Back on the Dread-Yacht, the faint rhythm of pounding hammers and the stench of cleaning supplies filled the air as tools laid scattered around the deck, a busy sight to accompany the busyness of its passengers! Everyone around was silent as they patched up broken metal panels, changed out old and long-gone materials with fresh new ones, or even just tossed garbage off the side of the ship and into the unknown. Their work rhythm was steady and unrelenting—that is, until purple light from a forming vortex above drifted across everyone's backs!

Their eyes turned up to the vortex as its purple light grew brighter, and they laid down their tools as a hole formed in its center. The vortex rumbled a bit, and everyone stood back, unsure if they should fight or run or brace themselves...

"WE'RE BACK!" Chihiro cried as she leaped out of the vortex's other side and onto the Dread-Yacht's deck!

The tension dropped as the remaining members of their team followed her down! Those who boarded the Dread-Yacht all grinned as the vortex swirled above them, and with a smile, they pushed their tools aside and swarmed around the vortex.

Flynn grinned as he pulled himself up from the side of the Dread-Yacht, a belt full of tools tied around his waist and oil smeared across his clothes.

"There you are, kiddo!" Flynn remarked as he climbed over the side of the deck. "Didja get the" — Flynn winced as something pulled him back across the deck — "STUFFFFFFFFF?"

Chihiro winced and immediately dashed over to the other side of the deck, but breathed a sigh of relief as she glanced over. Flynn was okay, thankfully—that is, if one would count "dangling over the side of the Dread-Yacht while hanging precariously from a cable attached to its side" okay, but…

"Yep, we did!" Chihiro replied as she pulled Flynn up by his cable. "Well, almost all of it. You can see for yourself!"

A firm thunk sounded off right as Chihiro fished Flynn off from the side of the Dread-Yacht, and all their treasures dumped onto the deck. Everyone else around immediately skittered out of the way before they could get buried, but while they were shocked, Flynn was ecstatic! He dashed over to the pile with all the enthusiasm of a kid in a candy store, and marveled over it as he yanked its contents from the pile!

"Oh, this garland'll be perfect for the side of the ship!" Flynn cried as he pulled out a string of golden star-shaped lights, tossed them aside, and yanked out a shiny gold paint can and the masthead. "And this masthead will go great with a sparkly gold paint job!"

Trigger Happy smirked as he turned towards Chihiro. "Knew he'd like it!"

Flynn let out a sharp gasp as Trigger Happy giggled and nudged! All eyes turned to him, but Flynn didn't particularly care as he unloaded the jukebox like he just discovered buried treasure!

"A JUKEBOX! THE GOOD KIND, TOO!" Flynn squealed as he dashed away and dropped the jukebox aside. "NOW WE CAN FINALLY GET THIS SHOW ON THE ROAD!"

Flynn pressed a few buttons, turned a few knobs, and awaited patiently as static crackled over the jukebox's speakers. Loud rock music played over the speakers, and he gasped with utter glee! While the others just quirked their brows or covered their ears and groaned, Flynn rocked out, air guitar and all!

He was so excited that Chihiro couldn't help but join in. With a couple spare paint cans for drums, Chihiro added a drum sole to the jukebox’s symphony! Flynn and Chihiro jammed together in pure glee, but froze in place as Cali turned off the jukebox and shot them a glare.

"Just what is all this for, anyways?" Cali asked as she turned to Flynn.

"Ah, Cali, don't you know?" Flynn replied. "Music is the most important part of an adventure! You can't have a road trip without a rockin' soundtrack!"

Flynn reached back for the dial, but Cali just slapped his hand away and shot him a glare.

"Well, we can't exactly have a road trip in this state!" Cali exclaimed. "The decorations are nice and fancy, but what about repairs? The sail's barely hanging on, the steering wheel's about ready to pop off, and this whole ship sounds like it'll die every time it starts!" Cali crossed her arms and winced. "And I'm pretty sure I keep hearing weird noises from the engine room…"

Flynn whimpered as he rubbed his head, sighed and hung it. "You're right, Cali, all this fancy stuff can wait for later." Flynn lifted his head and cleared his throat. "Hey, Chihiro, what do we still need?"

