below him. "Alright, so harpoons didn't do the trick," Trigger Happy remarked as he whipped out a golden pistol with one hand, "but what about the golden treatment?"

Just a few squeezes of the trigger from Trigger Happy sent his golden coins shooting off like golden comets, but they fell to similar effects. Once they hit the mage's belly, they bounced off and tumbled down below! Trigger Happy gasped, snarled and dug into the back of his fur with both hands.

"Alright, some gold coins might not take you down, but how about these?"

Trigger Happy windmilled his hands, and screamed out gibberish while all manner of golden weaponry came from his arms: golden safes, golden pots, gigantic gold pennies, gold rockets and cannons that fired out gold cannonballs… Even a gigantic golden hammer! No matter what he threw, it was of no use. The moment they hit the mage, they just bounced off like the rest! Trigger Happy's jaw dropped wide open as they all fell down like the rest, but the wind ruffled his fur and he looked down to find that he clung to Stealth Elf's leg no more!

He turned back up, gulped, and screamed as he fell as well. He frantically flapped his wings in some attempt to fly again, yet the wind's power was so great that it pushed him back down. He didn't have to worry much, for somebody snatched him and yanked him back up! Trigger Happy wiped the sweat from his brow as he lifted himself upright, but a low cackled turned him to his savior's face. He gulped as it came to light that he hadn't been saved at all, for the one who caught him was the mage!

Spyro, Stealth Elf, and Gill Grunt all gasped as Trigger Happy's shrill screams blew several nearby clouds to bits. The three of them flew off the island's side and huddled together.

"Gill, you go on ahead!" Spyro cried as he zipped away. "We'll get Trig back and meet up with you later!"

Gill Grunt nodded as he zipped right off, his blue form barely visible among the skies themselves, and Spyro craned his head back as he winced. Spyro shook his head and narrowed his eyes as the mage came in view.

"Hey, blowhard!" Spyro cried. "Over here!"

The mage frowned, turned around, and screamed as a fireball as big as the sun itself slammed into his face! The mage screamed and wiped the flames off his face as the fireball exploded, and completely dropped Trigger Happy in the process. The mage grunted and grappled his open hand as a screaming Trigger Happy fell right into Stealth Elf's arms. The mage snarled and blasted Spyro with puffs of solid, stormy clouds!

Spyro's eyes flashed sky blue as the clouds glowed and rammed themselves into the mage's gut, but with little effect still! Spyro just turned back and winced as Stealth Elf rammed into him in her giant tiger form, and Trigger Happy shot the mage once again to little effect. Gill Grunt was no longer visible in the distance, and the lack of him deepened Spyro's frown. Spyro clasped his paw for a bit, but a massive gust of wind blew him backwards! Spyro screamed as he tumbled backwards, hovered in place and shook his head as the mage cackled. A snarl crossed Spyro's face, and flames circled his horns as he screamed and rammed into the mage's gut! Once again he bounced off, and Spyro tensed as he shot a round of fireballs at the mage.

"I hope Gill can pull this off," he whispered just slightly.

§

Hot Head, Crusher, and Bouncer winced. They stepped out from where they hid as all eyes turned to Ninjini, but Ninjini herself hardly seemed to care that she was the center of attention. She gripped her wishblades tight, and the snarl on her face grew uglier as she leaned towards the ghost pirates, winced and drew backwards. The wishblades pointed right towards their faces, and all anyone could do was gulp.

"Where are you, Solavita?" Ninjini demanded as fires burned in her eyes. "What exactly are you doing to these beings? How in the Ancients' names are you still alive?" Ninjini pressed the wishblades closer to their throats while those flames grew brighter. "ANSWER ME!"

The ghost pirates all screamed as they scrambled back from Ninjini's wrath, and the glow around their bodies faded! They all groaned and lurched over as their bodies dulled. They lifted their heads, took one glance at Ninjini and screamed like rabid monkeys as they swarmed her! Ninjini spun around and tossed the ghost pirates off at all edges of the ship!

"Get back her, Solavita!" Ninjini boomed as a bright purple flare of magic formed around her. "I'm not finished with you yet!"

A couple of the pirates snarled, leaped forward and went to attack Ninjini, but she just summon shiny purple orbs and blasted them off the deck! As they fell off-ship, Ninjini snarled and clasped her wishblades tight, whipped around and slashed through a particularly large pirate that poised to jump on her! Ninjini heaved heavy pants as the pirate slammed backwards and collapsed against the floor, her brows scrunched and her lips twitching with every breath.

