Chapter 11: Webs of Tension

LOCATION: SCUTTLE TOWN LIGHTHOUSE (OUTSIDE), SCUTTLE TOWN, SEQUIN LAND

DATE: SEPTEMBER 30TH, 16 P.G.F.

TIME: 1623 HOURS

A few more days had gone by since Shantae and Tayshan's encounter with the capricious and domineering (not to mention late) Lady Radiyah in the now-defunct Siren's Requiem Labyrinth (as well as a certain ponytailed heroine's tragic breakup with her ex-boyfriend Aashiq as an unfortunate result of said encounter, among other issues). Since then, the two had spent each day vigilantly scoping the areas in and around Scuttle Town for signs of the dastardly Risky Boots while their trusted friend Sky had continued to shoulder the task of exploring and scouting the skies as their designated air patrol specialist. The Pirate Queen proved elusive, however, as neither she nor her men made any recent moves to draw any significant notoriety in the following days since their defeat in the underwater labyrinth. Shantae and Tayshan utilized the downtime to also attempt to find clues regarding a spell reversal with which to help Barracuda Joe, though they unfortunately had no luck in that department. The duo found themselves back at Shantae's home, contemplating their next move as they sat together on the nearby bridge to absorb the chilly afternoon air.

"So, we're almost another week in an' we have no real clues t' follow up on… Shoot…" Tay lamented, discouraged by the excessive amount of downtime they had. "I can't believe we're almost into October, an' we still ain't come close t' figurin' that pirate woman's scheme out. This place ain't that big for us t' not even catch a glimpse o' Risky or at least somebody who knows somethin' about a spell reversal, is it?"

"Sequin Land's a lot bigger than it looks on a map, Tay," Shantae countered, understanding her friend's concern. "That applies for every individual place we visit, too. At the very least, the last few spelunking trips we went on over the last week have earned us a ton of money to stock up on equipment with… well, at least, I've had to use money to stock up on equipment. You seem to find more of your supplies on the field than anywhere else."

"Tell me about it," he agreed with a pensive sigh. "Not that I mind not havin' t' spend money on anything but food an' basic home lifestyle supplies while I continue t' have everything else basically magically appear without me knowin' where it came from, but… Shoot, I'm not havin' near as much use for these gems as I thought I would. I've collected so many that my pockets were chock full of 'em by the time we finished our last trip. I've got most o' what I've earned since the Sheared Spool Shrine locked in a makeshift safe in that hotel room, waitin' t' either be spent or donated at this point."

"Well, at least you can save up and potentially get something really nice. Granted, this is the first time I've ever heard of someone complaining about having too much money…" she remarked with a chuckle that her partner shared.

"More like I'm complainin' about havin' too much money with almost nothin' t' spend it on," he corrected. "That, Shantae, is a struggle all-new t' me. I'm more used t' NOT havin' money, but these adventures have basically been throwin' it at us left an' right. If anything, I'm contemplatin' givin' a bunch of it away just t' make room."

"I see your point, but I'd still recommend keeping it safe rather than giving it away until you're absolutely sure you have no use for it. You never know."

"Got it. Better t' have an' not need, than need an' not have."

"Exactly. Anyway, it shouldn't be too long before we get our next big clue. Plus, with Sky's surveillance from the air and whatever assistance I'm hoping we're getting from Twitch and Vinegar, it definitely shouldn't be long before we see Risky Boots again."

"I hear ya, Shantae…" he concurred. "I DO have t' say, though, that I haven't even heard from Twitch since the other night."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Ever since we got int' that spat about what's been happenin' with some o' the trips we've been on, she hasn't answered any o' my calls t' her on the radio she gave me," he pondered. "Every time I've tried this week, it's been met with nothin' but static."

"Interesting…" she also pondered, uncertain of how such a development could be made. "She was all over you since she met you, and now she won't even talk to you after one bad conversation?"

"Basically. I won't lie; it kinda has me wonderin' if I maybe said it in the wrong way that uh… other situations have occurred…"

"Hmph. Regardless, I don't think it's really her concern, and you've already been totally honest with her about what's been going on," she surmised. "It isn't like you're her boyfriend like she's kept trying to force you to be, either. If that's what she's refusing to talk to you over, then I think she needs to take a step back and understand that, as your friend, it isn't very nice of her to ignore you because she can't be at your side 24/7 to tell you what to do and how to go about your day."

"Hm… I… yeah, that's true…" he agreed, though he still couldn't help but feel a pang of dissonance as he momentarily shot his gaze toward the sky. "I just wonder, though… I feel like I do owe her—an' by extension, Sky—some form of an answer or an explanation about what I'm gonna do about… whatever this triangle is between the three of us. I really don't like the direction things are headed in, but I still don't wanna mess anything up by sayin' the wrong thing, y'know? I mean, I thought I was pretty clear with Sky that I wasn't ready when I spoke t' her last week, an' she… KINDA seemed t' understand my point. Twitch, on the other hand, has only tried harder an' harder up until the night after we got back from the Siren's Requiem Labyrinth…"

"It's tough, I know, but I think you've got as good a handle on it as you can have," Shantae sympathetically replied. "I can't speak for Twitch, but it seems like Sky has calmed down a bit over the last week, at least. If I didn't know better, it almost seems like she might've gotten over you," she added, trying not to sound too hopeful that this was the case… for his sake, at least. Not hers. Not at all.

"I don't know about all that, homegirl," Tay denied, a sudden nervousness evident in his tone. "She might've cooled it, but she's still showin' me that she's still dead serious. Readin' between the lines is important."

"Hm? What do you mean?" she asked in wonder, honestly surprised that he would make such an assertion.

"You haven't noticed how much she's been starin' at me over the course o' the last couple trips?"

"Well, yeah, but she's probably just worried about you picking up more scars. I mean shoot, I'm concerned myself because I haven't suffered one permanent mark yet on at least five different grand expeditions to protect Sequin Land from evil. None of our other friends have, either. In just a couple days, though, you suffered enough damage to make it look like someone was trying to use you as a jack-o'-lantern. Fitting, since Halloween's coming up, but definitely not what we should be aiming for."

"Real funny," he dryly remarked, feeling just a tiny bit self-conscious about the disfiguring scars littered across his face and torso. "You have a point, regardless. Color me surprised that nobody else has been as fortunate as I've been with gettin' cut up like a grade school art project… Er, anyway, if that doesn't convince you, then have you noticed how much more… attentive she's been toward me, aside from the starin'?"

"Not… particularly," she uncertainly remarked, though his suggestion caused her to ponder. "I mean… I guess she's been a little more… proactive with doting on you over the course of our last three meetings with her since last time we were all together in the Bathhouse a week or so ago. Hmm…"

"A little more proactive? Homegirl, it's already at the point where if I so much as sneeze in her presence, I feel like she'd be ready t' bust out a first aid kit, a pot o' honey tea, an' a box o' vitamins t' nurse me back t' health."

"Hm… I suppose she just really cares about you, Tay. I don't think it's THAT big a deal…" she dismissed, though she remained unsure of whether she believed her own statement.

"Well, is this somethin' she'd be doin' for you every time she thought you got sick or were in danger o' bein' hurt? Does she stare at you t' the point where you can feel her eyes on you when you're not lookin' directly back at her?" he dared to inquire, causing the half-genie to reel back in surprise. She went silent for a moment, studying Tay's mildly perplexed facial expression as he gazed back at her.

"I… I guess not… huh…" she admitted, her heart suddenly beating heavy in her chest as she conjured up a series of recent memories regarding her bird-taming best friend and her… rather frequent, highly observant interactions with Tayshan.

"An' I haven't even mentioned how often she's been askin' me if I'm practicin' deep breathin' or at least makin' sure I don't get overwhelmed to the point o' havin' another panic attack…" he added, further catching the young heroine off-guard as she quietly gasped. The moment he mentioned the unusual and unfamiliar phenomenon known as a panic attack, she flashed directly back to the point at which Sky informed her about his experience in the Sheared Spool Shrine. Specifically, she remembered the detail of how it was Twitch, not Sky, who helped to bring him out of it, only to wind up stealing a kiss from him immediately after the fact… which she felt was irrelevant in this context, prompting her to shake the thought out of her head before she replied.

"I suppose when you put it that way… uh, i-it can be pretty hard not to see it," she admitted again, almost completely losing herself in her train of thought as a peculiar feeling of uncertainty welled up within her.

"Glad you're pickin' up on it now. I mean, I'm at least thankful things haven't been too uncomfortable since she uh… since she confessed her feelings t' me in full the other night, but… you probably know better than I do that when a vibe is there, you'd be hard-pressed to ignore it. I mean, that's how it was for you with Aashiq, wasn't it?" he theorized, though the mention of yet another crucial moment in his experience with Sky shook Shantae to the core.

"Yeah, it was…" she barely found the courage to confirm, her heart sinking further at the mention of the Hypnotist apprentice she gained and lost as a significant other in a single day as her face contorted into a pensive frown. Her despondency over her lost relationship took a back seat to her surprise at Tay's admission of Sky's confession to him, however. She could hardly believe it, but another thought came barging into her head like a stampede of woolly mammoths through a furniture store. Sky DID confess to him, didn't she? In the midst of all the other shenanigans carrying on around them, she'd nearly forgotten. And now that it was fresh in her mind, it became the only thing Shantae could think about in that moment. And even then, she only had an inkling of an idea that Sky confessed to him, based on Sky's story about hers, Tay's and Twitch's time in the Sheared Spool Shrine. Tay outright stating it only made her sense of disbelief even more intense. Sure, she was aware Sky liked Tay, but to hear she actually put her feelings on full display for him? As in, more than just the occasional flirtatious gesture or honey-soaked comment? And, based on the timing that her comrade referenced, this confession happened sometime in the past week. That very realization sent a cyclone of mixed emotions between apprehension, dread, mild frustration… and an arbitrary sense of betrayal rolling through her abdomen like a bowling ball through an alley as she felt all but compelled to ask him this next question.

"Uh… Hey, you alright? You seem… upset about-!" Tayshan was about to ask.

"Say, Tayshan… Uh, forgive me for prying, but… when exactly did she confess to you?" she curiously prodded, though she both dreaded and anticipated the response she would receive.

"Oh! R-right, I… don't think we ever covered that," Tay began, suddenly wracked with nervous anticipation resultant of his fear of Shantae reaction to his answer. "Uh…"

"No, we definitely didn't. I mean, I know I mentioned that she kinda-sorta told me you guys had that conversation, but she never mentioned outright that it happened, or when it happened. I… just figured I wouldn't ask anything else about it up until now…"

"Right… Well… I only hope this doesn't upset you, but without mincin' words, homegirl… she confessed the same night I left your house after we got back from the Kitschy Quilt Desert…" And there it was. The second the half-genie heard that, it took her a surprising amount of energy and restraint to keep from reacting poorly to the news. She had to ask herself, however, if she'd heard him right. Sky confessed to him the same night he went and told her about his and Shantae's unfortunate encounter that led to them separating in the first place? Granted, she shouldn't have felt so internally angry at the revelation, but… something inside her consumed her with an unusually high level of irritation as she went silent to process Tay's answer to her question. "Uh… if… it helps, then… she said she only did it because she felt like she'd rather put it out there than wait until it was too late…"

"Hmm, I guess I can understand that, but the same day you and I kissed? That's seriously when she told you everything?" she asked, unable to completely mask her displeasure as she stared quizzically at her partner.

"Yeah," he admitted, though he had already taken note of her dissatisfaction with his revelation.

"Why? That doesn't make any sense… How could…? Or, I mean… just… I… Wow…" she stammered, stunned as she was ususually frustrated. What she wanted to ask in that moment was how Sky of all people could do something as impulsive as ask someone out right after they kissed someone else. Or, what she could've hoped to gain from telling him how she felt with the probable expectation that he'd say 'yes' to her. However, she paused for a moment, reeling herself in just enough to question why she even wanted to know those things. She didn't have any obligation to feel that way, when she and Tay were just friends anyway. Despite the poor timing, Sky had every right to ask him out. It shouldn't have been such a big deal. On the other hand, that was exactly it; the timing of her confession. It caused the poor half-genie to want to erupt with questions about how that discussion went. What was said? Who initiated it? What was the outcome? Why… Why did it matter so much to her what Sky and Tay talked about privately?

"Hey, I can see you're upset. Listen; we hashed it out, so if you're mad at her, then don't be. I explained t' her that it wasn't an appropriate time t' try t' ask me out. I mean, obviously because it came out o' nowhere an' right after you an' I had t' do what we had t' do in that desert, as well as because o' how you'd feel about such a thing happenin'. I also let her know that, just based on how I got t' Sequin Land an' what my ultimate goal is, I couldn't bring myself t' accept her offer."

"Accept her offer? What do you mean by that?" she asked without even needing to think about it. "What, were you considering going out with her?"

"Poor choice o' words…" he lamented, seeing that he upset the young lady further as he collected his thoughts. "No, I wasn't considerin' goin' out with her at that time. What I was considerin' when she asked me, was how you'd feel. I was considerin' how inappropriate it'd be t' say 'yes' t' her after what you an' I went through. I was considerin' how… well, how I didn't want t' make a decision that would hurt everybody involved, I guess… so, I basically told her I didn't feel comfortable with the idea of bein' in a relationship at this time, an' that I thought it'd be better if we all stayed friends…"

"Oh…" she pensively replied, a notable deal of her frustration and anxiety replaced with a moderate sense of relief, in addition to a mild level of confusion. "Well… Uh… wow, it sounds like you thought a lot about how you'd respond to her. And… well, I apologize for getting all worked up a second ago…"

"Worked up, you say? I mean, I know this ain't an easy topic for any of us t' talk about, but I didn't think it bothered you that much…"

"I-it doesn't!" she jumpily denied. "I was just… kind of on the edge of my seat for you," she further clarified before clearing her throat and relaxing her stance a bit. "And… for what it's worth, Tay, that must not have been an easy conversation to have. It sounds like you explained yourself pretty well, though, if you and she were able to continue hanging out and working together."

"Yeah. She acknowledged my point for herself, too. That's why she said she'd relax a little an' would be fine with us continuin' on as friends. That's what she said she was gonna try t' do before we even took the trip to the Sheared Spool Shrine," the serviceman further explained as his half-genie teacher listened intently. Once he finished his explanation, Shantae took a tense moment that felt like at least ten years' worth of time to collect her thoughts before breathing a hot, heavy sigh of subtle vexation.

"I understand," she plainly remarked as she relaxed her stance a bit. "I… understand. I mean, as much as I can, anyway. I'm still curious, though…"

"About what?"

"Don't mind me asking this, but… How come you were thinking so much about me when she asked you out?" she dared herself to inquire, though the very second she asked, she felt the entire world do about five backflips that nearly caused her to lose her sense of reality. She held it together as best as she could, however.

"Well… That's… a good question, homegirl," he admitted, taking a deep breath as he pondered the structure of his reply. "In a few words, though, I guess… I felt… a little bit like I uh… like I… huh, I can't really find a good way of explainin' it…"

"You can't? Was it that mind-boggling?" she asked again, trying not to tense up as she patiently (read: eagerly) awaited his reply.

"No, but… I just don't know how t' say it without givin' you the wrong idea," he admitted.

"Well in that case, I promise I won't. I think we can trust each other that much by now, right?" At that, Tay took one good, long look at her innocent, wide-eyed expression and nearly lost his nerve. However, he took another deep, heavy, shaky breath and soldiered on.

"You're right. Yeah, we can," he agreed, pausing for a moment afterward to figure out what he wanted to say. They both remained silent for what felt like a month's worth of time before he finally garnered the courage to continue. "…So, I basically thought, well… y'know, what if… what if that kiss did somethin' t' either one of us? Y'know… like… I guess… caused one of us t' catch feelings for the other… or somethin' t' that effect, based on how… hot an' heavy it got while we were… well, in the middle of it," he confessed, nearly causing her to jump out of her skin, though she tightly (and I mean TIGHTLY) contained her reaction before he soldiered on. "But then, I figured that, after you already said you'd never like me that way, in addition t' me agreein' that we should stay friends an' adventurin' buddies, I blew that thought out o' my head with a quickness. Then, I thought more about how upsettin' it would be if, right after what we did, I just went along an' started datin' your best friend; especially at a time like that. I'd never do that t' you, homegirl; no matter what. I mean, I was still not sure about where we were at until you started datin' Aash, at which point I realized that there was nothin' t' worry about."

"Oh…" she responded, her tone low and dejected as though she found herself… dare we say, unhappy to hear his reply as she sadly cut her eyes away.

"That's not the reaction I was expectin'," he pointed out, causing her to flinch again and almost cause me to mistake her for having been sitting on an electric board. "But then, I know that's probably because I mentioned him again… ain't it? Sorry…"

"No, it's not because of that, Tay. I promise you, I'm not nearly as bummed about Aash as you think I am."

"Really? Then, what exactly is botherin' you?"

"Nothing, nothing… I was… just thinking is all," she dismissed, waving her hands in front of her while shooting him a smile that was enmeshed in nervousness and a mild sense of disappointment. She knew far better, however, than to open that can of worms at a time like this. "Either way, I'm uh… I appreciate that you thought about me, I guess. I don't quite know how to say that without sounding like I expected you to think about me when that conversation was between you and Sky…"

"I get your point, homegirl," Tay assured, chuckling a bit at the awkward delivery of her statement.

"Cool. I-I'm… also glad you guys were able to be honest with each other," she further praised, remaining secretly concerned about where things would go from there. All things considered, she still found herself highly curious about the true nature of that conversation… and even a tad… well, she didn't really know how to describe it, but the closest synonym would be 'upset.' She felt… upset with Sky for having done such a thing, though she couldn't figure out why. Sky was her best friend, after all. How could she ever be mad at her? What reason was there to be upset? It was just one conversation that happened over a week ago. It really didn't matter that it even happened by this point. If anything, Shantae felt that she would have fully supported a relationship between the soldier and the bird tamer anyway… or, would she? After what she'd come to understand about her own feelings, could she really take such a position? Granted, she knew Tay did the same for her when she and Aash became a couple, but she was well aware of his… reservations at the time. She couldn't really come to a conclusion on how to feel, which only caused her more internal turmoil. Before too long a time of being lost in her thoughts, Tay spoke again.

"Yeah… same here," he agreed, though he was rather hesitant to do so. He couldn't help but feel a sudden tinge of displeasure radiating from his mentor, which he acknowledged came directly from what he'd told her about his and Sky's interaction. She appeared to be quite preoccupied, judging by the vexed look on her face. She glanced at him to see him studying her face, however, and shook herself out of her pensive stupor before continuing their conversation.

"So, we're on the same page again. Good. But, if the case was that you two were supposed to keep your friendship as it is, then what do you think might be a reason for her to treat you differently? That's what's really getting me right now. I mean, er… I haven't really paid much attention to your interactions with her, so I'm still in the dark there."

"I'm not sure exactly what it is either, but you'll most likely see the next time we speak t' her…" he warned, though his delivery came across as rather plain and nonchalant.

"Hmm… If you say so, Tay," Shantae agreed, her breath catching in her throat a bit as she took his warning into consideration. Soon after, the two went silent for a few seconds to take in the brisk, quiet afternoon atmosphere. Before too long, however, Tay spoke up.

"In other news, I'm still wonderin' if I should check back in on the status o' my reservation at the Crown Jewel Inn…" he offhandedly remarked.

"Oh yeah…" she replied in wonder, as though she hadn't realized it. "How HAS that hotel room been for you, anyway? I'm guessing a lot more comfortable than sleeping on the floor in my house?"

"Good question," he answered with a smirk. "I haven't stayed in it at all since the night we spent in it, despite me havin' rented it out almost a week ago. Only thing I've done with it at this point is chill with you the first night an' wash my clothes or stash money away after our last couple adventures before I started goin' back t' your house."

"Wow, seriously?" she remarked in shock. "We barely even slept the first night! We were up that whole time, chatting away and messing around until, like, 7:00 AM, at which point, we passed out on your bed until at least noon! How is it you haven't actually slept in that room since then?"

"Dunno…" he commented, shooting her a knowing look. "Could have somethin' t' do with a certain genie girl keepin' me at her house t' make me entertain her almost every night since we got done in that underwater temple."

"Right, right…" she realized with a cheery laugh. "You gotta admit, though, those all-nighters of eating junk food, binge-reading comics, and trading stories about our worlds ARE a pretty fun way to unwind after an adventure."

"'All-nighters,' you say… You've literally fallen asleep on me every night except the first," he shot back with a chuckle. "You know what it's like wakin' up with your arm numb an' soaked in drool after we pass out in the middle of a comic? It's like my arm was a baby's chew toy."

"Right… Sorry about that…" the guilty young woman conceded with a sheepish grin. "I can't help it. As soon as I get nice and comfortable, I'm out cold in a matter of minutes. I always swear I'm not sleepy until I rest my head on something… or someone, in this case," she admitted, her cheeks becoming slightly rosy at the mention of it.

"Well, we have been stayin' up super late after runnin' ourselves ragged almost every day," Tay noddingly concurred. "Playin' around like a couple o' kids whose parents ain't home at night doesn't exactly do much for settlin' in for bed. I suppose I can see the struggle there…"

"You should," she playfully shot back. "My neck is still stiff because you've been using my head as a cushion," she jokingly challenged, stretching the aches and pains out of her shoulders.

"Guilty as charged… Your hair is as comfy t' rest on as it is painful t' get hit with, which is sayin' a lot. Talk about a paradox."

"That's a real knee-slapper, Tay" she remarked, enjoying the friendly banter as she chuckled a bit. "And you're one to talk about comfy-looking hair, when your own has grown into what looks like a giant, fluffy pillow."

"I'm full of 'em," he smirked back as the two ribbed one another. "Also, I think I have your shampoo t' blame for this," he further surmised, brushing a hand through the enormous, frizzy ball of ebony-hued fluff on his head. "My hair grows fast, but never like this. I know it's been three weeks since my last haircut, but this is insane. Ever since you lent me some o' that stuff, my hair's been growin' by at least three inches a day. You'd swear I was growin' a bush on my head."

"Yeah, I forgot to mention that my shampoo and conditioner are specialized for strengthening hair quality while promoting its growth," she laughingly commented. "I just thought that applied to me, though. I had no idea it'd work for you, too…"

"An' now we know," he flatly remarked, momentarily sitting up and shaking his head to demonstrate that he had indeed grown quite the lion's mane of an afro since he began his adventure in Sequin Land. "Not that I mind havin' all this hair for the first time since I was your age, but I don't know if I'd be able t' eventually turn it into a weaponized ponytail like yours." The half-genie burst out laughing at the idea to her extraterrestrial comrade's comedic chagrin.

"Since you were my age? Come on, Tay, we're not that far apart! You make it sound like you're old enough to be Uncle's age," she remarked as she took a moment to recover from her fit of humored chuckling.

"Hm. Fair point," he ceded, chuckling a bit himself.

"Also, I really like the magnificent, gigantic ball of curls and fluff that is your hair," she complimented as she reached over to cop a feel of his oh-so luxurious onyx locks that threatened to eat up his face. "I've never seen or felt such an amazing hair texture like yours before. And it seems like your hair would be perfect for braiding! It's thick, it's coarse, it's sturdy, and with my shampoo helping you out, your hair has never looked sleeker! It almost rivals my own!"

"Gush about my afro all you want, homegirl, but the fact is that this was not my choice t' grow it out like this. There's not a single barber in this whole town that wants t' touch anything but my facial hair because they're so intimidated by how much hair they'd have t' shear through t' find my scalp."

"And your goatee has never looked better groomed, if you ask me," she smilingly retorted as she continued to play with her comrade's hair. "Scuttle Town's barbers aren't too well-known, but they work well with anyone they're presented with. And, if you really want my opinion, I wouldn't dare cut this off. Just think about how long it took you to get it to this length. Think about what you could do with it, for that matter! Overall, I think you look more handsome with more hair. I mean, the buzzcut was nice, but in my honest opinion, this is much more befitting of a guy like you. Although, you call this hairstyle an 'afro?'"

"Goodness, you're more excited about it than I could ever be…" he realized as he resisted the urge to swoon at his teacher's honey-laced compliments, once again touching a hand to his long, fluffy curtain of hair. "Also, yes, this is an afro; an afro that falls way out o' the guidelines for the enforcement services on appropriate haircuts."

"Well, so long as you're a resident of Sequin Land, those guidelines don't matter. Wear that afro proud, Tay!" she cheered as she finally stopped playing around in his hair, eliciting a chuckle out of him as he lay back down, crossing his hands behind his head.

"Alright, fine… I'll keep it for now, since you like it so much."

"Aw, for me? You shouldn't have," she teased. "Although, if you're so interested, I can do a mean braid. Just look at mine!" she further suggested, grabbing her braided ponytail and showing it to him.

"Heh, braids ain't my thing, but it's an interestin' concept, no less," he politely declined. "I still wonder how you had the patience t' do your ponytail int' that massive braid, though. It looks like your hair whip would hurt a ton more with it like that."

"Oh, you'd better believe," she humorously confirmed, swinging the end of her ponytail in her hand. "One good hit from a braid this tight, and anyone on the wrong end will feel it for weeks." At that, the two of them shared another good laugh.

"I'll just take that an' hope I don't have t' find out what that feels like," he jokingly remarked as they finished up their bout of mutual giggling at the half-genie's quip before they went momentarily went silent, letting the ocean waves, squawking water fowl, and whirling wind fill their ears. Before too long, however, Tay spoke once more. "Still, I wonder how much longer it'll be before we get our next clue."

"I know, it's been a bit slower than usual this past week," Shantae agreed, sharing his concern as she breathed a heavy sigh to let out a sudden rush of stress. "There usually isn't this much downtime between major quests… Risky must be serious with training her Tinkerbats to keep herself off the radar for this long… It's pretty scary to imagine."

"You certainly got that right… It's worse that those Tinkerbats don't talk," he sighed, lying back and crossing his hands behind his head. "After the experiences I've had talkin' to 'em, I was so sure I could interrogate one of 'em into spillin' the beans about where the big boss lady is."

"Not even I would've thought to do that," Shantae laughingly commented on the soldier's apparent failed attempt at extorting information from one of Risky's men. "Even if they did talk, though, maybe it was JUST A BIT over-the-top to stick your gun in that one Tinkerbat's face, ask it what country it was from, demand to know if it spoke the same language as you, tell it to describe you, accuse it of calling you a punk, and scream at it every time it shrugged at you, not knowing what you were saying. I mean, I'm no expert on interrogation, buuuut…"

"Neither am I. I'll admit that. Wasn't trained on the art of coerced confessions back home. Honestly, I thought the point was t' scare someone int' givin' you answers. I'm no Mud Bog Mayhem," he casually countered, making reference to one of many comics Shantae shared with him.

"Fair enough," Shantae smilingly concurred. "Mud Bog Mayhem is far scarier than you anyway, so it's understandable that you can't make people talk like he can."

"Ouch, my pride," the facetious soldier dryly remarked. "Anyway, uh… I don't know quite how to say this, but uh… your outfit…" he nervously trailed off as he looked at Shantae, addressing her choice of alternative to her regular clothes; an outlandishly-revealing space princess bikini made almost entirely out of gold snake-themed jewelry and a single sapphire blue cloth draping down the back of the bottom piece. You may or may not recognize this particular ensemble.

"Yeah, yeah, I know…" she rolled her eyes as she acknowledged his comment. "It looks ridiculous. Sadly, it was the only outfit I had left. I dirtied all my other ones up on past adventures and got lazy with my laundry."

"Well, you're always welome t' come by an' do your laundry at the hotel. I know you prefer your method o' cleanin' your clothes, but it might be more convenient t' wash 'em all at once usin' their facilities this time around. I'll pay for it, too."

"Wow… Are you sure? I-I mean… at this point, I wouldn't mind, but…"

"Think nothin' of it, homegirl. If it means you can restore your wardrobe, then there's no question that needs t' be asked."

"Oh. Well, alright, then. Thanks, Tay!"

"Don't worry about it. As for the outfit you got on, though…"

"What about it?" the wary half-genie asked, tensing up with anticipation.

"I wasn't gonna say it was 'ridiculous,' if it makes you feel better. I was gonna say it was really cute," he reassured with a chuckle.

"Real funny, Tay," she shot back, not buying his compliment as she expertly hid her internal sense of complete surprise at the nature of such an assertion. "You're a guy. Of course, you'd think this is 'cute.' You only have to look at it, not wear it."

"Be that as it may…" he acknowledged, not denying her point. "You know as well as, if not better than I do, that your outfits always steal the show. This one in particular drills that point all the way home. Seriously, for what kind o' costume it is, you really pull it off, Shantae."

"Watch it, now," she warned as her heart began to pound a bit. "Don't think I'm just going to idly accept every bit of praise you hurl at me, just because we've had all this quality time to spend with each other. We're still on shaky enough ground as it is, considering what you admitted to me earlier this week."

