That night, the circus was partly quiet. The trucks had brought in plenty of sea creatures, that whimpered and struggled in their tanks.

"Shh, shh, it's okay," Crusher told them.

"They're all scared, Crusher," Pickle spoke.

"I know, I know..." Crusher sighed. "I am too,"

"What do we do...?" Pickle sniffled.

"Uh... lemme think..." Crusher looked around before finding a key next to their tank.

"If you can grab that key with your tentacle, maybe we can unlock this thing!"

"I can try..."

Pickle slowly swam to the top of the tank, which their 'master' left opened for some strange reason. He slipped his tentacle out of the start and reached out of the key.

"Almost... got it!" He grabbed the key and held it out towards the padlock. "Now let me just…"

He took out another tentacle to help him hold the padlock while he unlocked it with the key. Crusher hissed, worried as he watched his friend free them.

"Come on, Pickle, you can do it…"

CLICK!

"Yes!" Pickle cheered/whispered as he unlocked the tank.

"Wait... we probably need to disguise ourselves!" Crusher cried.

"Good call!"

Pickle waved his hands together before spreading the magic towards both of them. They were lifted out of the tank and set down on the ground, forms changing into trucks of dark blue and emerald green.

"Wow... nice! Okay, now we need to set our animal friends free!" Crusher exclaimed.

They headed to the tanks and unlocked used their bigger, stringer truck forms to carry their tanks. One by one, they headed to the nearby dock and set the animals free into the sea.

"Come on, let's leave before they notice we're all gone!" Crusher suggested.

Just as they were about to jump in with their friends, a voice from the tent snarled through the air.

"THEY'RE GONE?!"

"Let's get outta here! Quick, toward those trees!" Pickle cried.

They told their friends to go then they zipped towards the trees immediately. They peaked out to see the boss appear with his henchmen, frustrated as he saw the sea creatures leave.

"DRAT!! They all got away!"

"What do we do now, boss?"

"Find more and CAPTURE them!" the boss growled. "We need animals to lead the circus, after all,"

"Yes, boss!"

Crusher and Pickle sighed in relief as they watched the trucks leave, making their way further to the dock.

"I guess we need to stay in these forms for a while, just until we know we'll be safe." Crusher murmured.

"Yep," Pickle nodded.

They let out another sigh before heading off, further into the land until they reached a city. It was bustling with other trucks, driving forward and back as they did their own business.

"Well... welcome to our home away from home..." Crusher winced.

Pickle frowned as they drove to an alley for some alone time. As soon as they were alone, he turned to him.

"You okay?"

"No..." Crusher sniffled his tears. "I… I miss home… and Mom… and Dad… and my sister and brother… I miss them all…!"

"It's okay..." Pickle soothed gently. "We'll go home soon."

"When...? And how...?"

"I don't know that part, but... we'll try and find a way. I promise."

Pickle held him in a hug. Crusher returned it, tears strolling down his cheeks as he did so.

They were going to be okay.

They were going to find a way home.

No one was going to stop them from doing so.

X

"They're MISSING?!" Queen Krisha of the kingdom of Mermadia gasped in horror.

"We couldn't find them anywhere, Mom!" Glacier said with a nod.

"The only thing we saw where they were playing was the boat up there!" Dynama added.

"Guards, search the kingdom! Search the cove! Search... EVERYWHERE!" King Calvin roared out. "Find my youngest! Find them BOTH!"

"Yes, sire!"

The guards gave a bow and swam off. Dynama hissed.

"It's my fault," she sighed. "I was suppose to look after them... and I lost them..."

"Dynama, it was an honest mistake," her mother said softly. "We'll find them, I promise,"

"Maybe we should join the search," Glacier offered.

"O-Okay..." Dynama agreed with a nod.

X

Back in the city, Crusher shuddered as he and Pickle took shelter under a large piece of cardboard while the rain poured from the sky.

"I'm so c-c-cold..."

"M-Me too..." Pickle snuggled up against the other. "Cold... and hungry..."

"Ooh!"

The duo turned to see a green truck, similar looking to Pickle but a little bigger, with orange hair and freckles on her face. She glanced down at them with a frown.

"Are you okay?"

Pickle whimpered and went closer to Crusher, afraid that the truck was going to hurt them like the last one. Crusher gulped.

"Wh-Who are you...?"

"My name is Frilly!" the truck greeted with a smile. "You both look cold! Where are your parents?"

"We... we're lost..." Crusher said. "We were taken from our parents and we have no idea how to go home..."

"Aww, that's too bad," Frilly frowned before beaming. "Ooh! Do you wanna stay with me and my family?! We've got plenty of room!"

"Well... if you wouldn't mind..." Crusher glanced down, hesitant.

"I'm sure Grandpa won't mind!" Frilly smiled before turning. "HEY, TILLIE, LOOK WHAT I FOUND!!"

"What is it, Frilly?" a green truck with dark blue hair in a ponytail drove towards them. "Oh! Who are they, Frilly...?"

"This is... uh..." Frilly gave it a thought. "Uh..."

"C-Crusher," Crusher spoke up, still a little wary. "And... And this is Pickle,"

"Hello..." Pickle waved.

"They were kidnapped and lost out here in the rain!" Frilly told her sister. "So I offered for them to stay with us!"

"Oh! Grandpa will love that idea!" Tillie beamed. "Come on, let's take them to him!"

