"We're off to find a propeller, a propeller the shade the gold~" Chihiro sang as she swung her arms and strode jauntily.

Gill Grunt and Spyro followed suit, both with unsure looks on their faces, before Gill Grunt finally broke the ice.

"So… Does anybody know where the propeller went, right?"

Chihiro stopped dead in her tracks and looked up at the skies—which now lacked the zeppelin she tracked earlier. A mixture of panic and frustration fell over Chihiro as she shook and glanced back and forth, clasped her hands up, then turned back to them and smiled.

"Oh, I'm sure it's around here somewhere! I mean, it couldn't have gone too far—"

Just then, the sound of something hitting the ground echoed around the island! Chihiro whipped her head around to find none other the giant zeppelin they followed, which now just barely peeked above a wooden gate!

"It's right there!" Chihiro exclaimed as she pointed her finger at the gate with frantic motions.

That was oddly convenient, Chihiro thought as she avoided Spyro and Gill Grunt's gaze, I hope they didn't see me freaking out.

Chihiro darted over to the gate, noticed had two holes that were just barely big enough to peek through, knelt down, and peered through the larger of the two.

A bunch of drow soldiers in various shapes and sizes marched off of the parked zeppelin, while a tall, bulky drow dressed in what seemed like a black and blue military captain's uniform ordered them around.

As she narrowed her eyes and racked her brain for some semblance of understanding, Chihiro motioned for Spyro to come over.

"Me?" Spyro inquired as he poked a claw to his scaled chest.

Chihiro nodded frantically, strands of her inky black hair stuck up and astray, so Spyro flew over and peeked through the smaller hole.

"Can you understand a word they're saying?" Chihiro asked, her voice hushed to as soft a whisper she could make.

Spyro shushed her and went to listening as his eyes closed and focused for mere moments. Then, with optimistic light in his eyes, he drew his head back and focused on Chihiro.

"You were right, Chihiro! They've got the propeller!…" Spyro said before he looked at his paw. "Either that, or they were ordering pizza. I'm not very fluent in Drow, unfortunately."

"THAT'S GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME!" Chihiro shouted.

She then lodged her feet in the holes and grasped the top of the wooden gate before she looked at Spyro. She then bit her lip, hopped back down and looked at Spyro with a chuckle.

"You got a plan, Golden Boy?" Chihiro asked as she knelt down to his side.

"Actually…" Spyro whispered something into Chihiro's ear.

As Chihiro's eyes sparkled and her head nodded rapidly, Spyro looked at Gill Grunt and whispered the same plan to him. Once he finished, Spyro and Gill Grunt both shared a nod. Spyro then charged forward and knocked the gate flat on the ground!

The three of them charged forward into the next area… And right into where the drow were having their address.

"So, um, you guys still ordering pizza?" Chihiro giggled as she teased a strand of hair.

The soldiers in the vicinity proceeded to draw their weapons and brandish them in a circle around the trio!

Chihiro squealed and before she dodged behind a conveniently-placed group of barrels. As she trembled behind the barrels, Chihiro bit her nails while the drow shouted things in a language she couldn't understand. A bright orange light flared against the barrels' side, and Chihiro peeked out to find that Spyro and Gill Grunt gained the drow soldiers' attention! And with that, an epic battle between the many parties unfolded before her eyes! Harpoons and fireballs tossed among the clanking and grinding of metal, the sound of slamming fists and so many more!

Chihiro's eyes sparkled in awe from what she watched, before she shook her head and gained a determined look. Remember the plan, Chihiro, Chihiro thought as her eyes glazed over the scenery. While they take care of the soldiers, you have to find a way to get the propeller.

Chihiro continued to scan the area until the sound of grunting hit hear ears, and she turned around. With the utmost of care, she crept behind the barrels with the lightest of footsteps, the barest of breaths, and a bit less anxiety now that she knew her foes were distracted. As she dodged behind crates and more barrels, her eyes glazed over to the nearby ship—the bridge of which was completely unattended due to the fight! But, however, a more curious sight on it caught her attention next.

There, bound to the ship's mast with coarse, itchy rope was a peculiar-looking person! They had bob-cut, bright blue hair, warm peach skin, fingernails painted a brilliant red and eyes the same color. They wore a bright red sleeveless top and skirt, and a red, oval-shaped jewel planted on their forehead. What was most peculiar about this someone was that instead of legs, a trail of bright bluish-green mist laid under their skirt, and a set of fairy wings of similar color sprouted from their back. Their face etched with a frown as they tried desperately to escape, but nothing they did seemed to work—the ropes were too strong.