Someone laid a hand on her shoulder as she did. She turned around and prepared to slice, but dropped her blades as Bouncer pulled her away from a blast of ghastly energy! While the energy blast slammed against the floor and dissipated, Bouncer shot down the pirate that shot it, and frowned as he turned to Ninjini.

"Breath, Timah, breath," Bouncer panted as he pulled them both back up. "Whoever this Solavita lady is, I have a feeling she's long gone now."

"I doubt it, Bouncer," Ninjini replied. Her lips kept pursed and tense as she summoned one of her wishblades, and drew it across the deck where all those pirates laid still. "I wasn't sure at first, but now, I'm certain" — Ninjini slashed away a greeble pirate as it tried to attack, leaned back and snarled — "all these pirates, they have parasitic spells with her essence in their bodies!"

"Parasitic spells?" Bouncer repeated as he tilted his head. "What are those?"

"Only one of the worst kinds of forbidden magic."

Ninjini shuddered, and her grip on her wishblades nearly slipped. Her shudders only continued As she caught them just before they hit the floor.

"It's a spell that destroy the victim's soul from within, and replaces it with an extension of the host's own soul. When it's completed, it renders the victim little more than an extra body for the one who cast the spell, with their very essence and existence completely destroyed!"

Bouncer gasped, and Crusher and Hot Head did as well behind him! Their eyes were wide, and Crusher and Hot Head's faces started to pale. The air around them chilled even more than before, and not from the fallish weather that surrounded. All these beings that surrounded them were once living beings who had their souls, the core of the very beings, eaten away and wiped out of existence!

"I'd never have imagined that she'd stoop to such a low," Ninjini shuddered as her eyes narrowed. "I have to find her and put an end to this!"

Ninjini leaned forward and prepared to rush off, but low zombie-like growls and rumbles from behind her caught her attention. She turned around right as the pirates all slunk together. The pirates all leaped into piles and melted together until their ectoplasmic bodies formed gigantic mish-mashes dressed in pirates' clothes! These fleshy blobs with fifty faces and more eyes than they probably should have all snarled, leaped forward and aimed straight for Ninjini! Ninjini flicked her wrist and summoned an entire ring of large purple orbs. With another flick of her wrists, the orbs all crashed into the monster pirates and tossed them away—all but one, that was!

One of the pirates, the smallest of the bunch, but still around Ninjini's size, swept underneath the orb Ninjini summoned and barreled straight for her! While the others splatted on the walls, it just grabbed a massive twin-bladed cutlass from its belt and sliced for her. SHING! Ninjini whipped out her wishblades and pressed them against the blade just before they could take her head off.

The two of them both strained and groaned as they pressed against each other's weapons, and just behind them, the other pirates pulled themselves off of the walls and prepared to engage! Ninjini swept away and turned around as the pirates growled and licked their lips.

"Bouncer, Crusher, Hot Head!" Ninjini cried as she ducked underneath a slash from her opponent's sword. "Cover me, I'll take this one!"

Bouncer smiled as Ninjini blocked another blow with her wishblades. "You heard her!" Bouncer cried as he cracked his knuckles. "Let's roll out!"

Bouncer's wheel screeched as he streaked against the floors below, and Crusher and Hot Head cried out as they pounded after him! With his allies at his heels, Bouncer smirked and fixed his eyes on several of the pirates that set their sights on Ninjini. Those eyes of his glowed a bright red, and he mowed them down with bright lasers! The pirates collapsed and screeched as they held their sides, yet two of them jumped up nonetheless. They wailed as they charged after Bouncer, but he just blasted them away with rocket fists! Bouncer smiled and reloaded his fists as one of the pirates fell off the deck, yet the other one just skidded to a stop. It gripped his fist, tossed it off deck, and it waved its own fists in the air as it charged after him!

Bouncer smirked and drove backwards. "Hey, Crusher!" Bouncer shouted as he held up his hand. "Think it's time for you to drop the hammer!"

"GLADLY!" Crusher cried.

The pirate squealed as it came just inches away from Bouncer's face. Before it could lay a single hit on Bouncer, Crusher leaped forward and slammed it into the deck with his hammer! Crusher lifted his hammer up, and shook the ectoplasm for it while the flattened pancake of a pirate glared at him.

"How's that for hammering it home?" Crusher remarked as his eyes glowed with bemusement.

The pirate didn't seem quite as pleased with his puns, for it just sprung up and wailed to the heavens. Crusher gasped and jumped backwards as it swiped at him. He snarled as his eyes glowed brighter. They shrieked and shimmered for a moment, and out from them came a green laser blast that shot right into the pirate's chest! The blast tossed the pirate backwards. It squealed as it landed on its feet and skidded; it got up and prepared to move as it finally came to a stop—but it couldn't!

