Chapter 2: The Light and Dark Genies

(Shantae's house at morning)

A small beam of light from the sun's rays was beginning to creek through the shade covering a window in Shantae's room. Indicated the sun had just risen. Shantae and the Tropical Night were slowly waking up was they noticed the first light of dawn. But the mood was suddenly shaken when they heard two voices shouting outside Shantae's house.

Mimic's voice- Please! You shouldn't bother her!

Kyrin's voice- Would you rather wait until Tabuu finds her lamp and sets her loose on Scuttle Town?!

Shantae- What's going on out there?

Tropical Night- (Screech)

Shantae opened the shades and saw her uncle, Mimic, talking with Kyrin right outside her door.

(Outside Shantae's door)

Kyrin- I know that Azra asked you to keep her daughter safe and to keep her from the truth until the time is right, but this is important!

Mimic- But she's not ready! I can't let you reveal about her to Shantae! Even if you are a god, Kyrin!

Kyrin- But Tabuu won't wait…and she's the only one left.

Then Shantae opens the door while still in her night wear and the Tropical Night on her right shoulder.

Shantae- Uh…is something going on?

Kyrin- Oh, good morning, Shantae. And I see the Tropical Night decided to pay you a visit last night.

Tropical Night- (Screech)

Kyrin- Listen Shantae…there is something I need to discuss with you.

Mimic- No, you won't! Shantae is not ready to know that!

Kyrin- I told you, Tabuu has been setting events in motion to regain the other pieces of his power. And right now, he might go for what Azra hid the piece she was given next since he's gone through nearly everyone else.

Shantae- Azra…why does that name sound…familiar…?

Mimic- Shantae, perhaps you should tell Kyrin to leave and let you rest…

Kyrin- Or perhaps we should ask Shantae if she'd like to hear about dark genie, I know Tabuu is going to be looking for?

Shantae- Dark Genie?

Then Shantae remembered the dream she had the previous night.

Shantae- Uncle Mimic, if Kyrin has something he wishes to tell me, it must be important. Regardless if I'm ready for it or not.

Mimic- I still say this is a bad idea.

Shantae- Let me just get dressed first.

(Later inside Shantae's house)

Kyrin was sitting on a chair placed next to the table while playing with the Tropical Night who was sitting on the table. Meanwhile, Mimic was leaning his back against the wall with his arms folded and a grumpy look on his face. Eventually, Shantae enters while fully dressed.

Shantae- Sorry for keeping you waiting. And I must say, I'm impressed the Tropical Night is taking a liking to you, Kyrin.

Kyrin- I'm good with kids.

Tropical Night- Mama!

Then the Tropical Night jumped off the table and onto Shantae's shoulder.

Kyrin- On to the matter at hand.

Kyrin pulled out a book and opened it.

Kyrin- Tell me, Shantae, do you recognize these two genies?

Shantae looked at the book and saw the two genies from her dreams.

Shantae- Those are…

Kyrin- The genies from your dreams?

Shantae- How did…

Kyrin- Damn it! I knew Tabuu would be coming here next!

Shantae- Kyrin…?

Kyrin- These two genies were once considered to be the greatest genies Sequin Land ever knew during their time. They even shared the role of Scuttle Town's Guardian Genie. The elder sister's name is Ruqayya!

Shantae- That's the same genie, but she seems…

In the picture, her eyes were green instead of the bright yellow and there wasn't essence of dark magic leaking from her eyes and mouth.

Kyrin- That's because this is a picture of her before Ruqayya became corrupted by dark magic. But I'll get to that later. As for the younger sister, her name is Azra.

Shantae took a closer look at the younger sister and noticed how similar she looked to her. The Tropical Night took notice too.

Tropical Night- Mama…?

Shantae- Hey! I know we look similar, but that's not me! But she does look…familiar to me for some reason…why…?

Kyrin- You could say, you're related in a manner of speaking. You even met her…a very long time ago…

Tropical Night- …Hmm…Grandmama!

Shantae looked at the audience with a confused look on her face for a moment.

Mimic- I still say she's not ready for this. Her mother would not approve of this.

Kyrin- But the fact that she's having these dreams like the other members of the Super Mario Brothers' Team only confirms what I've been suspecting.

Shantae- My mother…?

Tropical Night- Grandmama!