"Ah, I'm just payin' you a compliment. I swear t' you, I don't want you t' think I'm intentionally makin' it come off a certain way. If you feel like anything I say by this point has a chance o' soundin' like I'm makin' a pass at you, then I guess I could just never say anything at all ever again. That, or you'd have t' glue my mouth shut."

"You're a butt," she sarcastically remarked, lightly tapping him with a flick of her hand as the two shared a friendly laugh. After the two settled down, however, the young woman took a deep, moderately nervous breath before she continued. "…but no, it's fine. I GUESS the right thing to say is 'thanks.' I appreciate your appreciation of my sense of… 'style.'"

"You got it. Although, I AM curious by now… How is it that you don't have any clean regular clothes? You've washed my clothes a couple different times since I got here before I figured out how t' do it myself."

"Yeah, but your clothes are much easier to wash than mine are. So, there's that."

"Interesting… I mean, most o' your outfits, as far as I saw, are a bunch o' slightly differin' versions o' the same red two-piece belly dance costume you've been wearin'; well, those, an' the one blue outfit you wore last week. Those, an' the other outfits you never seem t' want t' wear. I figured it'd be easier for you t' wash those."

"Yeah, but the silk they're made of is super sensitive to dirt, monster goo, smoke… and especially squid ink…" she trailed off, silently cursing Squid Baron for splattering her way back when. Yeah, she hadn't really gotten over that. But, I digress. "Getting stains out of them is notoriously hard. I sometimes question why I don't get a newer, more practical outfit for my adventures than outlandish, revealing dancer costumes or the other equally-revealing specialty outfits in my wardrobe."

"Maybe it's just… part of your natural charm?" Tay guessed. "It certainly makes you unique amongst a crowd. Plus, the dancer outfit is like, your superhero costume. People recognize you when they see you in it. Just like how they'll recognize me for wearin' basically the same thing since I got here…"

"Good point, but in your defense, you've had different colors of your outfits to wear throughout your time here. I still think it's a little odd that your outfits keep popping up out of nowhere with all these different color schemes, though. I mean, heck, this color of yours is most surprising to me. Navy blue tank top and boots with fiery orange pants? The contrast of dark cool and bright warm aesthetics really bring out the richness both hues. Plus, on a guy with your complexion, the vibrant color scheme adds that extra flair. I won't lie, though, it seems… somewhat familiar, this color combo."

"Watch it, now. Your inner fashion designer is showing…" Tay remarked with a flattered smirk to Shantae's humor, though he remained confused as to how he even obtained this outfit. It appeared he was no closer at this point to solving the mystery of the phantom clothes deliverer than he'd been when he received his first of many palette-swap costumes. "And yeah, this outfit color is… dare I say, reminiscent of a certain manga series we'd read through the other day."

"Ah, so you see the connection, too!"

"It's hard not to. So many characters in that series wore these colors that you'd think they were part o' some flamboyant showman troupe rather than a team o' seasoned martial artists dedicated t' savin' their universe from bloodthirsty mercenaries, tyrannical alien overlords, time-travelin' killer robots, magical bubblegum monsters from an ancient age, an' rogue deities alike," he joked, to which they both shared another chuckle. "Still, I'd never get away with most o' the colors I've worn since I got here, but this one is especially odd…"

"Odd as it might be, I think it's a cool outfit. It looks great on you. I'm almost jealous you get to wear so many colors…" she teased.

"Oh, yeah? In that case, maybe we can trade outfits sometime."

"Not unless you want to become Sequin Land's most famous and most fashionable belly dancer, Tay," she rebutted with a wide grin.

"Technically, I already was Sequin Land's most famous an' most fashionable belly dancer for a day. Just, with a different fashion sense. What else is there to accomplish?"

"Touche. Although, I'm fairly sure you'd never want to trade bodies with me again to reach that dream."

"Never say never," he taunted with a chuckle.

"Nope! Never," she humorously defied him. "Much of a pleasure as it was being you for a day, I'm much, much more comfortable being with you as myself. No offense."

"Believe me, I'm the farthest thing from offended. I feel the exact same."

"Good. Buuuut, if you're at least looking to learn how to belly dance like I do, then maybe… Just maybe there's a thing or two I could teach you…" she innocently prodded, curious to see how he'd respond.

"Tempting," he remarked, eyeing the half-genie up and down. "I color myself as open-minded, so sure. Why not? Just… make sure nobody's around to watch for the first few lessons, maybe?"

"I figured you'd say that. Alright, if there's time, I'll teach you how to belly dance. I can't promise you that you'll be able to shapeshift into animals and useful objects like I can, but with enough practice, I'll have you swinging, sashaying, and gyrating those incredible hips of yours in no time!"

"Those transformations are your specialty exclusively, so I won't be upset if I can't turn into a spider or an elephant on my first thousand tries. Incredible hips, though? Jeez, you sure know how t' lay it on thick…" he murmured as he scratched his head, just a tad embarrassed by his partner's statement.

"Fair, but I'll counter that by saying it takes one to know one," she pointed out, still smiling at him as she challenged his point of view.

"And thus, I continue t' wonder if we're really that much different after all…" he pondered, dismissing the topic before it got too awkward for him to handle. Shantae, while not immediately catching on to the reason behind his purposeful topic change, nodded in agreement as she found herself thoroughly enjoying their banter. "Bringin' it back, though, that must be a real pain, havin' clothes that are so tough to wash."

"No, the REAL pain is what this particular outfit does to my abilities while I'm out there," she hinted, though he was aware of this phenomenon by this point.

"You've mentioned this before, but could you tell me more about how it would affect you this time?"

"Sure. This outfit makes it so that my magic is easier to control and maintain, but it makes me so much weaker defensively that even the least threatening of monsters could do serious harm to me if I'm not careful."

"That's unfortunate… and a bit impractical."

"You're telling me…" she agreed with a disappointed sigh. "I can't do near as much if I'm constantly worried about getting hit one too many times."

"Hm. Well maybe that'll be reason enough for you t' slow down an' examine your surroundings more should we wind up explorin' another place today."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, slightly offended by Tay's remark as she indignantly cocked an eyebrow.

"It means that you've blazed through every place we visited in the past few days, payin' so little heed t' what might lurk in the shadows that you got yourself into a lot o' sticky situations simply by runnin' into 'em," he elaborated. "Not to mention you've left me in the dust every time instead o' hangin' back an' seein' what's ahead so you don't potentially wind up gettin' stuck, ambushed, or caught in a trap. You not floorin' it through everything for once ain't necessarily a bad thing."

"Yeah, well I told you these quests were daunting. We have to move quickly if we expect to accomplish our goal of stopping Risky," she countered, not taking responsibility for her partner's difficulty keeping up.

"Right, but Shantae, we don't have t' do it in a way that puts us in danger when we don't need t' be. I can understand the need t' be swift, but we'd benefit from at least mixin' speed with tact. I mean, come on, we've had this talk before. Plus, I'm still not used t' how quick you move."

"Considering what we've tangled with on our quests, I can't exactly hold your hand through every trap, platform section, or monster brigade while we're out there. Even Sky warned you not to get too caught up on any given part if you didn't have to, and she usually never tags along. You'll see why I rush through them, only stopping for secret rooms if there are any. You're not always going to have time to sneak around and analyze everything."

"Fair, but it wouldn't hurt t' at least try t' stick together every now and again, would it? I get that you usually go alone, but so long as we're together, why not work as a team rather than two separate units who just so happen t' be aimin' t' accomplish the same goal?" he suggested, just a tad annoyed by Shantae's indifference. "The way things have gone thus far, you've wound up one or two entire sections ahead o' me, or one of us has wound up separated from the other because one of us fell into a trap leadin' to a whole different section of a landscape. Every time. Without fail. We've gone on at least eight different quests since I got here, an' on every one of them, you've smoked me instead o' havin' my back. Not t' mention I've constantly had to take out monsters you skipped past as you jumped, transformed, an' even warped your way through each environment. We need t' come together."

"I mean… I guess," she acquiesced with a heavy, bothered sigh. "But if we have to stay close all the time like you're suggesting, then you've got to pick up the pace, Tay," she added in a rather condescending tone, further irking her friend, who shot her a subtle side-eyed scowl as he sat up and adjusted himself. "Not to be rude, but you're going to find it a lot harder to travel through some of these places if you spend too much time trying to carefully study everything while being overly cautious of anything that might hurt you. I can only do but so much if you wind up in trouble and I'm too far ahead of you. I'm telling you, the best method for a lot of these levels is fast-paced, marathonic exploration."

"That how you figure it?"

"Yeah, but it sounds like you don't agree."

"You'd be right t' think that."

"Okay. What about that don't you agree with?"

"The notion that me not bein' able t' keep up with you is entirely my fault an' that you may or may not help me if I'm in trouble based on how far ahead you are. These quests ain't a series of races; it's a team effort. What sort o' team do you know of where the leader constantly races off ahead o' their subordinates an' pays no regard to their wellbeing?"

"A few, but those teams rely so heavily on their leaders that they tend to wind up being lost without said leader paving the way," she confidently rebutted. "If anything, you should be learning how to keep up rather than telling me to slow down by now. You've got more than enough experience to see where I'm coming from. It makes more sense for us to push through as quickly and effectively as we can."

"I get that, an' I'm tryin' as hard as I possibly can. I acknowledge that I gotta keep things movin' t' keep up with you. The problem is that at this rate, I'm not learnin' how t' move faster so much as I'm learnin' that you out-speed me and that you have a ton more options for navigation at your disposal. If you don't consider things from my perspective, how are we supposed t' work together an' protect each other from danger? I don't know how you feel about me providin' coverage for you, but I'll openly admit when I need help. Matter fact, here's a question: What would've happened way back on Naga Mountain when I fell int' that trench? Y'know, if Sky wasn't there to save me an' you were alone on the other side o' the gap?"

"I don't know… but it was a good thing Sky was there," the scantily-clad young girl dismissed, uncertain of how to answer such a foreboding hypothetical question.

"As I'm aware. That doesn't answer my question, though. What would you have done if she wasn't?" he reiterated, demanding a rational reply. "We were lucky she decided t' tag along, but she even said it was because she wanted t' make sure somethin' like that wouldn't happen. Did you consider that?"

"Look, I don't have an answer for that, alright?" Shantae raised her voice, finding Tayshan's prodding irritating. "I get it. You were in a tough spot and I didn't see that the last platform was a dud. I'm sorry. But that isn't fair to use that situation to prove your point that I should slow down to make sure you're okay. None of us saw it until it crumbled under you. You can't seriously blame me for not warning you ahead of time about something I wasn't aware of."

"Shantae, that's not my point," he shot back, reflecting her irritation. "Had we not rushed into it like we did, we'd have seen that comin' from a mile away an' avoided the near-death experience."

"Then what was that about it being the adrenaline rush you needed?" she asked, vexed by and unappreciative of his perceived browbeating. "Remember when you said that, like you were happy that you almost fell into that bottomless pit?"

"It was an adrenaline rush, yes, and one I DID need. However, it let me know not t' be in over my head travelin' through these environments; a point that was proven again an' again on the quests that followed. Might I mention some of our other incidents from just this past week? Like Cape Crustacean, where the flyin' carpets in that race sank as soon as we landed on them an' you kept jumpin' on them before I did? As soon as I got to most of 'em, I was already eatin' tree branches an' worms. I've had my fill o' those for at least three lifetimes."

"Again, you have to speed it up if you see that moving too slowly is putting you in danger. That's why you have that Falcon Call to assist you with places like Cape Crustacean. Your magic abilities can also help you."

"Right, because those are so easy t' use when you're that high up in the air an' movin' at breakneck speed. Okay, so what about the Spindle Gulch, where you turned into a harpy t' fly over all the geysers while I either got stuck bein' sprayed into the air like sixteen times tryin' t' keep up or made t' fight a barrage of frogs, alligators, bugs, an' those obnoxious giant blue one-eyed scorpion-crab monsters that nearly tore me t' ribbons? Or the part where you flew right into the boss monster's electric butterfly net an' you needed me t' shoot the generators so you could break free to attack? You can't tell me you won't acknowledge that bein' caught by that goofy Rabbitron 8000 contraption that apparently belonged to that Techno Baron dude was somethin' we could've avoided."

"A minor setback," she scoffed. "Or two… or a few…"

"An' who could forget that huge, windin', convoluted tunnel section under Embroidery City? Those narrow, topsy-turvy passageways stuffed to the brim with rats, those ugly starfish that clung to us in the water unless you turned into a mermaid, buzz saws all over the vines, an' all those tiny blue mosquito-lookin' things that flew around in packs o' three? I could barely climb any vines or swim without bein' knocked off or hit by some random enemy flyin' at me or lurkin' below the water surface. Meanwhile, you also simply used a Warp Dance t' completely vanish on me without a trace, then by the time I found you, you were in the middle o' fightin' off an army of all those things in a tiny, sealed off room."

"Please, that section wasn't so bad. Plus, I was testing the Warp Dance to see if it worked right after the last time I used it."

"Well, work it did. Let's not forget the boss monster of that place; a humongous three-headed camouflaging snake beast with the ability t' steal your magic an' use it t' replenish its own health. The one you almost got knocked out by until I eventually caught up again an' shot its eyes out with a sniper rifle, so it wouldn't try t' blend into the background of that dark, disgusting sewer. We barely made it out o' that battle in one piece, despite the snake bein' blind after I shot it."

"Alright, so what's your point?" Shantae asked, just about done hearing Tay's complaints about their past adventures.

"My point is that we gotta be more careful."

"Okay, but being careful doesn't necessarily have to mean moving slowly and watching everything like we're being stalked by natural predators. You wouldn't know this right away, but my adventures are practically designed around quick, precise, time-sensitive movement and rewarding occasional curious exploration with a range of treasures, collectibles, key items, and power-ups. Stopping and calculating my every move before I made it never got me anywhere," she argued with a nonchalant, yet confident shrug that rubbed her friend in exactly the wrong way.

"…Rrright," Tay flatly droned, disagreeing with her, but not wanting to escalate the conversation into a full-blown argument. He felt like she heard him, but that she had not been listening, which he acknowledged would get them nowhere in seeing eye-to-eye. He was not a fan of aimless confrontations. "I'm gonna take that with a grain o' salt."

"Don't say I didn't warn you," she plainly responded with another shrug, noting the soldier's skepticism at her previous statement while remaining confident that her past experience would simply need to become his present experience for him to see her point.

"Anyway, what ideas you got for what t' do next?" he asked, shifting focus.

"Well… we could head over to the item shop in Scuttle Town and get ourselves nice and stocked up on supplies."

"We HAVE been runnin' around with hardly a thing but the clothes on our backs these past few days now that you mention it, huh?"

"You can say that again. Although, I won't promise the item shop will have anything you might be able to use."

"It ain't like I'm lookin' for more guns t' be sold out o' there… I hope. But yeah, I understand. Weird that I haven't even bothered t' check the place out myself before now, but I can manage with some Scuttle Town protection, like a shield, a sword, and/or some armor," he acknowledged, though Shantae shot him a look as though to communicate that he should prepare for disappointment. "Heck, even some decent food t' pack for some o' these trips would do."

"Hmm, why don't we… actually go over there now? You can form your own opinion from there."

"Aw, man, I don't like the sound o' that…" Tay dreaded as he and Shantae set off for Scuttle Town.

One Hour Later…

"Bro, what do you MEAN you basically only sell things meant for Shantae t' use!?" Tay indignantly asked, frustrated with the store clerk as he and Shantae explored the apparently limited selection of equipment in Scuttle Town's Item Shop.

"Exactly what I said," the store clerk rebutted with a nonchalant shrug as he gestured toward his shelves upon shelves of boxes, potions, Pike Balls, and other miscellaneous articles of adventuring paraphernalia. "Only genies and half-genies are able to utilize the majority of the accessories I have to offer. The rest is more or less equivalent to costume jewelry for anyone that doesn't fit that description. That, or it's just glorified groceries when we lump in the specialty food items I have."

"So the swords, the spike balls-!"

"PIKE Balls."

"…shields, spells, armor, which is not only JUST shaped in the form of a skimpy two-piece bathing suit, but also sold out, shampoo an' hair cream… and even the milk and potions… ALL of that is just for her, or else it's just about useless?" he asked, gesturing toward the half-genie standing beside him. "Because so far as I understand, she's the ONLY person in this whole country who's at least part genie."

"Yes. To be fair, though, the Monster Milk is usable by anyone, not just genies. You just won't receive any power boost from it. Plus, it tastes awful. It's like liquefied carpet shavings and stale sunflower seeds. Only person who usually comes here for the milk is Mayor Scuttlebutt, who will buy it by the ton."

"Aw, come on! How do you have so little supplies for anybody else t' buy that even the one food item you have right now ain't even worth buyin' because o' the taste? You do realize what a terrible customer service model that is, don't you?" Tay irritably remarked, causing Shantae to gasp in shock.

"Tay, calm down!" she attempted to interject, though it went unheard.

"How do you stay in business with only ONE or TWO customers from whom to make a profit?" Tay ranted, ignoring Shantae's advice. "Why bother even openin' up an item shop if you had such a teensy, tiny demographic in mind? What sound, logical business practice involves alienatin' the entire town an' only caterin' to the needs of one or two people out o' the presumable hundreds that live here?"

"Shantae's a very frequent shopper, for one," the clerk explained.

"He's got a point, Tay. I'm here almost all the time," she backed up, not helping her friend's case. "Although, the prices can be a little… questionably steep."

"You're tellin' me," Tay agreed with Shantae before turning his attention back to the clerk. "I don't know the exchange rate or value o' these gem things, but even I know you've GOT t' be stiffin' us on these prices. 600 for her Mega Shampoo, another 550 for her Mega Hair Cream, 200 for three potions, and another whoppin' 500 for the best kind o' Bubble Shield you have, which only protects her from outside threats for ten seconds a pop with a thirty-second cool down period, all the while costin' her more magic than the one she already has?"

"To be fair, I DID discount the Bubble Shield," he defended with a shrug.

"Yeah, because that makes a huge difference. We came in here with a combined 1998 gems, and yet with just FOUR purchases, we're now down to just the 148 I have left in my pocket. Somethin' ain't right here; especially since I had t' use almost every last gem I had with me t' cover her expenses an' I get the satisfaction o' walkin' out o' here empty handed."

"What can I say, kid? It's a tough market, and with there being a horrendously low supply-demand relationship for my merchandise, not to mention I constantly have to adjust for inflation, Sequin Land's fluctuating GDP, and the fact that I mysteriously always find myself sold out of almost everything, even WITH only one or two loyal customers, it would be CRIMINAL to make the prices for this stuff any lower than they are. I'd be bankrupt in a single afternoon if I did! Our economy isn't the most stable either, which does nothing to help me stay in the black. Every time there's a crisis here, money value drops as there's always a sudden mass overproduction of it as demand for my merchandise increases. On the other side of the Naga Jar, when things are peaceful, money value soars because the production of it instantly comes to a screeching halt, while demand decreases accordingly. Don't ask me how this backwards system works, because I don't even know myself. All I know is that this business is what I've got to make a living with."

"…Shoot, I get it…" Tay finally conceded with a defeated sigh, apparently understanding all the macroeconomic jargon regurgitated at him by the store clerk. Shantae was lost in the sauce, the terminology of the two 'businessmen' throwing her way off. "Fine, but don't you have SOMETHING for me t' use?"

"Well…" the clerk paused to think. "Actually, I think I do. There's this old pair of men's boots I received a few years ago. Mind you, I'm speaking figuratively when I say 'old.' They're actually brand new. Just, they won't fit Shantae for obvious reasons…"

"Understood," the half-genie in question nodded, though she glanced at her own feet to be reminded that she was barefoot. "Kinda wish you DID usually sell shoes right now, though…"

"…and no one else here wears boots. Well, except that ragtag gang of blue raccoon enthusiasts, as well as that malicious purple pirate woman, and I refuse to do business with those ruffians. They just might be your size, too. Here, I'll go get them…" With that, the clerk ventured into his store's back closet. After a moment of rumbling around in his stockroom, he reemerged with an eccentric pair of shiny ebony armor-padded boots not too dissimilar in style to Tay's usual footwear, save for the fact that in lieu of laces or tongues, they were entirely coated in metal.

"Alright, then…?" the soldier examined the mysterious footwear, looking for clues as to how they might be any better than his own boots. "There somethin' I should know about these things?"

"Hmm…" the clerk scratched his chin in wonder. "If I recall… I heard some time ago that those boots adhere to the foot size of the wearer—so long as their size is within a reasonable range—and supposedly enhances their jumping power. I've never tried them on, but maybe you can figure out that myth."

"What have I got to lose?" Tay shrugged, taking off his normal boots and trying on the new-ish pair. At first, nothing appeared to happen. He'd only felt that the boots were about a half-size too small and felt rough on his feet because of the metal in them. In the moment that he was about to voice his concern to the clerk, the boots glowed a deep ocean blue and expanded slightly to fit the soldier more comfortably, simultaneously adjusting to rid him of the discomfort he felt from the metal.

"Whoa, they're working!" Shantae pointed out as Tayshan looked his footwear up and down. "Try jumping now and see what happens!" she practically commanded, eager to see what would happen.

"Okay…" Tay obeyed as he crouched low to the ground and exploded upwards an instant later. "WHOA!" he shouted in total shock as he found himself a good fifteen feet in the air as the boots blasted a short, but high-intensity stream of air under him. As quickly as he went up, he came plummeting down, bracing himself for impact by landing on one foot and both hands. "Wow, that's incredible!" he cheered as he stood back up.

"Yeah!" Shantae cheerfully agreed. "With those boots, just think about how much more you could accomplish with platforming!"

"You got a point," Tay nodded as he refocused on the store clerk. "Alright, I think we've finally got somethin' t' work with. I'll take 'em. How much?"

"Hm, normally, I'd have let them go for 750…" he pondered, making Tay's heart almost sink with the knowledge that he would have been just a mere 602 monies short. "…but since you've been so understanding—and because no one else in their right mind would actually take them—I'll sell 'em to you for 140. No returns accepted." At that, Tay's dread turned to incredulity as he shot the clerk a half-lidded look of disbelief.

"…Wow. Fine, here," he flatly stated as he offered all but eight monies to the clerk.

"Ah, ah, ah~! Sales tax bumps it up to 148," the salesman reminded with a smirk. Tay was, for lack of a better term, not amused.

"You ain't charge her a sales tax. What gives?" Tay inquired as he surrendered the remainder of his earnings to the merchant and finalizing the fact that he got Propeller Boots.

"She gets a special loyalty discount."

"I do?" Shantae asked, evidently unaware of any deals she'd been getting from the clerk. Shantae's cluelessness about a discount immediately made Tay suspicious.

"Well, sort of. It's more so you avoid the sales tax-!"

"That I'm almost certain you just implemented t' swindle me," Tay deduced, scowling with fury.

"It's just business, kid. Don't be upset," the clerk answered with a semi-apologetic shrug. "Those boots are one-of-a-kind. You're now the proud owner of the only known pair in existence. It doesn't get more exclusive than that. You're lucky I let them go for such a sweet deal. Anyone else would've been charged triple for just one of them."

"Yeah, 'sweet deal,' when we don't even know what price YOU paid t' get 'em. This whole thing sounds like you just took us for a ride for the sake o' linin' your own pockets while emptyin' ours. You're lucky these boots work like you said, or else I'd make you-!"

"Tayshan! Relax, will you? Let's just be glad the boots work," the half-genie stopped the soldier, stepping in and pushing him away from the item shop proprietor to keep him from potentially doing anything they might regret.

"Yeah, let's," he remarked, still glaring at the clerk who'd just taken the duo for every gem they had. "I'm out o' here. I hope for your sake these boots keep workin' like they just did," he further remarked, picking up his old boots and storming out of the establishment. "Belligerent, opportunistic capitalism at its worst, I tell ya…" Shantae followed suit, her opinion of the store clerk remaining neutral as she waved goodbye to him.

"Jeez, Tay, I thought my temper was bad," Shantae admonished her friend for his aggressive behavior. "It wasn't that big a deal. Sure, it was dishonest of him to charge you extra, but you didn't need to get all short with the store owner over a disagreement on the price of your new boots."

"Not just the boots," he defended. "All the stuff we got. You can't tell me that any of that transaction made enough sense that we paid almost 2000 o' these gems for just five things."

"Maybe, but you won't get anywhere by losing your cool so suddenly. Lashing out like that would more likely get us banned from the item shop than get us any discounts. You can't do things like that and expect people to want to work with you." She made an excellent point on the importance of self-restraint. Tay fell silent as he stared at the ground for a moment.

"…Yeah, you're right…" Tay sighed in a mix of regret and disdain, trying to get his thoughts straight. "Sorry about that."

"It's fine... I hope. I guess I can understand why you'd be upset at him for his choice of pricing, thinking back. Still, you've been pretty on-edge since we finished up in the Siren's Requiem Labyrinth," Shantae assessed, concerned for her friend's wellbeing. "It almost seems like you've been more easily irritated at smaller things that, as far as I know, used to have no effect in getting you upset."

"I don't think I've been THAT bad. I mean, I know I had my moments, but I thought I was bein' pretty levelheaded for the most part."

"Yeah, but you've been getting more and more upset over the last couple days, if not the last week. In terms of casual interactions, that incident back there was the angriest I've seen you. Have you been okay? You can tell me anything that's bothering you," the kindly young woman offered, grabbing her friend's hand as they stopped and sat on a nearby bench.

"Eh, I guess. It's just… bein' in a different world for all this time an' havin' all these curveballs thrown at me on how t' adjust t' life here an' how t' correctly navigate the places we explored together… Havin' the task o' stoppin' pirate girl from destroyin' this world from the minute she dragged me here… An' not even knowin' if I'm gonna be able t' go back t' my own world when this is all over… it's stressful, y'know?" he admitted, his face communicating his never-ending uncertainty. "I've been stuck here for close to a month an' we're no closer t' solvin' this problem than when we first met. Every passin' minute is a cruel, tauntin' reminder that Risky and her army are gettin' better at usin' those stolen guns; that the threat of a full-scale assault grows bigger with every day we let slip by… I'd never have dreamed of bein' in a situation like this. I feel… trapped. Like, I'm in a long, dark tunnel with a faint, dim light at the very end, but the light is gettin' dimmer with the longer I take t' reach it… if that makes sense."

"Yeah… Yeah, I think I know what you mean," Shantae nodded. "I mean, I can't possibly relate to being kidnapped to a different planet, but I definitely know what you mean regarding not knowing how things will go until they're already happening."

"Exactly. The lack o' clarity is killin' me. It's worse that I got no idea about if we're even close t' findin' any clues on how t' bring this fiasco to an end AND we're goin' on these side quests that we didn't expect t' be assigned along the way. It's almost like I have to totally shut down an' rewire myself from scratch t' understand this world an' what we've been doin'; not that it's anybody's fault, but still…"

"Yeah, I know… It's nerve-wracking not knowing if the moves you're making are the right ones; especially when, like you said, you're in a completely different dimension. This shouldn't be a huge surprise to you, but not all my adventures went according to plan, in the sense that every path was clear or that I particularly cared for where it led me."

"Oh yeah? You always seem like you know exactly what you're doin'."

"Mainly because I know by now how to adapt to the rapid changes my adventures keep throwing at me. But it's not like I'm ALWAYS prepared to handle every zigzag, spiral, or loop I'm presented with. You already know about the time Risky stole my genie powers at the end of one of my crusades to stop her, turned them into an evil version of me, and forced me to destroy it, and my genie half along with it…"

"Yeah… I can't even begin t' express what an awful experience that must've been for ya. Losin' a huge chunk of yourself just like that…" he sympathetically replied with an emphatic snap of his fingers.

"Definitely. I totally get what you mean, with things seeming like they don't make any sense, even with as hard as you try to put the pieces together. Losing my powers is a bit of a stretch for a relative example, I admit, but…"

"No, I'm followin'. It makes sense. Please, go ahead."

"Well… That was something I'd never expected to happen to me. At first, I tried to play it cool… to assure myself that things would be okay, but… in reality, I was devastated, furious, miserable, and spiteful toward Risky for taking something I cherished so much away from me. I might've stopped her, sure, but she technically won when she took the most valued part of myself away from me and forced me to destroy it. I felt like I didn't even know myself as a person anymore after that… I didn't want to come off as helpless, though, so I pretended I was okay in front of other people… and even kept it secret from most of Scuttle Town that their 'guardian genie' had lost her status as a genie."

"Shoot…"

"I spent countless nights over a period of months crying my eyes out and wishing things didn't pan out that way. I stopped exploring or visiting anyone, or even hanging out with my friends. I felt like I was nothing without my powers… but then my friends stuck by me, helped me process it, and eventually, I took up martial arts with Bolo to start coping with it and learning how to fight without powers. Granted, he only taught me a couple moves that I almost never used and I started inventing techniques on my own as I trained with him, but the point still stands. I built myself back up with their help and became stronger as a full-fledged human; even before I teamed up with Risky the next time I saw her. I mean, my powers were returned to me, as you know, but yeah."