Its legs were solid stone, and this stone infection spread to the rest of its body in moments! It only screamed as its body encased completely in stone. While it stood still and silent, Crusher slammed the stone pirate into a nearby wall! The stone casing cracked open as the pirate slammed into the wood and dented it, and the dizzy pirate inside only moaned and whimpered as it slunk down, falling unconscious.

Crusher smiled as he slung his hammer over his shoulder, but screamed as Hot Head rammed into him and smashed him into the deck! Crusher exploded into a bunch of smaller rocks as he made contact and bowled down several smaller pirates. He reformed immediately and scoffed as he glared down Hot Head.

"Watch where you're going, Hot Head!" Crusher scolded.

"Sorry, Crusher!" Hot Head cried back as he stepped in front of Crusher. "Got a bit of a problem here!"

A roar so massive it spat out spittle like rain nearly blew Crusher and Hot Head down. As it settled, both of them winced and glanced up at the massive ghost pirate that hovered above them. It had to be twice their size, and probably just as powerful to boot. Judging by the way it licked its lips, it was definitely itching for a fight too!

"This thing's been on my tail since the battle began, and I can't get it off!" Hot Head exclaimed. "Nothing I do stops it!"

Hot Head snarled as he shook his arm, shot it forward and doused the giant pirate in a thick coat of shiny oil! The pirate wailed and flailed around as it tried to wipe the oil from its face. While it struggled, Hot Head shot a pillar of fire and set it alight! The pirate screamed and writhed as the flames coated its body, but it dropped back to the ground and yowled as it bolted straight for Hot Head. Hot Head screamed as his flames' volume increased, yet even the brighter flames did nothing; they just made the pirate burn brighter and stronger! Hot Head just screamed and transformed into a motorbike before he zoomed across the deck.

Crusher just sighed and shook his head while the pirate made off after Hot Head. "Looks like I'll have to deal with this myself," Crusher remarked as he squeezed his hammer's handle. With a mighty groan, Crusher slammed his hammer into the ground and fissured the decks!

The pirate hooted and scrambled right onto the cracks. It screamed as massive rock pillars burst out from the cracks, and it flew backwards onto the ship's deck! As it rolled backwards and groaned, all the flames on its body extinguished, and all that was left was a very charred, very pained pirate who moaned as it slunk down.

Bouncer and Hot Head wheeled up to Crusher and grinned as Crusher held his hammer tight, but a burst of lavender smoke flew in and sent them all into coughing fits! As the smoke faded and they regained their breath, all three pairs of eyes turned to the lower half of the deck.

There, Ninjini snarled as she faced off against the pirate she claimed before! It still rared to go, but Ninjini herself seemed a bit more battered with her frayed hair and the scratches on her face. The pirate growled as it sprung forward and grappled for Ninjini, yet she just escaped into her bottle and fell to the ground! The pirate's eyes went wide as it flew right over her. It screamed as she sent bottle rockets soaring into its gut, and the pirate itself rolling across the deck! The pirate hit the edge of the deck and moaned as it stood up, buy screamed as another round of bottle rockets flew forward and exploded right in its face!

While the pirate squealed and held its face, Ninjini emerged from her bottle and waved her hands around. Orbs formed and floated around her with every wave. With a snap of her fingers, they shot forward and smacked right into the pirate one by one! The pirate squealed with every blow; as the final one struck it, it groaned and fell unconscious, tongue lolled out the mouth and all!

Ninjini scoffed as she flew beside Bouncer, who only frowned as his eyes scanned the battlefield and the groaning, shuddering, beaten pirates that coated it.

"Isn't there anything that can be done for them?" Bouncer asked as he placed a hand on Ninjini's shoulder.

Ninjini only shook her head. "I'm afraid not," Ninjini explained as she clutched her blades' handles tighter. "The original souls died long, long ago. At this point, they're nothing more than puppets."

The pirates around all groaned and glowed as they split back into their original components, who were still just as beaten and bruised as the originals, and Bouncer hung his head at the sight of them.

"Well, seems as though they're beat." Bouncer lifted his hand from Ninjini's shoulder and wheeled off. "We'd better find Flynn and Cali" — Bouncer squeezed his hand into a fist — "and while we're at it, give this Solavita lady a piece of our minds."

Crusher and Hot Head nodded in agreement as they trailed after Bouncer, but Ninjini shuddered and frowned.

