"WOAH!"

The group gasped as they stumbled out of the portal and found themselves at the beach.

"What happened...?" Zeg groaned.

"Where are we?" Starla asked, looking around.

"Right near the underwater kingdom of the sirens and mermaids!" Pickle exclaimed, his wand twirling as he spun, causing him shift form and turn into his fairy self, large pale green wings, bubbly light green hair and a glowing flower bracelet.

"Whoa... Pickle, this explains why you're so good with magic!" AJ realized.

"Yep!" Pickle giggled. "Now, time to lead you to the treasure!"

"Where is it exactly?" Sparkle asked. "And... you knew where the treasure is the whole time?"

"Yep, I did!" Pickle nodded. "And it's underwater!"

"Underwater?" AJ asked. "How are we gonna go down there?"

"Magic, silly!" Pickle grinned and waved his wand. "Bubble, with flair, Float up with air!"

His wand soon released magical bubbles that floated towards the group. They all glanced down at it as they took it in their hands.

"What are we supposed to do with these?" Darington asked.

"Well, for you, Darington, you don't really need it because you're already dead," Pickle shrugged.

"Touché," Darington rolled his eyes.

"As for the others, the bubbles will let you breathe oxygen even when we're underwater!" Pickle beamed.

"Wow, Pickle! This is amazing!" Blaze said, putting the bubble on his head.

"Come on!" AJ beckoned. "We have to hurry!"

"Hang on there, fellas," Starla interrupted. "Why doesn't Crusher have one?"

"Don't need one," Crusher smirked and took out a shell necklace from his chassis bag to place it on. "Shell in hand, to water from land!"

He then jumped into the water, his form shifting magically until the group could only see a splash of a spiky tail going down the water.

"What in the world?" the group's jaws dropped.

Pickle giggled. "Oh yeah, did we forget to mention? Crusher's a siren,"

"Well, I didn't see that coming," Starla muttered.

"Let's just hurry and get that treasure before Speedrick does!" Blaze urged.

The group all dove into the water with a splash. They gasped as the water around them was not of blue but of aquamarine with a hint of purple while the seaweeds glowed yellow and the corals all rainbow.

"It's... more beautiful than anything I've ever seen!" Blaze said. "In fact, this is nothing like I've seen!"

"Yeah, this place sure is something," They all turned to see Crusher swim towards them, skin light blue, hair midnight blue, and eyes of gold while his tail was purple and sky blue with a hint of gold.

"Whoa... you look amazing!" AJ exclaimed.

"Eh," Crusher shrugged and swam off. "Come on, Pickle, lead the way to whatever it is we need,"

"Okie!" Pickle beamed and began swimming forward. "This way, everyone!"

They all swam after the fairy through the water. As they did, Blaze noticed Crusher falling behind and barely swimming at all. He frowned and swam over to Pickle.

"Hey, Pickle, what's up with Crusher?"

"Hmm?" Pickle turned to him. "Oh, it's nothing, just... he just doesn't like it down here, that's all,"

"Why? It's so beautiful! If I was a siren, I'd definitely love it."

"He doesn't have good memories here," Pickle sighed. "He doesn't want full details on what happened, but... you know his singing voice is terrible, right?"

"Yeah...?"

"Yeah, he gets mocked by it. As a siren, he should have a beautiful voice, like the others, but... he doesn't so... yeah,"

Blaze's face fell-- he remembered his mother reading about sirens, and how beautiful their voices were.

He couldn't imagine Crusher not having that gift.

"Oh..."

"Yeah..." Pickle nodded. "His Grammy... uh, took him out of the water, and he's lived with us up in the surface, so he doesn't have to face any... mockery,"

"I understand... it makes me feel sorry for him, though," Blaze sighed. "I wish there was something I could do."

"You can keep quiet," Pickle said. "He doesn't like that to be brought up over and over again,"

"It's safe with me." Blaze assured him.

"Great!" Pickle beamed and swam ahead. "Come on, guys! To the vault!"

"Wait, 'vault'?!" Crusher stopped swimming. "Pickle--"

"Sorry, Crusher, but the treasure was in the vault, last time I know," Pickle told him. "We HAVE to go,"

"But... oh... okay..."

Crusher grumbled and crossed his arms with a growl. The others were confused by the reaction.

"Let's not talk about it now," Pickle said. "We need to hurry before Speedrick tracks us down."

As they swam toward the city, a sudden thought hit Blaze... and he instantly feared the worst.

"Oh no..."

"Blaze?" AJ turned to him. "What's wrong?"

"Remember how Mom and Dad said they would hold Speedrick off?" he asked, pulling his best friend closer.

"Yeah...? What about it?"

"Well... I don't want Sparkle to worry, but... what if they were turned to stone before Speedrick found us...?"

"Oh no!" AJ gasped.

Tears started trickling down Blaze's face, but he didn't bother wiping them away. "And from what I've heard, a Medusa's spell can't be broken. So... if they are stone..."

"Don't worry, Blaze, we'll find a way to reverse it," AJ assured him. "Promise,"

"Thanks... come on. Let's catch up."

They all managed to make it to the city of the kingdom. Pickle, however, didn't go straight ahead and swerved to go around the city, much the others' confusion.

"Where are you going?" Sparkle asked.

"Sirens aren't the friendliest to... other monsters," Pickle told them. "Best to avoid them and not steer up any trouble,"

"Right." Blaze nodded in understanding.