"Right. Still, I get it. You turned a bad situation into a good one through perseverance, a good support system, an' immeasurable willpower."

"Pretty much. I couldn't think of any different way to put it."

"Gotcha. Maybe I'll get to that point myself eventually; especially if I never make it back home. But still, it's tough bein' somewhere so foreign with seemingly no way out, with every moment you spend here bein' laced in anxiety, frustration, a small, but creepin' sense o' hopelessness, an'… even a little bit o' fear, t' be honest. An' then, when I think about all the scars I picked up on my face an' chest, this weird deal with my eye turnin' silver, an' the whole deal with bein' filled up with magic that basically both helps me AND hurts me at the same time… I know, I sound so pathetic," he scoffed, averting his gaze. "I'm supposed to be a soldier, a man o' steel, a hero, a walkin' example of bravery an' justice… an' yet I'm here gripin' about my personal insecurities with bein' here when I should be chargin' ahead an' fearlessly tacklin' every scenario with unshakable grit."

"It's okay to be a little scared and unsure, Tay. Believe me, I know what you're feeling right now, being unsure of… well, just about everything. It's not an easy path to walk, and to be honest… I'm still walking it the same way you are. As for this situation you're in, don't limit yourself to a narrow range of emotions. You might aim to be a hero, an idol, or a protector of the innocent, but don't forget that you're still human…" She advised, fully capturing his attention. "I guess what I'm trying to say is… is that you don't have to be alone, Tay. It's awful losing everything you know and then receiving no immediate answers on whether you'll ever go back to the way things were. I wouldn't even wish that on Risky Boots. But so long as you have me as your guide and mentor… I'm here to help."

"…Thank you, Shantae. Thank you… I… I can't express enough gratitude for at least havin' you around."

"Of course! That's what friends are for, right?"

"Most definitely…" Tay breathed a shaky sigh of relief as he steeled himself as they stood. "I wanna look out for you in the same way, too."

"Aw, thanks!"

"No doubt. I'll take your advice to heart. And I'll try t' be calmer about this situation from now on. Although… can you really blame me for gettin' mad at that store clerk?" he humorously changed topics.

"Well… when I think about what you were talking about with him, I honestly didn't know anything about why that stuff was so expensive. He's only ever sold things to me, but he never went into detail about why his prices were so high. All that mumbo-jumbo about the economy and how it justified him charging so much money for the things we got… I barely understood any of it, but I am at least aware now that he should probably reconsider his business practices."

"Heh, right. All you needed t' take from that conversation, homegirl, is that economics as an overarching sociocultural factor in regular person-to-person commercial communications, in conjunction with pervasive corporate intrigue in and insatiable demand for virulent sales campaigns and dubious, avaricious business practices, is totally bogus," Tay ranted in one longwinded breath, taking the shady conditions of his purchase of his Propeller Boots to heart. Shantae had to take a moment to process what he said before responding.

"…So… in the language of Sequin Land, you mean that money makes people greedy, and that's a bummer?" Shantae thankfully translated, because it would have otherwise taken a professional interpreter to untangle that migraine-inducing yarn ball of social commentary.

"…Yes."

"Thought so. I bet you'd make a shrewd businessman with that kind of insight," she assured with a light chuckle. "On the bright side, you can clock in some serious hang time in those boots. Think about being able to jump as high as you just did back in the item shop over a series of platforms. Or better, how you can mix your newly enhanced jumping ability with your Falcon Call! Or your magic!" she brainstormed, managing to provoke her extraterrestrial friend's thoughts.

"You raise a great point. But there's still the fact that I got no new weapons, an' it's definitely startin' t' get to a point where my gun ain't makin' the cut like when we first started. Doesn't help that I'm also constantly runnin' out of ammo for any other guns we pick up, too. It's been takin' longer t' take down some enemies, an' I was hopin' there'd be somethin' in that shop for me t' use to at least increase my firepower."

"Yeah, enemies will keep getting tougher as we keep moving. Sometimes, we may also run into areas where a certain ability is needed and you may not have it until later, like back on Naga Mountain."

"Right. Still, if no item shop has anything but a pair o' boots for me, then that means I'd have t' continue t' manage lookin' for Tinkerbats armed with weapons from my world to get anything I can use. After everything we've been through, I've only got my pistol, my grenades, the magic, these boots, an' the Falcon Call Sky gave me. Plus, the Flare Gun, but that ain't even a weapon."

"Yeah, it may not seem like a lot, but you'll be surprised what you can accomplish with the right equipment. Plus, as you already know, there's plenty to find aside from money to stock up on while we're out adventuring."

"Scavengin' for rations, pretty much. Still, about the item drops… Juicy cuts o' steak, fancy lobster dinners, fully-loaded bento boxes, an' fresh fruit just droppin' out of enemies we knock out? What's up with that?"

"Don't ask me… I don't even know," she answered with a shrug. "All I know is that it's delicious and it does its job of keeping us healthy." Tay merely nodded in understanding before the duo were approached by a long-haired, caramel-skinned woman who wore towels draped around her waist and wrapped around her head, complete with a matching bikini top.

"Hello, travelers! I believe I have news for you," the eccentric woman shared, though her tone was more-so friendly than anything that would cause alarm.

"Hey, Bathhouse Lady! What's up?" Shantae greeted, evidently knowing the woman as an attendant at the town's bathhouse.

"There have been rumors spreading around about Risky Boots," Bathhouse Lady divulged, sending both Shantae and Tayshan into high alert.

"What did you hear?" Tay quickly asked, the urgency of the topic making him tense all over again.

"Risky and her Tinkerbats are wreaking havoc throughout Sequin Land again! Reports have been made about strange green boxes scattered throughout the nation. Further reports indicated that the Tinkerbats are having too much fun with them."

"Hm?" he queried, puzzled by the cryptic reply given to him.

"So, there are crates full of weapons from the other world hidden around Sequin Land, huh?" Shantae deciphered, further baffling the soldier. "That warning might be coming in a bit late, since we already sort of figured it out on our own that Risky and her minions have been scattering Weapons Crates all over the place. Either way, we're on it. Any idea on what the next step is?"

"A hefty man of magic, sluggish and somewhat lazy, has a request for you, that borders on crazy. He awaits your return just beyond the town's west port. Unless you figure out what he wants, your quest will come up short."

"Huh?" Tay asked again, even more thrown-off than he was a moment ago.

"There's a wizard waiting for us at my house," the knowledgeable young girl explained to her companion. "What he's doing there is beyond me, but with any luck, he'll help us with reversing that slug spell."

"Hm… Alright," Tay merely agreed with a shrug, not letting his confusion turn into frustration. "I mean, I don't know how you got all that information from such vague, cryptic messages comin' from someone whose job description doesn't exactly list 'fortune teller' as a requirement… no offense."

"None taken," Bathhouse Lady excused. "I'll be on my way now. Hope I helped!" she bade farewell with a smiling wave as she continued walking along.

"She's helped me quite a lot since I met her, believe it or not," Shantae explained as she and Tayshan set off for the lighthouse. "Once I figured out what her clues meant, she's always pointed me in the right direction."

"If you say so," he shook his head with a mirthful chuckle, disbelieving of the notion of a person with such an unassuming job as a bathhouse attendant could really be so influential in Shantae's quests. Of course, the half-genie picked up on this.

"Seeing is believing, Tayshan," she merely advised with a wink as they continued their trek.

A bit of backtracking later…

The duo eventually arrived back at Shantae's lighthouse to discover that, as the Bathhouse Lady had predicted, a rotund, brown-bearded wizard with a fabulous star-spangled topaz yellow robe stood waiting patiently for someone to interact with him. His shaggy fur-like locks draped so profusely over his face that one might have mistaken him for a primate cosplaying as his favorite fairy tale princess.

"Hey, you're the wizard from Mermaid Falls!" Shantae called to the hairy stranger as she and Tayshan approached, recognizing him as an individual she met in the past. "You look… different from the last time I saw you. Did you do something with your hair?"

"Ah, see, I done knew it, man, dadgum good things DO come to those who wait, I tell ya what…" the wizard replied, apparently expecting the two to show up at a most convenient time. "Genie girl with the dang ol' exceptional sweet tooth! Alas, I ain't the wizard from them dang ol' Mermaid Falls. I am his superior, and I do mean SUPERIOR cousin's uncle's twin brother's ex-wife's great grandpappy in the name o' them dang ol' genies above, m'dear." The wizard's rather… exotic dialect threw Shantae for a loop. Tay, on the other hand, appeared to be reminded of something as he turned around and clasped a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing out loud.

"Uhh… N-nice to meet you too, sir," Shantae uncertainly greeted, her eyebrow cocked in perplexity. "I was wondering if you could help us. Or maybe… if you needed us to help you…?"

"Aw, by diddly doggone, I done knew—now I said I done knew you'd ask me for a little ol' favor, sweetie pie, and I tell ya what, I'd be ought but dang ol' pleased to be the one givin' ya my dadgum assistance, madame."

"Um… Okay…? So uh… We have this spell here that I need a reversal for. Could you maybe… do us a favor, pretty please?"

"Now what I tell ya, man, I done said I'd help with a dang ol' favor, what, you hard o' hearin' I tell ya what, man, I don't like repeatin' myself, I dang ol' said I don't like repeatin' myself, not even a little ol' little bit man, tell ya what, if ya need my help, then dang ol' spit it out, man, come on."

"Uhh… Tay?" she called to him, hoping he'd be able to understand the rambling wizard. Unfortunately, she found herself less than amused to see that he'd been turned around, busting a gut for no discernible reason. "What are you laughing at?"

"H-Huh? Oh, nothin', nothin'," the soldier lied, catching his breath as he inhaled to recollect himself. "Just uh… thought o' somethin' that reminded me of… ah, never mind…" he dismissed, clearing his throat. "A-anyway, dude said he'd help us out, but t' just tell him what we need."

"You actually understood what he was saying?" she asked in total surprise as though this unusual wizard were speaking in tongues.

"Aw come on, man, that's just dang ol' disrespectful, man, tell ya what, rude like a nude dude in a crude mood kind o' rude, man, that girl ain't right, I tell ya what, that girl ain't right."

"Sorry, sorry," Tay apologized to the eccentric wizard, coughing to disguise another short burst of laughter. "She meant nothin' by it. Anyway, we're in need of a reversal for this spell…" the young man requested as he pulled out the oil-drenched Super Slugger Spell and gave it to the wizard. The portly magician took a moment to study its contents, intent on differentiating the chicken scratch writing from the Rorschach-esque ink blots and the wavy watermarks that littered the page. Eventually, the wizard spoke.

"Tell ya what, this little ol' dadgum spell ain't no thang but a dang ol' chicken wang, I said no thang but a dadgum chicken wang, be like 1… 2… poof, people turned to one o' them li'l slimy creatures be like dang ol' Hocus Pocus Hullabaloo, and then WHAM BAM back to normal like a baby feelin' better after spittin' up ol' milk, man."

"…What?" Shantae asked, having tried and failed to interpret the magician's statement.

"Now tell ya what, you, little ol' lady, remind me of an earless rabbit, I said you remind me of a li'l, dadgum earless rabbit, because ya just ain't dang ol' listenin', tell ya what, man, like I'm talkin' perfectly clear like the dang ol' daytime sky, missy."

"Okay, okay, relax," Tay intervened. "She's havin' a hard time understandin' you. Give her a break. Anyway, you said that spell was easy to reverse. Can you maybe come with us to fix someone who was turned into a slug? Or at least give us the reversal instructions for it?"

"Yeah, man, for sure, but tell ya what, I need a li'l ol' dadgum favor man, scratch each other's backs, an eye for a dang ol' eye, keepin' a look out for each other an' all that dang ol' jazz, man, I need a li'l ol' favor."

"Okay…? And what would you like in return for helpin' us?"

"Chocolate bar, man, I said a dang ol' chocolate bar, like the ones from that spooky, ooky, kooky Spider Web Island, man, that's the only way I like 'em, tell ya what, fresh arachno-nougat, and that dang ol' savory flesh flavorin' man, just like sweet bacon, I said like dadgum sweet bacon."

"A candy bar from a place called Spider Web Island is what you want in return for figurin' out the reversal for that slug spell?" Tay guessed, anxious because of the possibility of his journey taking yet another cockamamie, screwball detour.

"Oh, good… THAT place…" Shantae murmured in dread as she sulked, apparently already familiar with it.

"Hit the nail on the head, big fella, but them there chocolate bars are just about sold out everywhere, man, tell ya what, talkin' 'bout a… dang ol' massive recall, man, make it harder t' find than a crocodile in a crowd o' them construction worker alligators, man, dang ol'… health concerns and bad taste or somethin', man, makin' children projectile vomit, dadgum… I don't know, man, but tell ya what, I just think people gotta… acquire the dang ol' taste."

"Fantastic…" Tay sighed, at least glad that he and Shantae had an idea of where to go next. He did, however, take zero joy in having to embark on his umpteenth side quest to do someone a favor to move things along. "Okay, looks like we're goin' to Spider Web Island today… R-right, Shantae?"

"Yeah, I guess," she uncertainly answered. "If that's where he said his candy bar is, then we've got no other choice but to check it out so we can get that spell reversal."

"Got it. An' I guess the only real way t' get there is with Sky's help?"

"Yep! See, once you let things play out rather than always looking for conventional answers, things get much simpler to understand!" she lauded her friend, though her praise inadvertently came across as more condescending than congratulatory.

"Mm-hmm…" Tay couldn't help but frown at her words, disagreeing with her observation as he still found the idea of just letting the wind carry them wherever it blew just a bit uncomfortable and lacking in strategic observation.

"In that case, let's head over to Sky's now to see if she's available," Shantae prompted, taking Tay by the hand and leading him back into town. "We'll be back in a flash, Mr. Wizard! Just stay put right there!"

"Yeah, sure as sugar, little missy, dun diddly dadgum… dang ol' matter o' time, man…" he murmured, waving them off as he took a comfortable seat next to the half-genie's lighthouse before pulling out the comics section of a newspaper and getting to work catching up on the funnies while our dynamic duo did his job for him. Nonetheless, the two readily parted ways with the golden-garbed magic specialist to seek out Sky for a ride to Spider Web Island.

Later on…

LOCATION: KREEPY-KRAWLY OUTSKIRTS, SPIDER WEB ISLAND, SEQUIN LAND

DATE: SEPTEMBER 30TH, 16 P.G.F.

TIME: 1902 HOURS

A few hours later, Sky, Shantae, and Tayshan had arrived via Giga-Wrench onto an island that radiated eerie, chill-inducing vibes of death, misery, and an endless, meaningless, tortured existence. It was the middle of the afternoon when the trio initially took off, but it seemed that the closer they got to the island, the darker and cloudier it became, as though they were eternally cursing themselves by even going in the general direction of this place. By the time they actually made landfall, the sky was blotted out by creepy, smoky clouds whose darkness was only pierced by the full moon's light. This did nothing to detract from the spooky factor however, as they also found themselves surrounded by unpromising thick gray blankets of fog that almost completely masked the landscape.

"Y'know, I was gonna hold off on saying it, but once I take another look, I can't help but speak up. Shantae, I can't believe you're wearing that skimpy space princess outfit again," Sky chided Shantae for her choice of clothing, appearing unaffected by the atmosphere. "And to here, of all places? I thought we all got rid of those tacky costumes after our time on Tan Line Island…"

"I know…" Shantae guiltily began. "But I guess it kinda grew on me. Granted, I've had this outfit since way before we even heard of Tan Line Island, but I couldn't bear to throw it away after such a memorable time hanging out with you, Rotty, and even Risky. Then again, we could've spent our time there doing much more enjoyable things than… well, y'know…"

"Being captured by a bunch of blind goofball guards, dressed in that outfit, locked up in the Tan Line Temple, and mistaken for the REAL desert princess while also being called 'fat' because said princess went shopping for all of a whopping thirty minutes? Yes, we could've," Sky reminisced with a sour look on her face, appearing to remember a few particularly terrible moments during this oh-so wonderful desert excursion.

"Yeah," She admitted with a slight chuckle. "I uh… also ran out of my usual outfits. All my red ones AND my alternate blue one, which I don't usually wear unless it's for special occasions. Since that underwater temple trip we took, I haven't been able to really find the time necessary to catch up on my chores. As a result, all I had left in terms of adventuring gear was this. Everything else was either pajamas, beach wear, or cosplay."

"I honestly would've told you to go for one of your cosplay outfits. Like that adorable ninja one you wore once for Halloween last year. Or that odd, yet equally-cute police outfit you wore to that convention we went to in the Nation of United Seams."

"Yeah, and I thought about those, but I'd have major trouble trying to adapt while using those outfits during adventures. This one hit closest to home in terms of letting me explore with my regular abilities."

"Oh, I got it… Well I only hope you plan on doing your laundry after you wrap up here," the bird trainer reminded. "You shouldn't be running around in this getup any longer than you have to."

"It's at the top of my bucket list for when we get home. Promise," Shantae assured with a thumbs-up. "Tayshan said I look cute in this outfit, though, so it can't be all bad. And knowing how much he hates that word, that's gotta be saying something, right?" she added with an involuntary smile, causing Sky to cock an eyebrow in disbelief before they turned to Tay, who'd been too preoccupied with scanning the spooky surroundings to hear them.

"Man, this place gives me the chills…" Tay apprehensively observed, not paying even the slightest attention to the conversation between the two young women. He was taking in the view of the thickets of wilted, leafless trees and bushes expanding into the distance, as well as the sopping wet, patchy, muddy grass that stretched for miles on end into the dead woods. What struck the soldier as most foreboding, however, was the abundance of shiny, silky strands of spider excretion littered all over the naked branches of various trees in the vicinity, with him drawing a conclusion as to how Spider Web Island got its name. "I don't have a good feelin' about this place at all…"

"Yeah, I don't blame you," Sky affirmed, addressing her friend's concern as she dropped her initial surprise at what Shantae had just told her. "Spider Web Island isn't exactly the most… welcoming to travelers. In fact, you'd be wise to stay far away from it if you don't have to be here. Rumor has it that this island is home to tortured souls condemned to forever roam the labyrinthic forest in which they'd gotten lost and died; their shambling, undead, mindless, brain-eating corporeal forms deteriorating with the longer they're forced to remain here with no hope of escape. Even now, you can hear the agonized, eternal despair-riddled wails of those begging for absolution and a way out." Seriously, this woman is either the greatest tour guide this side of Sequin Land… or its biggest troll for spilling this vividly-descriptive monologue to a guy who was about to charge into this creepy, death-laden swamp for the first (and probably only) time ever.

"Thanks for that bit of insight," Tay sarcastically remarked with an intense gulp, wishing Sky had never said a word about it.

"Sky, stop it. It isn't THAT bad," Shantae countered, bringing the soldier some much-needed relief. "There are only zombies, man-eating spiders, will-o'-the-wisps, killer ghosts, and other things that go bump in the night in this endless, foggy, dark, smelly, dank, slimy swamp," she attempted to explain, making things approximately 0% better for Tay's nerves. As one might expect, Tay's fleeting relief was replaced with unfathomable dread. "Besides, don't you remember that Rottytops and her brothers used to live here?"

"…My point is made even stronger by that fact," the fear-mongering bird trainer retorted, making evident that she did not care for this 'Rottytops' or her family.

"Sky! That's not nice. Rottytops is a great friend. So are Abner and Poe. I seriously don't understand why you don't get along with them by now."

"Because the minute that walking coin toss of a 'friend' of yours sees an opportunity, she'll turn you into her next meal before she tries to lend a hand to help you out of trouble. She still makes open remarks to this day about wanting to eat your brain, for goodness sake! I love ya, girl, but you really should reconsider some of the company you keep outside of Scuttle Town," Sky defended, making her stance firm.

"Well it's been this long, and I'm still standing, un-zombified, even after hanging out with her a bunch of times," the half-genie countered, her stance also firm. "We've all hung out together a few times in the past as well, so you know what I mean. Plus, I thought you two bonded a bit when you saved me from turning evil. As in, you squashed that beef before we saved the day not too long ago."

"Yeah, we did," Sky confirmed. "However, it didn't last long because, in case you don't remember, literally the day after you and she came back from that camping trip of yours, she pulled a heinous, mean-spirited 'prank' on me as a way to 'welcome' me into her friend circle. As I also hope to remind you, it took me a solid two weeks to scrub all the toad guts, bacon grease, and horse manure off my ceiling and walls. That smell was nauseating! I couldn't sleep that whole time until I was sure I scrubbed it all out and bombed my whole place with air fresheners to get rid of the stench. Yet, she wonders why you're her only friend."

"Oh… r-right, she DID do that…" Shantae admitted, sucking in air through her teeth as she cringed. "Sorry about that, Sky, I almost completely forgot about that… Who'd have guessed mixing that stuff in a cauldron with baking soda, spider acid, Ultra Blast powder, and cooking oil, and then sealing it shut before lugging it into your hatchery would cause an explosion that big?"

"I've already reminded you enough, so I beg of you not to remind me, Shantae," Sky irritably dismissed, reminiscing on what must've been one howling good time. "I'm positive the whole town heard it, and it's also probably true that the whole town could smell it. One more incident like that, and I could get evicted. It's for that reason that that troublemaker is forever banned from my house. Or coming within five hundred… THOUSAND feet of it. Mind you, I haven't even addressed the points about her still threatening to eat your brain and turn you into a zombie to claim you for herself, or how bratty and immature she is! How can you still stand to be around her? I would've thought you'd be done with her after she and her obnoxious brothers sold you out to Risky Boots for coffee and your brain a while back. Or, as I recall you complaining to me about once, the last time you were here, where you said she faked that leg injury and forced you to derail your entire trip to carry her through the most dangerous part of this forest before getting herself captured by the Boss Monster here. She's clearly a ton more trouble than she's worth."

"…Jeez, I'm startin' t' wonder if it's a good idea t' ever cross paths with whoever this girl is…" Tay murmured as he listened to his comrades banter on about the illustrious and legendary troublemaker Rottytops.

"Aw, don't let that get to you! She didn't mean it! I forgave her for the coffee thing, because she really didn't know better. As for the fake injury part, she was just trying to have some fun. She said she'd never do it again, so I don't hold that against her. You shouldn't either. She was really trying to get in your good graces after the awful time we had trying to stop Risky's last grand scheme, though. I think you should give her another chance. You two might have a lot in common."

"Yeah, that's about as likely as me going to a Cape Crustacean flea market with my parents; if anything, I'd prefer to do THAT than spend any more time near her. Long story short, that's not gonna happen."

"Okay, but you can't knock something till you try it. Well, try again, I mean," Shantae innocently suggested, clearly wanting her friends to get along with each other while voicing displeasure with Sky's derision of Rottytops.

"Once is enough, thanks," Sky rebuffed with a turn of her head. "Which reminds me. Tayshan."

"Wassup?" he asked, perking up as though he were not expecting to be addressed.

"If you can help it, keep Rottytops at arm's length whenever you meet her. If there's anything you'd be wise to learn from this conversation, it's that nothing good can be expected from associating yourself too closely with the likes of her."

"Uh…" he droned, immediately placed on the hot seat of a disagreement between his comrades.

"Sky!" Shantae indignantly called out, unappreciative of Sky's suggestion to Tay. "Just because you don't like her, doesn't mean Tayshan won't when he meets her! Don't tell him that!"

"It's a fair warning," she retorted with a shrug, standing by her initial disagreement with the half-genie. "If you want to keep hanging around her, then there's not a lot I can do to stop you. He, on the other hand, might do better to avoid her at all costs, if I'm gonna be completely honest. She's bad enough around you as it is. Around Tay? Who even knows what horrible things she might try to do to him! You know from experience how she is around boys!"

"That's enough!" Shantae declared, thoroughly unreceptive of Sky's suggestions. "You can't just up and tell people who they should consider 'good company' because you don't like somebody, Sky! That isn't fair! I get it that you want to protect Tay, but he's basically an adult! He can choose whoever he wants to hang around!"

"Uh… Well, I get a-!" the young man attempted to intervene.

"Not now, Tay. I'm making a point about you being able to choose your company as you please," Shantae denied as she held a hand out toward him, ironically denying him the right to make adult choices while trying to argue that he can make adult choices.

"No, what wouldn't be fair is if you let that no-good Rottytops get away with more of the shenanigans she's been pulling off since you two met!" Sky argued back, thereby making this an official war of words between the two sisterly girls. "Seriously, how much do you expect to let her get away with before you draw a line? I'm not exactly saying YOU have to stop hanging around her, or that Tay can't at least meet her to get an impression of his own. What I'm suggesting is that, if it can be helped, then he'd be wise to keep his distance from her if he absolutely HAS to meet her. I'd offer you that same word of encouragement for your own safety."

"Yeah, well I didn't ask you for your safety advice, Sky. I can take care of myself just fine," she shot back, taking both of her comrades by complete surprise as they gawked at her. "I think you're being a little too harsh on Rotty, and you're not doing Tay as much of a favor as you think you are by telling him bad things about her. Again, he can make his own decisions, so let him do that instead of doting on him all the time like he's a helpless kid."

"Er… Can I-!"

"In a second, Tay," Sky interrupted Tayshan, causing him to sigh and shake his head as he'd been shut down once again. "Shantae, I'm not sure I've made myself clear. If I wasn't so sure she was trouble, we wouldn't be having this talk. I'm only giving you guys my honest opinion, as well as my suggestion on interacting with an acquaintance of yours that has a high chance of proving otherwise. And I'm not sure where you're getting the idea that I'm 'doting' on our friend here, but if it comes off like that, then I assure you, that's not my intention. But after the last couple trips we've been on, it's hard not to worry about him."

"And I get that, Sky, but you've still gotta let him do his own thing. I don't appreciate you telling him not to make friends with Rotty because of your own hang-ups with her. Sorry if this sounds mean, but it isn't your place to make decisions for other people like that. It isn't like we're babysitting him or anything, so stop treating him like he doesn't know better!" At that, Sky's initial reaction was to momentarily glare at her best friend, communicating that she was really not liking the tone or the direction their conversation was headed in.

"Babysitting!? Okay, now that-!" Sky started, as though she were about to lose her temper.

"Alright, look," Tay spoke up, getting frustrated to the point of wanting to end the heated argument before it got worse. "Whatever happens, I'll be wise t' watch my back. Shantae, I get it that this Rotty's a good friend o' yours, an', like everybody else, I can give her a chance."

"Thank you," the half-genie stated, relieved to hear Tay wasn't entirely swayed by Sky's words.

"Right. An' Sky, I'll take your word int' consideration. If that's your impression, then I'll at least try not t' get too comfortable too quick."

"That's all I ask," the bird tamer agreed, breathing a sigh of relief as she relaxed a bit. Although, her stomach grew heavy with anticipatory discomfort she couldn't quite figure out at the moment, as she had other concerns on her mind based on how her best friend addressed her. "I'm… still wondering why you're suddenly on the defensive like this, though, Shantae," she pointed out, catching the younger woman off-guard. "Is… there something wrong? I… feel like you're more upset than this argument would tell me…"

"Upset? N-no, not really," she mostly denied, unintentionally tipping Sky off that there was something deeper to be investigated. "It'll blow over. Don't worry about it," she assured, taking a deep breath to expel some of her own discomfort.

"Blow over?" Sky questioned, growing hesitant as she began to get something of an idea. "What does that mean? Are… are you mad at me?" she preemptively asked, frightened at the possibility that there was anything that would drive a wedge between them. Of course, she expected Shantae to say 'no,' and then dismiss the concern, so they could move along. However…

"It's alright, Sky. There's no need to stress over it," Shantae flatly dismissed, but without that important detail of her saying 'no,' like she'd been expected to. To Sky, with her knowledge of her sworn little sister's mannerisms, that comment was enough to confirm her suspicions. Frozen with shock, Sky's eyes widened as she processed the half-genie's half-hearted denial of any animosity between them. At that, all three of them went awkwardly silent, momentarily casting their gazes elsewhere as they all contemplated something to say before the atmosphere got too uncomfortable to deal with. And, after what felt like a solid hour of everyone saying a collective and whopping nothing…

"…So, anyway, er… Will you be joinin' us this time?" Tay FINALLY worked up the courage to ask Sky.

"No, unfortunately. Much as I'd like to keep an eye out for you two—especially HERE of all places—I have a hunch I'm getting close to finding where Risky might be hiding. I've been seeing more of her Tinkerbats loitering around various parts of Sequin Land a good deal west of Frostbite Island recently. It'd be too much of a hint to let slide, so just give me a whistle if anything comes up. I'll be here in a flash to pick you guys up," she explained, patting Wrench as she got set to climb aboard him.

"Alright, that sounds good. Be careful," Shantae waved, breathing another sigh to dispel another wave of tension from her abdomen.

"Yeah, let's regroup an' discuss our findings and the next steps once we're all wrapped up with this," Tay advised, though his apprehension was evident in the slight trembling in his voice as he glanced into the woods to see glowing yellow dots floating in the distance. "Hopefully, we'll get this one done soon…" he breathed to steel his nerves, though his exhale was labored and shaky. "Can't believe we're goin' through this zombie-infested forest just because some guy wearin' a sparkly bedsheet told us to… What has my life come to?"