"This isn't over yet!" Ninjini proclaimed as she squeezed her wishblades' handles tight. "I can feel her presence!"

Crusher, Hot Head, and Bouncer all whipped back around. The ghosts floated upright right as they did,—and as the ghosts floated, their eyes shot wide open! They dropped back down to the deck with glowing eyes, but they didn't seem as confident as they usually did. Rather, their eyes flickered and they groaned as they held their heads.

"What in Skylands happened?" their booming voices cried as one, "The connection has never been severed before, and not with such speed! Could it be that I…"

One pirate turned around as Ninjini shoved a wishblade between its eyes. Soon enough all eyes faced her yet again! The pirates' jaws all dropped in tandem as they faced her, but they only smirked and bellowed with laughter! Ninjini hardly found it funny, for she only scowled as they floated up to face her.

"Fatimah, it really is you!" they all cried at once, and their voice filters lifted so that they echoed this Solavita's voice once more. "You're alive, I can hardly believe it!"

"But you won't be for much longer!" Ninjini cried as she held her wishblades out. "Doing something as awful as robbing beings of their lives, of their very souls… It's unforgivable!" The soft glow of magic glinted against Ninjini's wishblades as she turned them around. "You'll be lucky if I even leave your own soul after this! Now, give me some answers—why are you doing all this? How are you still alive after all this time?"

The pirates all just cackled and reeled backwards as they kicked their legs in laughter! They all wiped ghastly tears from their eyes as they leaned forward. One elven pirate tapped Ninjini's nose as as reeled backwards in disgust.

"I've been waiting quite a long time for this moment! To think, it's finally come!" The pirates all chuckled and turned around. "If you want your answers, meet me at the ship graveyard for a duel. I'll explain everything then and there" — the elf cocked a brow — "and, I'll give you back those little mabu that I caught wandering around there talking about you too! I can only presume they must be friends of yours." The elf chuckled. A few of the other ghosts fluttered up and smirked in Ninjini's face as the elf talked. "I'm sure you're so eager to get them back!"

"Mabu?" Ninjini gasped, though she quickly stowed her shock away as she turned around. "Don't tell me, does she have Flynn and Cali?!"

Crusher, Bouncer, and Hot Head all winced and turned towards each other.

Bouncer wheeled towards Ninjini and nudged her shoulder. "I'm not so sure about this," Bouncer whispered as he leaned closer to Ninjini. "This seems kinda suspicious."

"I'm with Bouncer on this one," Crusher added as he walked up and shot a glare towards the pirates. He wrung his hammer's handle tight as they chuckled, and he turned back to Ninjini. "Something's not right about all this."

"Yeah, yeah! This whole thing is giving me cold feet!" Hot Head cried as he gestured towards his feet, which turned chillier and nearly hardened as they trembled. "Just look!"

Ninjini paused and pursed her lips, but she nodded and floated towards the pirates. "Very well then, Solavita," Ninjini said, "I accept your challenge."

The pirates all cackled, and with a snap of their fingers, an orb of greenish-white light burst before them as it manifested none other than Flynn and Cali! The two of them stood tied together and cringed, teeth chattering and eyes dashing and all, but they grunted as they dropped into Ninjini's palms. They both shuddered a bit, and winced again as they found themselves looking straight at Ninjini.

"Oh, hey there, genie lady!" Flynn cried with a wide grin. "Good news, we found the ship graveyard! Bad news, is, uh, we" — Flynn clenched his teeth and hissed — "ran into a bit of trouble along the way." Flynn coughed and held his head. "Of course, I, as the greatest pilot in all Skylands, wasn't too tied up by it, but—"

Cali shot Flynn a glare, and he only turned away and gulped.

"Shutting up now."

Ninjini shot another glare towards the pirates, but the pirates only smirked and floated off.

"Follow me," they all said as one.

Ninjini took a breath, and clutched Flynn and Cali tight as they all followed the pirates through the ship's depths.

§

Gill Grunt grunted as he collapsed on soft, fluffy grass, and turned around right as the Water Element Gate behind him closed and locked once more. He sat up, frowned and scratched his head as his eyes turned to the path ahead, or rather the lack of one! In lieu of say, open sky, rocky paths, or even fields of endless grass, what laid before his eyes were rushing streams of clear blue water. Unlike the waterfalls before, the rivers' waters were a deeper blue that brought to mind liquid sapphire, and struck out beautifully against the azure of the skies around. Their waters rushed so fast and so furiously that their beauty did little to mask the danger of their depths.