"Just the engine and the navigation system!" Chihiro replied as she glazed over the list, frowned and peered over the ship's side as she stowed the list away. "Maybe I didn't go far enough, but I didn't see anything like that here…"

"Something like that wouldn't be here, kiddo!" Flynn rummaged through the pile of trinkets and decorations. "They take all the good stuff to their underground market!" Flynn yanked out a pair of prank glasses with only a single lens, a sparkly cloak, and a top hat from the pile, put them on and tossed a pile of clothes towards Chihiro. "Speaking of, if we're going there, you might wanna put these on… Just in case."

The others all winced and shrugged at each other, but nonetheless yanked goofy hats, strange glasses, and colorful shirts from the pile before donning them. They all looked like technicolor nightmares, from Spyro's neon plaid suit and tie paired with star-shaped glasses, to Gill Grunt's dancer getup, but hey, they were disguises!

Tree Rex frowned as he glazed over the pile, scratched his head and lifted up a tiny, sparkly pink top hat. He popped it onto his horn and grinned as it stood there for all of five seconds, but a single jerk of his head popped it right back off and into the pile once more! A pout crossed his face as it disappeared amid endless seas of sparkly, tacky, colorful fabric and cheap accessories, and he knelt down beside Chihiro.

"I don't think any of that's going to fit us," Tree Rex remarked.

"Eh, I think you'll be fine," Chihiro remarked as she tied her hair into twintails with blue hairbows, popped a golden crown atop her head, and clipped a blue tie with a white chevron attached to a golden heart-shaped brooch onto her mini-jacket. "You've been gone for so long that I don't think anybody would notice anything too amiss!"

Tree Rex frowned, drew back and shrugged. "If you say so."

Flynn hopped up to the pilot's chambers, spun the wheel, and the Dread-Yacht craned around and flew off with a sputter and several hacks of black smoke! The familiar sights of the massive junkyard expanses sank further and further out of view as they dove down lower, while just across the side of the island…

Music played? Yes, peppy, poppy music like the kind of stuff they played in supermarkets combined with the occasional flash of lights, and what sounded like fighting and screaming? Whatever it was, though, it definitely had a bit of a bad air to it.

"Y'know, it's a good thing we're getting a new engine," Flynn remarked as he spun the wheel around. "Because right now, the one we have is just a family of angry raccoons!"

"I knew I heard something weird coming from the engine room!" Cali remarked as she snapped her fingers, blinked rapidly and shot a look towards Flynn. "Wait, angry raccoons?"

"Very angry raccoons, Cali." Flynn hissed through gritted teeth as he steered the Dread-Yacht into the entrance. "In fact, I'm already dreading telling them they're gonna be replaced."

The lights of the outside dimmed as the Dread-Yacht soared through the caverns below, which were perfectly open save for the rocky walls and the large rock sidewalks that carried all sorts of stands and bazaars! Ships, schooners, sky-scooters, and jets all parked on the sides like cars while Skylandians in all shapes, species, and sizes bartered, traded, sold, and argued with the stand keepers. To say nothing of the wares! Fancy paintings and crafts at one stand, shiny crystals, metals and ores at another, potions and charms… There was just so much to look at!

Chihiro gasped with shimmering eyes as she admired the stands, but her face fell. At one stand lied purple chompies, phoenix chicks, and other animals that she was fairly certain were endangered and definitely not to be sold legally; others held strange devices and artifacts that crackled with ominous energy, and… Okay, Chihiro wasn't entirely sure what that stand had, but she was about seventy-five percent certain it was not the kind of stuff you'd find at a decent seller.

"Y'know," Chihiro winced as she drew away from the side of the Dread-Yacht, "I don't know about you all, but this place kinda gives me the creeps."

"You're not the only one," Cali winced as she crossed her arms. "Flynn, are you sure this is a reputable market?"

Flynn just shrugged and grinned. "Eh, it's a decent place as long as you avoid the creeps!"