Shantae- What's this got to do with me or my mother?

Kyrin- I'm getting to that. Ruqayya and Azra were apprentices of the Great Merlin, whom you mortals refer to as the father of all magic. However, when he passed away, he left behind these five stones known as the Eyes of Merlin. Which contain all the magic he had been building since time began. And he entrusted one of these stones to Azra. As for Ruqayya, she experienced a taste of dark magic and she let it in. Her magic turned to dark magic and the darkness corrupted her mind and soul as the darkness completely destroyed who she originally was. Ruqayya began hunting all the Guardian Genies in Sequin Land in search for the Eyes of Merlin. When she found four of them, her sister, Azra, had the fifth. Unfortunately, the power of 4/5 of the Eyes of Merlin overwhelmed Azra and she was defeated. Ruqayya then took the last Eye of Merlin from her before imprisoning her sister into a magic lamp and tossing it into the ocean. But by chance, two days later, two brothers from the Mushroom Kingdom were fishing and happen to reel in the lamp Azra was imprisoned in.

Shantae- The original Super Mario Brothers?

Kyrin- Correct. But she was in bad shape after they freed her from the lamp. They took her to me and I healed her injuries as best I could after that. Then Azra returned to Sequin Land to confront Ruqayya again, but she brought the Mario Brothers with her. And together, they took the Eyes of Merlin back and defeated Ruqayya.

Shantae- This still doesn't answer my question. What does this have to do with me or my mother?

Kyrin- Isn't it obvious? Azra was part of the original team like how you're part of the current team. And before my father banished Tabuu to Subspace, my friend, Marco, snatched a small chunk of Tabuu's soul, 20% to be exact. He then brought it to the rest of the team and they divided among themselves as they each picked their own hiding spots. Where Azra hid the piece of Tabuu's soul she was given was in the same lamp Ruqayya was locked up in. And those dreams are actually Azra trying warn you that something bad is coming. Like how the other members of the original team have been trying to warn Mario and the others dangers that struck them throughout this entire fifth season. And it was only a matter of time before Tabuu would come after the piece here.

Shantae- And where is Ruqayya's lamp?

Mimic- You're guess is as good as ours, Shantae. Your mother told me it was thrown in the ocean many years ago. There's no telling how far it has drifted by now.

Kyrin- Regardless, it might be best if you locate that lamp before Tabuu's followers find it. Otherwise, not only will Tabuu regain more of his missing power, but Ruqayya will attack Sequin Land again.

Mimic- But you forgot to mention that that lamp is over flowing with Ruqayya's dark genie magic. Why I was so against Kyrin informing you is because if any genie touches that lamp, it will corrupt that genie like how she was corrupted! Which is why your mother asked Kyrin to drop it in the ocean instead of her. And that's also why your mother didn't want you to go after that lamp.

Shantae- Then why don't you go and retrieve the lamp, Uncle Mimic? If you don't want me to touch it, I'm sure you can use your treasure hunting skills to find it. You found that other lamp during one of your treasure hunts.

Mimic- Don't remind me…But I don't know where to even look.

Kyrin- I suppose I could show you where in the ocean I dropped it.

Mimic- Fine, as long as it will keep Shantae away from the risk of coming into contact with that dark genie magic. Let's go, Kryin. You've told Shantae more than enough of what she needs to know.

Kyrin- But still, you need to be on your guard in case she does find you.

Shantae- Wait, what do you mean by that?

Mimic- We're leaving now!

Mimic got behind Kyrin and pushed him and himself out the door. Shantae and the Tropical Night just stood there in confusion.

(Outside Shantae's house)

Mimic pushed Kyrin out of Shantae's house.

Mimic- Well, that was better than I was hoping, but there are still some things Shantae is not yet ready to know about!

Kyrin- I didn't tell her everything about her mother and how she was involved with the original team, 1,000 years ago. Nor did I tell about the stone she inherited from her mother. Anyway, I'll show you where on your sea charts I threw Ruqayya's lamp into, but you'll be on your own after that.

Mimic- You're not going to come with me in case of…

Kyrin- Asides from the piece of Tabuu's soul Azra hid, there is one other piece that Tabuu hasn't gotten to yet. And I need to warn Mario and Luigi about that disaster since it's in the Mushroom Kingdom.