As she looked both ways to make sure nobody was watching, Chihiro scrambled on all fours towards the mast. That is, until she ran a few steps too far and stopped in her tracks. As she retraced her steps, Chihiro found herself at the back of the mast, then with an inquisitive look on her face she carefully untied the ropes.

After a few seconds of struggling, the ropes undid themselves and fell into a pile on the floor while the person flew upwards. As they stretched their arms upwards, the person surveyed the battlefield below them and scowled before they clasped their hands together and closed their eyes.

The drow soldiers stuck in place while a mystical blue aura glowed around them, and they lifted into the air! They all screamed and squealed in shock as they spun around like dancers and juggled in mid-air while the winged person giggled.

Chihiro herself couldn't help but laugh at their predicament and watched the show with an amused heart. It was more like she was watching a circus act, like she wasn't even in the heat of the mission!

The drow soldiers fell back down to the floor, and the shock from their fall knocked them unconscious at last.

"Thank you for releasing me, strange, happy traveler!" The winged person said as they flew down to Chihiro's side and curtsied. "At least, I assume it was your doing?"

Chihiro nodded swiftly. Her bangs bounced up and down in the cool autumn air before she looked back at the stranger with sparkling eyes.

"Thank you very kindly for freeing me then, happy traveler!" The stranger held out their hand, "I am Persephone, queen of the fairy kingdom."

Chihiro's eyes kept sparkling as she shook Persephone's hands while Spyro jumped onto the ship's deck.

"There you are, Chihi—PERSEPHONE!" Spyro said before he realized just who stood next to Chihiro. Spyro grinned wide for mere moments, before his eyes popped with realization as he turned around to Chihiro. "Chihiro, this is Persephone, she's one of our allies and—"

"Don't worry, Spy," Chihiro said as she flapped a hand. "Her majesty Persephone already introduced herself!"

"I never caught your name, though~" Persephone injected with a gentle grin.

Chihiro giggled awkwardly, turned away from Spyro and focused her attention on Persephone as she bowed ever-so-slightly. "I am Chihiro Hatsuki, current portal master and protector of Skylands as of yesterday morning. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, your majesty," Chihiro said with all sorts of formality in her voice before she straightened herself back up.

"There's no need to be stiff, you may just call me Persephone." Persephone chuckled and flapped her hand playfully.

Chihiro blushed, and her eyes dodged back and forth as she giggled awkwardly. After all, she had never met an actual queen before! Chihiro darted off to back of the ship and peered over it to see its golden propeller. Just to be absolutely certain, Chihiro bent down, scratched the top of the propeller for a few moments, and sternly examined her hand.

"Yep, that's real gold alright!" Chihiro exclaimed as she bounced back up.

Persephone then flew over to where Chihiro stood and smile before she closed her eyes and lifted her arms up. Possessed by Persephone's magic, the propeller detached itself from the ship and began floating in midair!

Chihiro clapped her hands and bounced in place while Spyro and Gill Grunt joined them where they were. Spyro couldn't help but smile as he gazed over the propeller, which now sparkled in the evening light.

"We'd better call Flynn already and get back to the ruins. Chances are, he'll go wild when he sees this," Spyro said as he looked for Flynn. "Where is he, anyway? I thought he said he'd—"

"You called?" Flynn asked as his balloon flew up to them almost immediately.

"Speak of the devil," Spyro teased with a playful, fanged smile.

Flynn gave them one of his trademark smolders, which then turned to a look of pure, undulated glee when he saw the propeller.

"It's even better in person!" He squealed as he hopped out of the balloon basket and went to examine the machine with sparkling eyes.

"And it's made of real gold, too!" Chihiro exclaimed as she jumped down and gushed over the propeller and her adventure with Flynn for what seemed like the next hour.

Spyro and Gill Grunt, meanwhile, sat there and watched them impatiently for all of the time. They looked up at the darkening sky and realized just what time it was getting to be, and turned back to the chattering crowds.

"You know, instead of gushing about the propeller, maybe we could get back home so we can actually install it?" Spyro reminded sternly.

"Riiiiight, I was getting to that, Spyro buddy," Flynn claimed as he made a goofy smile. "Now, can you guys help me get this thing in the balloon?"

As they heaved the propeller into the basket, Chihiro looked over at Persephone, who watched them from the sidelines.

"Persephone," Chihiro asked, "What were you doing on the ship anyway?"