"It'll be fine," Shantae attempted to reassure her partner with a nonchalant flick of her hand. "We can do-!"

"Aw, Tay, don't be scared…" Sky consoled the nervous soldier, unintentionally cutting Shantae off as she walked up and hugged him in an attempt to comfort him. Little did she know, she made him even more nervous as his face was engulfed in a rush of embarrassment that nearly ousted his previous trepidation about traversing through Spider Web Island. "It's not the best of places to explore, but just keep in mind that you still have my Falcon Call to rely on. Well, that, and all the other fancy new tricks you've learned. And like I said, don't be afraid to call me if things get too rough."

"Sky!" Shantae shouted, angered greatly by the bird tamer's clingy coddling of the soldier. "He's not a baby! We'll be fine!"

"I-I ain't scared," he denied, though he didn't want to be rude. He slowly and inelegantly returned Sky's ambush of a comfort gesture, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer. As unfavorably strong as Sky's romantic advances on him had been, he was at least glad that she did hug him at this point. He supposed it was as uplifting as it was soothing to fully and warmly embrace someone who cared about him in a time of perpetually heightened stress. He ultimately found himself receptive to it, feeling as though he'd at least bonded with the nurturing young blonde woman in the sporadic stretches of time they'd spent in each other's company.

"I believe you… but I can still tell you're nervous," she observed with a giggle as she looked up at him, her shining chestnut-tinted eyes meeting his as they continued to hold one another. "Your heart's thumping in your chest right now."

"Yes… yes, it is," he affirmed with another deep breath as he loosened his grip on her. He found himself a tad distraught when she didn't mirror his motion to conclude the assurance hug.

"Could it just be the island? Or maybe there's something else you're thinking about right now~?" Tayshan found her humorous deduction as endearing as it was correct... at least, regarding his feelings about going through the woods. Although, he didn't want to admit it, but Sky had definitely grown on him in a similar fashion that Shantae had during his time in Sequin Land. The time they spent together was a primary contributing factor. As he had come to know, her compassionate nature and sense of protective foresight had made him thankful to have her as a friend and ally. Additionally, it was that same sense of protective foresight that saved his life at least once.

He was aware, however, that she rarely missed an opportunity to openly flirt with him, despite their initial agreement to remain friends… with this instance having turned right into one of those opportunities for her. While Sky's romantic advances pressured him immensely, Tay was at least willing to acknowledge that he grew to care deeply about her and Shantae since he met the two. Confessions of such complicated feelings, however, were not Tay's strong suit. It often left him befuddled when he got down to thinking about it, and it didn't help that Sky continued to try and goad him for displays of romantic affection despite their agreement to stay friends. He did not feel comfortable with her advances as a result, but he was unsure of what to say in a moment where he also identified that she was just trying to make him feel better about traversing through Spider Web Island. It… additionally didn't help that she was also getting herself a little too close to him in front of Shantae, in addition to the fact that she still hadn't let go of him, but… eh, that's just a wild guess. Either way, Tay tried his hardest to drum up a casual reply that would help him to end the embrace before too long.

"Well, I'd be crazy if I wasn't just a little bit uncertain about runnin' through this haunted jungle. Can't say I'd be too nervous about anything else right about now," he bluffed as he momentarily looked away and timidly scratched his cheek with his index finger, refusing to admit to Sky's effect on him, though she knew better. "Thanks for your consideration though, Sky. I'll be fine. Really. So long as things play out right, we should be good," he assured as they slowly separated from the embrace, though Sky interlocked her fingers with Tay's as they continued to converse with one another. He was SO close, too… "Uh…"

"Right, but with all the scars you've picked up, and the fact that you apparently almost got ripped to pieces in that Siren Song Maze Cave place, I have to admit, I'm really worried about you, Tayshan," she confessed, shocking him stiff as she communicated her concern over what she'd evidently heard about his and Shantae's last big journey. "It sort of makes me wish I was there to help you out. After everything you went through since our trip to the Sheared Spool Shrine, I had hoped things would get easier for you…" she lamented, placing one of her hands on his abdomen. "Yet, the next time I see you after our trip, you've picked up even more scars, and one of your eyes is suddenly this haunting shade of gray. I'm just glad it wasn't you going blind in that eye, like I originally thought," she added, running her hand upward to cup his cheek while the other remained interlocked with one of his hands. Instinctively, Tay reached his free hand toward Sky's and rested it there as she continued to caress his face.

"Yeah… Trust me, I feel fine right now. I… guess it's been a rough few days either way, no doubt…"

"I'll bet it has. You're a brave and noble soul for continuing on after what you've been through, regardless. You have my respect," she admitted, further flustering the young man as his face grew hot with anticipatory shock.

"Oh… Uh… er, th-thanks, Sky… I appreciate that…"

"No need to thank me, sweetie," she remarked, turning up the charm as she winked at him before sliding one hand from his cheek to his neck before reaching her other one up to match it. "You earned it. And… while I'd prefer that you didn't get hurt during your trips—and forgive me if this sounds morbid—I… think your battle scars make you look much more heroic in a way…"

"Aw, now you're just gassin' me up. I get what you mean, but come on…" he remarked with a nervous chuckle as he patted his hands on her sides as a way to notify her to let go. However, Sky remained in the same position, causing Tay to freeze again.

"I'm serious, Tay. You've been hard at work, and you've been through quite a lot. I…" she trailed off, her smile fading as she momentarily looked elsewhere. "…I'll be honest when I say that sometimes, I get a little scared for you. But then, you always find a way to dispel my doubts and build my faith in you."

"Oh… W-well, shoot… Thanks… heh," Tay nervously acknowledged her compliment as he relented on trying to get her to let him loose. Within a moment, the bird tamer pulled the soldier in for yet another warm hug. Though shocked by such an intensive show of affection, Tay obliged her by gently wrapping his arms around her lower back to return her disarming gesture. "Uh… huh…"

Shantae, watching this display from the sidelines, groaned in contempt, crossed her arms and turned her head away, her brow furrowed with a sudden and overwhelming sense of discomfort. She was inexplicably irritated by the unnecessarily close conversation she witnessed her friends engaging in, complete with a hug or two that lasted far too long and seemed way too close for two friends. She had little clue as to why she had such an increasingly strong distaste for Sky's romantic gestures toward Tay that only grew every time she saw it happening.

She wondered if maybe she didn't like being in the presence of public exhibitions of affection in general. However, she acknowledged that she wasn't bothered by that sort of thing in the slightest before she met the soldier. Since their first conversation the night they met, the half-genie felt she and the young man in question had established a close, meaningful, and exclusive bond that strengthened with the more time they spent around one another, even when things got stressful between the two. They hung out constantly and had been through so much together since his time in Sequin Land that it seemed totally unusual for him to be anywhere near as close to anyone else as he was to her. Granted, she was aware that they were not a couple, so she shouldn't have been bothered. She was also aware that her sidekick still hadn't fully resolved the romance-related conflicts he'd been trying to abate, in conjunction with her discussion with him that she and he were just friends… even after he recently admitted to her that he found her to be… 'appealing' in a certain sense or two. However, this knowledge did nothing to ease her own growing discomfort. Seeing Tay establish such an… intimate bond with Sky irked her for reasons she didn't readily understand for herself. The prospect only made her more upset as she breathed a rush of hot air from her nose to clear her thoughts as best as she could manage.

"Are you two done yet, or what?" she found herself impulsively and irritably asking as she glared at them, shaking them out of their moment as they both looked at her. As Sky locked eyes with her half-genie sister-from-another-mister, however, she found herself taken aback by the sheer level of… dare she say, irritation and disdain in the other young woman's stare. Taking something of a hint, she immediately let go of Tayshan, prompting him to separate from her.

"Sorry, Shantae…. I must be getting carried away again," she apologized, awash with a mixture of uncertainty and guilt caused by her best friend's angry stare. "Anyway, Tayshan, I just want to make sure you're safe," Sky admitted as she turned back to him, blushing as she shot him a heartwarming smile, which caused the soldier to bashfully grin back as he instinctively rubbed the back of his head, though he acknowledged her concern and the causes for it. "Be careful, alright?"

"You have my word," Tay assured as he gently laid the hand he'd been rubbing his head with on the bird trainer's shoulder. "You be careful, too. See ya in a little bit."

"Of course. Shantae, I'll… er, see you later," she bade, still unable to shake off the feeling of unease she felt when addressing the half-genie.

"Bye, Sky," Shantae replied, taking a deep breath and relaxing her facial expression as much as she could as she waved Sky off. The bird trainer could tell right away from her best friend's mannerisms, however, that she was very unhappy with her. She wanted to say something… anything that would hopefully ease the perceived tension between the two of them, but something inside her compelled her to remain silent as she absorbed the full view of Shantae's rather disgruntled facial expression as the girls locked eyes. Shantae picked up on Sky's increased worry for her, as she noticed the bird tamer's expression shift to a disheartened, almost tearful frown as they looked at one another. Tay, sensing there was an elephant in the room, shifted his gaze between Shantae and Sky, wondering why the two of them suddenly stopped speaking. Before things got too awkward, however, Sky broke eye contact and refocused her saddened gaze to the goopy mud pools on the ground beneath her.

"Um… I… owe you an apology, Shantae," Sky confessed, her deflated tone nearly inaudible, though the crushing silence made it sound like she was mumbling through a loudspeaker. "I… uh… I hope you're… not too upset with me…" she glumly added, after which she sighed away a sizable breath of tension-riddled hot air as she climbed onto Wrench. "Alright, bud. Time to go," she instructed her giant bird, who'd stood tall and flared his wings. Just before leaving, however, Sky turned to her allies and flashed a wan smile. "Best of luck, you two." And with that, coupled with a mighty flap of Wrench's prismatic wings, they took to the air as Shantae and Tayshan silently watched in a mix of uncertainty and mild confusion.

Moments later…

The duo started slow, cautiously strolling into the disquieting everglades of the island. They had been silent for an unnervingly long time, however, which made Tayshan a bit more uncomfortable than he already was. As such, he spoke to break the awkward silence.

"Uh… I take it this Rottytops ain't someone who has a good reputation…?" Tay started off, having nothing consistent with which to judge the 'friend' in question that Shantae and Sky were arguing about.

"She's fine," Shantae curtly replied, not even looking at Tay to acknowledge his curiosity. "Rottytops is a good person. Sky just doesn't see that right now, I guess."

"Uh-huh…" the soldier nodded, unable to go anywhere with his partner's basic reply. "So… this place… Is it really as scary as you girls were sayin' it is? I mean, it certainly looks the part…"

"You'll find out for yourself once we actually get started," the disgruntled young woman shrugged, seeming not to care to warn her friend further about their next adventure.

"Right… Well, I hope it's at least manageable. Uh… so, are you good t' handle things here despite your outfit makin' your defense weaker? I mean, I don't know how strong the enemies here are, but-!"

"I'm fine!" she raised her voice, vocalizing her irritation as she continued to focus her gaze straight ahead. She alarmed her companion, who was unaware of any frustration she was feeling. Shantae, cognizant of the sudden, unwarranted burst of anger she displayed, spoke after a moment of silence. "Sorry."

"That don't sound like the kind o' reply that has the same meanin' as how you said it," he observed. "Somethin' wrong? You seem like you're in a bad mood."

"I'm okay, Tay. Don't worry about me," Shantae dismissed, unwilling to share her feelings.

"How can I not? From the way you're answerin' me, you make it sound like you're mad at me," Tayshan guessed, getting a feeling he may have done something to upset her. "Are you mad at me?"

"No. I told you, I'm okay."

"Well I don't believe you," he challenged. "I won't patronize you, but you know what I'm about t' say about-!"

"Just drop it, will you? If it was worth talking about, then I'd have told you already," the agitated half-genie dismissed, her fury building as the discussion continued. However, her reply gave her away.

"So there IS somethin' wrong," Tay concluded, finally gaining insight into Shantae's mood.

"…Yes," she admitted with a frustrated sigh.

"Now we're gettin' somewhere," the inquisitive soldier commented, making his partner angrier. "So, what's wrong?"

"Tayshan, I really don't want to talk about it. Forget I said anything," Shantae dismissed again, hoping he would get the rather obvious hint.

"Well, if it's got you in such a funk all of a sudden, then maybe you should get it off your chest," he urged, trying to dig into the root of the issue. "You were all smiles until we got here. Now you're raisin' your voice at me an' tellin' me nothing's wrong when clearly, somethin' is. I get it if you're not keen on bein' here, if that's the problem. Let's talk about it."

"Stop it…!" She warned through her clenched teeth, trying her hardest to hold in another outburst. "I don't feel like talking right now, and we're in the middle of something far more important. Leave it alone."

"Look, Shantae, if there's anything wrong, then tell me," the soldier impatiently prodded, inadvertently goading his partner further. "Holdin' it in ain't gonna make dealin' with it any easier. I don't get why you're so ticked off out o' nowhere. You were just fine a few minutes ago, until just before Sky left, an' now you're barely talkin' to me an' givin' me attitude like I pushed you into a puddle o' mud. Is it because of what Sky said about your other friend?"

"I said there's nothing wrong! Get off my back, will you!?" She yelled again as she turned and glared at him, stopping him in his tracks. "Leave me alone! Gosh, can't I just have some time and space to think about something by myself for once!? Not everything I feel or think has to be told to you! Mind your business!" she hollered further as the two stared at one another to process the outburst. Shantae was scowling with an incendiary fury, her anger unfaltering as she continued to stare nails into her companion, who'd unknowingly been one of the sources of her anger. Tayshan cocked an eyebrow in a mixture of sudden frustration and shock, hurt that his closest friend in this world would suddenly lash out at him the way she did. He wanted to shout back at her for screaming at him, but he tempered himself with a deep breath, realizing that Shantae at least had a right to her privacy. Nonetheless, there were better ways of telling someone not to worry about personal dilemmas. A silent, heated moment passed before he spoke.

"…Alright, then. Kinda ironic, seein' as you were just talkin' t' me about not hidin' my feelings not all that long ago."

"Yeah, well there's a time and place for everything," Shantae countered, her stare unfaltering, though her tone was calmer. "Here and now are neither of those for me. I already said I didn't want to talk about it."

"Okay, fine. I was just tryin' t' help, but… I guess that's what I get for bein' nosy. Let's just uh… focus on the mission, then," he suggested with a quick, nonchalant tilt of his head, breaking eye contact with her and walking ahead, his fear now totally replaced with a contemplative urge to get this mission over with. Shantae silently followed suit, glad that the hostile conversation was done with, though she was pensive about her recent exchange with her sidekick. Nevertheless, the duo entered the first section of the swamp and readied themselves.

"Let's Go!" Shantae announced with determination, marking the beginning of their latest expedition. Or… so it should've been.

"Actually… before we go, I think now would be a good time t' form some kind o' plan to make travelin' through this island easier," Tayshan suggested.

"Okay, what ideas do you have?" she asked, her anger seeming to have mostly disappeared.

"I know we haven't seen eye-to-eye on how t' handle threats as they come along or how t' navigate these dangerous places, but I feel like we would benefit immensely by stickin' close together on this one."

"By which you mean…?" she trailed off, ready to tell him off if he suggested that she slow down again.

"We figure out an agreeable pace at which to move while we watch each other's backs," he began, disarming his comrade as she began to listen. "You can take point and, since you got the necessary power-ups t' boost your attack power, you can deal with enemies that come too close, but stick by me for protection. I'll cover you with zonin' fire an' takin' out distant and aerial threats. As for platformin', I can help you where maybe your transformations won't be the best option. With these boots helpin' me jump higher, I can definitely carry you across for hopefully-faster travel."

"Sounds good. You've got some pretty solid ideas."

"Yeah, I just get the feelin' we gotta be prepared this time. For anything…"

"Gotcha. Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

"Okay, let's move." With that, the two set off, charging into the swampy wasteland to be immediately met with a teeming horde of shambling, putrid green walking corpses staggering ever so slowly toward them. Tay was quick to draw his gun and fire a few rounds into the crowd as he and Shantae rushed forward. He was relieved to see that the zombies appeared to melt and utter wails of defeat upon contact with his bullets, but he knew that mere bullets would not stop the undead. He'd been prepared by this point for any tricks his enemies had. Sure enough, zombies that he'd shot rematerialized after a moment of inactivity and continued their staggering march toward him and Shantae.

Shantae confidently charged forward, whipping zombies left and right. Thanks to her Mega Shampoo and Cream, her hair became as dangerous to her enemies as the razor-sharp blades of a helicopter spinning at full speed. She expertly beat zombie after zombie into submission, dashing past Tay until she discovered a crevice in a nearby hill.

"Tay, hold them off1 I'll be back!" she called, not staying to see if he heard her before whipping away some stones lodged into an opening and crawling inside. Tay had barely heard her as he continued to play catch-up, but he soon caught sight of her slipping into a hole in the hill. Understanding that Shantae may have found something of interest, he climbed to the top of the mound and set up camp, firing shot after shot at zombies from both sides. He measured his success by the amount of times he heard the zombies screech in defeat, but the zombies were reforming and continuing their mindless hobbling faster than he could shoot to keep them under control. Before too long, however, Shantae reemerged from the hole and climbed to the hilltop with her partner.

"What'd you find?" he asked, still focusing his attention on the zombies relentlessly staggering toward them as he fired more rounds into the encroaching mob.

"Two more Heart Holders!" she excitedly announced, charging up a flame in one index finger before pointing it at the zombies and firing away with a *FROOM* of her powered-up magic Flamethrower spell. While nowhere near as powerful as an acutal flamethrower, Shantae quickly made use of it by shooting flames in short, controlled bursts to make sure she'd only been hitting zombies and not the wilted foliage surrounding them. "I find it interesting that they're still coming in twos, but I'm not complaining. I'm close to my maximum by now, which reminds me: I forgot to get the Heart Squids we found on Frostbite Island and in Bandit Town melted down. That'll earn me an extra two holders that will get me that much closer to maxing out my health."

"Good news if I've heard it. Still can't believe those things don't work for me…" the soldier lamented, remembering his failed attempts to collect Heart Holders of his own. "The things we go through t' even find 'em, though… THAT'S what gets me. We risked gettin' robbed by bandits in a place called BANDIT Town an' I got barely a thing t' show for it other than a few o' them walkin' around with black eyes an' broken fingers. Not much better with that deep-frozen dirt ball you call Frostbite Island, either… Just thinkin' about how many times I slipped an' ate snow over those heart things makes me shiver…"

"Heh, sorry about those places…" Shantae laughingly apologized, understanding his exhaustion as the two of them began to press forward against the monsters attempting to trap them. "You definitely see how the names sorta give away their themes more often than not, no?"

"Yeah, makes things incredibly convenient… Just, I thought these collectible power-ups we found along the way would've been usable by both of us, like the food is."

"Well, all the weapons you pick up, I can't use as well as you can, to be fair. Plus, your bird call and boots are yours alone. And you can't forget that the types of Magic we have running through us work for us in different ways. But then, who knows? Maybe you'll get some other awesome new item to help you along soon."

"I can only say I trust your word… Anyway, we should keep movin' before we make any more awful memories o' this place…"

"Right. Let's go," she agreed as she led the way through another horde of zombies, reaching the next section relatively quickly. The duo was met with a heavy establishment of creepy, leafless, wilted trees with branches seeming to be sturdy enough to stand on despite the trees being dead. However, littering the section was a ton more zombies, accompanied by miniature spiders hanging from various tree branches and bats flying at awkward angles that made them hard to hit. It appeared this section was geared toward perching on tree branches and taking the high road. Neither hero came to this realization right away, as Shantae continued to rush ahead, taking down zombies while Tayshan stood back to shoot the bats and spiders. He noticed quickly that she'd begun to charge ahead without him, unfortunately causing them to fall back into the same pattern. In this instance, however, it pressured him more to keep up before she made it too far ahead and the apparently immortal monsters became too much to handle.

"Shantae, hold—AGH!" Tay attempted to call as he was hit from behind by a bat he didn't shoot. He was quick to bat it away (no pun intended) with the back of his fist, though he was surprised by how much his back stung from its attack. All the bat did was graze him with a bite from behind, but it felt like someone smacked him with the force of a speeding baseball. "Shoot, that hurt…! Gotta be—WAAH!" he was cut off again as he tried to run. A goopy, snot-green hand had grabbed him by the ankle and tripped him before seeping back into the ground. As he wondered what grabbed him, a zombie came creeping toward him, hungry for a taste of human flesh. Before the zombie could bite him, he shot it in the face, sending its head careening away as its body exploded in a spray of bones and rotten skin. He rushed to get back onto his feet, only to notice Shantae had rapidly been creating distance between them. "Gaah, what will it take for you t' listen t' me for once…!? Shoot…!"

The scantily clad half-genie had not fared much better, however. Despite the enhanced strength and speed of her whips, and even her transformations at her disposal, her enemies proved exceptionally tough. To make things worse, the glaring defensive weakness presented by her outfit made itself all too apparent. She took considerable damage from a spider that dropped onto her and began shooting energy balls form its one giant eye before she defeated it. She'd also narrowly avoided an ambush of zombies by turning into her Harpy form to escape the ground pressure. She fired talons at them, taking some of them out despite the diminutive power of her projectile. However, as she took to the air, another, larger spider-girl hybrid, more bats and a couple of strange navy-blue grasshopper-like creatures perched on tree branches got the drop on her, doing more damage as they caused her to take evasive maneuvers to retreat. The spider persistently shot energy balls at her as its allies swarmed to get her, forcing her to backtrack as she reverted to her humanoid form before taking another hit. Tay caught up, thankfully enough, and analyzed Shantae's dilemma.

"Looks like they're gangin' up t' stop us from gettin' too comfortable on the ground or in the air…"

"Yeah… They're doing heavier damage than I was hoping for, too… I think our safest bet here is to get some good footing on the branches above," she suggested, breathing heavily and wincing in pain from the injuries she picked up as she held her abdomen.

"Just thinkin' the same thing…" Tay agreed, turning around and crouching. "Here, get on. It's about time I really put these boots t' work." Heeding his suggestion, Shantae climbed onto Tayshan's back, securely wrapping her legs around his sides as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Alright… Haaaah…!" he let out an effortful grunt as he tensed up his entire body. Within seconds, his form became enveloped in a familiar bright, smoky aura that sent a rush of pricks and tingles throughout his every limb. "Alright…! Here goes!" Tay announced as he leapt upwards to a nearby tree branch he saw that had to be at least twenty feet above them. Surely enough, he made it onto the branch, the wooden appendage not even wobbling when they landed. Certainly in their favor, they saw a series of spiders and bats that hadn't yet detected them and as such, remained stationary in wait for either of the duo to get close enough to attack. Additionally, it became apparent that the zombies and slimy ghoul hands were only making themselves a problem on the ground. Once our heroes perched on the branch, the undead monstrosities turned around and carried on as though Shantae and Tayshan were never there. The soldier scouted for other tree branches and saw that they were spread far enough that he wouldn't be able to simply jump from branch to branch without assistance from another skill he possessed, which he'd already been contemplating.

After examining his surroundings, he fired his gun at the bats and spiders just above, taking some of them out before they got the chance to attack. Without hesitation, Tay jumped from one branch to the other, using his Falcon Call mid-jump to have the team of falcons he summoned carry him just far enough that another energized Propeller Boots-boosted leap allowed him to clear the gap. He breathed a sigh of relief, gaining confidence in his ability to navigate this section as he rinsed and repeated the procedure, with Shantae providing periodic hair-whip and finger-based flamethrower assistance in getting rid of enemies he was unable to shoot or who tried ambushing them. The soldier was certain he was about to clear the section as they landed on a stony, moss-covered cliffside that appeared to lead deeper into the humid, misty jungle when something caught his companion's eye.

"Tay, we need to keep heading upward. I think the path to the next part is up there," Shantae instructed, pointing upward toward another, higher section of conveniently organized branches with a big, purple boulder sitting atop the base of one of them.

"Good, just what we needed… A reason t' drag this out…" he mumbled about the inconvenient placement of the possible exit as he made another Magic/Falcon Call/Propeller Boots leap to the next tree branch, with Shantae whipping a spider out of their path in midair while still holding onto Tay. He studied the branches to see that some of them had zombies pacing back and forth on top of them while others had faint, but visible wisps of an unsettling blue light hovering haphazardly. Tay aimed upwards and shot a zombie down from the next wooden appendage before hopping upward to secure his next position on this ladder of enemy-infested tree branches. He made another bound to yet another branch, high up and parallel to the first to be instantly greeted by two spiders dropping down to ambush him.

"Tay, look out!"

"I see 'em!" the soldier acknowledged as he quickly dispatched them before turning his attention to the three branches above. The faint bluish floating orbs had made themselves apparent, becoming more visible and taking the shape of flickering candle flames. "I don't have a good feelin' about those…"

"Those are the ghosts I mentioned earlier," Shantae explained. "They're not gonna be easy to take out because of their ability to vanish and reappear at will. Jump to the next branch and I'll show you how to deal with them." Tay complied, launching himself up to the next branch to encounter two sad-looking ghosts with bright yellow pupil-less eyes carrying candles with blue flames. Shantae released her grip on the soldier and whipped the ghost, causing it to momentarily vanish, though a faint silhouette of its ethereal form was still visible. It floated toward Tayshan, who instinctively braced himself, backing up before it reappeared in front of him and attempted to burn him with its candle. Tayshan took his gun by the barrel and attacked the ghost by hitting it with the handle of his firearm. It vanished in cloud of ghostly smoke, wailing as its vapors dissipated.

"I guess it's a matter o' waitin' for them to show up again after the first time you hit 'em?" he estimated, contemplating the encounter.

"Pretty much… Good job taking out the ghost, though. I'll take the lead for the next branch," she informed as she performed a quick dance to transform into a monkey. Without a moment's hesitation, she scaled the trunk of the tree whose branch they'd been standing on before activating her Monkey form's special ability to coat herself in a bright blue aura. With blinding speed, she propelled herself off the tree trunk, leaping onto the next tree branch before reverting to her humanoid form, where she attempted to attack a zombie that had been blocking the path. However, the half-genie was suddenly caught off-guard by an attack from a spider above. "OWAAH!" the half-genie shouted in pain as she was knocked down to one knee, alerting Tay immediately as he followed Shantae up to the next branch and shot the offending arachnid above before blasting the zombie into oblivion. Afterward, the soldier darted toward his injured friend to tend to her.

"Hey, you okay…?" the concerned young man asked, panicked by Shantae's injury.

"That spider got me good…!" the injured half-genie spoke through clenched teeth and labored breaths. "My leg hurts bad…"

"Can you stand on it?"

"I'm not sure… I'll try…" Shantae responded as she tried to stand upright, only to experience a debilitating surge of pain course through her knee. "Oww!" she winced, clutching her leg as she went back down. "Shoot…! I was hoping this could wait…" she trailed off as she reached into the breastplate of her costume and pulled out a tennis ball-shaped vial of a thick, purple liquid. She popped the cork, downed the enigmatic beverage in an instant, and immediately propped up to her feet, stretching to test for lingering pain. Hopping a couple times, it appeared she appeared to experience none.

"Wow, feelin' that much better already?" Tay inquired, alarmed at his partner's instantaneous recovery.

"That's how strong these potions are," she explained as she hopped a few more times to ascertain that her leg injury had gone. "They can heal any and all damage I take, so long as I'm careful to use one before it's too late. We've only got two left now, though…"

"Gotta be conservative unless we find some food, then. That said, and since we couldn't buy any useful food from the Item Shop, I REALLY wouldn't want t' find out what kind o' food these monsters drop."

"Flesh Pops, usually," the half-genie plainly answered, spoiling the surprise.

"FLESH Pops?"

"Yeah. They're basically lollipops, but they're made from-!"

"Human flesh, got it," Tay finished for her, resisting the urge to retch.

"Good guess! But no. They're actually made from ZOMBIE flesh. I can't say they taste too good… or SMELL too good. They won't heal you a ton, either, but zombies will drop them every once in a while."

"Rrrriiiight…" Tay uneasily began, suspending his disbelief that Shantae had actually eaten one of these repugnant-sounding meat lollipops. "Hear me out, though; before a zombie BECOMES a zombie, what are they?"

"Human. Why?"

"Just as I thought… Flesh Pops are made from ZOMBIE flesh, as you said, and the zombies used to be human… as you also said. Doesn't that raise a red flag or ten?"

"What's your poi…?" Shantae almost asked before it dawned on her as she gasped in realization. "Oooooohhhh… Gross…" she further commented, sticking out her tongue in emphatic disgust. "Ugh, I've eaten so many Flesh Pops, too…" the half-genie regretfully admitted, contemplating her tastes in such 'exotic' delicacies. Tay merely shuddered at the thought.