They all swam after the fairy as fast as they could. Crusher glanced over at the city before shuddering and swimming ahead to catch up. Going around the city was longer than going straight forward, but they managed to go far enough to see a huge building made of gold.

"Is that it?" Watts asked.

"This place is more than it seems," Crusher grimaced.

"Yep, this place is called the Vault of Treasures," Pickle said. "Inside are the most powerful treasures imaginable!"

"So, what we're looking for is in there?" AJ asked

Pickle answered them with a smile before swimming inside without a warning. He took out his wand and blasted the door, destroying it and leaving it wide open.

"Let's go before we're spotted."

The others nodded and swam inside. Crusher sighed and swam to Pickle, grabbing his arm.

"Pickle, you know how much I hate this place..."

"I know," Pickle smiled and kissed his cheek. "but you also need to see the truth,"

"The truth? What do you...?"

"Shush," Pickle shook his head and took his hand. "Just trust me,"

"Alright," Crusher sighed and nodded with a smile. "I trust you,"

Pickle beamed before they both swam off after the others, who were in the middle of the vault and looking very lost.

"Well... where is this treasure anyway?" Darington asked.

"Follow me!" Pickle told them as he swam ahead. "Come on!"

The others all nodded and swam after the fairy, going through the vault's surprisingly dark halls. The outside of the building might have been gold, but the inside was a horror house, each room looking like a dungeon as they swam through.

"Yeesh... are sirens as dark and mysterious as this place?" Gabby groaned.

"Yes," Crusher grumbled as he himself shuddered.

"How much farther, Pickle?" Stripes asked.

"Just down this way!" Pickle replied.

As the swam further and further into the vault, Crusher began to recognize the halls by memory, his eyes widening as he began to hyperventilate.

"Pickle--" he swam quickly to the fairy's side. "Pickle, w-why are we going... t-through here...?"

"Crusher, it's okay," Pickle assured him. "No one's here anyway,"

"But still! Why here?!"

Everyone glanced at the duo as they argued, confused.

"Uh, guys?" Blaze asked. "What's going on?"

Pickle glanced back at him but didn't say anything and kept swimming forward. They soon made it to the end of the vault, where a sealed room was standing in front of them.

"What is this place...?" Sparkle asked.

"This... This is..." Crusher gulped and swam back from the room, his eyes wide and his body trembling in fear.

"Crusher...?" Blaze stared over at his rival in confusion. "Crusher, what's wrong?"

"Blaze, this is a normal reaction," Pickle told him as he used his wand to unseal the room.

"How?!" Darington questioned.

Pickle shrugged and opened the door to the room. The group all exchanged worried glances as they swam inside.

The inside of the room was all dark. No windows, no openings whatsoever. On the floor were broken, golden handcuffs and chains. The rest of the room, however, was a empty.

"W-What is this...?" AJ asked

"You guys told me to lead you to where the treasure was," Pickle hummed. "So I did!"

"But, there's nothin' here," Starla explained.

"Well, I did say 'was',"

"Wait, 'was'?" Blaze turned to him. "Pickle, where is the treasure?"

Pickle shrugged and smiled. Crusher, on the other hand, was looking horrified at the sight of the chains as he backed up from the room, hyperventilating more as he glanced all around the room.

"Crusher, it's okay," AJ said soothingly. "Whatever it is, nothing's gonna hurt you."

"The... The chains..." Crusher grasped onto the doorway. "Pickle... why didn't you...? How...?"

"Sorry, sweetie, but I didn't know how to tell you," Pickle sighed and avoided eye contact, guilty.

"What?" the group looked very confused by now.

"Pickle, does this room and Crusher have anything to do with the Treasure of Destruction?" Watts asked.

"Yes," Pickle sighed and picked up the chains. "Let me show you guys what I mean,"

He turned to Crusher and swam to him. Crusher's gaze went to the chains, and he backed up in horror and fright.

"It's okay," Pickle assured him. "I won't let anything happen to you—"

"NO!" Crusher shook his head. "PICKLE, STOP! STOOOP!"

At his shriek, his necklace and eyes glowed simultaneously before it released a blast of magic that send them all back. Suddenly, all the walls of the vault began to crack and crumble, causing the building to shake.

"Swim for it!!"

They group all swam out of the vault as fast as they could. Pickle dropped the chains and grabbed Crusher before swimming after them all. Finally, they managed to make it out of the vault before it crumbled and fell to the sea floor.

"What... what just happen?!" Zeg cried

"Crusher's shriek… it… it destroyed the building!" Darington gasped.

"That means…" Blaze finally placed all the pieces together before he let out a gasp. "The Treasure of Destruction!"

"What about it, Blaze?" Sparkle asked.

"It's Crusher!" Blaze told them. "HE is the Treasure of Destruction!"

"Pickle... how long have you known?" Gabby asked.

"Since… before," Pickle sighed as he held Crusher, who had fainted during the escape. "I… My Family was the one in charge of watching over him when Grammy saved him from the vault,"

"So... he was locked in there like some... wild animal?" Stripes gasped. "What about his parents? Didn't they do anything?"

"His parents were killed, so the kingdom could have the rights to keep Crusher in the vault," Pickle replied.

"Oh man..." Darington whispered.

"So... Speedrick's not been after an object, but Crusher the entire time!" Blaze realized. "We need to keep Crusher safe at all costs!"

"Too late!"