Sir Taco volunteered for the second driving shift with Key Gullz refreshed and awake as his co-pilot in the back. Thad Penguino napped in the front passenger’s seat and Candii slept sprawled out like a starfish in the back. The early hours of the morning covered the road in mist and darkness.

“That show really seemed to wear her out,” Key Gullz mentioned as she held Candii’s head in her lap.

Sir Taco nodded. “Yeah. I think she took it a lot harder than the rest of us. I still think we should have stayed the night in the hotel even if it meant sleeping into the daylight."

“She wouldn’t have it. The shock of those fourteen pearls already being in Morgana’s hands really shook her.” Key Gullz stared out the window. A volcano on the horizon erupted for a moment and sent fireballs into the sky. “Candii’s been expending an exceedingly high amount of empathy during our battles. I can just feel it in my heart. While it’s wearing her thin, I don’t think we could’ve done it without her.”

“Well goodness knows I’m not very empathetic. So more power to her, I say.”

“If that’s true,” Key Gullz said, “then we may find ourselves at a disadvantage if she becomes exhausted during a song or, knock on wood, something were to happen to her…”

“Nothing will happen to Candii. We came here to help her and that’s what we’re gonna do,” Sir Taco said sternly.

It was obvious the band had entered the outskirts of The Pantry because the black and gray landscape of the volcanic Land of Rock turned to lush green vegetation and fields of golden wheat. Thad Penguino’s online research told them that this specific region fed the people and was an incredibly popular tourist spot for its denizens who wished to indulge in a scarce commodity in this province: tranquility. The Pantry also had a very strong foodie culture that focused on culinary connoisseurs and craft creations.

“The GPS has the next unicorn pearl about twenty minutes away,” Thad Penguino said awake and refreshed from the nap. “There appears to be a city there, but I’m having trouble reading its name on this tiny screen.” As they approached, he pointed a large welcome sign. “Metal City: Home of Metal Stadium.”

“Oh, that’s fun!” Key Gullz giggled. “Maybe we can catch a sports ball game while we’re in town. See them throw the sports ball, catch the sports ball, score the sports ball. That’s how sports work, right?”

The van approached a large stadium in the center of Metal City. Spotlights cut through the thick volcanic clouds that occasionally wafted into the area from the neighboring volcano.

“This appears to be the place,” Thad Penguino said. “Yes, the unicorn pearl is somewhere in that stadium. Let’s pull into the parking lot.”

“Okay, I’ll try to find a spot.” Sir Taco entered the large lot and drove up and down the aisles for what seemed like a lifetime before finally finding one space far in the back.

“Oh boy barnacles! Hauling our equipment all the way to the entrance is going to be a slog. Where exactly is the entrance?” Key Gullz asked as she unpacked their instruments.

Newly revitalized Candii poked her bedhead out of the back seat. “I have an idea!” She encouraged the band to put their luggage in one pile and then she took out a few unicorn pearls and rubbed the bags with them. All their equipment lightly levitated off the ground, giving way to a gentle push.

“Great thinking!” Key Gullz said. “Now we can push our gear as if it were on carts.”

“I had a feeling some unicorn magic would come in handy right about now,” Candii said.

The band trekked through the asphalt desert all the way to the stadium as the morning sun began to rise behind it.

“How’s everyone feeling?” Sir Taco asked.

“I’m feeling great!” Candii said.

Thad Penguino nodded. “I think naps are just what we needed!”

“I know I certainly feel better,” Key Gullz said. “Although, I could really go for some breakfast. Do you think they sell ballpark hotdogs in here?”

“It’s a stadium,” Thad Penguino said. “They usually sell hot dogs, corn dogs, brat dogs, pickle dogs. You know, all kinds of dogs.”

Sir Taco smacked his lips. “I could really go for a California dog! An all-beef frank topped with avocado and a fried egg!”

“I don’t know if you’ll find anything that fancy in here,” Thad Penguino smiled. “We’re probably talking guilty-pleasure park food, so don’t get your hopes up.”

After some exploration, they stumbled upon a crowd waiting in line to enter the stadium. The band took their place in line.

Sir Taco tapped the person ahead of him. “So, what exactly are we waiting in line for?”

“What kind of question is that? You mean to tell me you got in this line and don’t even know what it’s for?”

“For the sake of argument, let’s just say yes.”

“Okay. First off, that’s weird. Second off, this is the line to get into the famous Metal Stadium where they record episodes of the greatest television show on the continent, Metal Chef.”

“Thanks.” Sir Taco turned around and huddled with the band. “So Thad Penguino, you’re saying the unicorn pearl is inside this stadium?”

“That’s what I’m seeing,” Thad Penguino confirmed after consulting his GPS once more.

“Well, apparently they’re filming a tv show in there. That’s a bit out of our element, wouldn’t you say?”

“That’s fine,” Candii said. “We’ll just head on in as members of the audience and take a moment to scope the place out. We don’t even know yet where inside it is or who has it.”

The band agreed and thus waited in a very long line for a very long time. They finally received their tickets sometime around noon and were ushered inside a massive dome filled with culinary wonders and delights on a center field. Scores of cooking prep stations and kitchen appliances sat in the center of the vertigo-inducing bleacher section.

“This reminds me of a soccer stadium but with tile instead of grass and cooks instead of soccer players,” Thad Penguino said.

Key Gullz sighed. “Thank you for that incredibly obvious observation.”

The band took their seats practically in the stratosphere and awaited the show.

An announcement came over the loudspeakers. “Welcome, culinary enthusiasts and aspiring chefs, to the live taping of Metal Chef, season eleven!” The crowd shook the stadium with cheers. “I’m proud to welcome the current champions of Stadium Kitchen, the undefeated Metal Chef Duo, Morty and Rashad!”

All the way down below, the band struggled to see a pair of small, white-clothed blips enter the stadium and wave to the crowd. The stadium once again erupted with pride and Candii worried that the building would not hold together if such a ruckus happened again.

“And today we are excited to announce a brand-new challenge mode that I know every single one of you in the crowd is going to love! I am pleased to reveal the Audience Glory or Eject Challenge where a member of the audience will be chosen to compete against our Metal Chefs on a specially designed stage! Their two kitchens are constructed on giant spring traps!” The roof of the stadium retracted and gave way to the cloudy sky above. “And what will happen to the loser? Well, take a look above! They’ll be launched into the ocean far away from here! Enjoy the swim back to the continent!” The crowd could not contain themselves as they laughed with amazement.

“Sucky succulent. I think I’m going to be sick.” Candii held her stomach and turned green as the bleachers continued to sway. She grabbed the bag Sir Taco’s twelve hot dogs came in, but it was full of ketchup packets. She thrusted it back and desperately searched for a bucket as the turbulence intensified.

“And today’s lucky challenger is inside this envelope. Let’s see… Oh! There seems to have been a change in plans. One moment, please.” The announcer covered the microphone. Mumbling and whispering came over the speakers. After a minute, the announcer returned. “How surprising, yet fitting! I’m told that a special request has been made that we literally can’t refuse for fear of divine punishment! For the first time ever, a group of seats will take the stage in a team battle! Those seats are…”

Candii vomited into the bleachers as the spotlights turned on the band. Their faces were plastered on the jumbo screen.