"Yeah, let's keep movin' before we think too deeply about that. I only hope we never come across one…" he mentioned as the duo proceeded to the next tree branch and dispatched another zombie, which—incidentally enough—dropped the aforementioned delicacy upon its defeat; a chunk of raw, rotten meat on a lollipop stick. "Wow… Spoke way too soon…" he remarked as he approached and picked the Flesh Pop up. Immediately, he raised a hand to cover his mouth and nose, having caught a whiff of the repugnant food item.

"There it is. In the flesh," Shantae quipped, though one could question whether the expression was intentional or an honest mistake. Tay, believing it to be the former, merely shot his comrade a half-lidded look that communicated his disbelief that she would make such a bad pun.

"Wow. Really?"

"What? Was that one a dead giveaway?" Shantae further quipped, referring to how the disgusting food item was obtained… I think. Tayshan was, simply put, not amused as still suspecting that Shantae was messing with him.

"You're KILLIN' me," he remarked, further displeased with Shantae's morbid humor. He still couldn't make heads or tails of if she was doing it on purpose, however.

"How so? You haven't turned into a zombie, as far as I can see."

"Okay, now I know you're doin' that on purpose." At that, the half-genie let out a mirthful giggle.

"Alright, you got me. Still, you gotta find the humor in this situation somehow."

"Hm. Fair point, I guess… Though it's been pretty hard t' laugh at anything we've run into thus far. I'mma give you that, regardless," he replied with a conceding shrug as they turned their attention to the giant purple brick lodged into the trunk of the tree they'd fought vigorously to climb. "So you said this possibly leads to the next part?"

"Not quite yet, because we've still got some room to explore above," she informed, pointing above to call attention to a mossy, earthen ledge high above their current position. "We might find something useful in here, though," she further suggested, eyeing the giant violet stone structure up and down.

"You sure?" Tay queried, finding himself less than convinced to take the possible detour. "I mean, if we're already on a roll sweepin' through this place, then should we really bother sniffin' around too much for secret rooms?"

"Aw, come on, Tay," she remarked with a smirk. "Where's your sense of exploration? I know I said we should focus on blasting through levels as quickly as we can, but keep in mind that we shouldn't skip any points of interest while we're at it. Chances are, we'll go in, find something useful, and then be out in a matter of a couple minutes."

"Hm. If you say so… Then, in that case, how are we gonna move this thing out o' the way t' get in there?" he asked, examining the sheer size and density of the gargantuan stone. "Neither one of us is strong enough t' push or pull it out o' the way, from the looks of it. It looks too heavy an' too tightly wedged in the trunk… I don't think a grenade would do the trick, either… I wonder if we could've gotten through if I had access to a rocket launcher right about now…?"

"Ohh, have I got the surprise for you," Shantae boastfully countered with an especially cheery grin, as though she'd been waiting for this opportunity. "Check this out…" she further advised as she took a few steps ahead of him, turned toward him, and engaged in another of her signature belly dances, clasping her hands above her head. The half-genie began slowly wiggling her hips in a hypnotic, rhythmic manner that almost immediately commanded her friend's undivided attention. Shantae quickly picked up the pace, pivoting her hips in such a fluid motion that the young dancer's entire body seemed to become an endlessly flowing ocean of seamless coordination. As her hips rocked side to side like a figure eight, her abdomen and legs impeccably followed suit as though her body was commanded by the howling winds of the forest. No matter how many times he'd seen it at this point, Shantae's unrivaled dancing ability always left Tayshan speechless.

"Whoa…" was all he could utter as he focused his attention solely on her. She upped the ante this time, however, as she made direct, unfaltering eye contact with him, shooting him a half-lidded smiling gaze as she stretched her arms out to her sides and began quickly gyrating her hips as she let her own rhythm carry her on, further mesmerizing him. Shantae then slowly spun around to where her back was facing the soldier and crossed her arms, running her fingers from her hips upward before she brushed her hands through her braided ponytail, stretching her arms high above as she rapidly gyrated her hips. Meanwhile, she still had her head turned, that same enticing stare of hers never changing as she continued to focus on Tayshan. It was one thing to Tay that the talented half-genie was engaging in a much more… elaborate belly dance than normal. It was another thing that she, instead of closing her eyes like she usually did, locked her gaze directly on him every step of the way. It was yet another thing entirely that she'd been doing so in this provocative costume, which mysteriously enhanced the awe-inspiring qualities of her dancing technique.

While not entirely evident to Tay, Shantae knew she could have transformed at any time. She prolonged her spellbinding dance by a mile, even adding in some of her advanced moves to spice it up. She always found it exciting to show off her abilities to those she felt would be impressed by them, however; this instance being the farthest thing from an exception. Although, the occurrence of people who were amazed by her abilities was something she found happening with increasing rarity as the denizens of Sequin Land (her friends especially) grew used to her powers and heroic escapades over time. Tay was still technically a newcomer to Sequin Land, yet he had unknowingly established himself as one of few individuals whose opinions Shantae especially valued. In conjunction with some arcane sense of uncertainty the heroic young woman had been dealing with regarding her friendship with him, she found herself determined to show him how she really got down to business. With this in mind, Shantae slowed down her hip gyrations as she turned to face her one-man audience once more, concluding her dance with her signature transformation pose, accentuated with a wink at him.

"Traaaansfooorrrm~!" the half-genie announced as she, with a *POOF*, turned into her Elephant form. The half-genie, in one fluid motion, turned toward the boulder, charged toward it with the tenacity of a speeding locomotive with a grudge, and slammed headfirst into the boulder. Amazingly (and with a startling *BOOM*), the gargantuan purple stone cube slid into the tree's trunk by at least a foot before falling all the way into a ditch that was apparently hidden behind it. Within seconds, the path was clear, and what lay ahead appeared to be a secret room within the massive tree's massive trunk, though that was far from the first thing the flabbergasted young man paid attention to.

"Wha…? How…? Huh…?" Tay stammered, unable to process what he witnessed; his partner's intensely-provocative belly dance number, followed by her turning into an elephant and viciously ramming a stone easily the size of an industrial tractor into a tree trunk as though it were made of paper.

"How'd you like that?" Shantae asked, reverting to her human form with a *POOF* and grinning at him, hopeful that he would provide favorable feedback.

"That… was… incredible…" he replied, still utterly dumbfounded by his companion's show of talent and strength. He took a moment to shake off his speechlessness as he brought himself back to reality. "You never cease to surprise me, homegirl. You are somethin' else," he added, shaking his head in a mix of admiration and disbelief.

"Glad you approve, homeboy," she gleefully accepted his praise, even adopting his terminology and using it to address him. Tay reeled back in wonder yet again, never expecting to hear her call him such a thing. Nonetheless, the soldier merely smirked without words after a moment. Shantae smiled back, understanding already that he approved of her use of the term. The two silently let the moment pass as they entered the secret tree-borne cavern to see that it housed two lone stone structures, each sturdily set on either side of an enormous, empty trench with the farther side being slightly higher than the side the heroes found themselves on. At the other side of the room was a shiny red treasure chest, ostensibly all by its lonesome, waiting for someone to open it. Immediately, Tayshan halted Shantae as he raised his gun and scrutinized the area, suspicious of the overly simplistic structure of the room. He surveyed the cavern high and low for potential zombie or spider ambushes, though there appeared to be nothing worth note that would clue him in. Shantae, unsure of her friend's apprehension, spoke up.

"What's wrong?"

"Hmm… I got a bad feelin' about this room…" he warned, his instincts suddenly on high-alert.

"Tay, you've been saying that since we got here. You sure it's not just your nerves?"

"Not this time," he denied, opting to continue his wary approach to entering the hollowed-out tree trunk. "Somethin' could be watchin' us right now."

"How? There doesn't seem to be anything that would attack us here."

"That's the first sign o' trouble," he warned again. "If I learned anything from the Prickle Stitch Valley, it's that when things are quiet, it usually means something's waitin' t' make some noise. It's way too quiet in here not t' think that… Plus, that treasure chest looks way too easy t' get for it not t' be booby-trapped. And don't even get me started on how suspicious it is that there's a Weapons Crate over there, too… Someone or somethin' had t' expect us t' come in here snoopin' for clues or supplies. We should check t' see if there's anything in here that might get the jump on us…"

"Tay, don't be silly," the unassuming young heroine dismissed. "I visit rooms like this one all the time. The traps are always right in front of you the second you enter. There's nothing here," she further reassured as she climbed onto the stone.

"Trust me on this one, you don't wanna go over there until we know for sure there's nothin' there," he urged, ducking behind the rock Shantae stood on, aiming his gun ahead. "Get down an' let me verify."

"Relax, Tay. There's nothing over there but those treasure chests. Watch, I'll go over there now," she shot back as she danced and turned into her Monkey form and jumped partway into the trench to cling to the wall.

"Shantae!" Tay called out to her, annoyed that she ignored his orders. With an exasperated sigh, his heartbeat quickening as he kept his guard up as his gun remained steadily aimed at the other side of the room. The simian half-genie began to glow a bright, luminous sky blue as she prepared to perform the signature move of her current form. In that instant, two slim, shadowy creatures wearing red bandanas reared their heads, pulled out matching otherworldly weapons, and fired directly at the source of the light.

"Shoot!" Tay shouted as he ducked behind the rock to protect himself from harm, though he kept Shantae in mind. Shantae, in a disadvantaged position and in utter surprise, leapt off the wall to avoid being shot, but the rapid burst of haphazardly-flying red-and-blue marbles coming at her caught her off-guard as one of them struck her at the peak of her jump, canceling her momentum entirely as she briefly hovered above the trench. With no way to adapt to the sudden inertia, she plummeted straight down. Tay, watching her in a mix of shock and worry, instinctively reached over the edge to grab her, managing to clasp his hand around the tip of her tail.

As he pulled her back in, the Tinkerbats fired another rapid burst of rounds at the duo, with Tay having to act quickly by tossing his friend behind him as he returned fire. He was unable to land an accurate shot due to his gun's recoil normally forcing him to keep both of his hands on it. Making sure Shantae was safe further limited his ability to aim, for which he suffered the consequences when a bullet from the Tinkerbats' weapons struck him in the chest as he defended himself.

Tay yelled in agony as he fell backward onto the soggy grass, clutching his chest as he dropped his weapon on the ground beyond the area of coverage from the boulders. In the heat, it was unsafe for him to recover it without taking more damage. More aware than ever of the imminent danger they were in, Tay crawled toward the boulders for cover, sitting and leaning low against the rock. The half-genie, though disoriented and injured, remained transformed as a monkey as she stood, unknowingly placing herself in the line of fire. Tay, fueled with a rush of adrenaline, grabbed his simian companion by the tail, pulled her toward him, and held her close on his lap, his arm wrapped around her midsection like a seatbelt. The Tinkerbats continued to fire, their rounds striking the very spot in which Shantae had been standing and kicking up smoky dust as the rounds dug into the ground. Shantae instantaneously returned to her human form while in the soldier's grasp as he focused his attention on their adversaries.

"See, this is why I told you t' be mindful of your surroundings! They were waitin' for us t' slip up an' let our guard down, like they always do," Tay angrily admonished his companion as she sat on his lap, gasping in a mix of pain and breathlessness as she regained her composure. As the duo recuperated from the initial impact of their surprise encounter, their enemies ceased fire, signaling that they were waiting for their next opportunity to strike. "There's two of 'em over there," Tayshan painstakingly explained without prompt, the bullet wound on his chest searing like someone pushed a scalding hot branding iron onto him. "They both got rifles, from the look of it. We can't rush over there an' take 'em out with brute force without takin' more damage."

"How can we take them out, then?" Shantae asked as she lay back, grasping her shoulder where one of the Tinkerbats apparently shot her. The soldier turned his attention to his companion to see she'd been in just as much pain as he was and concluded that they'd be better off playing it safe. "Their firepower is much stronger than any handgun I've ever seen… Those guns are like portable turrets."

"Yeah, those are practically designed for situations like this…" he informed her, his situational anxiety sending his heartbeat through the roof. "Good for takin' enemies out quick an' easy from an extended range or forcin' them t' stay in cover with rapid, but controlled bursts o' fire."

"That strong? Shoot… Those guns are too much of a problem for me to jump over there in my Monkey form or fly as a Harpy… Hmm… Not even my Spider form would be much good, come to think of it…" she analyzed as she climbed off him to sit on the ground next to him, uncertain of how to proceed. This bout of uncertainty over their current predicament wouldn't last long, as Shantae had already been in the midst of drumming up her next idea. Within a moment, she had something "I got it!" she confidently announced. "I could use my Obliterate Dance to take them out in a flash!"

"True…" Tay acknowledged, though he was hesitant to agree. "…but so far as I've seen, you need a good few seconds t' perform your dance. Right?"

"Right…" she glumly realized. "…and the second I try to stand up to perform it, they're gonna shoot at me… Unless maybe you can distract them by shooting at them?"

"I would, but… my gun's over there," he updated her, pointing toward the unmanned handgun on the ground just a few feet away. "I dropped it when they shot me. It's too far out o' the range of our cover t' go over there an' try t' grab it. They'd light me up like fireworks."

"Darn… What'll we do, then? From the look of it, we can't even try running out of here without taking heavy hits from them. They shot me too, and goodness, does it hurt…!" she exclaimed, clutching her shoulder and wincing.

"We gotta get out o' this somehow…" Tayshan paused to think, going silent for a moment before reaching a conclusion. "I've got an idea." He began, reaching into his belt and pulling out a grenade. "How well does that Reflector Bubble work?"

"If our time in Yarnball Heights was any indication, it can basically reflect any projectile directly back at an enemy at the exact angle and direction it came from," she explained as she turned and looked up to examine the angle at which the Tinkerbats held their vantage point. "I don't think those Tinkerbats would be hit by the bullets they fired, though. They're hiding behind the rocks so they can duck when we try to attack them from over here. Wouldn't it be better to use my new Invincibilty Shield?"

"Not this time. We need t' give them reason t' stop firin', an' sendin' some o' their own fire back at them would scare 'em enough t' do that… We only need t' distract them, so they don't see this next move comin'. They might be able t' pin us down with heavy fire, but they don't got much in the way o' their escape options, from the looks of it. That said, is that bubble strong enough t' withstand the rapid fire?"

"I think so… I shouldn't have such a tough time maintaining it with this outfit. You've seen it before. The shield itself can withstand fire from weapons strong enough to level entire buildings. Why?"

"Well… one thing I wanna clarify before I mention it: What if you turned on the bubble, and then used your Obliterate Dance to wipe them out?"

"That makes sense… but that would cost me way too much magic. The Reflector Bubble takes a good chunk of magic to activate and steadily drains me with the longer it stays up. My Obliterate Dance takes a HEAVY toll on me just to use once. I'm at full now, thanks to that potion I drank, but it wouldn't be good for either of us if I used that much to defeat two measly Tinkerbats…" she theorized, understanding the costs of Tay's suggested course of action. "I'd wind up needing to drink another potion immediately after, and we need to conserve our resources for the rest of this stage."

"I had a feelin' that'd have been too simple… In that case, I'm gonna need a diversion," he answered, contemplating their plan of attack. "I just need t' make sure that bubble works the way it needs to. I don't want you t' get hurt any more than you already are," he further explained.

"I'll be okay," she assured. "What's the plan?"

"On the count o' three, I want you t' activate the bubble, stand on top o' this rock, an' let them shoot at you. If they're smart, they'll duck for cover as soon as they see the bullets come back at them. If it plays out right, I'll use the time the distraction buys t' launch a grenade over there an' knock 'em both out in one go," he reasoned, to which she nodded. "Mind you, I'll announce it when I throw, an' then I'll grab you right after I do. Got it?"

"Okay," the half-genie agreed, placing her faith in this plan. "Ready when you are."

"Got it," the soldier affirmed, taking a deep breath before tapping his companion on the shoulder to grab her attention once more. She turned to him as she remained seated next to him, awaiting his next instruction. He raised the hand in which he was holding the grenade and pointed three fingers up. He silently counted down using his fingers and pointed his thumb to gesture for Shantae to commence their plan.

"Bubble!" Shantae announced as she activated a glowing transparent blue sphere that enveloped her as she leapt onto the rock as he instructed. As predicted, the Tinkerbats rose from their cover and fired a barrage of bullets at her. The bullets bounced off her shield and rocketed back toward them as quickly as they fired them, causing the Tinkerbats to immediately duck for cover to avoid being shot. Tayshan took this moment to stand, rip the key out of the pineapple-shaped explosive, and hold the spoon in place as he positioned himself directly behind his half-genie partner and stood as though he were about to throw a football. Within a second, his sight was filled with a curving, dotted line that represented the approximate trajectory of his throw as his body began radiating with magic once more. Taking full advantage of it, Tay quickly angled his throw to achieve a suitable spot to place the explosive.

"Frag out!" the soldier called out as he, in one fluid motion, lobbed the grenade over to the other side of the room, grabbed Shantae by the midsection with the arm he threw the grenade with as her teal-shaded shield dissipated, and pulled her close as he, alongside her, lay onto the ground, close behind their coverage boulder. The only initial indication that the grenade was anywhere close to its intended target was the sounds it made when it clinked against the opposing wall and landed on a solid surface, though the sounds were only barely audible. "Cover your ears," he whispered to her. She quickly complied, holding her ears tightly as he moved to do the same. The next indication of the grenade hitting its target was the voluminous *BOOM* of the grenade, followed by the two enemies being launched out of their cover, surprised looks on their faces as they plummeted into the trench and exploded in a distant cloud of pink-and-purple smoke. Noting that the coast was clear, the soldier and the half-genie rose to their feet, though Tay winced in pain as he clutched his chest.

"Looks like we did it," Shantae acknowledged, clutching her shoulder. "That was a close one…"

"Yeah… Too close," he replied, still upset with his partner for her impulsive move that led into the perilous scuffle. "We pulled through, but you put yourself in danger when you didn't need to. Plus, you got me shot again, Shantae," he chided, his wound pulsing with scorching pain. "Bullets don't exactly tickle. Again, we got lucky because these guns ain't workin' the way they would in my timeline."

"Sorry," she answered back in a mix of remorse and indignation, taking offense to his tone. "We didn't know they were hiding back there. Secret rooms I've gone into before have never had such well-placed traps in them. It's no big deal, though."

"What do you mean, 'no big deal?' There was so much wrong with the way that played out," he disagreed, taking issue with his partner's nonchalance. "We can't just blow that off like nothin'. Risky's goons have been pullin' tricks like this nonstop for the last week an' a half."

"It's fine," she shot back, picking up on his frustration. "You're getting worked up over a minor setback. I was hit, too, and I'm still okay. What are you so mad about?" At that, Tay shot her a disbelieving look, nonverbally communicating his disfavor with her question.

"You don't understand… We can't always rely on luck an' on-the-spot thinkin' t' get around, when these Tinkerbats are gettin' craftier with every adventure we embark on. Think about how this fight played out from start t' finish. We gotta learn from this; especially in case it happens again, because we know it will. I'm serious."

"Tay, seriously, calm down," Shantae advised, her anger rising as her patience with him dwindled. "You're always so hung up about what might be hiding in every corner and how you think we should prepare for things that you're letting your nerves get the better of you. This wasn't as big a problem as you think. We solved it, and now we can move on. Simple as that."

"No, it AIN'T as simple as that. See, that's why I keep tellin' you we HAVE to be more careful!" the serviceman ranted, his growing anger with her evident. "We both got injured in a way that could've been completely avoided! We can't afford these kinds o' slip-ups in the future! It don't help anybody t' just jump in an' charge ahead with no course of action or plan in mind for keepin' yourself safe! There are consequences t' recklessness an' disregard for the threats we come up against! If our last few expeditions didn't make that clear t' you, then this hiccup should've!"

"Why are you yelling at me!?" she shouted at him, her anger with him building in tandem with his at her. "The fact is that we're safe now. It was close, but we handled it. I get that you're still worried, but it wasn't even that big a deal. You don't need to scream at me to make your point, either. You need to relax!"

"Relax!? Everything that just happened, and your suggestion t' me is to RELAX!? You almost fell down this bottomless pit after they shot you in midair because you just assumed this room was like all the others you came across an' completely ignored me! Again! I got shot tryin' t' keep you from fallin' into this giant hole! We got ourselves pinned in a situation that, had you listened to me like you've been refusin' t' do since we started workin' together, could've been avoided! Things easily could've been much worse than how they turned out! This is just like all the other times! If one of our goals is t' stay alive long enough t' even find Risky, much less beat her, then we can't do that by makin' ourselves cannon fodder for her minions at every turn! That shouldn't be so hard t' understand!"

"Excuse me!?" Shantae roared, her partner's remark striking a chord. "Who are you to tell me how to handle MY job!? I've been doing this for much longer than you realize! You have no idea how anything works around here, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't talk down to me like you did!"

"It doesn't matter who I am if I see your methods put both of us in immediate danger! I ain't takin' these precautions for the heck of it! Experience means nothin' if you don't learn from it! And speakin' of, you have no experience with these guns aside from what we've run into! I know how dangerous they are, because I've been trained t' use 'em! Don't talk t' me about not havin' experience! I'm tryin' t' get you to understand that, at least so you're aware of the threat they pose in the wrong hands!"

"You've made that point already!" she shouted, her patience having run out. "I know the guns are dangerous! I don't need you barking that at me every time we encounter them! I AM learning as I go along! It isn't like I just blow past the situations we find ourselves in without sparing it a passing thought like we'll never deal with it again!"

"Then why are we still havin' this same conversation again about you bein' more considerate o' your environment an' assessin' the situation!?"

"You know what? This isn't just about this ambush, is it!? No, I think the issue here is that you don't trust me enough!" she accused, indignantly pointing at him with a furrowed brow. "Why else would you constantly be screaming at me about 'minding every step I take' this, or 'sticking together and moving as slow as possible' that!? Maybe you should learn to put a little more faith in me and understand that I'm trying to help you become a more efficient adventurer! This is not helping us!"

"The problem is not that I don't trust you!" he yelled, feeling like she missed his point. "Look, clearly, those last two Tinkerbats got the idea that they needed t' set up an elaborate trap an' ambush us usin' the guns they stole when the chance arose! An' they banked on our curiosity about comin' in here, which we played right into! Others before them have sprung worse traps that almost completely overwhelmed us, which is sayin' a ton! We've got first-hand experience with that, as you already know! Who knows what else the rest will have up their sleeves!? Next time somethin' like this happens, we might not be so lucky! An' even for it just bein' two Tinkerbats this time, we both could've died here, Shantae! D-I-E-D, DIED!" he reminded her, shocking her stiff as she processed his statement. Unappreciative of his tone as he was, she couldn't help but acknowledge his point. However, he continued trying to drive it home. "If I didn't catch you when you were fallin' down this hole, if those Tinkerbats had better aim… or even if we didn't have the right materials t' take 'em out, we'd be goners! Do you see where I'm goin' with-?"

"That's enough!" she yelled back to cut him off, none too appreciative of his punitive reminder of the events of their recent encounter or his belligerent way of explaining his concern. "I get it already! Next time, we'll be more careful about these secret rooms, okay!? Again, I'm sorry, Tay! I really am! And I don't need to hear it from you a million times that we should be more careful in other situations! Like I've been saying, I'm trying to make sure we're at some kind of understanding of how we're going to work together! You need to understand that, no matter how safe you want to play it, it won't eliminate every form of danger out there, so we can't always check every corner or tip-toe around every obstacle we come across when we're in the thick of it! We will never have that much time on any trip! Gosh, if you don't like something about the way I'm training you, then there are better ways to express that. You don't need to be so harsh…" she added, the hurt evident in her eyes as she glared at him, crossing her arms. At that, Tayshan immediately realized he'd crossed the line and regretted losing his temper with her. He took a mental step back and breathed a heavy sigh before addressing the situation.

"Look, I don't mean t' come off as abrasive… I apologize for what I said. All of it. I just… I don't want either of us t' get hurt," he confessed as he uncertainly approached her. "You're right… The important thing is that we did make it out o' this alive. And… I can sort o' see your point about there needin' t' be some form o' balance between speed an' tact when it comes t' this sort o' thing. That said, are you okay?" he asked as he reached out to gently lay a hand on her shoulder. The instant he touched her, however, she pulled away and took a step backward, still scowling at him as her eyes wavered with frustration. "Oh…" he murmured, understanding that she was still highly upset with him.

"Let's just get what we came here for and get a move on," the displeased young woman coldly remarked as she quickly transformed into her Harpy form and flew to the other side of the room. Tay wordlessly followed, reclaiming his pistol before using his Propeller Boots to leap up and over, clearing the gap with ease. Shantae transformed back and opened the chest to reveal an extra two heart holders, bringing her Heart total just a little closer to her maximum as the injuries she sustained during the encounter were healed completely.

Meanwhile, Tay took note of the olive-green crate sitting in the corner of the makeshift bunker and immediately indulged in its contents. In it, he found a pair of M16 Rifles that matched the weapons previously used by the Tinkerbats. One of them found itself instantaneously tucked into a specially designed holster on his right leg while the other one disappeared, though he heard an enigmatic *CLICK* that signified that the other gun was collected. Noting this, he moved on to collect a floating slice of Strawberry Cheesecake and a floating Lamb Chop that he presumed the Tinkerbats dropped upon their defeat.

"You should probably eat one of those now," Shantae plainly advised, looking at him from the side as she paused to check her inventory. Taking no time to think about where the items disappeared to, he immediately reached into his pocket. He pulled out and ate the Lamb Chop, replenishing his health enough that the bullet wound he suffered had vanished. He pulled out his newly acquired battle rifle and immediately unloaded the magazine to see if it also had unlimited ammo. To his disappointment and confusion, it did not. A series of steel, marble-sized, spherical pellets came raining out of it. After some thorough examination…

"Hm. Even for the outdated M16's, that no-good pirate woman found a way t' tamper with the ammo. How they even found these in the armory is beyond me. Still, thirty rounds for a single mag… just as it normally should be… even with whatever these marbles are in here," he mumbled in understanding, reloading his rifle and strapping it back to his leg. "Guess I should plan on only usin' it when need be." He wanted to address this strange occurrence with Shantae, but he noted that she was in no mood to talk after their brief disagreement moments earlier. He merely sighed the sudden rush of awkwardness away as he followed her out of the room.

The duo silently ventured out of the secret room, quickly remembering that there was still room to explore above in the form of one more tree branch and a higher ledge that housed the entrance to the next section. They ascended further, quickly dispatching the relentlessly-charging zombies, bats, and ghosts before they charged into the next section. This next section, a seemingly open grassy terrain with no trees in the immediate vicinity, was something Shantae immediately recognized, groaning in disdain.

"Great, THIS part again…" she complained, clearly less than enthused about the upcoming portion of their path through Spider Web Island.

"Somethin' I should know about this?"

"Only that it's going to be a real pain," the unexcited maiden replied, harkening back to an unfavorable past experience. "This is the part Sky and I were talking about before. Last time I was here, Rottytops pretended that she sprained her ankle and forced me to carry her through a smorgasbord of spikes, killer robots, zombies, and those weird, slimy green hands that sprouted from the ground and grabbed at me as I ran. I couldn't defend myself, either. My only option was to run, run, run like my feet were on fire."

"This sounds like it'll be a real treat…" the demotivated serviceman lamented, getting an idea of Shantae's frustration. "At the very least, neither of us has t' carry the other this time around, givin' us free rein t' protect ourselves."

"That's true," she nodded, breathing a sigh of relief as she stepped forward, preparing herself for the next part. "Ready to roll?"

"Let's do it," Tay agreed, standing right beside her, drawing his pistol and preparing himself. The duo quickly darted into the open, spooky plains of Spider Web Island, determined to clear it as soon as they could and progress. However, they reached an early ledge with a rickety, broken portion of a wooden bridge on it. As each of our heroes took a simultaneous step onto it, the decrepit structure collapsed under them, sending them tumbling into the shallow pit below as they both fell face-first into the empty ditch. As though they were waiting for fresh prey, a series of slimy green hands emerged from the cold, wilted grass and clawed at the duo. Shantae reacted quickly, standing and jumping out and back onto the ledge from which they fell. Tayshan attempted the same feat, but was grabbed by one of the snot-textured imp hands before he could attempt a jump. The hand pulled the soldier down into the frigid, mushy dirt by his arm.

"Gahagh…! Get off me! Haagh…!" he yelled, panicked as he fought to release himself from the tight, unforgiving grasp of the ethereal ground-dwelling appendage. He struggled, pulled, and kicked like a lion entangled in a poacher's trap, but couldn't break free of the hand stuck to his arm as the others inched over to grab at him. As he found out the hard way, the imp hand's grasp on him stung and burned like he was dipping his arm into a vat of hydrochloric acid. Worse yet, the longer the hand grabbed onto him, the more mercilessly it burned. "AGH! LET ME GO!"

