AN: King Dedede's Theme cover by RecD.
Dread-Yacht (Afternoon)
'I wonder how Yang and the others are handling things back home.' Dominic thought to himself as he leaned on the edge of the deck. 'Everyone probably thinks I'm dead. Not like I blame them, since I did technically die. I just hope they're doing well while I'm gone. '
"Hey, get up here!" Flynn said. Dominic, Spyro, and Trigger Happy joined him at the helm. "Alrighty, looks like we've just about reached our destination. You ready to go find this Hermit fella?"
"Yeah. It's starting to feel a bit cramped." Dominic said, stretching his arms.
"Alrighty then!" Flynn said. "Course, we'll need to take that dinghy to get down to the surface. It's a bit of a tight fit, but we're all friends here, right?"
Village (Afternoon)
"So, this is the town that Hermit supposedly lives in." Flynn said as the dinghy flew over the island.
"Does anybody think it's odd that a Hermit would live in a town?" Cali asked.
"I try not to pry into people's personal lives." Dominic said, lying through his teeth.
"Well, I'd stop and ask someone for you but they don't look too friendly." Flynn said. Down below, two Drow Lance Masters were fighting, with an audience of Cyclopses and a Goliath Drow watching them. "Think I'm gonna set her down somewhere a little quieter." The dinghy was led to a secluded part of the island before landing. "Tell ya what. This place looks like it might be more your kind of scene. We'll meet up with you when you find the Hermit."
"Sounds like a plan." Spyro said, flying up to a Locked Gate.
"Well, since it's just us, I have to ask. What's with the golden guns?" Dominic asked Trigger Happy, curious about the gremlin's weapons.
"Homemade! Pow, pow, pow!" Trigger Happy said, seemingly proud of his handiwork.
"I can sympathize." Dominic said as they battled their way through a group of Chompies and an Armored Lance Master. "I used to have my own weapon. A sword made of a super rare crystal that couldn't be broken. Unfortunately, I lost it before being dropped in Skylands." Memories of crafting Scarlet Showstopper echo through the blonde's mind as he absentmindedly incinerated a Chompy. And a vase. And the stone wall behind the vase.
"Hey guys!" Spyro said from the air, landing next to his teammates. "I found the Key for this gate."
After opening the gate, the trio was met with two Armored Lance Masters harassing a Mabu boy. Floating above them was a Life Spell Punk.
'Why does that thing piss me off already?' Dominic wondered as the battle started. As it turned out, Life Spell Punks could heal their allies, making for a frustrating fight. Thankfully, Trigger Happy sniped it before it could revive the Armored Lance Masters, which were dispatched by Dominic and Spyro's flame attacks. "Take care, kid." the blonde said to the Mabu child, who waved as the group left.
After solving a Block Puzzle and defeating two Drow Archers, the Skylanders found themselves in a small arena. Four Armored Lance Masters and a Drow Archer surrounded the group before being swiftly dealt with.
"Well, well, lookit what we have here!" a Goliath Drow said from the top of the arena wall. "A SKYLANDER! Are you lost or something? WRONG ANSWER, PAL!"
'We didn't even say anything.' Dominic and Spyro thought to themselves in unison.
"I'm Brock! And you're in BROCK'S TOWN now!" Brock loudly proclaimed. "Boys, give these Skylanders a warm welcome!" Several Drow Lance Masters and Armored Lance Masters jumped down from the wall, challenging the group. Just like before, every enemy was eliminated. However, the Skylanders sustained a bit of damage from the onslaught. "Think you can beat Brock that easy?! WRONG! Brock's holding all the cards! And Brock knows WHO you're looking for! If you want that crazy old Hermit, come get him!" Brock left the area after that, and the Gate to the next room opened.
The gang split up to locate the two Keys needed for the Locked Gate. For some reason, one of them was inside someone's house. The following room had the Skylanders participate in a Sphere Puzzle, where they needed to reach a specific point before time ran out. After that was a Battle Gate guarded by a team of four Drow Archers and a Life Spell Punk. Remembering the last one, Dominic rushed forward and blasted the Spell Punk into oblivion. Once the Gate opened, the trio walked out onto a bridge that led to a larger arena than the one they met Brock at. For some reason, Dominic felt an urge to get there as soon as possible.
"Think you can follow Brock that easy?!" the Goliath Drow shouted. "WRONG!" Brock laughed as he slammed his fist into the bridge, breaking it into pieces. The Skylanders fell to the area below as the green-skinned warrior went back to the arena.
After finding some food and healing, the trio solved a Block Puzzle followed by a Battle Gate guarded by three Drow Archers and two Chompy Pods. Trigger Happy shot down the elven bowslingers while Dominic and Spyro blazed through the Chompies and Chompy Pods. Once the last Chompy was reduced to ashes, the Gate opened.
'Here we go.' Dominic thought to himself as he and the others made their way to the arena.
The audience was cheering at the presence of the Skylanders. "Pipe down, all a yas." Brock said. "Brock promised you entertainment, and here it is: Three Skylanders! Ready to fight in the arena! Are you not entertained?" The crowd yelled louder. "Good answer! And don't forget the crazy old Hermit who Brock used as bait!"
"Uh, hullo there?" the Hermit said from behind a set of wooden bars.