Gently, they helped the duo up and helped them out of the alley way. They soon made it to an apartment. Tillie opened it to be met by two more green trucks, one blonde and one brunette, both of them in ponytails as they greeted their sisters.

"Tillie! Frilly!"

"Hey, Lily! Hey, Millie!" Frilly greeted.

"Awww... who are these sweeties?" Lily asked, beaming at the sight of Crusher and Pickle.

"This is Crusher and Pickle!" Frilly replied.

"Um... hi..." The duo shyly waved.

"Aww, they're so cute!!" Millie cooed. "But wait, do their parents know that they're here?"

"We're lost..." Pickle whimpered.

"Lost?" Lily frowned and hugged the duo. "Aww, that's a shame,"

"That's why we wanted them to stay with us until their parents find them!" Frilly told their sisters.

"Great idea!" Millie agreed.

"Grandpa! Grandpa!" Lily called out.

"Yes, dears?" Grandpa came out from the kitchen and stared down at the duo. "Oh my. Who are these little ones?"

"This is Crusher and Pickle!" Tillie introduced. "They were kidnapped and lost, so they need a place to stay!"

"Yeah!" Frilly nodded. "Can they stay here, Grandpa?!"

"Of course they can," Grandpa smiled. "Welcome to our family, little ones."

"W-We can stay...?" Pickle gasped. "Yay!" His stomach suddenly grumbled, and he gulped. "Um... can we have something to eat, too...?"

"Of course. Follow me."

Grandpa led them to the kitchen. He set a plate down, and the duo paled at the sight of the fried fish in front of them.

"What's the matter?" Grandpa frowned.

"Uh..." Crusher gulped. "I... we... um..."

"We... don't like eating fish," Pickle nervously spoke. "It makes us... uneasy,"

"Oh, I see," Grandpa nodded. "Well... how about a salad instead?"

"Sea weed salad?" Crusher asked.

"Well, no," Tillie brought out the salad from the fridge. "Fruit salad!"

"Well... I guess we can try it."

Crusher and Pickle got a spoon and took one bite. Pickle gasped, eyes widening in amazement.

"Wow! This is great!"

"Delicious!" Crusher licked his lips.

"Aww, thanks!" Tillie giggled. "Grandpa helped me make it!"

"Hey, I just realized!" Lily squealed. "Pickle looks just like us!"

"I... do?" Pickle blinked in surprise.

"Yeah!" Millie gasped. "With the pickle bumps and everything!"

"Hey... maybe he and Crusher can be our brothers!" Frilly suggested.

"R-Really?! We can?!" Pickle's eyes lit up.

"Only if you want to." Grandpa spoke.

"Yes, yes, YES!!" Pickle squealed. "What do you think, Crusher?!"

"Well... since we've got nowhere else to go..." Crusher smiled and nodded. "Sure,"

"YAY!!!"

"Welcome to the family, brothers!" Frilly screeched happily.

"Thanks!" Pickle giggled. "I think we're gonna like being part of this family!"

Crusher gave a smile as their new sisters gathered to hug them. As soon was dinner was finished, Tillie escorted them to their new rooms.

"Here!" she motioned to the two rooms. "Make yourself at home, new brothers!"

"Thank you!" Pickle waved their new sister off.

As soon as she was gone, Crusher sighed and stared at the door.

"You okay?" Pickle frowned.

"I..." Crusher sighed. "I just miss Mom, Dad and my siblings more now. I... I don't mind being in a new family, but... what if they're missing me...? Do you think they're missing me as much as I do...?"

"Of course they miss you," PIckle hugged the other. "This is just... so the feeling of family isn't forgotten,"

"I... I guess," Crusher smiled. "How long do you think we'll be here...?"

"I don't know... but we might as well make the best of it," Pickle returned the smile.

"You're right," Crusher chuckled. "Come on, I think it's time we rest,"

X

"Seen any sign of where they could've gone?" Glacier asked, glancing around the cove.

"No... not a trace of them!" Dynama was starting to sob. "We NEED to find them! We just HAVE to!"

"Hey, hey, it's okay!" Glacier soothed. "It may take us a while, but we WILL find them, sis. I promise."

Suddenly, dolphin noises came from afar, and the twins turned to see a green dolphin with a gem on it's forehead making his way to them.

"A gem dolphin!" Dynama gasped and swam to him.

Glacier swam to him too. His eyes widened at the whip marking on the dolphin's skin.

"What happened to you, buddy?"

The dolphin let out a few noises and pointed to where he came from. Glacier stiffened.

"A... An aquatic circus...?"

The dolphin nodded and let out a whimper.

"Did you see Crusher and Pickle? We can't find them anywhere!" Dynama cried.

The dolphin nodded and also pointed to the direction he came from, causing the twins to stiffen.

"They... They were at the circus too...?"

The dolphin whimpered and gave a nod in response.

"W-Were they able to get away...?" Dynama stammered.

The dolphin couldn't reply, unsure on how to reply.

"Oh.. oh... oh, Glacier!!!" Dynama burst into tears.

"I-It will be okay... maybe they did escape. Let's keep looking." Glacier assured her, wrapping his arms around his sister.

"O-Okay…" Dynama nodded.

Glacier smiled then turned to the dolphin. "Can you lead us to where you were taken to?"

The dolphin nodded and led the twins off through the coves and corals.

"Follow him!"

And so they followed the dolphin in search of their little brother.