"Tayshan!" Shantae screamed in absolute horror, fearing the worst for her friend as she bravely charged back into the ditch to rescue him. She hair-whipped the imp hand off of Tayshan and pulled him up as he clutched his arm. Shantae proved no more fortunate, however, as a separate slimy green appendage grabbed her by her foot, shooting an unbearable scalding pain coursing through her leg. "AHOWW!" the overwhelmed half-genie howled in despair as she fell to the ground. Thinking quickly, she burned the slimy appendage away with a blast of fire from her hand as she crawled to her feet, almost falling back down from the sudden surge of physical anguish that coursed through her leg. Tay had recovered just enough of his senses to note that Shantae had been hurt saving him, as she struggled to stand on her now-injured leg. Nonetheless, she fended off the remaining jelly hands with a relentless spray of fireballs as she backed up and, with assistance from Tay, hastily climbed back up onto the ledge. The soldier followed suit, the two of them breathing heavily as they lay back, taking a moment to recuperate from their next close call.

"This island is just… awful!" Tay yelled as he sat up, clutching his arm, which burned like someone threw it onto a grill.

"Believe me, I know," Shantae agreed, motioning to stand and immediately finding that entirely impossible as her leg buckled under her, sending her careening back into the dirt, writhing in horrible pain.

"Oh, shoot!" Tay remarked, getting up to assist his friend. "Shantae!"

"It's… It's okay, Tay…" she assured through incredible bursts of pain. "I'll just… use another potion to heal up…" she stated as she painstakingly sat up and reached into the breastplate of her outfit, only to find nothing related to any healing liquid. "Uh-oh…" she murmured in horror as she searched frantically for her potions, which seemed to go missing.

"What? You don't have any more potions?"

"No… I totally should, though! They were all right here!" she answered, frantically searching herself for her healing elixirs. "I had them! I mean, unless…" she trailed off, realizing something. "Tay, could you look over in that ditch and see if maybe I dropped them?" The soldier complied, standing up to look over the ledge. His heart sank as he saw the two vials of liquid sinking into the ground, rendering them unobtainable. He turned back to his comrade, the dread evident on his face. She immediately recognized this, her heart sinking just as his own had. "They were down there… Weren't they?"

"Yep… and now they're buried under the goo hand-infested dirt…" he regretfully informed her.

"Darn it!" she cursed, pounding a fist into the squelchy mud. "How much worse can this get!? This would a perfect time to use my Revive Dance or my Super Revive Dance, too…"

"Revive Dances, you say?"

"Yeah, they're special belly dances that restore part of or all of my health at the cost of about half my magic. Or, about one-third of it in this outfit."

"Why can't you use it now?"

"I… I can't remember how to activate it. I was taught the dances by a red-haired snake lady in a jar named Tuki. She charged me a hefty price for them, but once I had them, I made great use of them in my battle with Risky and her Tinker-Brain. But then, once all was said and done, I totally blanked out on how to use them and haven't figured it out since. I haven't seen Tuki around lately, either… I don't even remember how to use the Tree Dance that lets me turn into a tree that generates a limitless supply of oranges so long as I have magic available. She taught me that one, too. That one would've been great for the both of us…"

"Right… There's always somethin' inconvenient in the way, just when we need a convenient solution to a difficult problem…" Tay remarked with a disappointed sigh, though he couldn't help but be nothing short of flabbergasted at the idea that Shantae's abilities stretched farther beyond the reaches of his imagination. "I only hope we can figure somethin' out before it's too late… Hmm…" he trailed off, lost in thought over what to do next. After a moment, he got an idea. Remembering that he still had a food item available, the serviceman reached into his pocket and pulled out the Cheesecake he obtained earlier. "Here. Eat this," he offered, though his companion was unwilling to take it.

"That's your only healing item…" she reminded him, not wanting to deprive him of a precious resource. "Thanks anyway, Tay, but you should keep that. You'll need it later."

"Nonsense," he denied. "You can't even walk right now. My arm burns like the forest fire I wanna set in this miserable swamp once we're done here, but I can still manage," he explained, stretching and flexing his injured arm before slapping it to prove that he could fight through it. "I'd rather us both be in some kind o' good condition than me bein' in good shape while you suffer. I insist…" he further offered, handing her the delicious bakery treat.

"Are you sure about this? I mean, we can always call Sky and retreat to Scuttle Town to restock… We don't have to force ourselves to keep going. We've had enough hiccups as it is."

"That's true… but if we do have t' go back, would we be able t' just come right back t' this section when we returned?"

"Actually… no…" she answered in disappointment. "That's a good point, Tay. We'd have to start right from the beginning and climb our way back up here. My Warp Dance wouldn't work either, because aborting our quest would technically erase all the progress we made, on top of us losing whatever money and items we sacrificed to get this far… and it's certainly been way too long since I was last here, so I'm not even sure I could teleport to the older checkpoints that used to be here. Then again, I didn't have access to any of my magic last time I was here. Hm…"

"Shoot… Well I ain't keen on goin' through this place twice. I'd prefer if we just got through it an' put it behind us; no matter how beat-up we are. Plus, after our shoppin' trip, I doubt we'd really benefit from havin' that shop owner swindle us again."

"You're right. Plus, unless you're willing to hook a girl up, I don't think we've collected enough gems for me to restock like I'd need to."

"I'm always willin' t' spot you, homegirl," he replied with a thumbs-up, much to her relief. "It'd be a disrespect and an injustice not t' lend you a hand in return for all you've done for me."

"Wow… Th-thanks, Tay… I'm glad you'd be willing to help," she smilingly acknowledged. "I just hope you don't think you owe me anything. Um… and, if you're still offering it, I'll take the Cheesecake… but I do have to ask: Are you absolutely sure? I don't know that we'll be able to find any other healing items anytime soon for the remainder of this level."

"It's fine. We'll just have t' watch each other's backs if we hope t' get through this without another scratch. I know I've got more than enough as it is."

"Understood," Shantae agreed with a smile. "Thanks, Tay…" she expressed as she ate the entire slice in a bite. Afterward, she made an effort to stand and found that she could at least bring herself to her feet. However, as she tried to walk, she felt sudden bursts of excruciating pain course through her ankle. "Ouch! L-looks like… it wasn't enough…" she frowned.

"Of course…!" Tay growled in frustration. "Stupid Cheesecake… Looks like we're doin' it the way you said you did it last time; I'll carry you through."

"Sorry…"

"No big deal," he dismissed, stretching to get himself ready. "I don't mind carryin' you. I just hope that whatever lies ahead ain't too horrible since, if what you said is right, I won't be able t' do anything but run. Unless you can shoot fireballs at anything comin' our way?"

"I could, but I don't think it'd be near as useful this time. I wasn't able to attack any of the enemies in this section on my last trip, and I doubt anything's changed there."

"Great," he flatly stated, the frustration evident in the roll of his eyes.

"I'll guide you through," she assured as he scooped her up, hooking his arms around her legs and back as she wrapped her arms around his neck for support. As the two held each other, they each suddenly felt a sudden rush of heat in their faces as they made eye contact. Shantae looked downward and away as the soldier puffed one of his cheeks and turned his head away and upward.

"Whelp, when the goin' gets tough…" Tay began, eventually looking ahead as he prepared himself for yet another life-threatening relay he'd never forget.

"…the tough get running," Shantae finished as she settled herself in his arms to secure her position.

"You got that right. Or, close enough…" he agreed with a sideways nod of his head. "On that note…"

"Ret-2-Go!" Shantae confirmed with determination, pointing forward to signal the start of the soldier's mad dash.

"Hooah!" Tayshan shouted in affirmation, finding himself filled with an unprecedented rush of energy and matching urgency as another rush of glowing energy enveloped him. He immediately sprinted at top speed toward the ditch that housed the horde of disembodied imp hands. With a mighty leap, he cleared the gap, landing far beyond their reach as he continued. Soon after, however…

"Is… is that a bed o' spikes comin' up?"

"Don't let anything you see slow you down, Tay," Shantae advised. "It looks intimidating when you first get to it, but you've gotta just keep moving. Jump over them at the right moment so you can avoid landing on them." Taking Shantae's sage advice, Tay sprinted toward the spike bed and, just before he took a step onto them, he made another extensive bound over them, jumping into a hole nearby. The two clutched each other tight as they braced for impact. Tay landed on his feet with a metallic *PLANG* in the next section, which housed two more spike beds. Keeping his partner's advice handy, Tay leapt over one spike bed and onto a narrow patch of grass in between them. A bat made itself apparent as it dropped down from above to ambush the duo, causing the soldier to stop, jogging in place as he thought about what to do next.

"Tay! Be careful," Shantae advised again. "Sometimes, enemies will pop up to try and force you to make a mistake. You should still have enough room to jump without that bat getting in your way. In the future, though, don't stop for anything unless it's directly in your path, no matter what. The enemies you see in this section are only here to distract you."

"Got it!" Tay concurred as he made his next jump over the second spike bed and into the third layer. He turned around to see a metal trashcan-shaped creature hiding in a crevice. Keeping Shantae's warnings in mind, he immediately took off in the opposite direction, prompting a homicidal robot to activate and chase the duo through the cave like a bull chasing a matador. "Whoa! This thing is fast! What in the world!?"

"Don't be intimidated by its speed! It's fast, but you're faster! Make that robot eat your dust!" the half-genie motivationally informed, prompting Tay to keep sprinting. He leapt over three more isolated spike beds, having no time to rest between jumps when he noticed more slimy hands attempting to grab him the instant he landed on each platform. The following section was a climb up a ladder of rickety boards. Tay made the first jump and was immediately ambushed by a killer robot charging at him.

"WHOA!"

"Keep jumping, Tay! Jump like a rabbit hopped up on Propeller Town Pop! No bun-nies intended!"

"Gaaa-ha-hawwwgh, the puns!" Tay complained in sheer pun-related agony, though heard his companion loud and clear, vaulting over the robot and onto the next platform, where the same surprise repeated itself. Tay hopped from place to place, zigzagging his way up as the pattern of robots charging to attack him the second he landed on the adjacent foothold happened several more times before he found himself running across another open, muddy field. This time around, zombies sequentially sprouted from the ground in front of him, forcing him to make additional jumps over them as he kept up the momentum of his dash. Ever more perilous, brigades of slime hands emerged from the damp, earthen field and made further attempts to grab and drag the soldier to his doom.

"These hands are everywhere!" Shantae observed, cringing slightly.

"What IS it with these things, anyway!?" Tay shouted as he hopped over the latest horde of hands, narrowly missing the last one as it swiped at him, and kept running before jumping into yet another hole, where he was met with another killer robot activating to give chase. "Wah-ha!" he hollered, startled by the robot as it charged at him. He turned and ran away again, jumping over yet another squad of accursed green appendages. He soon found a hole that he slid into where, upon landing, he was pressured to run by another robot hidden in a compartment in the wall he faced. He turned and ran once more, the underground path being clear this time. However, as he neared the entrance to the next section of this horrible marathon, he noticed a second robot making itself comfy just above, resting on a platform placed in the most convenient of places; atop the entrance to the next part. As he neared it, it activated and attempted to jump on him.

"Tay! Speed up!" Shantae warned, still clinging tightly to her partner/transport service.

"On it!" Tay complied, ducking his head and running harder as the robot missed him and collided with the other. The two robots exploded in a blaze of automaton glory as Tay and Shantae escaped into the next section through a hole in the wall. Upon entering the next part of this dank, shadowy swamp cavern, Tay surveyed the area and saw a long, foreboding series of jade green, spike-laden stone pillars lined up along the ceiling, conveniently positioned above a series of spike beds separated by narrow platforms. "Oh, my goodness, when will this END!?" he whined, already sick and tired of the constant danger they were in.

"It shouldn't be long now before we finish. This section could be tricky, though. Just hold me tight, keep it moving, and don't stop for a second," Shantae expertly coached. "Blast through it like your life depended on it!"

"My life DOES depend on it!" Tay whiningly reminded her. "Yours, too!"

"That's the spirit!" the half-genie affirmed, mistaking Tay's almost-paralyzing anxiety for indomitable heroic valor. "Now charge!"

"Ugh, you should meet my drill instructor…" he lamented, sprinting like a madman into the looming danger ahead. The instant Tay came within five feet of the first pillar, it came crashing downward to crush him. Thinking quickly, he dashed forward, narrowly missing having himself and Shantae turned into muddy pancakes. Of course, dodging the first pillar immediately triggered the second.

"Tay, look out!"

"I know!" he assured, the pressure intensifying as he picked up on the pattern and kept running through the next few pillar drops before being faced with the next series of spike beds. Tay jumped over the spike bed while being mindful to watch his head to avoid being hit by the falling pillars. When he landed on the patch of grass, however, a zombie began to reanimate under his feet. "Gah!" Tay yelled, noticing right away. The zombie formed quickly, forcing him to make an ill-prepared jump onto the next platform as more cylindrical death traps pounded down like thunder. The next platform proved no friendlier; yet another slime hand sprouted from the ground as he landed. Tay, having become expectant (if nothing else) of the frequent and inconvenient safety hazards, quickly bounded to the next platform and continued defying certain death before finding solid ground as the bloodthirsty spike columns continued their merciless assault. Tay managed to escape with Shantae before the last pillar could claim him as they made it to the next section.

"Okay, Tay… I feel it. This is the home stretch," Shantae encouraged, keeping her partner motivated. "Or, it should be."

"I… would hope so… So far, the stress from this probably just cut my life short by about 20 years…" he complained, his breath heavy and ragged with fatigue as he kept from hunching over while Shantae was in his arms.

"It's just one more open field, and then it should be over... I think."

"Got it. Let's get this over with, then. I don't know how much more o' this I can take… I thought the obstacle course in boot camp was hard…" he further lamented as he had flashbacks of other terrifying experiences with hazardous tests of strength, reflexes, endurance, and patience. With a deep breath and a shake of his head, he clutched his half-genie passenger tightly as he pressed on. Within a few feet, however, he was immediately caught off-guard by more spike pillars that shot up from the ground, causing him to skid along the slippery grass to avoid slamming into it. Again, he was stopped in his tracks, jogging in place as though he really needed to go to the bathroom.

"Aw, come on! Now they come out from the GROUND!?"

"Sometimes, but they'll go down in a couple seconds…" Shantae informed as she noticed a series of zombies crawling from the ground, moaning incoherently as they marched toward the duo. "…uhhh, a couple of seconds we might not have."

"What?"

"Don't panic when I tell you this, buuuut… look behind you." Tay's heart sank like a cinderblock into a pool as he turned around to be faced with a horde of zombies zeroing in on them. Frantic, he immediately quickened the pace of his place-jogging, waiting for the stubborn pillars to go down as he looked Shantae right in the eye.

"Did I mention t' you what I want t' do t' this place when we're done here?"

"Um… Burn it to the ground so no one else has to do this ever again?" the perplexed young woman guessed.

"With extreme prejudice," he added as the spike pillars FINALLY sunk back into the depths where they belonged. A zombie nearly grazed Tay's back as he took off with the speed of a cheetah, leaping over the dormant spike pillars just before they shot back up. The duo quickly approached an extensively long spike bed that stretched for what looked like an eternity as Tay came to yet another screeching halt.

"What the heck is this!?" the mad dashing young man complained.

"Looks like you'll have to carefully jump onto the floating platforms to avoid landing on the spikes. Be careful, though… Remember the one dummy platform on Naga Mountain?"

"The one that fell under me an' dropped me into a bottomless smokin' pit? No, not at all," he sarcastically remarked to hide his fear.

"Well, in this case, they're ALL dummy platforms," she informed, already knowing the real meaning behind his retort. Tay, however, was not amused to receive the news.

"…WHAT!?"

"They'll all fall one-by-one the minute you set foot on them, giving you no time to stop."

"Say it ain't so…" he sulked, regretting everything in his life up to this point.

"You'll also need to be careful of the ceiling up there…" the half-genie tour guide further explained, pointing to the floating ceiling that housed another extensive array of spikes that spanned across in all directions.

"Oh... like we're runnin' into the mouth of a monster…"

"And the bats and spiders…" she advised, pointing toward the airborne and webbing-borne creatures that waited patiently for the soldier to come test his luck.

"Oh… like we're runnin' into the mouth of a monster with terrible food tastes…"

"And the gross purple one-eyed blobs on the ceiling where there aren't spikes that'll try licking you when you get close… their tongues are incredibly long, too," she informed even more, pointing toward the aforementioned gross purple one-eyed blobs.

"Oh… like we're runnin into the mouth of a monster with terrible food tastes AND multiple tongues… Anything else?"

"Hmm… Oh! Yeah, you'll need to-!"

"I was jokin'! Let's go!" he interrupted, not wanting any additional pep talk as he leapt over the first gap and landed on the first grassy floating platform, which immediately crumbled under him.

"Jump now, Tay! You'll have even less time to react than before!" Wordlessly, Tayshan bounded over to the next unstable foothold as two bats came swooping down. Thinking quickly, the soldier hopped onto the next rickety floating landmass as a spider dropped down behind him and fired a slow-moving flashing marble. "Tay, watch out from behind!" The serviceman glanced over his shoulder and, realizing the impending threat, jumped downward onto the next platform to be faced with a vertical series of unstable platforms leading above.

"Goin' up again!" he remarked, climbing the spike-infested tower of busted floating grass patches, narrowly avoiding the next series of bats that swarmed him before reaching the top, landing on the first stable, stationary platform of this perilous spike maze. However, this was where he got his first up-close encounter with a cyclopean purple wart-riddled blob creature hanging from the ceiling, sticking its tongue downward. Catching a whiff of the creature, Tay nearly passed out form the abominable stench. "Ugh, it reeks like a week-old tuna an' onion sandwich!"

"That's… actually pretty accurate," Shantae casually agreed, though the odor didn't bother her in the slightest. "Nevertheless, we can't let a bunch of bad-breath blobs stop us! You've only got a little bit more to go! I think…" she surreptitiously ended with a whisper to herself, hinting that she may not have been 100% certain her prediction was correct.

"Right. Let's get it done, then…" he replied with a deep, pressured breath. Nevertheless, the tongue-wielding monster retracted its stinky oral appendage, allowing access to the next section; a diagonal downward ladder of more dummy platforms with additional bats and tongue monsters. Taking no time to hesitate, Tayshan bounded toward the first of many platforms, dodging a bat and a spider as he avoided staying on the falling structure for too long. Unfortunately, the spike bed never ended.

"Good work!" his passenger lauded. "Quick, precise, time-sensitive movement! You're getting the hang of it!" Tay merely nodded as he silently focused on dodging the next three tongue monsters as he hopped aboard the next platform. Lucky for him, the trio of tongue-lashing wart blobs retracted their tongues as soon as he landed, granting him the ability to traverse further into the spiky cavern. Upon landing on the third platform, two more spiders descended from behind and began shooting while another four bats swooped in from directly above. Noticing this ambush, Tay made a hurried leap of faith over one platform, landing onto the one beside it as the space for calculated jumps grew tighter, forcing his next two downward jumps to be more precise for fear of turning himself and his team leader into meat skewers for the zombies to feast on. Directly above him was another tongue blob, who stuck its tongue downward to attack.

"Dah!" Tay gasped as he crouched and jumped onto the next platform, nearly missing it as he landed on the edge and almost lost his balance. He managed to catch himself, though the slip did nothing to ease his nerves as his entire body trembled with traumatic fear. His breathing was heavy and labored enough that one might have said he was hyperventilating. Sweat drenched the soldier's entire body as he clutched Shantae in his arms for dear life.

"Careful, now," Shantae warned, gripping the soldier tightly as her own heartbeat sped up, though she did not notice her sidekick's panicked state. "We only have one more jump to make. After that, I see a hole that just HAS to mark the end of this section. There aren't any spikes in it either, as far as I see."

"Right. Just gonna go for it!"

"Tay, hold on! Wait, wait, waitwaitwaitwaitnononono!" Shantae frantically attempted to halt him, though by the time she uttered her request, he was already in midair and ducking his head low to avoid touching the spikes above. As he landed on the final platform, one more tongue monster made itself apparent, being much closer to the duo than the last. Shantae and Tayshan were aware of this one, but it did little to prepare them for a contingency. It lashed its tongue out at them, forcing Tay to duck as low as he could while clutching his partner tight. The platform, as expected, shook and jiggled before falling, forcing the military officer to make one more gutsy leap of faith into the hole at the end of the unforgivingly-difficult passageway. However, instead of finding solid ground on which to land at a reasonable time, the two continued to plummet, eliciting a much-warranted sense of dread and horror in them as they…

"D'AAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

"HUWWOOAHOHOHOGH!" …both screamed in horror as they plummeted through a long, dark, empty corridor leading to parts unknown, having no idea if they'd made it to the right place or had fallen into a deadly trap that would very well spell their ends.

Elsewhere…

Okay, I know what you're gonna ask: 'Elsewhere? What the [insert filler word here] could possibly happen next!? Especially after all the action, drama, teenage angst, and suspenseful antics I've been so voraciously indulging in? I want answers! I DEMAND answers! Tell me, beautiful, incomparable, wonderfully goofy narrator! Tell me, tell me, TELL ME!' And to that, I say… Be patient! I'm gonna tell you! Ahem! Er… A-anyway, sorry for the sudden shift of focus yet again. However, this strange and very… convenient occurrence was simply too outlandishly rare to ignore. With good reason, I might add! Er, a-anyway, while our usual terrific tag-team of teens found themselves occupied with racing through and surviving a robot-zombie-spike-pillar-goo maze of utterly sadistic and overwhelmingly inhumane proportions, a young, perky lady had been casually making her way through another area of Spider Web Island's infinitely-winding forest trail nearby in a wooden vehicle drawn by a horse… or at least, the reanimated skeleton of a horse, unassumingly passing by all the ambient dead foliage and shambling corpses that strangely didn't lift a finger to harm her. What she'd been doing there or how there was a reanimated revenant of a horse pulling a carriage through a haunted jungle is nothing short of baffling, but let's be real; those are not the questions we're asking right this moment. Anyhow…

"Traveling in this thing sure isn't the same without Abner's constant yapping at me to stay out of trouble, or Poe sitting silently, watching his hamster run endlessly on its wheel…" the young woman complained, appearing jaded with her trip as she sat on the floor of her wagon as it slowly passed through the trail without a hitch. "I thought coming back here would bring back some fond memories while I got some peace and quiet, but all I feel is bored and lonely…" she complained to herself as she took a bite of a peculiar snack and breathed a woeful sigh. "Totally should've brought some company to mess around with… like Shantae… or at least, a guy I could tease for my amusement…" she pondered. "Speaking of which, I should probably hitch a ride out to Scuttle Town soon. If that friend of mine from back across the way is as serious about meeting her as he says he is, then that gives me another perfect reason to go and visit her again. How do I get there from here, though…? Hmm…" the young woman quietly contemplated, though it was short lived as she picked up a disturbance coming from outside the wagon as it stopped. "Hmm, I could swear I hear screaming… Ah, it's probably the haunted man-eating trees out here… or someone being eaten by them. But why is it getting louder? And closer…? And why does it sound so familiar…? Huh…"

As this mysteriously bored mistress pondered her situation and the ambient noise, her observation came to fruition in the form of some unexpected guests smashing into her wagon from above with all the grace of a giant sack of bricks. The sudden intrusion totally obliterated the vehicle with a mighty *CRASH*, sending wooden planks, tatters of fabric, the bones of the skeleton horse, green humanoid limbs, and a series of Flesh Pops and other food items scattering about the immediate vicinity.

"Urgh, my head…" a young, purple haired woman in an insanely revealing blue-and-gold dancer costume complained as she quickly woke up, slightly dizzied by her impact with the mushy, sopping wet dirt as she found herself flung a few feet away from the carnage. "Tay, are… are you alright?" she asked, brushing herself off, though she didn't get an immediate reply. Worried that he may have been injured more severely than she had, she limped toward the bulk of the wreckage, though she still had not regained her full composure and kneeled down to nurse her pounding headache by massaging her temples. Meanwhile…

"Oowagh… Ergh…! Ow…!" the woman's partner, evidently known as 'Tay,' groaned as he blinked his eyes. He'd found himself sprawled out, flat on his back in the middle of the splintery mass of debris, every muscle in his body aching like he'd been tenderized with sledgehammers. As he slowly recuperated, he gathered just enough of his energy to lift his head up, where he noticed something dark green and shaggy lying on his chest. "What the…? What is this…?" he weakly murmured, slowly and painstakingly reaching toward the odd green object as he fought through surges of residual pain to sit himself up. Taking the object into his hands, he suddenly felt a creeping sense of unease washing over him as he felt it. "I don't know what this thing is, but it feels weird… This grass feels all thin an' wiry, like hair… an' whatever's on the other side of it feels clammy an' cold… like skin… an' it's so heavy…" he observed, growing more curious as he continued to poke and tug at the unusual item.

"Ow! Hey, watch the hair!" a scratchy, yet vivacious feminine voice called out, startling the soldier out of his stupor as he suddenly began looking around to see where the angry command came from.

"What the…? Who said that?" he questioned, warily scanning the surrounding trees as he hurriedly climbed to his feet, the strange object in tow. "Who's there?"

"Down here, genius!" the voice sarcastically remarked again, though this time, Tay was given a clue where it came from.

"What…? Huh?" he grunted in total confusion as he peered toward the talking pile of grass in his hands.

"It'd probably help you if you turned me around," the voice advised him, causing his heart to sink to the pit of his stomach as he, with a strong sense of hesitation and fright, slowly turned the object around to reveal the adorable face of a young woman… which, of course, caused the poor serviceman's eyes to nearly pop out of his skull as they locked with the ruby red irises of the disembodied head he'd found himself holding.

"…Wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-whaaat the…?"

"Hiya!" the disembodied head cheerfully remarked with an innocent smile. And, as you might expect of someone who wasn't used to seeing disembodied heads talking, Tay reacted in a way that we may have all been able to predict. Should've put money on it, but I digress.

"UWAAAAHHAAAAGH!" the young man shouted, tossing the nameless head of a young, green-skinned woman away from him as he panicked. "What the heck kind o' place IS THIS!?" Meanwhile, the disembodied head landed face-up on the ground with a wet *THWAP*.

"Ouch! What's the big idea, dude!? Don't go losing your head out of nowhere! How rude!" she complained, possibly sneaking in a very poorly-timed pun in the process.

"Tayshan!" Shantae called, frightened by her friend's sudden distress as she snapped back to her senses. "What happened!? Are you okay?" she further assessed, limping toward him to calm him down when she noticed the disembodied, shaggy-haired head of a girl lying in a puddle in front of the spooked-out soldier. Immediately recognizable was the yellow hairband and the skull-shaped earrings adorned to the girl's ears. "Whoa… Rottytops? Is that you?"

"Hm? Oh hey, snack cakes!" the green-skinned young woman's head cheerfully greeted Shantae, mostly unfazed by the bizarre circumstances of their encounter as she beamed with joy at the sight of what could be presumed to be her friend. "What a coincidence! Nice to see you again!"

"Yeah, definitely!" Shantae shared in the cheery energy as she fought through surges of ankle pain to walk over and pick up Rottytops' head. "Only… you seem to have lost a lot of weight recently. You been dieting again?"

"Hardy har, babe," Rottytops remarked, finding herself amused by the half-genie's ostensibly clueless comment. "Also, yes, but that doesn't explain this. As you might imagine, I've sort of… gone to pieces in recent times, and I was just wondering if you could help li'l ol' Humpty-Dumpty put herself back together again."

"Of course, Rotty!" Shantae gleefully accepted her friend's request, opting to scan the immediate vicinity to spot a disembodied arm with stitches around the upper bicep area, flailing haplessly on the ground nearby. "How'd this even happen to you?" she asked as she slowly hobbled over to pick up the loose limb.

"I wish I knew," the talking head known as 'Rottytops' answered with a sigh. "One moment, I'm in my caravan, wistfully lounging the night away, and in the next, my caravan is completely obliterated, I get totally blindsided, and my head is in the lap of some scaredy-cat, scar-faced, fuzzy-headed, silver-eyed weirdo who panics and throws me into a puddle like he's never seen zombie before," she explained with a most endearing pout as Shantae approached a nearby group of bushes to pull out a green-skinned leg that appeared to be wearing a brown loafer and a mauve-colored sock before turning to a thoroughly flabbergasted Tayshan, who'd merely been gawking at the girls without a clue as to what was happening.

"Uh… Wh… I… What is happenin' right now…?" he asked, his voice quaking like he'd been sitting on top of a washing machine on full blast. At that, Shantae smiled brightly and held Rottytops' head up high.

"Sorry, Tay, I should've said something sooner. Meet Rottytops!" the half-genie introduced the fraction of her zombified friend that she held to her comrade, completely flooring the young man as he gawked even harder at the head being held in her hand.

"Wh-what!? THIS is Rottytops!?"

"In the flesh! Pun totally intended," the zombie girl, who still had yet to be put together, confirmed with a joke and a smiling wink as she also took the moment to size up her new 'acquaintance.' "Pleasure to meetcha!"

"Er… H-hi?" Tay barely found it in himself to reply, still unable to wrap his own head around what was unfolding before him… and his head was still attached to his shoulders. Poor guy. "Uh… Huh, no one ever… said you'd… be dead… Wow…"

"Well, I'm not technically 'dead,' per se, but that's fair. Sounds like you've heard of me, either way," Rotty surmised, basing her conclusion off the young man's reaction to meeting her. "Only good things, I presume?"