"Now, let's MAKE WITH the MAYHEM!" Brock shouted, raising his fist into the air.
First, a wave of Chompies flooded the arena. Each one went down in a single attack. After that, a team of four Drow Lance Masters jumped into the ring. Spyro's horns made short work of them.
"Oh well lookee here." Brock said. "Somebody thinks they're pretty tough. Well, we're just getting started! Round two!"
In addition to a horde of Chompies, the center of the arena was now on fire. Humorously, the green enemies offed themselves by running into the flames. Drow Lance Masters, Drow Archers, and Life Spell Punks attacked from all sides. While Dominic and Spyro defended themselves, unable to find an opening, Trigger Happy took all of them out at once with a Golden Yamato Blast.
"Remind me not to get on your bad side." Dominic remarked, astonished by the sheer power that attack gave off.
"Ooooh, it appears the Skylanders have defeated all our gladiators, except BROCK!" Brock shouted. He leapt off his platform and landed in the arena. Now that he wasn't standing in front of it anymore, the Skylanders could clearly see something none of them expected to see. Chained to the wall was Scarlet Showstopper, in all its resplendent glory.
"Why do you have that?" Dominic asked, seething. The ground below him started to melt as his internal flame burned white-hot.
"This old thing?" Brock asked, turning back to the sword. "It fell from the sky this morning. Stupid thing was too hot to hold, so I chained it up as a trophy!"
"Spyro, Trigger Happy. Leave the arena." Dominic told his allies.
"What are you planning?" the dragon asked.
"I don't know, but it won't be safe if you remain near me." the blonde said, his left eye alight. Spyro and Trigger Happy left the arena, leaving Dominic and Brock alone in the ring. "Now then, I believe you have something that belongs to me." Dominic raised his hand. Like magic, his sword returned to him, melting through the chains it was trapped in.
"How are you holding that thing?" Brock asked, surprised that a child would be able to wield something that hot.
"Because I'm the guy who made it." Dominic responded, rushing toward his opponent.
"Let's brawl! You and me, punk! Better give it your all, if you think you can defeat me!"
Dominic started with a diagonal slash to Brock's torso, then followed with another slash at his ankles. The Goliath Drow retaliated by swinging his fist downward, only for Dominic to evade the attack. The blonde then fired off three Sword Beams. Smirking, Brock covered his face with his arms and ran into the Sword Beams, shattering the crescent-shaped attacks like glass.
"You're in for quite a treat, and also for a stomping, crushing, defeat!"
Brock's Rush attack hit Dominic head-on, sending the boy crashing into the edge of the stadium. 'Okay, so he can just make himself invincible. Wish I knew that two minutes ago.' the boy mentally griped. 'But I bet he can't get away from this!' The ground shifted as stone spikes erupted from the arena, limiting Brock's movement. Now that the Drow couldn't escape, Dominic willed dozens of fireballs to appear in the air. They were all launched at Brock, dealing immense damage.
"Take that! I can fight too! Years of training have made me better at it than you!"
The Goliath Drow shook off the pain and charged once more at his opponent, unintentionally positioning himself over the Stage Hazard. Seeing this, Dominic thought up a new plan of attack. He axe-kicked the ground, causing the flames beneath the arena to burst out of the Stage Hazard, greatly damaging Brock and sending him flying into the air. When he landed, he unconsciously took a step back. The boy he was fighting was far stronger than any opponent he'd ever faced before.
"What's that? Running away? Well, no can do, so you're stuck! No luck! You'll stay!"
Dominic snapped his fingers, causing a wall of flames to surround the arena. Brock watched as the blonde slowly approached, a sickening grin on his face as he dragged his weapon across the ground. In a single breath, the boy raised his blade and brought it down, firing a Sword Beam that struck Brock's chest. While the Goliath Drow staggered, Dominic lunged forward and prepared for an upward slash.
"Don't whine and cry, this match is perfectly unfair! You're a punching bag and I've got moves to spare! This fighting ring is where a king can fight and thrive! So say your final prayers cause you ain't leaving alive! Bow to the might of the Mountain King, for his victory quickly draws near! Through the fiercest ferocity, witness atrocities live right here!"
With a final slash, Brock's HP reached zero and he fell backwards, defeated. "Brock just wanted to be liked." he said, out of breath. "Thought the Skylanders would make the crowd happy. Was that wrong? I don't think it is." After that, he passed out. Upon his defeat, the cage holding Ermit opened.
"WRONG ANSWER!" the Hermit shouted, kicking Brock's unconscious body. He then turned to face Dominic. "I tell you, it was the clouds that sold me out. Cause of what I saw. You don't look much like a cloud, but you never can tell. Clouds are crafty."
"Don't worry. If I had an ounce of gaseous matter in my body, I'd know." the blonde said.
"Name's Ermit. Thanks, whoever you are." Ermit said. "Er, you don't happen to have a way of this island, do you?"
"As a matter of fact, I do." Dominic said with a smile as Spyro and Trigger Happy reentered the arena.
UP NEXT: Cutthroat Carnival
"One of the stranger Molekin traditions is to enter a neighbors home by way of the chimney, completely unannounced, and yell "Mole Drop!". At that point, the inhabitant would then give them a prize based on how surprised they were. One such resident was known to always be very surprised, thus leaving the best prizes.