"Yeah, there's no swimming in this," Gill Grunt remarked as he jiggled his jetpack, "but maybe…"

The familiar rush of water sounded behind him as warm water burst from his jetpack. It sent him flying in the air, and he leaned forward as he zipped straight for the waters! It was all smooth sailing as he crossed over the grassy paths at first, but the moment his own water streams hit the rapids, he went spinning! The world around him blurred as the waters tossed him from side to side, and he just screamed as the water from his jetpack gave out.

Gill Grunt soared right across the rapids. Well, not that he noticed, for his head spun so badly that he couldn't even make heads or fins of the sights around him! The closest he could make out was the furious cries of the rapids, and the distinct texture of wood as he dropped into something rough but solid. He shook his head right as the place where he landed went for a ride down the rapids. Now that his vision cleared some, he sat up and rubbed his fins against the floor. Seemed like he landed inside a barrel, judging by the round appearance. Not that it was the most ideal of transportation vessels, but it was better than nothing.

Gill Grunt grunted as a swerve right tossed him to the barrel's bottom, and his fins flapped as the gargling and screaming water grew louder. He popped his head up, clung to the side of the barrel, and gulped. Right at the end of the path before him was a waterfall, and with how fast the rivers and streams ran, he was gonna come in fast! Gill Grunt clung to his barrel tight as he could, and the barrel in turn jetted across the streams. Rather than taking a nice, long drop down the falls, it just leaped right over the waterfall's top and crashed all the way down below!

The wind flapped against Gill Grunt's fins. He screamed as he clung to the barrel as hard as he could while the wind threatened to pluck him right off! Their harsh breaths lashed at his fingers as he clung to the barrel's edge. Gill Grunt himself just nudged his fingers towards any kind of notch or nudge he could find. The wind pulled further, and one hand of his finally got windburned enough that it flew right off—but luckily enough, he found a hole in the barrel just in time! He grabbed onto it tight right as the barrel crashed down into the streams below with a massive SPLASH, and he himself slammed right back down into its hull.

Gill Grunt sat up and wiped his brow, but screamed as a massive wave pushed the back of his barrel! The wave's pressure spun it right around the rare tranquil part of the stream he landed in, and the rapids pulled him in once again! He only screamed, his cries jittered and bumpy as the barrel haplessly spun and rattled while the streams tossed it back and forth between their waves and currents!

The thing was spiraling completely out of control, and worse yet, there wasn't any sort of steering or anything—how was he supposed to regain control? Gill Grunt's eyes spun around as the barrel bounced between several rocks like a pinball, but a faint memory flashed back to him and he grinned. Now he remembered; he did barrel-riding drills during his time in the Gillmen Marines! He knew exactly what to do!

Gill Grunt gripped the front of the spinning barrel, and grunted as he shifted all his weight to the right of the barrel, right as it seemed poised to crash into a large stone. The barrel's spinning came to a halt. It veered to the right and just barely skirted around the rock's smooth surface!

"Alright, it worked!" Gill Grunt cried as the rock passed him by. Gill Grunt smirked, then he turned back down to the barrel and squeezed it tight. "Looks like it'll be smooth sailing from here on out!" Gill Grunt lifted his head as even more smooth rock formations came to into view, and he only narrowed his eyes. "Now, let's see."

Gill Grunt moved backwards, and his barrel's speed grew just a bit slower. He pushed it left and between twin formations that formed a doorway of sorts in the center of the river! He steered right and around the round circle that made up the heart of the island, pressed forward and zipped down the rushing streams before him! The cool river waters splashed at his face and against the barrel's surface, but the feeling of their fresh water on his scales was more refreshing than anything. In fact, it almost let him forget he was on a serious mission… Almost.

The waters behind him gurgled and roared with a monster's cries, but Gill Grunt just clenched the barrel tighter. "It's just the water, Gill," Gill Grunt whispered to himself as he steered left of another large rock. "Don't let it distract you."

The roars sounded off again, and around him, the waters started to grow more furious! Their sprays were furious whips that lashed against his barrel and churned the waves like whirlpools. In fact, whirlpools already formed in the streams ahead! Gill Grunt dodged one, but two more flanked the path ahead of him—there was no way to escape their grip! Gill Grunt steeled his gaze; he caught sight of a large stone positioned like a ramp in the waves and beamed! He leaned forward, and his barrel rushed through the waters and zipped right ahead of it. The barrel leaped straight over the whirlpools, and crashed safely on the other side!