"Yes. Well, kinda… You're… quite popular, I guess I should say. But uh… I mean, I met your brothers a while ago, but… uh… I didn't think all three o' y'all were uh…"

"Zombies?" Rotty finished, to which Tay timidly nodded. "Yep! My brothers and I are totally members of the undead. What, you didn't think you'd come face-to-face with the restless, brain-eating, shambling corpse of a girl and have her still be capable of holding a full-blown casual conversation? Or maybe… it's that you didn't think zombie chicks could be so drop-dead gorgeous?" she lasciviously remarked with a smirk and yet another death-related pun, causing Tay to reel his head back in a mix of shock and confusion that helped him snap out of his frightened stupor… again.

"Uh…"

"Come on now, Rotty, don't start that already," Shantae chided, lowering her zombie friend's head to meet her eyes. "He's new around here, so take it easy on him."

"New, you say? Hmm, I can work with that…~" Rotty mischievously remarked with a grin, seeming to smell proverbial fresh meat in the form of the bewildered soldier.

"No. Rotty, I forbid you from messing with him," Shantae decreed, putting her foot down.

"No promises, snack cakes. If you're out here making new friends, then I've gotta do my part to make a good first impression," Rotty remarked, thereby certifying that Tay was in for it in ways he couldn't even begin to imagine. "Anyway, uh… Mister…?" she trailed off, prompting Shantae to turn Rotty's head toward the young man.

"Tayshan," he introduced himself.

"D'aww, that's so cute! You guys have the same name, but the syllables are switched!" she announced with a giggle, inadvertently helping Tay to remove even more of his initial fear… all the while replacing it with utter embarrassment as he crossed his arms, cut his eyes away, and pouted at the mere mention of a certain adjective which, as we know, is not for men. "I like that! That's also a huge coincidence. What are the odds?"

"Beats me…" he flatly answered with a shrug as he returned his gaze toward Rotty and Shantae. "Been wonderin' about that since Shantae an' I met, t' be honest."

"Well, whatever alignment of the stars brought you to meet her, it must've been a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. And trust me, Tayshan; you've got some SERIOUS luck on your side if you get to meet and make friends with Shantae. I'm tellin' ya, she's the greatest!"

"You ain't gotta tell me," Tay agreed, managing to crack a smile as he conversed with the zombie head. "I learned that from the minute she an' I met."

"Aw, come on, you guys…" Shantae commented, flattered by her friends' nonchalant compliments to her. "I appreciate that you consider our friendship special, but meeting me isn't that big a deal."

"It also helps that you're just as hot as she is," Rottytops remarked as though she didn't hear Shantae, flustering both her friend and her new acquaintance as they simultaneously flinched in shock.

"Oh! Wow, that's uh… that's just a tiny bit on the strong side…" Tay replied in surprise, staring at the disembodied head as his face grew 'hot' with embarrassment. "Er… Th-thank you, I guess," he accepted her compliment, though he batted his eyes elsewhere and rubbed the back of his neck. "I will never get used t' that… Jeez…" he further nervously murmured.

"Rotty!" Shantae chided again. "What did I just say about that!?"

"Aw, relax, snack cakes! It's just a compliment!" Rotty nonchalantly excused herself. "Besides, at the end of the day, I'm all yours. You know that. No one will ever take me away from you. Promise."

"That's… not my point…" Shantae denied, sighing as though she'd been used to her friend being as… impetuous as she'd presented herself to be.

"Doesn't make that statement any less true, sugar brains," Rotty declared, standing firm by her previous suggestion.

"Don't call me that."

"Nah, I'm sticking with it," Rotty playfully denied her friend's humble suggestion. "Anyway, could you guys help me find the rest of my body? I'm not sure where my other parts are…"

"You got it," Shantae agreed as she proverbially washed her hands of the awkward atmosphere caused by Rotty's poor boundaries, immediately beginning to scan their surroundings to see if she could locate the rest of her friend's body parts.

"Sure. But, er…" Tay hesitantly began, also searching the dank, foggy forest clearing with his eyes. "I can guess I know what your other arm an' leg would look like, since Shantae has one of each limb there, but what exactly would your torso look like?"

"Ooh, now wouldn't you like to know~?" Rotty teased, smirking at the soldier as though he'd just hit on her.

"Um… Y-yes?" he answered with utmost uncertainty, cocking an eyebrow at the zombie girl as he spotted Rotty's other leg lying limp in a shallow ditch nearby. "Uh… I need… t' know what it looks like, so it's easier t' find. Uh… so, for example… What were you wearin'?"

"My, what a forward question! I bet you're the frisky type. I like that~," she taunted again, playfully sticking her tongue out and giggling. At that, Tay drew in a long breath of air through his nose before expelling as much uncomfortable pressure out of his mouth as possible.

"Wow. I can tell we're gonna get along real well," Tayshan muttered, quickly identifying that he was in for something of a wild ride with his newest friend.

"Remember what I said, Rotty?" Shantae asked her zombie friend in a scolding tone, warning her again not to continue.

"Alright, alright, I'll mellow out," Rotty vowed before turning her attention back to Tay. "Well, since you're being so kind, I suppose I should clue you in that I was wearing a most eye-catching pair of dark pale blue short shorts that had a belt with a skull buckle fastened into them, and just the cutest little purple tank top that, in your case, leaves very little to the imagination, if you catch my drift. But if you find it, then be careful. I'm quite well-endowed…~" she remarked with another teasing wink.

"…Cool. Because I definitely needed this t' get more awkward…" Tay remarked, finding himself growing wary of this unusual, undead friend of his mentor's. "With any luck, I won't be the one t' find it first."

"Rottytops, cut it out," Shantae warned as she sifted through a separate pile of bushes to try and find another of her friend's limbs. "Now is not the time to test out your silly pickup lines."

"Whaaa? Me? Come on, Shantae, I'm doing no such thing!" she remarked, feigning her innocence as she giggled some more. "I'm only trying to help him to help me."

"…Oh, boy…" Tay murmured with a sigh as he reclaimed Rotty's other leg, growing increasingly uneasy as Rottytops appeared to be making herself quite comfortable with… well, making him uncomfortable. Nevertheless, he shook his head and turned toward an incredibly scary-looking tree with a distorted, hungry face on it. The tree moaned and growled like a jaguar on the prowl, scaring the soldier yet again as he couldn't help but fix his gaze on it. However, he found himself to be in luck as he spotted what looked like Rottytops' torso (with all the matching clothing) hanging out of its mouth. "Ugh… an' just like that, my incredible luck kicks right in when I didn't want it to… in both ways. Alright, I'd better make this quick…" he encouraged himself as he bravely (read: reluctantly) climbed out of the ditch and jogged toward the tree. Knowing he didn't want to endanger himself, he made his move as quickly as he could humanly manage. He ran up to the ravenous plant, hurriedly snatching the zombie girl's thorax out of its mouth with all the speed of a hummingbird. Unhappy with food being snatched out of its mouth, however, the tree roared loud enough to frighten all three of our adventurers. And, just as Tay began taking off away from the tree in a justifiable panic, the disgruntled wood swiped a leafless tree branch toward him in an attempt to snatch Rotty's body away from him.

"Whoa! Tayshan, look out! Er, I-I mean, watch your six!" Shantae warned, frightened for her sidekick's safety.

"What? Oh, shoot! Wah!" Tay shouted as he turned around to see a jagged, prickly mass of twigs speeding toward him. With hardly a second to spare, Tay leapt backward, holding Rottytops' torso high above him to keep it from being swiped from his grasp. And, with a sharp *WHISH* of the man-eating (or, in this case, zombie-eating) tree's limb against the dense, humid air, it barely missed claiming its meal as Tay stumbled back. Why barely? Well, in the heat of the moment, he failed to notice that, when the tree recoiled from its attempt to snatch its food, its branch was suddenly decorated with the tattered remains of something mauve in color as he continued to backpedaled far away from the tree. "Whew… That was too close," he sighed in relief as he lowered the zombie girl's upper body to see if he had truly found it.

"No, dude! Er, T-Tayshan, wait! Don't look at my body!" Rottytops shouted in panic, evidently noticing well before he did that something was amiss.

"Yeah, what she said! Don't look!" Shantae joined her, also noticing that something was horribly wrong.

"Huh? What's up? Is somethin' wrong…?" he cluelessly asked right before doing the exact thing the girls were warning him not to do. And, without fail… or maybe in this case, with all the fail, Tay took one quick look at Rottytops' torso… and… uh… well, you can probably use your context clues to figure out what happened next. "Oowaaaaaaugh! Aw, shoot, aw, jeez, aw, man, aw, no, awgh, aww!" Tay suddenly began babbling in stark embarrassment, his face turning redder than cardinal feathers as he swiftly turned his head away and squeezed his eyes shut while holding Rottytops' under-dressed torso away from him. Luckily for him, Shantae hurriedly took the initiative in the form of sprinting (well, hurriedly limping) over toward him to snatch the offending body part from him before hurriedly reattaching the zombie girl's head, arm, and leg.

"Tay, hand me her other leg! And whatever you do, keep your eyes shut! And tightly! Got it?" Shantae ordered.

"Yes, ma'am!" he hastily agreed, holding out Rotty's other leg as he obeyed Shantae's command. Shantae moved to take the other appendage and reattach it to her friend's body.

"Okay! Now, take off your shirt!" the half-genie demanded of him. "And don't open your eyes at all when you do it!"

"Ooh, now that's a show I bet I won't be disappointed in…" Rotty muttered to herself, keeping her own eyes peeled as she glued her eyes to the flustered young man.

"…Again? Shoot, this is the third time I've had t' do this… I feel like a walkin' emergency closet at this rate…" he complained, though he knew that, once again, he would be required to make another sacrifice to keep yet another unfortunate partner of his from suffering a wardrobe malfunction. While keeping his eyes shut, he slipped off his tank top and surrendered it to his teammate and their mutual acquaintance.

"Hoo, boy, do you have quite the bod~," Rotty… appreciatively remarked as she readjusted her limbs and flexed them before moving to cover herself with her one arm. Meanwhile, Shantae quickly dressed her friend in the tank top, adjusting it to fit her by tying tight, a midriff-baring knot into the back of it; as is the usual style for oversized tank tops used in the event of a clothing-based emergency these days, it seems.

"Okay, you can open your eyes now, Tay," Shantae permitted, prompting the soldier to very carefully peel his eyelids back to fill his vision with the sight of the zombie girl. At an immediate glance, she was all put back together, sans one arm, and that er… as she hinted, she was indeed quite 'well-endowed'… Y'know, for a zombie. From what he saw in the first few seconds of looking at her, he noted that Rottytops' figure appeared to be slender, yet very curvy. Not like that mattered or anything. He was just making an observation. That's all. Anyway, it also appeared that his tank top fit quite well on her, though he identified right away that it had to be tied tightly at the back (with her abdomen showing) for it to fit right.

"See something ya like?" Rotty asked with a naughty grin, evidently noticing Tay scanning her form up and down.

"Dah, uh, w-what do you mean by that?" he asked back, completely caught off-guard while also bringing his eyes to meet hers.

"Tay…" Shantae called to him in what sounded like a disapproving tone, pursing her lips into a frown as she squinted at the soldier. Noticing this, Tay breathed another sigh before offering a rebuttal.

"No, I was not starin' at her," Tay preemptively replied. "At least, not like that. It's just surprisin' t' me that she apparently has detachable limbs that may or may not need stitches t' keep them attached… an' that, of all the zombies we fought through t' get here, the one female we come across happens t' be one o' your best friends."

"Oh," Shantae acknowledged, dropping her previous scrutinizing position as she nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I'd bet there would be a lot of different firsts hitting you all at once. I'm guessing that means there's no zombies where you're from?"

"You guessed it," he confirmed as he found his eyes drawn toward the pile of busted planks and bones that used to be Rottytops' caravan. Amid the pile, he noticed a green hand waving erratically as though to try and get the group's attention. "Oh, an' there's the last limb. I'll go get it," Tay volunteered as he walked over to it to pick it up. Meanwhile, said zombie girl found herself staring intently at the serviceman, watching him from behind.

"Mm-hmm…~" she hummed as she, within the time it would take you to sneeze, narrowed her eyes and bit her lip as she continued to take in the shirtless, sweaty form of the man. Shantae, following her best friend's gaze, turned to see exactly what she was looking at. And right at that moment, Tay bent over to collect Rotty's other arm. Instantly flustered at the sight of um… the 'treasure' that Rottytops had been ogling, Shantae quickly snapped her attention toward Rotty and flicked a hand at her.

"Hey…! Cut that out…!" Shantae blushingly protested, flicking the zombie girl's shoulder to get her attention.

"What? Can't a girl appreciate a nice view when she sees it?" Rottytops unabashedly replied, not even lowering her voice to hide the fact that she had been caught sneaking a peek.

"No…! That's totally inappropriate…!" Shantae chided through a rasped whisper as she glowered at the undead young lady.

"No need to be jealous, snack cakes," Rotty taunted, reaching her hand forward and brushing it under Shantae's chin. "You're still my number one; no matter what."

"Rotty, stop that…! You're so embarrassing…!" the unfortunate half-genie admonished in embarrassment, blushing as she cupped her chin to protect it from further surprise 'attacks' from her friend. In that moment, Tayshan walked back over to the two young women, ostensibly none the wiser to their conversation as he handed Rottytops her arm.

"Aw, thanks!" Rotty expressed, happily taking her limb and reattaching it. "Ah, how great it feels to be whole again! You guys rock!"

"Yeah, I'll bet," Tay flatly remarked, a blush of sorts creeping onto his own face as he briefly glanced at Shantae to see that she'd also been blushing. "I couldn't help but notice that you seem t' like buns, based on what I saw over there."

"Oh! Yeah, I was planning to make some dinner on my own before you crashed into me."

"I see. That makes sense," he acknowledged with a nod, though he wasn't finished. "I also couldn't help but notice that you seemed awfully fixated on the buns when I went to pick up your arm…"

"Eep! Uhh… Heh heh…" Rotty nervously chortled, a sudden rush of embarrassment as she cringed and began pressing her index fingers together. "W-well, what can I say? With all those muscles and the glistening sweat coating your body, I just had to get a better view. And then you uh… gave it to me. I won't lie; you are smokin' hot. I couldn't help myself. Can you blame me?"

"Whoa, what?" Tay remarked, reeling back in total surprise as he got completely blindsided by Rotty's inappropriate comment. "I was still talkin' about the hamburger buns layin' around on the ground back there! Where's all that comin' from?"

"Ohh!" Rotty yelped in her own brand of total surprise, also having been caught off-guard by Tay's not-so-salacious observation. "Uh, y-yeah, those buns… heh, those uh… delicious buns…"

"Rottytops, you are killing me right now," Shantae commented, slapping her hand to her forehead to massage it as she breathed a heavily embarrassed sigh while hiding her shame.

"No, wait! That's no fair! He tricked me!" Rotty protested in a desperate bid to save face before turning and shooting a pouting glare at Tayshan. At that point, however, she noticed him shaking his head and… if she didn't know better, she saw him smirking from one corner of his mouth as he tried to stifle a chuckle. "Ohh, you dirty boy…" she accused, realizing what just transpired. "Clever… REAL clever… You're a crafty one, Stud Muffin…"

"Huh? 'Stud Muffin'?" he was all but compelled to ask, his 'secret' humor at the complete and total, unquestionable misunderstanding disrupted.

"Yep! Even though you tricked me into admitting my thoughts about you, it's the nickname that I think best describes you."

"Uh… Well, I didn't necessarily trick you int' doin' anything. You said all that stuff yourself. Also, not t' be rude, but… I don't like the name. With all due respect, please don't call me that. If you're lookin' to address me with a nickname, then 'Tay' will do just fine. I… presume we can consider each other friends?"

"Oh, we're most definitely friends. That much was decided upon when you smashed my caravan to splintery pieces. Far as I'm concerned, you owe me big-time for that."

"Ahh, that's… I mean, I guess…? But that wasn't really my fault."

"Nope. No excuses. I'm billing you for the damages, stud muffin," Rotty declared while continuing to address Tayshan by an entirely unappealing nickname. Having been in a similar situation with having nicknames forced upon him, he elected to try once more to correct her.

"Like I said, you can just call me 'Tay.'"

"Nnnnope. That doesn't fit a guy of your stature. It's too cutesy," she inadvertently insulted, causing the soldier's jaw to drop in a mix of shock and vexation. "Besides, I sometimes call Shantae by the name of 'Tae' when we're hanging out. I don't want to confuse you two further when you've already basically got the same name."

"W-wait, but… No, just… I-!"

"'Stud Muffin' really captures your best qualities, if you don't mind me saying it. And let's be real: You definitely don't mind me saying it. You're hotter than a hundred branding irons and those well-defined muscles of yours make you a total beefcake, yet you seem to come across as sweet like sugary pastries in terms of your personality from what I see. Hence, 'Stud Muffin!' It sticks! That, or I could also call you 'Beefcake,' which works just as well."

"You… didn't have t' explain it…" Tay replied, frowning with utmost disdain at the fact that he was unable to convince Rottytops to refrain from lambasting him with unnecessarily saccharine pet names.

"Aaaaanywaaaaay," Shantae finally cut in, sparing Tay any further embarrassment as she recovered from her own. "How've you been, Rotty? I haven't seen you in what feels like ages. What exactly brings you back to Spider Web Island?"

"Eh, I've been cool. Bored since our last big camping trip, but I'm managing. Cute outfit, by the way!" Rotty complimented, calling attention to the half-genie's space princess costume. "Isn't that the one we were wearing that one time we were space princess prisoners on Tan Line?"

"Yeah, it is."

"Awesome! Nice to know you kept it. I kept mine, too," Rottytops fondly informed her friend. "I was actually thinking about wearing it today, but I totally forgot where I put it…"

"Er, right… I guess we'll have to coordinate for another time. Anyway, what are you doing here? I thought you were done with this place after the last time we were here," the half-genie redirected, remembering that she wasn't expecting to run into Rottytops on Spider Web Island of all places again.

"Y'know, just riding around in my wagon, enjoying the atmosphere while my brothers are living it up in Hypno Baron's Cas—or, that college campus in Genie's Hem I heard Hypno Baron took over after a massive fire destroyed his castle… I was actually on my way to start looking for you before uh… this happened," she explained, looking at the obliterated mass of plywood that used to be her vehicle. "This hot stranger totally crashed my wagon out of nowhere! Would you believe that!? I didn't know Spider Web Island had raining men!" Rottytops further announced as though it were an exciting new rumor, gesturing toward Tay. "Hallelujah!"

"Sorry… We were running through that one part of this place where you made me carry you around last time… or, possibly an alternative route… and… well, things were a LOT more difficult this time, to put it bluntly. It also looks like it changed a bunch since last time we were here, because it took us on a totally different path. I don't recognize this part of the woods at all. I also guess we wrecked your wagon when we fell from that hole up there," Shantae explained, momentarily pointing up toward the hole in the cavern ceiling she and her sidekick emerged from.

"Oh, right. Yeah, it seems like no two trips through this forest are ever the exact same. At least, not recently. I almost got completely lost. I've been here for the last two weeks or so, trying to find a way out."

"Ohh, so THAT'S why no one's heard from you until now…" Shantae remarked, surprised to hear the news as she was relieved to know she basically rescued her friend.

"Yep! Been stuck here way longer than I needed to be, and the only person I ran into could only point me out of the cave I found him in. Since then, I've been wandering this place like all the other zombies that got stuck here. It was a total bummer and I thought I'd spend the rest of my… er, well, the rest of eternity here until you came to my rescue, babe!"

"Well, you know how things usually go for me," Shantae casually explained, accepting Rotty's gratitude. "I always happen to find the most convenient ways to solve a problem, right when I need it to happen. That's been the case since forever."

"I'll bet. I'm just glad your unbelievable luck led you to me when I needed you, as always. I can always count on you. Still, what exactly happened to you two? You had to carry stud muffin around that other part this time? I didn't know you were that strong. He seems kind of… heavy," she observed. "You see what he did to my wagon. How'd you manage it?"

"…an' the name really sticks for her…" Tay complained, irritated by Rotty's continued use of the nickname she picked out for him.

"Actually… it's the other way around," Shantae corrected.

"Oh. YOU were heavy enough to crash my wagon? Weird, because I didn't think you could do that much damage to a vehicle with just your body, snack cakes. What have you been eating?"

"Rotty!" the offended young woman chided her friend, who merely shot back an innocent smile. "No, I meant he was the one carrying me around back there!"

"I know, I know. Just kidding! Anyway, how come? I thought you said you were never going back there again."

"Long story…" Shantae sighed, shaking her head in a mix of fatigue and disbelief. "I'll explain later. Again, sorry we destroyed your wagon, Rotty."

"Ah, it's nothin'! My brothers will build me another one," the undead woman assured with a wave of her hand, showing no form of frustration. "That, or our new friend here will pony up the cash necessary to buy a new one."

"Yep, because I'm just rollin' in dough," Tay shot back with a shrug, disagreeing with Rottytops saddling him with debt he may not have been able to pay off… or, all things considered about his recent bountiful financial successes, he may have actually been able to.

"I have ways of making you pay if straight up gems isn't an option for you, stud muffin," Rotty assured with a grin, much to the serviceman's chagrin as he grew more upset with the more she kept calling him that. "So anyway, what's the haps, peeps? What brings you two around here?"

"We um… we were supposed to…" Shantae began to answer, though she paused to think as the reason for hers and Tay's journey through didn't seem to come to mind. "Huh… Y'know, I can't remember. Tay, do you remember why we came here?"

"Uh… I was pretty much just followin' you this whole time," he answered, just as perplexed. "I thought the point o' this was t' travel through some dangerous landscapes, get some power-ups, find an' beat a boss, an' get whatever we needed t' move forward, lather, rinse, repeat. I… kinda forgot what we were doin' here after everything that happened since we started runnin' through this island."

"Oh. Well that's no good…" Shantae noted. "If we can't remember what we were doing here, then we may as well call Sky to pick us up. Come to think of it, I remember having done away with the boss of this island a long time ago, anyway. Granted, I doubt I'd need to go back into the haunted dungeon hidden within this place to turn over any other stones to find whatever it is we came here for, but still…"

"Maybe that crash boggled your minds more than you thought it did," Rottytops observed, understandably confused as to how the two could forget their point for coming to Spider Web Island of all places. "Here, let me take a look at your heads. I'm a natural when it comes to psychophagy," she so generously offered.

"You mean 'psychology'?" Tay corrected.

"No," Rotty innocently replied, throwing the soldier off as he eyed her up and down.

"Rotty, you're not eating our brains," Shantae denied, dashing the zombie girl's hopes.

"Can't blame a girl for trying," she merely shrugged with a cutesy chuckle. "I've been eating nothing but sugary snacks since I've been here, so I've got some pretty strong cravings for some real food."

"Sugary snacks…?" Tay echoed in wonder, something clicking in his mind from Rottytops' words. "Hmm…"

"Yeah. On the bright side, I was eating the most magical thing next to a genie brain that I've ever tasted just a little while back, though I never got to finish it."

"Magical…?" Tay repeated, feeling as though something was just on the tip of his tongue. "Uhh… Hmm…"

"Totally," Rotty nonchalantly replied, thinking of their exchange as nothing more than small talk. "I'll tell you right now, if it was the right flavor, I'd get fat eating a ton more of it."

"Fat…?" he reverberated once more, gaining the attention of his most familiar comrade.

"You okay there, Tay?" Shantae asked, noticing that he was intensively staring at the ground, his brow furrowed in perplexity.

"I'm good… It's just… I'm startin' t' get a clue…" he answered, though his gaze remained locked to the ground. "Sugary snack… Magical… Fat…?"

"You're weird, stud muffin," Rottytops rudely observed, looking the soldier up and down, though he ignored her. "Shantae, how'd you manage to get a boyfriend so bizarre, anyway?" Hearing the question caused the poor half-genie to flinch in surprise, her face going red as she tried to calm her nerves before replying.

"He's… not my boyfriend, Rottytops. He's my sidekick, student, and totally platonic friend," Shantae timidly corrected, shaking her head as she clarified her relation to the young man, though her nervous, flushed facial expression gave the zombie girl a clue.

"Could've fooled me. That blush on your face is unmistakable."

"Wh-what are you talking about?" she asked, her eyes widening like camera lenses at Rotty's callout. "I'm not blushing…"

"Yeah, and I'm not a zombie. Trust me, snack cakes, I only see people red-faced like you are when they've got the hots for someone. And it looks like you've got 'em baaaad~!"

"Y-you're just messing with me… Maybe I'm just coming down with a fever or something from being here so long," the half-genie countered, though her friend smiled at her as though to communicate she saw right through the bluff. "Tay and I are just friends and adventuring partners. Nothing more…"

"Well, if ya haven't snagged him yet, you can leave it up to me to show you how it's done… I owe you for all you've done for me, anyway, so it's the least I can do…" Rotty offered, her smirk never fading.

"Rotty, no," Shantae tried to admonish. "Whatever you're planning, don't-!" she tried to add before being cut off. In that moment, Tay perked up, raising a finger to his forehead before turning his attention to the zombie girl.

"You. Com'ere," he commanded Rotty, who was reasonably hesitant to obey as she was thankfully redirected.

"Why?"

"I need another reminder. I'm just about t' remember why we came here. I think you can help me find out the last clue."

"Oh, okay! Sure thing," she perkily complied, strolling toward the soldier as he bowed just a bit to meet her at eye level. "So how can I help?"

"Hmm…" Tay merely hummed, examining the zombie girl's face closely as though she had something stuck on it. He said nothing to answer Rotty's question as she inched her head away and shot a worried glance toward Shantae, who shrugged, not knowing what her sidekick was up to. "Sorry, I don't mean t' be awkward, but… you said you'd been eatin' sugary snacks recently, no?"

"Uhh… Yes? I mean, I had a couple other things, now that I remember, but yes."

"When was the last time you ate?"

"Um… about a few minutes before we bumped into each other. How is that going to help you, though?"

"Well… if nothin' else, I figure I might as well try t' see if maybe the scent o' somethin' you ate would help tip me off. That said, could you blow your breath at me?" Rotty shot him a look of perplexity, feeling just a tad uncomfortable with his request.

"Wow, stud muffin… You really are weird."

"I thought I told you not t'-! Ugh, just do it, please," he flatly reiterated, none too pleased with his newest moniker.

"Okay, whatever floats your spirit goats…" she acquiesced before gently blowing a breath of air at Tay's request. Tay attempted to sniff out any possible clues, though he found himself unable to pick out anything other than rancid, funky beef jerky. He exhaled to dispel the aroma before it made him sick as he raised back to a full stand and backed up by two steps.

"I… don't smell anything sugary. What exactly was it you ate today?"

"A bunch of things. A ton of Flesh Pops, a couple regular lollipops, a half-gallon of a mochaccino, a slice of cinnamon cake… umm… Oh, and a couple bites of a moldy cheeseburger… That's all I remember. That cheeseburger was the best, though! I swear I'd totally take that over genie brains if they sold those in restaurants," she exclaimed, revealing the 'magical' food item she was describing previously. "How would you even know if something I ate reminded you of what you're looking for, anyway?"

"Not sure how I'm gonna put this, so I'll just say it," he uncertainly informed her. "I'm rememberin' that we were sent here t' find some kind o' sweet food, but I can't really remember what it was we came here for, since we got so sidetracked. I was hopin' that by gettin' an idea of what you ate recently, it might clue me in on what we were lookin' for…"

"Oh. Well, I'm not sure how much of a clue you'd get from trying to figure out what I ate. What about you guys? What did you eat before you got here?" Rotty asked, raising a point of her own.

"Last thing I had was a lamb chop, an' I know we didn't get sent here for meat," Tay answered.

"Last thing I had was a slice of cheesecake," Shantae also answered, though she found herself compelled to blow her own breath into her hands. "And my breath basically smells like the blueberries that were on it. I… don't think we came here for fruit, either."

"Hm. Well, I guess that narrows it down," Rotty observantly deduced, though she found herself just as lost as her friends.

"Right. So, at this point, unless I either see or taste somethin' that clues me in, I'm not sure we'll have much luck rememberin' what we came here for. But, the last thing any of us wants t' do is quit in the middle o' this trip an' have t' come back here t' do it all over again…"

"You need to see or taste something that would…?" she trailed off, pondering the soldier's words for just a moment. That moment was over in a lightning-quick flash, as Rotty suddenly perked up, her eyes wide in what appeared to be realization. "Ohh, this is perfect…" the zombie girl declared, reaching her own conclusion as she snapped her fingers. If one didn't know better, then they wouldn't know the implications of the mischievous smile creeping onto her face. "Why don't we give you another clue then, stud muffin, since you're so close to solving this little food mystery? I've got an idea that just might be crazy enough to work, since I'm the one whose diet is giving you the biggest hint…"

"Sure, if it helps," Tay unsuspectingly agreed, causing Rotty's grin to widen. The conniving young maiden glanced toward Shantae, winking at her as though to communicate the message, 'Watch and learn…' At that, the half-genie cocked an eyebrow, nonverbally sending a message along the lines of, 'What are you up to…?' Suffice to say, Tay was none the wiser to this exchange as he awaited further prompt from Rottytops. "What's the idea?" he asked.