Flynn swerved in between two jets at such a tight squeeze that it led to him denting the bumper of one jet, but he hardly seemed concerned as he set out the Dread-Yacht's bridge.

"Now, let's get going!"

Flynn whistled a jaunty tune as he stepped down, and side-stepped a brawl over what seemed like a fur coat which was torn to pieces as he grabbed a map from a crate. It was amazing how he could be so nonchalant about a place like this! Just the sight of everything here set every alarm bell in Chihiro's head off!

Chihiro winced, and clung to Spyro as the two of them left the Dread-Yacht. Cali, Gill Grunt, Trigger Happy, Stealth Elf and Tree Rex all quickly followed behind them. They all drew closer to Flynn, but before they could say anything, Tree Rex gasped and yanked the rest of them off the ground!

"Watch out!" Tree Rex cried as he curled around them.

Tree Rex grunted as something exploded and burst into flames behind them, winced, and turned back as two elves bickered over what seemed like the remains of a flame potion behind them. As the flames died, Tree Rex peered down at the others and winced.

"Okay, I think we're in the clear—"

"YOU FILTHY SCALPER! THOSE LIMITED EDITION CAPTAIN SKYLANDS ACTION FIGURES ARE WAY TOO HIGH A PRICE!"

"THIS IS A TOTALLY REASONABLE PRICE FOR A FIGURE THIS LIMITED!"

"THESE PAINTINGS ARE ALL KNOCKOFFS!"

"I DEMAND TO SEE A MANAGER!"

Tree Rex winced as another bundle of firecrackers soared between his horns and exploded nearby. He tucked everyone close to his chest as he scurried and side-stepped the argumentative crowds.

"Actually, I think maybe we should go somewhere else!" Tree Rex cried as he ducked underneath a cavern's mouth and sighed.

As Tree Rex drew to a stop and unfolded his hands, everyone else turned around and glimpsed over the surroundings. Compared to the beginning of the market, these parts were much more sparse; only a handful of shops and maybe a quarter of the patrons stood there now. But, judging by the patrons' irritated looks as they mumbled to themselves and kicked the rocks around, it wasn't any less iffy.

"Hey buddy!" cried one mabu as they walked off. "Your Tree Rex costume needs work!"

Tree Rex's mouth gaped open while the mabu passed him by. "Costume?" Tree Rex gasped as he glazed down at his chest.

Chihiro chuckled to herself, slid over Tree Rex's hands and prepared to drop down—but just before she jumped off, she froze. Was that rumbling she heard in the distance? Chihiro cocked a brow as she climbed back into Tree Rex's palms, she summoned a magic telescope and peered ahead.

The sound of screams pierced the air as a bear dressed in a fancy suit dashed down the halls! His monocle bounced against his chest while his fur stood on end, and he was all sorts of disoriented as an angry crowd bit at his heels! Wait a second, that bear seemed familiar! Where had she seen—wait…

"That's the bear who sold me those paint cans!" Chihiro cried as she stowed away her telescope. "But why's he being chased?"

"I ASSURE YOU!" the bear cried as he turned around and faced the crowds. "My prices are perfectly reasonable! Was giving you a one-percent discount not enough?"

"NO!" the crowd cried! A few particularly angry customers grabbed rotten tomatoes and bananas from their pockets, and beaned them at the bear as they sprung forward. "WE WANT OUR MONEY BACK!"

The clouds of dust turned to a near-dust storm as the crowd's speed picked up! Their fury transformed the clouds into a roaring dragon as they stormed forward and sprung for the bear, all while they pelted him with whatever rotting produce they could get their hands on! Man, his deals must have been really bad…

"SAVE YOURSELVES!" the bear cried as he dove for cover!

But while he managed to get to safety, Tree Rex wasn't so lucky! The crowd descended upon him as the whole area devolved into utter chaos, and completely threw him off balance as they rumbled the area! Tree Rex grunted as he tried to regain his footing, but before he knew it, the crowd swept him off his feet and tossed him towards the ceiling!

