"Grilling?!" Everyone exclaimed. "You're gonna grill the King Phil Le?!"

"Aww," Vinnie muttered. "At least fillet him so he lives up to his name."

"You'll see!" Sunny sang. "Follow me to the livin' quarters!"

And she popped through the tent. "I would remain on guard," Rosemary remarked. "Even if this simpleton girl means a cooked dinner, you never know where evil lurks in this big top."

Chloe nodded. "Everyone keep your eyes out for anything suspicious."

"Right on, chica," Monica said with her blade drawn. "I'm always on my guard. Clowns are suspicious by nature. You never know when they're gonna throw a pie at you!"

"Arr!" Captain Abacab smiled. "That's half the fun. I wonder if it'll be boysenberry or jam?"

Chloe raised her hand like a skilled pirate captain and silenced her bantering crew. They emerged through the tent, expecting the worst.

Their expectations were somewhat tempered by what they saw. Painted faced clowns cackled mischievously within one ring of the three ring circus. They tossed knives back and forth, which gleamed through the air.

"These are the Snicker Snicker Clowns!" Sunny said with a wide grin. "They make you laugh and grin with their knife juggling antics."

"Get outta here, Sunny!" one of the clown's shouted. He had a purple and white braid. "Last time you came over here you...well..."

He turned his head aside to reveal that his other braid was chopped off.

"I tell y'all," Sunny said with a chipper grin. "They don't seem like it, but they're very knife guys!"

"Yeah, not to you, Sunny!" the clown muttered. "Don't quit your day job!"

In the second ring, acrobats in multicolored leotards flipped through burning rings with such grace that they remained unsigned. It still made some of the weaker hearted members of the crew flinch, but Chloe thought it was awesome.

"These are the Burnin' Ring O' Fire Acrobats!" Sunny announced. "Leapin' through hoops of real fire to the crowds delight."

"Sunny?" a female acrobat asked. "Can you please leave. Last time you came over here we almost set the whole tent on fire. You make walking require a safety net."

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"They're good at sick burns too!" Sunny said remaining upbeat.

And in the third ring...an enormous beast stood on its hind legs. It was a great white lion with a dark blue mane and glowing red eyes. He was trapped in a giant cage. Beside him, a female ring master in red striped pants and an overcoat cracked a whip.

"And this is my favorite act," Sunny exclaimed with eyes aglow.

"Presenting," the female ringmaster announced. "John Lion, the famous singing lion. With hits like Jungle Love and The Lion Rocks Tonight. You'll surely go wild for his baritone stylings."

The ringmaster cracked a whip and the mighty lion roared before picking up a ukulele and strumming it haphazardly while belting out a series of grunts and whimpers.

"Wow..." Monica remarked. "I haven't heard such terrible sounds since Captain Abacab drank too many Yo-Ho's and had to use the toilet. Poor animal."

Sunny remained transfixed by the lion's performance. "Now that's a maestro and I ain't lion."

"Do you really like this performance?" Ramone asked. "Being a fellow animal, I can understand that he's not very happy."

"I know," Sunny said sighing. "We're all in lion cages. Only the size differs. Anyhow, it's about time I take you to meet James Clown and give the king his grilling."

"Oh joy!" the king muttered. "You're really prolonging this, little girl."

Sunny skipped happily towards the back of the stands. Everyone found themselves in a giant mess hall where an enormous line of tables were set up for a feast.

A cook carefully diced up meat and fish at a wide counter. Sunny grinned widely. "Here we have it. A hibachi fish grilling for the kingfish! Will that be marlin or trout?"

The mighty King Phil gagged a little when he saw the kitchen. "Little girl," he said. "How can I put this in terms you will understand! Fish are acquaintances, not food!"

"Aw..." Sunny started before talking in her warm drawl. "Why didn't you just say so. How would you like some plant based sea food instead. Does kelp and algae sound good?"

The king clapped his fins happily. "Of course," he chortled. "That's fin' by me!"

Vinnie, Monica and Abacab all looked at each other. "We're eating algae?" Monica asked turning green.

"And barnacles!" Sunny sang.

"Oh I sure hope," Vinnie muttered "My right hand man, Barnacle Barney doesn't know about dis!"

"Hey, listen," Sunny proclaimed. "What happened at the circus, stays at the circus! That's how we don't have many lawsuits!"

"Well well well," a raspy and theatrical voice said from behind them. "You took the words right outta my mouth, lil missy."

Everyone turned around to see a dapper and snazzy clown man. He was in a dark suit, his face painted white with a red nose and a dark pompadour. He grinned broadly. "The name's James Clown...funkily yours, ow!"

He announced with a grin, adding a mouth noise at the end of his words. "Excuse me, good sir," Ramone asked. "Why did you say 'ow'? Nobody pinched you!"

James Clown chuckled. "That's my mannerism, goat milk! And I see the special guests of honor have arrived! King Phil Le and...Queen Annabell Chime! Who knew this big scary lady was right when she said the queen would show up in style."

Chloe squeaked. "Wait...what big scary lady."

"Me..." said a husky, testosterone laced voice.

A towering woman walking through the tent. It was Chief Inspector Valcom, the anchor armed Mainland army leader who had been pursuing her. She had miraculously survived her fall in the ocean and was ready to confront Chloe once again.