Gill Grunt grinned and leaned against the barrel as the whirlpools disappeared into the distance, but that loud, gurgling sound moved his attention back to the front! The waters rumbled and shook with a stormy rage. As they did, a cool azure color formed in their dark water, a simple pair of slits that stood silent for a moment. The waves raged further as Gill Grunt drew closer and closer. With a massive roar, they bubbled with fury as the slits yanked open and formed into the shape of eyes! Gill Grunt immediately yanked out his harpoon gun and shot the waters, but his harpoons bounced off the bubbling water and disappeared into the skies!

He rushed right through the bubbling water, but then, it exploded and screeched as a trio of gigantic, serpentine monsters made of solid water burst from the pillar! One monster flung its head into the air and let out a mighty roar; it zipped right past Gill Grunt and sent his barrel spinning! Gill Grunt screamed as the barrel spun in place, and when it finally settled, he gasped and leaned back as all three monsters hovered before him. Gill Grunt clenched his teeth, and he yanked his harpoon gun from the barrel's floor as he shot the monsters down in an instant! They all exploded into water and rained down on the streams as he passed by, but he just sighed and leaned against the barrel.

"That was a close one," Gill Grunt remarked as his arms flopped over the barrel's side. He sighed with relief yet again as his head rested on the barrel, but the sound of gargling from behind shot him back into place. "But I get the feeling it isn't over yet!"

The monsters' roars hit the air yet again as they burst from the streams and zipped right for Gill Grunt. He shot them down once more, but just as he did, his barrel spun out of control! The harpoons he shot scratched the monsters on their forehead and cut holes inside, holes that immediately filled as they rushed after him! His harpoon cannon dropped to the barrel's bottom and bounced around as the waves flung Gill Grunt from side to side. This time, they were so strong he couldn't take back control! It was all he could do to cling to the barrel itself while the waves tossed around him.

A burst of water shot forward and spun him aside! Gill Grunt yanked his harpoon cannon from the bottom of the barrel, and shot it right for the monsters behind him. Another wave crashed against his barrel and threw him off course. His harpoons shot right over the monsters' heads, and the monsters just cackled as they tackled right into his barrel! Gill Grunt screamed as the barrel got tossed right out of the water and him out of it; he fell right back in as it hit the waters with another splash! Gill Grunt groaned as his barrel slowly spun across the water, but something sucked him in and spun him around as fast as a jet!

"WHO-WHO-WHO-WHOA!" Gill Grunt cried as the body of water spat him out and shot him right towards a whirlpool!

The speed was so great that he could only clutch the barrel the best he could as he flew right into the whirlpool's heart. He got spat out to the next, then the one after that! It was a dizzying ride full of screaming and spinning as he zipped straight through the string of whirlpools, but finally, the last one pushed him back to the waters!

He shot like a bullet, and yelled at the top of his lungs as he flew right towards a bubbling, steaming pool of water. Wait, was that what he thought it was? Gill Grunt gasped, and tried to pull his barrel back, but the waters just pulled him right into a bubbling water pit right as it erupted! A massive geyser burst from the waters, and tossed Gill Grunt into the air as he peered down and winced.

Those water monsters were right on his tail the whole time! They cried out as they charged straight for the geyser, but while two of them veered out of the way just in time, one crashed straight into the geyser itself and completely exploded! Its watery remains poured into the stream and formed a dark puddle with sad eyes as it melted away.

Gill Grunt grinned as the geyser dissipated and he was sent back down into the rivers. "That's it!" Gill Grunt cried! He smirked as he pushed against the front of his barrel, zipped right down the stream and past the water monsters!

Gill Grunt yanked out his harpoon cannon as his barrel flew past, and shot harpoons right between the remaining two monsters. They didn't land a single hit, but that was perfectly fine—for they brought the monsters right to him! They roared and wailed as they slithered through the air like snakes, but he just turned back to the streams ahead.

Before him, another geyser bubbled and popped as it prepared to erupt, and Gill Grunt was right in its way! He leaned his barrel forward and sped towards the geyser. Behind him, roars shouted as bursts of water nipped at the barrel's base! These bursts tossed it out of the water, and right into the geyser's heart as it erupted and jumped up. Gill Grunt cheered as he landed in the air, but his cheers quickly muffled under the pained wails of the monsters below him! Gill Grunt turned around as he landed back in the ground, and smirked as the other two monster's remains melted into the water.

He leaned forward and steered the barrel back down the streams. A small waterfall dropped him down from the rushing waters, and into a small pond that dropped him into a second waterfall. He crashed at the second waterfall's base, and bobbed up and down as he steered across the more peaceful waters, which only bubbled and gurgled with pleasure as opposed to the screams of the ones before. In fact, it was so peaceful that Gill Grunt even leaned against his barrel and almost went to sleep.