Persephone's happy smile turned to a look of shock, then to a frown as she sighed a decidedly unhappy sigh.

"It's a very long story, young honorable Chihiro," Persephone said as her eyes turned glassy, "but in short, I was kidnapped."

"Kidnapped?" Chihiro's head tilted as a frown formed on her face.

Persephone nodded as she frowned over to the golden evening skies.

"But, why?" Chihiro asked before she looked back at her feet awkwardly, "I mean, if you're comfortable saying, of course, you don't have to—"

Persephone looked up and cast a swirl of sparkling blue magic.

"Fairy magic has this wonderful ability to increase the abilities of those it is given to. In largest amounts, it could make someone even stronger than Traptanium!" Persephone's frown deepened. "As you could guess, many travelers wish for it, some for happy intentions, others less so,"—Persephone clutched her skirt as tears formed in her eyes—"and Kaos was one of them."

Chihiro quite easily picked up on Persephone's sorrow, and a swirl of emotion formed within her own heart.

"Shortly after the Core's destruction, I was crowned queen of the fairy kingdom! It was a wonderful time, but oh so short." Persephone then looked up at the skies and her tone turned somber. "Kaos came to my home with an army, demanding that we ally ourselves with him and use our magic to power his army."

"And you said no, he didn't like it, and he kidnapped you?"

Chihiro's face turned concerned and upset as Persephone nodded again.

"He took me captive in a fit of rage, and I never saw my kingdom again." Small tears formed in the corners of Persephone's eyes and slid down her plump cheeks. "My sisters could all be suffering, and I wouldn't even know it."

Chihiro was only shocked speechless, her jaw open just a little before she clenched it and furrowed.

"Don't worry, Persephone," Chihiro whispered before she raised her volume to a cry of determination and jumped up while fire burned in her eyes. "I'll set him straight! We'll rebuild the Core of Light and then we're gonna beat him and send him crawling back to where he came from!"

Persephone watched in shock for a few moments, before she made another gentle smile. "Thank you, young honorable one." Persephone chuckled and wiped away her tears.

Chihiro's determined expression turned into another gentle smile to complement Persephone's until she felt something loom over them and turned around to find Spyro facing her.

"Now, what are we waiting for? We've got to get back home!" Chihiro exclaimed as she darted off before Spyro could tell her anything… Then zoomed back to Spyro's side and gave him a sheepish look.

"So, Spyro, what're we doing now?"

Spyro cleared his throat and looked at Chihiro.

"We just finished getting the propeller situated and we need to get back home so we can install it—Flynn says that unfortunately, he left all his tools there," Spyro informed with a formal nod.

"Yeah, that makes sense." Chihiro darted back off and vaulted into the basket of Flynn's balloon. "Last one in's a moldy piece of chicken!"

"Hey, I'm no moldy piece of chicken!" Spyro exclaimed as he jumped in and stood close to Chihiro.

Gill Grunt jumped into the basket next and took a seat next to Flynn, while Persephone floated over and sat next to Chihiro.

"Guess you're the moldy piece of chicken!" Chihiro jested as she poked Persephone on the nose.

"Wait, you mean to say that I am rotten?" Persephone sniffed as her lip quivered.

"No no, I didn't mean it like that! You're a really nice person—er, fairy—I promise! In fact, forget I said anything, no moldy pieces of chicken here!" Chihiro shook her hands back and forth with genuine worry in her brown eyes.

"Very fair then!"

Chihiro breathed a sigh of relief and looked out of the side of the now-airborne basket. The bright reds and oranges of the evening sky had faded to deep blues and purples—a sign of the incoming night.

"Man, this is one awesome propeller!" Flynn exclaimed, his eyes more focused on the propeller than the path itself, "I can't wait to get back and—"

Flynn stopped short because they had just bumped into the side of a tower. The tower crumbled immediately—though luckily, they got out of the way before the wreckage landed.

"Flynn, can you focus on flying the balloon? You can obsess over the propeller when we get back to the island," Spyro complained.

Flynn chuckled and stared back at Spyro. "Sheesh, I'm going! Can't blame a guy for wanting to trick his balloon out.”

He pulled a lever, and bright lights unfolded from the front of the balloon and lighted the way forward with a path of light made in the inky night sky.

"Whatever you say, Flynn, just focus on actually flying it." Spyro grasped the front of the basket with both front paws while he bit his lip and twitched his tail fretfully, almost as if he dreaded the return home.