The Great Candied Adventure

Sugary Paradise

So comes the conclusion arc of this arc. Be prepared, 'cause Candied Island's gonna last a while, just like Coruscant.

Chapter 12: Sugary Paradise

Bermuda Triangle; Earth's sub-world

The Sunny Day and the small group of Coated ships safely made it out of the cyclone and sailed forward. They assumed other Spinach Ships would try to sail through, but had no time to wait. "So this is Earth's sub-world, huh?" Chris asked. It didn't look much different from the sea they're used to. The sky was still cloudy, water was still blue... there may've been a slight shift in atmosphere, but only the real sensitive ones would feel that.

"It's generally ze same, but zere are many lands here zat stand out from ze normal Earth. Candied Island, ze origin land of ze many Candy Tribes, is vone of them. Zere is also Lilliput, home of tiny humans, and Brobdingnag, home of ze Giant humans."

"Oh yeah, Aeincha is from Lilliput, isn't she!" Haylee beamed.

"I recall your parents also fought a villain called Big Brother." Heinie said. "He is a Giant from Brobdingnag."

"Really?" Chris asked.

"Big Brother got lost at sea vone day and ended up in Virginia. He didn't fit in vell vith normal children, and zey teased him, so he decided to become the big bully you see today. And even joined ze supervillains to further hurt smaller children."

"Too bad he couldn't take a few lessons from Mocha." Dillon commented.

"SNIIIIIIFF." No aroma smelled sweeter in Haylee's nose. "I smell it... Cake... cookies... brownies... syrup... baked GOODS.... It's Candied Island!!"

"Hm hm hm!" Heinie giggled. "Candied Island's is ze strongest odor in ze sub-world. Ze Lilliputians have ze strongest sense of smell, and zey're kinda annoyed vhen Candied reaches."

"At least that means it's easy to find." Aurora said. "I just wonder if Panini's still hanging in there. Not digesting your food for 2 days is pretty uncommon."

"But it is not impossible in Big Mom's case. Vhen I vas a child, she ate 10 hamburgers and had zem in her belly for 2 veeks. Panini is a strong-willed girl from vhat I read from Ace's letters about you guys. Panini is sure to last longer."

"I thought Ace had no idea where you were, how did he send you letters?" Haylee asked.

"Oh, ve used messenger birds. Much more reliable, almost. Zough I suppose now's the chance to tell me of any new adventures uphand."

"Did he tell about when Mason was tiny-?" Carol asked giddily, until Mason silenced her.

"Well, we have one, but it'll take way too much time to tell." Haylee replied.

"Vell, I have something to look forward to. Oh, look! Ze clouds are turning purple!" Indeed, the gray clouds from minutes earlier were gone like that, and strange purple clouds filled the heavens. "...And zere it is!" Their faces lit with astonishment: the paradise they've only heard in stories lay in their view. A landscape that made them hungry just looking at it, a forest of candycanes and lollipops, houses made of gingerbread, rivers of chocolate and frosting with marshmallows (typical), and great gigantic, colorful cakes for mountains, with frosting melting from the top (posing as waterfalls), and enormous candles creating the purple clouds in the sky.

"Mmmm..." Sheila appeared glum.

"Vhat's wrong, Sheila?" Heinie asked.

"Siiigh... a place like this is any adventurer's dream. And now that we're finally here... it just don't feel as exciting. Finding that place they debated was real just kills your whole motivation."