Just as he prepared to doze off, the faint sight of greenery in the distance caught his attention! Down below laid a large island with grassy hills that surrounded a watery base, and what looked to be rooms barred off with bars made of water. Surely, these had to be the rapids' watery prisons, the ones he sought for this whole time! Gill Grunt grinned, and the energy returned to his body as he pressed his barrel forward and sped down the stream!

"FULL STEAM AHEAD!" Gill Grunt cried as he burst through the stream.

His high-speed swim tossed him right off the side of island and out of his barrel, but Gill Grunt just yanked his cannon from the air and tugged on his jetpacks! Their watery streams shot down below and pierced the more peaceful waters. He slowly floated down and dropped back onto the waters below. Their chilly, icy pools lapped at his ankles while they washed away the splintered remains of his barrel, but Gill Grunt hardly noticed as he rushed through the ponds.

Gill Grunt narrowed his eyes as he trekked through, and behind him a faint, gurgling sound rose with the waters. His scales shuddered as a familiar roar sounded off; he immediately whipped around and shot his harpoons, but all they did was splash in the waves. Gill Grunt frowned, lowered his cannon, and scoffed as he turned around.

"I'd better find her and get us out of here soon," Gill Grunt whispered. "This place is doing things to my head."

The soft twinkle of light caught his attention, and Gill Grunt frowned as he stopped in front of a sparkling teleporter. Whatever this thing was, surely it would take him to wherever their prisoners were kept. He could feel it in his scales!

He hopped on and closed his eyes as the light whisked him away. When the tickle of warm light left his face, Gill Grunt popped his eyes open, frowned and clutched his harpoon gun. All around him, the skies turned gray and murky while the waters completely dried off, save for the solid water bars that blocked off the many cells that surrounded him.

"Yep, this is the place," Gill Grunt whispered. He cocked his harpoon cannon, and Gill Grunt snarled as he held it tight. "Now, to get down to business!"

Gill Grunt dashed towards a nearby cell and clutched its bars. "Anyone in there?" he cried as he peered between the bars, frowned and drew back as he found nothing more than some stones. "Guess not?"

Gill Grunt wandered over to the cell beside it, but found nothing there either save for a pile of feathers. A sinking feeling rose in his heart, and his fins flicked as he gazed over the other cells—but like the ones before, they were all empty! Nothing but bones, torn clothes and stray coins, claw marks left on the ceiling, and… Gill Grunt stopped at one cell, and his harpoon gun clattered to the floor.

Scales. Hidden within the cell was a couple of pulled-off or shaven scales that amassed in a tiny pile, and they were colored, they were, they were…

Seafoam.

Seafoam green.

The same color as Rita's scales, so radiant like jewels shining in the light of the sun, but these were dull and dead. They, they couldn't have been her scales, could they? Surely, surely that had to be someone else! It couldn't have been her! In fact, he'd check just to make sure!

"Rita!" Gill Grunt cried as he jumped right towards the adjacent cell and gripped its bars, grunted and fell back as they lashed at him. But, he just jumped from the next cell to the one after in a frantic haze!

"Rita? Rita? Rita, are you in there? Rita, please, it's me, Gill!" Gill Grunt cried as he jumped towards the last cell.

Its watery bars slapped him and tossed him on his back in the center of the dungeon, but this time, he didn't have the will to fight. Instead he just laid there. His eyes were wide as he heaved shallow breaths so weak that he could barely breath, but so heavy that he pained his chest.

He could see Rita, with her wide smile and her beautiful sapphire eyes, sitting in the lagoon and singing to him… Then, he saw her screaming, crying, writhing as she tried to escape her pirate captors. What, what happened to her? What became of her? Had he been too late? Could it be that she was killed already? Shocked to death, fried to bits, ripped of her very soul and left to wither?

With every thought of Rita's possible fate that passed by, Gill Grunt's breath grew so strained that it choked him. His fins, so cold and numb, finally shook as he laid on the floor. Gill Grunt's heart thumped against his chest as the world around him blurred in tandem with his numbing head. Rita, surely she—

SPLASH!

The shock of cold water snapped Gill Grunt back to his senses, and he immediately jumped to his feet as he whipped out his cannon. A wide snarl crossed across his face as he glared from left to right. All around him, the cages' bars melted onto the ground and gurgled with an ominous aura. Dark pools formed in the water as roars echoed around the chamber!

Gill Grunt growled and loaded his harpoon cannon. "I don't have time for this!" Gill Grunt cried as he fired his harpoons at the nearest dark pool!