"Owch!" Tree Rex cried as his head slammed into the cavern's rocky ceiling! He grunted as he fell back down with a thud, pushed himself back up and unfolded his hands. "Is everyone alright?"

Everyone else groaned from within the safety of Tree Rex's palms, eyes spinning around on their heads and bodies slunk against his fingers. They were alive, but with how dizzy and disoriented they were, it certainly didn't feel like it!

"I think so?" Chihiro groaned as she pushed herself up. With a shake of her head, Chihiro regained her consciousness, pushed her fake crown back onto her head, but screamed and ducked as a magic blast shot just inches away from her head! Chihiro gritted her teeth, whipped around and shook a fist. "Hey, watch where you're slinging your spells!"

Whoever nearly shot Chihiro didn't seem to particularly care, for they were more interested in the spat that occurred! In the heart of the cavern halls, the angry crowd that chased after the bear moments earlier apparently decided to settle for fighting each other instead. Insults and curses flew about along with fireballs, fruit, and fizzling fuzzballs! Beings flew into the walls and broke stalls with a single smash, the walls caved as large spells broke holes into them, smolders and smoke grew so intense that it watered all eyes and sent beings into coughing fits as they fought! The market itself was gone, and it replaced itself with a massive battlefield that held only vague resemblance to what it used to be!

"Crap, this is bad!" Chihiro cried. "We've gotta get out of here!"

Well, there was one tiny problem with that—they were all caught in the middle of the fight! Tree Rex was in the eye of the storm, kept in the center of the raging ring of fighters as he clung to everyone who sat in his hands. He stumbled backwards and forwards as he tried to dodge blows, all while his eyes jumped from place to place in search of sanctuary. Alas, there was no escape to be found, for every angle was boarded off by angry patrons! Tree Rex's eyes popped wide as the sound of torrenting water sounded from beside him; he ducked, staggered back up, and sighed with relief as a blast of water passed him by. As he did, a bright yellow light shone on his face and popped those eyes of his back open! A bright fireball came his way courtesy of a very angry red dragon, and it came in fast!

Tree Rex immediately went to blast it down, but Chihiro cast up a shield and neutralized it midway through before he could! While both the shield and fireball disappeared in a shower of embers and sparkles, Chihiro turned aside and gasped. She hopped off of Tree Rex's hand, levitated down, and jabbed a finger towards a large opening masked almost entirely by darkness!

"Hey, I think I found a way out!" Chihiro cried as she turned back to Tree Rex. "Just follow me!"

Chihiro bolted forward, but as she did, an angry elf jumped in front of her and thrust a spear in her face!

"You, you looked at me funny!" the elf proclaimed as she pressed the spear's blades just inches away from Chihiro’s nose. "Die!"

The elf screamed as she immediately went to slice Chihiro open, but Chihiro immediately jumped backwards and clapped her hands. An electric fan made entirely of magic manifested beside her, and with a simple snap of her fingers, it flipped on and sent a massive breeze through the tunnels! The elf and her spear went flying down the tunnels, and the fan itself disappeared in a pop of sparkles!

"Quickly!" Chihiro cried as she dashed into the safety of the tunnels!

The sound of pounding footsteps indicated Tree Rex behind her, but Chihiro's eyes fixed on the road ahead as she bolted through the darkness. The sound of the raging, angry crowds grew more and more distant to her ears. Light peered out from the tunnel and Chihiro drew to a stop.

"I think… I think…" Chihiro panted as she fell to her knees, "I think we're safe." Chihiro craned her head up to Tree Rex while he stopped beside her. "Hey, Flynn, where were we supposed to go?"

Flynn hummed up in the safety of Tree Rex's hands, unfurled the map and narrowed his eyes. The light pouring from the tunnel's end his sole lamp as he scanned the map over, and he grinned as he rolled it back up!

"Actually, this is right where we need to be!" Flynn cried as he tucked the map into his pocket. "Just keep going straight ahead, Cheerio!"

Chihiro nodded as she bolted right into the open mouth ahead.