Gill Grunt rolled aside as the harpoons splashed into the water, but they were of little use. Nonetheless, the monster whose pool he disrupted formed and leaped towards the heavens with a screech, as did the ones around it! They all grinned and snaked in front of Gill Grunt. Their mouths yanked wide open to reveal fangs made of solid pearls, surely ready to tear him alive! Gill Grunt clenched his teeth as he backed up further, and pointed his harpoon cannon towards the monsters with trembling fins.

How in the Ancients' name am I going to stop these things? How did I do it the last time again? Gill Grunt screamed at himself, his head still dizzy from his early discovery. He winced as his eyes fell on the shaky pools the water monsters came from, and his eyes popped open. That's right!

Gil Grunt leaped to his feet, dashed across the pools and whipped around as he set his harpoon cannon on the monsters once more! He loaded his harpoons first as they snarled and prepared to attack. Instead of firing, he shifted to his water cannon and aimed it down at the water below! With a pull of the trigger, a massive stream of water burst from his cannon, and sent the water below his feet blowing up as a massive geyser! The water monsters screeched as they smacked right into the geyser's side and dissolved into the water.

Gill Grunt only scoffed at their disappearance. He turned around and clung to his cannon as he wandered away, but then, a guttural growl rumbled the dungeon and stopped him in his tracks! He lifted his head, and another one of those water monsters formed right before him! The sounds of splashing and growling behind him only alerted him to the forming of the rest. He just backed up and fell to the ground as the water monsters spawned further and encircled him. There were so many of them, and they were so big to boot! He was completely outclassed!

"I wish the others were here right now," Gill Grunt whispered as he clung to his harpoon cannon.

A faint twinkle reached Gill Grunt's ears, and he lifted his head to find a white streak shooting through the skies and straight for him! Gill Grunt gasped and jumped back as the streak crashed in the ground, while the light faded to reveal—oh no. Spyro, Stealth Elf, and Trigger Happy all laid battered, bruised and windburnt in the shallow pools. All they could do was groan as they leaned against each other and passed out! Gill Grunt dropped his harpoon cannon in the waves, leaped forward and grabbed their shoulders.

"Spy! Trig! Stealth Elf!" Gill Grunt cried as he shook them. "What happened?"

While Trigger Happy and Stealth Elf were largely unresponsive save for soft groans and twitches, Spyro only lifted his head and flickered his eyes open.

"I'm, I'm sorry, Gill," Spyro groaned as Gill Grunt leaned forward and shifted his weight up. "That, that guy, he was just, too strong…"

Gill Grunt gasped as Spyro fell unconscious in his arms, and frantically shook Spyro the best his numbing arms could.

"Spy, Spyro! Wake up!" Gill Grunt cried. The sound of growling rumbled behind Gill Grunt as wavy shadows crept up the waters, and Gill Grunt winced as he shook Spyro harder. "You can't nap, not right now!"

"Sorry to say, little fishie, but your friend's gonna be out for a while!"

A burst of wind and clouds formed above the four of them as Gill Grunt lifted his head. the mage pirate that he ran into earlier manifested in an explosion of cloudy fluff! The mage held a wicked smile on his face as he leaned down to face Gill Grunt, and he flicked Gill Grunt's face as he smirked.

"I'll admit, you've gotten pretty far for jailbreakers—I'm impressed!" the mage chuckled as he leaned to full height. He crossed his arms and scowled as thunder crashed behind them. "But, your little joyride ends here!"

Gill Grunt scowled in return, dropped Spyro and made a beeline for his harpoon cannon. "I'm not going down without a fight!" Gill Grunt proclaimed as he dove forward and grappled for his cannon.

Just before he could snatch it out of the water, something blasted him in the back and knocked him right into the walls! Gill Grunt howled as he popped off the wall, and collapsed in the shallow waters. It seemed as though all the pain, frustration, and anxiety he held finally caught up to him. His whole body ached, so numb and pained at the same time that he could barely keep his bleary eyes open, and shudders ran down his back while he struggled to breath even the shallowest breaths. The growling of those water monsters and the cackling of that pirate rang in his ears, a melody that sickened his stomach, but he couldn't even fight back. Black spots danced in his vision, and his whole body burned and throbbed like it was ready to shut down.

I'm sorry, Rita, Gill Grunt thought as he clenched the ground with his hands, shuddered and let go as the very action burned him to the bone.

I couldn't save you.

Gill Grunt just lifted his head, groaned and collapsed back into the waters as his vision faded to black.