"Come here… Real close…" Rotty whispered with a sinisterly flirtatious inflection, beckoning him with her index finger. Tay, still mostly unsuspecting of any foul play, leaned in close, though he maintained some distance. "Come on. Closer…"

"How close we talkin' here?" he asked, his guard raising ever-so-slightly as he chose not to comply with her second command. "I only need t'—!"

"If you really want me to help you with that clue, then you've gotta get close enough to let me. Don't you trust me?" she innocently asked, closing the distance as she crept forward. It seemed she'd expected some resistance from the unfamiliar young man, and she took initiative as a result.

"…Ask me that when I don't feel like you're about t' pull a fast one on me. No offense, but you seem the type that likes t' play games."

"Well read, Tay… You're catching onto her already," Shantae murmured as she nodded in approval, glad to observe him seeing through Rottytops' frisky nature.

"Wow, you're perceptive!" she confirmed with mild surprise, though she took indeed took no offense. "Still, you asked me for help and, as a new friend of mine, I've only got the best of intentions to make a good impression for our first meeting. Relax a little, why don't you? I don't bite… y'know, despite my nature to do so, considering I'm a zombie and all."

"Hmm… I… don't know how strongly I should believe that statement, considerin' what was said between us since we met, but I suppose if you haven't tried t' turn me into a zombie by now, then maybe you're not as dangerous as I thought you'd be."

"Exactly! I don't have the power to simply turn people into zombies by touching them. I'm not contagious, believe me. Heck, I don't even know how I became a zombie. I just know that it isn't a virus. Otherwise, snack cakes and every regular person I've ever been around would have green, clammy skin, basically no pulse, and detachable limbs just like me."

"Alright, that makes sense," he agreed with some trepidation, at least believing her enough to consider her standpoint. "I trust you… sort of. Now, what do we have t' do here?"

"Just come a little closer, stud muffin," she again beckoned, sneaking up closer by maybe a centimeter herself. "I guarantee my idea will jog your memory…~"

"Er, okay… Now wha-? Mmmrph!" Tay attempted to ask as he complied by inching himself forward as he bent downward to where he was face-to-face with Rottytops again. Before he could finish his question, however, he found himself being ambushed with a surprise kiss from the zombie girl. She grabbed him by his shoulders, pulled him forward, and pushed her lips into his, moaning with dramatic effect as she hooked her arms around his neck and popped a foot off the ground. Oh, how romantic…. That is, if it weren't so debauched. The hapless soldier flailed desperately to free himself from her ambush, though Rottytops, like others before her, proved stronger than she looked. Shantae, just as taken by surprise, could only look on, her mouth and eyes wide open with utter shock as she tried to process the fact that her friend just stole a very aggressive kiss from her sidekick. After a horribly gross moment that lasted an awkward eternity…

"Mmmmpwah!" Rottytops let her victim go with a succulent, wet *pop* of her lips disconnecting from his. A strand of drool connected the two for a literal second as he stumbled back in complete astonishment.

"Agh! WHY!?" he shouted, spitting and frenetically rubbing his mouth to rid himself of zombie germs and hoping he wouldn't wind up turning into a zombie himself despite what was previously revealed to him. As he recovered, however, he noticed something long, thin, cold, clammy, and a sickly green hanging from his neck. He paused his melodramatic spitting to grab it. The object, which turned out to be a human arm, suddenly streaked its fingers along his face. "Wauaagh!" Tay nearly jumped out of his skin, frightened beyond belief at the disembodied reanimated appendage. Rottytops, very much amused by the 'prank' she pulled, howled with uncontrollable laughter at the poor serviceman's reaction.

"You should've seen the look on your face!" Rotty exclaimed as she kept laughing, much to Tayshan's chagrin. Thoroughly unamused, Tay scowled and exhaled a hot, seething breath through clenched teeth, scratching his head in moderate annoyance. However, he took a moment to calm down, moving his hand to rub it across his forehead in a mix of exhaustion, frustration, and mild discomfort.

"Tee-hee, much funny," he flatly remarked, failing to see the humor in Rotty's joke. He tossed her detachable arm to her, wiping his mouth again as he ruminated on the zombie girl's unwarranted ambush.

"Rotty! He trusted you! Why would you do that to him!?" Shantae complained, clearly unhappy with the egregious display.

"What? He said he needed another clue, so I helped him out!" she confessed, not at all repentant for her action as she reattached her arm.

"Not like that! Goodness, that was WAY out of the scope of 'help'!"

"Aw, lighten up, snack cakes! It's all in good fun! Besides, kisses are wonderful! I don't get to give them very often. Y'know, with me being a zombie and all. Plus, that was the only way I could think to give him a 'taste' of anything that might've helped you guys figure out why your're here. That aside, who doesn't appreciate a nice, heartwarming smooch every once in a while? As a matter of fact, I'll bet you could use a few, too!" she graciously offered. Before Shantae could accept or decline Rotty's offer, the undead maiden hugged her best friend and gave her a rather long, cartoonish kiss on the cheek, complete with unnecessary humming as her lips remained pressed to Shantae's face. She followed this up with a series of smaller pecks on her friend's cheek and forehead as she let herself get carried away. The flustered half-genie flinched in blushing embarrassment as Rotty carried on with her flirtatious antics. Tayshan, noticing this, raised an eyebrow as he silently tried making sense of what was happening with this overly affectionate woman.

"Hey! Look, y-you can't go around doing things like that… That's super inappropriate," Shantae sheepishly chided, bringing her hand to her cheek, though Rotty continued to show no remorse.

"Yeah, but sometimes, you gotta skirt by a few social norms to have some fun. Also…" Rotty trailed off as she wrapped her arm around Shantae and leaned in close. "Take it from me: If you really like a guy, you gotta go for the racy stuff right off the bat… That's how you reel 'em in… the rest just follows naturally," she whispered her advice so that only Shantae could hear it while Tay looked on in confusion. This, of course, did not go unnoticed by the unpredictable undead young woman. "Case in point: Look at him…" the zombie girl continued, momentarily flicking her eyes toward the serviceman. "He's eating this up right now and has no idea what to think. He's so enraptured by that kiss, combined with how close he sees that you and I are, that he's definitely hungry for more… possibly from both of us…~" Following this bold assumption, Rotty winked at Shantae without waiting for a reply, and then turned her head to where she was shooting Tay a sly, mischievous grin. "My my, what an interesting look you have on your face there," Rottytops teased the soldier. "I know I asked this earlier, but now's a good time to 'reassess.' Do you perhaps see something you like, stud muffin? I notice you haven't been able to keep your eyes off us~! Don't worry though; there's plenty of love to share between the three of us~!" At that, Tay became petrified in complete astonishment, offering no immediate reply as he processed everything that went wrong with his encounter with easily the most rambunctious of Shantae's friends… and then wondered if even running (or crashing) into her was their first mistake.

"…Wow. Just when I thought Twitch was bad enough with the flirty stuff… we actually manage t' find somebody who's even worse by, like, ten miles… Why did I ever question the possibility? This girl is trippin'…" he murmured, shaking his head in an undeniable rush of vexation.

"Honestly, sometimes I don't know what to do with you, Rotty…" Shantae complained with a disapproving shake of her head as they separated before turning their attention to the young man. "Did… you actually get anything out of that, Tay? Regarding the clue she was supposed to give you, I mean. I'd understand if you also gained a bit of trauma from it too, but still. Sorry if that sounds like a useless question, but I figure I'd ask anyway."

"Hey," Rotty grumbled, though her offense to Shantae's statement was feigned.

"Yeah… yeah, I did, unfortunately," he regretfully admitted with a sigh as he instinctively licked his lip. "It's chocolate," he stated with a snap of his fingers. "We were lookin' for a chocolate bar t' give t' that wizard waitin' outside your house."

"Ohhh, right, right… We were, weren't we?"

"See?" Rottytops triumphantly declared, once again proud of herself. "All we needed was a point in the right direction."

"Yeah, uh, about that…" Tay remarked, his crossness with Rottytops evident. "We ain't doin' that again. Whatever trust I had in you, has effectively been destroyed because o' that. It's worse because I also got a taste o' the moldy cheeseburgers an' Flesh Pops you ate. Definitely explains the rotten meat flavor… Bleagh…" he gagged, suddenly nauseous.

"Oh, stop. You know you liked it~," the undead troublemaker teased with a kittenish wave, wink, and flick of her hand. "I know I did, stud muffin…" Tay merely paused, a deadpan expression hiding his utter bewilderment at this obnoxious undead woman who'd done nothing by this point but deliberately antagonize him. Shantae, reading his expression, felt his pain.

"…Oh, now you're trippin' trippin'."

"Trippin'? What does that mean? And why am I doing it twice?" Rotty asked in befuddlement as she tilted her head.

"He means you're getting out of hand, Rotty," Shantae educated her zombie friend on the serviceman's slang. "And I have to agree. You really need to tone it down."

"Oh. Sorry," she apologized, a self-conscious frown forming on her face as she scratched her head.

"Anyway, did you happen t' have any chocolate on you now?" he managed to ask, still tasting whatever Rotty ate as he instinctively swallowed as he changed the topic.

"Hmm… No, I think I threw away the chocolate bar I was eating," the reanimated young woman shared.

"Well that's helpful…" he flatly and sarcastically declared. "Even better when we consider you could've just told me that you had chocolate instead o' makin' me taste-test it off you."

"What? I forgot I had it until you pointed it out, Mr. Taste Detective," Rotty shot back with a nonchalant shrug. "No need to be so upset about it."

"Nobody's gettin' upset," Tay argued back as he found himself unreceptive to her tone, though he remained calm. "I'm just sayin', we had other ways t' help you remember what you ate."

"Who'd you get that chocolate bar from, anyway?" asked Shantae as she cut in. "Maybe they have more?"

"A friend of mine… and yeah, I think he might. He said they were sold out everywhere else and that he was holding onto the last few for miles. The chocolate bar he gave me was one of a new brand that was supposed to be some highly-coveted delicacy the likes of which Sequin Land had never experienced, but… they were a total bust. They made people sick all over the place and pretty soon, they were all recalled and disposed of. I didn't get sick eating the one I had, but it really wasn't all it was cracked up to be."

"Yep, that sounds about right…" Tay confirmed, harking back to the conversation with the portly, yellow-clad magician outside Shantae's lighthouse. "So if that's true, why'd you get rid o' the one you had?"

"It wasn't brains-flavored like I asked," she plainly remarked, though her friend and her kissing prank victim expected a response of the sort. "He told me he'd give me that one, but I guess he must've gotten them mixed up."

"Do you know where this friend of yours is, then?" Shantae asked, hopeful that this friend didn't already eat his candy bar.

"He's back that way," Rotty replied, pointing in the opposite direction of where she was originally headed. "Interestingly enough, he wanted me to bring you to meet him, Shantae."

"Oh, yeah? How come?" the half-genie asked, reasonably perplexed by Rottytops' suggestion.

"He wouldn't really say. He just said he's heard of you and that he 'had some business' with you. I can only presume that means he was referring to the chocolate bars he was keeping. Maybe he wants you to try one out to see if he can get a famous face to vouch for him to boost sales?"

"Uh… That's awfully specific for him not really saying what he wanted with me," she warily pointed out.

"Yeah, but most of that is just me brainstorming, since he wouldn't explain. It makes the most sense that he'd want you to get an opinion on his recipe, but I'm not even sure you'd like this brand of chocolate bar. I thought the flavors he had me try out were decent, but I won't lie; none of his recipes seem… edible for humans or genies."

"Odd. Well… all things considered, I wouldn't even be the one eating it anyway," Shantae concluded with a shrug. "We only needed to go get it to bring back to this wizard who showed up at my house earlier today. Conveniently enough, he mentioned that the type of chocolate bar he wanted only came from Spider Web Island, which is why Tayshan and I are here now."

"Oh, is that right? Weird… Huh, how oddly coincidental that all this could be happening all at once. If I didn't know better, it's almost like somebody planned for this to happen… Hmm…" Rotty theorized, causing all three of them to go momentarily silent to ponder the implications presented by their chance (or, maybe not-so-chance) encounter. Before long, however, the three travelers reoriented themselves. "Anyway, we should totally go meet him. I want to see if he still has the brains-flavored chocolate bar, to be honest. He did mention that he'd give me another one if I got you to meet him as well, so we can kill two birds with one stone! He'll totally owe me one."

"It is pretty much what we came here for, so why not?" Shantae reluctantly agreed.

"Awesome! I'd offer you guys a lift, but… y'know," Rotty hinted, nudging her head toward what was left of her wagon.

"Right… Looks like we're going on foot," Shantae sighed again as she tested her ankle to see if the pain had subsided. She winced in agony as she hunched over and grasped her leg, hinting that she wasn't going very far on her own two feet. "Shoot, it… still hurts too much to walk on…"

"Here, I can carry y-!" Tay was about to offer, not forgetting about the injury his partner sustained when she rescued him earlier. However, his suggestion was cut short when Rottytops swooped over and picked Shantae up into a bridal carry herself. "Okay, I guess that works…"

"Thanks, Rotty," Shantae thanked her friend as she wrapped her arms around her friend's neck.

"No problem, girlfriend!" Rottytops accepted the half-genie's gratitude. "It's the least I could do after faking being injured last time we were here. What happened?"

"I messed up my leg awhile back while Tay and I were fighting our way through all the monsters, robots, Tinkerbats, and slime hands to get to this point. It's part of why we wound up falling on your wagon. Again, sorry…"

"Got it…" the young zombie woman nodded in understanding. "And don't sweat it. Ol' Patricia's days were numbered anyway. She was a good wagon, but she was running her course…"

"You named your wagon 'Patricia'?"

"Yeah! It has a mighty ring to it, don'tcha think?"

"I… guess, though I feel like you probably had to switch the name by force at some point or another." Huh… Something about that exchange gives me some weird vibes… Not sure why, though. Interesting…

"Maybe… Anyway, don't worry. You're safe with me. Let's get going, then," she added, preparing herself to take off. "Hey stud muffin, I'll race ya to the other end of the forest, where my friend lives."

"Race? Why? Why not stick toge-!" he tried to ask.

"Don't worry, it's more-or-less a straight run through with just a couple obstacles. Nothing like what you might've seen before."

"Rotty, I don't think a race now of all times is the best idea," Shantae protested.

"Don't sweat it, snack cakes! We'll win no matter what!"

"That's not my p-!"

"If you win, Tayshan, I'll convince my friend to give you the chocolate bar free of charge! If we win, you'll have to pay double. Also, I get to eat Shantae's brains."

"Wait, what!?" Shantae yelled, rightfully panicked at Rottytops' proposition.

"Ready?" Rotty asked, getting into position whether her opponent was prepared or not.

"Hold on!" Tay halted. "What's the point o' you challengin' me to a race all of a sud-!"

"Go!" Rottytops called, blatantly ignoring the soldier's protests as she rocketed off with Shantae in tow, speeding down the murky forest path like a gazelle.

"D'argh, you can't be serious…! WAIT!" Tay roared, his anger bursting through his feet as he peeled out to catch up to his friend and her kinda-sorta kidnapper. The undead woman blazed into the open, foggy field, determination in her ironically vivacious eyes as she sprinted with the speed of a race car. Tay wasn't far behind despite having given an unwitting head start to his opponent.

"Rotty, why are you running off like this!? What's the hurry!?" Shantae asked as she held onto the young revenant lady for dear life.

"I'm bored and recently wagon-less, and you conveniently showed up at the perfect time like you always do, so I figure we could have ourselves a good time while we're all headed in the same direction!"

"You know, we could've just teamed up and found your other friend together while we talked and caught up!"

"Yeah, but this is a lot more fun! Plus, it feels like a decade since I last challenged anyone to a race! Now is a great opportunity to shake off some of the rust while I also get to see if our friend's muscles are just for show or if there's some real substance there," Rottytops casually countered.

"Whatever you say, Rotty…"

"Yep! So anyway, who is that guy?" Rotty asked her passenger as she continued her unrelenting sprint. "I don't think I've ever seen him around before."

"Long story short, he's my friend from a parallel universe," Shantae explained, understanding and accepting that Rotty had no intentions of stopping her sprint. "We met a little while ago after Risky Boots stole some weapons from his world and kidnapped him in the process."

"Wow… How'd that happen? Sounds like there's a much bigger story behind that."

"It had something to do with the D-!"

"AGH! OOF!" Rotty bellowed, tripping over a random tree stump and falling flat on her face with a most unceremonious *PLOP* against the mud below.

"WHOA!" the half-genie attempted to explain before she found herself flung high into the air, unaware of what lifted her up so high. Before long, she found herself in the arms of the military officer, who'd found himself suddenly ahead of the zombie girl, who'd rushed to get back up and chase after him. "Hey, Tay! You caught up!"

"Yeah, I wasn't gonna let that zombie just snatch you up while you're injured. What's her deal? Y'all seem pretty familiar with each other," he asked, unintentionally turning Shantae into a liaison for himself and his racing adversary. "Much more so than the other zombies we came across."

"In a few words, she's one of my best friends. I haven't known her as long as I've known Sky and Bolo, but she's been around almost as though we grew up together."

"Oh, wow. Seems like you've got storied histories with all your friends, huh?"

"Yep. Except, Rotty doesn't exactly get along as well with others as she does with me. You might've gotten that clue from Sky."

"I guess. I mean, she comes off as quite the colorful one," he surmised, leaping over a ditch and landing with a *SQUISH* of his boots against the mud as he continued his mad dash. "An' I don't mean because her skin's green. I'm curious, though. Is 'Rottytops' her actual name?"

"Well… no, but she doesn't remember her real name. She hasn't been able to recall it since she became a zombie. But, you're definitely right in that she can be very colorful. Personality-wise, I mean."

"Ohh, so she wasn't always like that? That's uncanny… I can't imagine what she must've been like when she was… uh, alive, I guess? But from the sound of it, she wasn't always undead?"

"You got it. She used to be human at some point, though I never got the chance to formally meet her when she was alive. I've only ever known her as she is now. She's always been like this in terms of personality, though."

"Wow… I wonder what could've happened… Although, I did get the impression that she can be trouble like Sky said. Do you know how she wound up turnin' into a zombie?"

"No, I don't… Like I said, I've only known her as a zombie… but there was one point where I managed to find what I think was her human spirit in-! Tay, watch out!" Shantae warned as a giant boulder made itself present right in front of them. Tay, having no time to try to jump over it, was forced to turn and slam back-first into the obstacle with a devastating *SMACK*, accidentally tossing his friend into the air on impact. In that moment, the sprinting undead woman who'd been trailing behind intercepted Shantae in midair as she leapt over the boulder.

"Shoot!" Tay cursed as he climbed over the boulder to reclaim his injured friend. "She's a LOT faster than I thought…!"

"Gotcha!" Rottytops proclaimed, not missing a beat as she landed with a *THUMP* of her feet on the grass before she sprinted off again.

"Hello again, Rotty," Shantae cordially greeted.

"Fancy meeting you here! So anyway, what were you saying about Risky kidnapping Tay?"

"Umm… Oh yeah! Risky Boots reached another dimension using a newer version of the Dynamo she stole from my uncle. I don't even know myself how it was possible. Like I was saying before, though, Tay was dragged here trying to stop her. He's been helping me with uncovering her plot and putting a stop to it since we met close to a month ago."

"No way!" she replied, astonished at the prospect of interdimensional travel as she slid under the hollowed-out opening of a rotten tree trunk and continued her dash. "So wait… Did Risky manage to get through to the Genie Realm again, then? Your friend doesn't look very genie-like…"

"That's what I thought at first," Shantae answered, understanding her revenant friend's confusion. "But apparently, there's at least one other reality different from ours that would take a lot more time to explain. It's still a huge surprise to me, too."

"Maybe you can give me the rundown later. No pun intended. So… is he here to stay? Like, he's stuck here with no way back to that other world?"

"We don't know yet. Last I remember, he said Risky's revamped Dynamo caught on fire and the portal was closed. We don't have a clue if she rebuilt it or scrapped it, so we're holding out hope that she at least chose not to get rid of it. Even then, we don't know how we'd get it to work again if it was still in her possession…"

"Yikes… Well, you usually know how to work around a bad situation. Maybe there's hope," Rotty assured.

"Yeah, we're keeping our fingers crossed. A huge chunk of what we're fighting against her for revolves around the status of the Dynamo. Not that we'd just give up if we found out she did anything other than attempt to repair it herself, but still…"

"Indeed. On another note, I gotta ask… Do you like him, Shantae?"

"Wh-what? Rotty, this is no time for jokes!"

"No, seriously. I saw the looks on your face back there. Do you?"

"No, no, of course not… At least, not that way. He's a good friend. That's all. I swear."

"Come on, I know you better than that, girl. How do you really feel?"

"…Shoot, I really need to work on not being so easy to read…" she murmured to herself in mild annoyance before drumming up the courage to reply to her kidnapper/friend. "…I dunno, Rotty…" Shantae began to open up to her friend about her feelings. "It's been a really confusing experience constantly being around him for the past three weeks," she explained as her friend hopped over another boulder.

"Confusing how?"

"Well… We've spent just about every waking moment near each other since he got here, getting to know each other, hanging out, and going on adventures together. I'd like to think we've gotten pretty close as friends. It's like he was always here; even with us existing literal worlds apart. You wouldn't believe how much we have in common," she informed her zombie companion, who multitasked between lending her an ear and focusing on the race as she slid under a hollow tree stump. "We've already stayed up late at night for the past five or six days alone together, reading comics, practicing dance moves, stargazing, and telling each other stories about our lives… and that was just this past week. The other two were just as loaded with heart-to-heart conversations and… mostly good times."

"Sounds like you guys really hit it off. And quickly, at that. Just like that other boy you used to have a crush on. Y'know, the really meek, girly-looking one."

"I guess. Also, that's mean. Aashiq just had a different way of expressing himself. Side note: I ran into Aash again in the middle of our adventures," Shantae revealed.

"You did? When? I thought he was long-gone."

"A week or two ago, Tay and I went on an adventure through Genie's Hem to fight Hypno Baron, and along the way, Aash was there," the half-genie explained, clinging tighter to Rotty as the zombie girl made a particularly high leap over an immensely tall boulder. As she landed with a *THWAP* of her shoes against the grass, she nearly slipped, barely keeping her balance as she pressed on. "Nice jump! You stuck the landing, too!"

"Thanks! I aim to please," Rotty cheerfully accepted her friend's praise.

"As always. Anyway, not to bore you with the details, but Aash and I met again a few days after that in Yarnball Heights. Would you believe me if I said he asked me out?"

"You're kidding! After all the time we spent helping you get over him, and he just shows up again and asks you to be his girlfriend?" Rotty asked in surprise, nearly losing her focus as she barely recognized the incoming tree stump. Thinking quickly, she ducked low and stuck her feet forward, safely sliding under it while squeezing Shantae close to her to keep them from getting hurt. Rotty remained determined to keep up her bout of multitasking, however. "Tell me you turned him down."

"Ah… Well… no, I… I didn't…"

"Shantae!" Rottytops yelled, her tone oozing with disappointment. "Why would you go and take that kid as your boyfriend out of nowhere? After everything we went through to get you to stop bawling your eyes out after-!"

"I know, I know… and, if it brings you any relief, then our 'relationship' only lasted a few hours before he backed out," Shantae clarified.

"Can't say I'm surprised by that. Dude was probably super intimidated by the amount of commitment that would go into dating someone as incredible, as well as incredibly busy, as you. At least, that's my guess. What happened?"

"Pretty much that," Shantae confirmed. "We started dating in the middle of an adventure he, Tay, and I had in this place called the Siren's Requiem Labyrinth," she explained, causing Rotty to cock an eyebrow at her as she sidestepped a pile of logs that would have otherwise tripped her up. "I know that look. I messed up, I know, but hear me out. Right after we got together, we hit a few snags. We at first thought we could be in a relationship while adventuring together, but it was immediately clear that our adventure that time was proving too tough for him, and we knew it. Then, we fought the boss. The boss monster proved way too much for him to handle, and he got hurt real bad. Thankfully, we survived, but after we got back home, Aash decided that he 'wasn't good enough' and made the suggestion that we break up."

"Hm. Called it. Wow, what a coward…" Rotty insensitively insulted the Hypnotist acolyte, evidently showing herself not to be very fond of him.

"Hey! That's not nice!"

"Yeah, but it's true. All the crazy, wacky, and outrageous trips we've been on, and I've stuck by your side through thick and thin, no matter how much of a beating we took. Same goes for your other friends, Bolo and that catty blonde bird lover you force yourself to tolerate."

"Sky and Bolo are just as important to me as you are, Rotty. I'd expect you to have learned to get along with them by now, after what you'd been through with them," Shantae admonished.

"I mean, the blue-haired dude's cool," Rotty clarified. "He just seems a tad immature for my liking, is all. I know I'm probably not the best spokesperson for maturity, but that's saying something if I'm the one calling you 'immature.' Me and bird girl mix like diet soda and breathmints; terrible combination, awful taste, and potentially dangerous if one riles up the other. She's such an obnoxious, preachy snob, always trying to put something or someone in their place like she's the Sultana of Sequin Land! To this day, I do not understand why you continue to call her your 'friend.'"

"I don't know why you and Sky hate each other so much, but I really think you two could hit it off once you gave each other a chance. Anyway, Aash wasn't a coward. He was just… not prepared. And he realized that. Either way, he's no longer in the picture."

"With good reason," the zombie girl dismissed as she cleared a bed of wooden spikes. "But now, as I was suspecting earlier, you've got ol' Scarface back there with the one silver eye in your pocket," Rotty commented, glancing back at Tayshan, who'd been trying his absolute hardest to keep up, hopping over boulders and sliding under tree stumps as he found himself becoming more and more slathered up with mud. "Shoot, he's gaining on us…!" Rotty murmured as she picked up the pace.

"In my pocket? Rotty, you kissed him out of nowhere after showering him with cheesy pick-up lines! Seems to me like you want him more than I do," she accused, though she soon realized how such a statement could be interpreted. "Oh, w-wait, that didn't come out right!"

"I only did that to show you how it's done, of course!" she defended, not realizing the meaning behind her best friend's comment. "I'm not actually interested in him at all."

"Rrrright," Shantae incredulously remarked. "So then, explain why you were biting your lip and basically drooling while you were staring at his b-!"

"Bah, alright, fine…" Rotty guiltily admitted. "You sure know how to put me on the hot seat. Okay, so MAYBE I got an 'idea' or two about it…"

"Wow, really?"

"Yeah, but I can respect that you saw him first. If I didn't suspect that you were sweet on him, I would've gone for it. Buuuut, since you are…"

"I am not. I promise you, I'm not."

"Shantae…"

"Hrrmmph," the half-genie groaned, realizing that Rotty wasn't going to be led to believe there wasn't something to be discussed. "Alright, fine. I'm… on the fence about it, alright?"

"On the fence? How come?"

"Well… We get along great, but lately, we haven't been seeing eye to eye. I can't get him to understand how my adventures work and he's been getting more and more impatient and upset with me over it with the more quests we go on. Plus, I feel like we don't trust each other as much as we should. That gets frustrating to deal with very quickly. Granted, we were doing well together, but after a certain… event during one of our adventures, it's been really rocky between us. At least, that's how I've been feeling lately."

"Oh… So maybe it's not meant to be?"

"I don't know… I know he's been doubtful, homesick, and anxious about getting back all those stolen weapons or at least getting back home, so I can't blame him for being short-tempered sometimes. Even so, he's been nothing but totally honest with me and I respect him deeply for all that he's shared with me. We at least trust each other that much. Plus, he said he's working on making himself a better person and he shows that, too. I've actually been mentoring him on how to be a hero, because it turns out he used to be a bad guy with a really dark past. It makes me curious about how much better we'd get along without all the Risky Boots-related stress…"

"You'll probably find out after stopping her again. Though, it sounds like I'm finally starting to rub off on you~!"

"What do you mean?"

"You, my adorable, bodacious friend, have got a thing for bad boys," she teased, much to her friend/captive's chagrin. "I knew my favorite little girl scout would eventually see things my way!"

"I do not! I don't know what you're talking about," she poutingly denied.

"Suuure, you don't. Meanwhile, that guy looks like he'd tear a full-grown bear to shreds if he got mad enough. Have you seen those intimidating battle scars on his face? I even see he's got what looks like stab wounds all over his chest."

"All of which came from previous adventures, I assure you. He didn't always look like that. We've been through quite a lot lately…"

"And, unlike the other boy, he still stuck around? Sounds like an obvious choice if I ever heard it. But then, what about his eye? Has it always glowed all menacingly like that?"

"That…" Shantae began to explain, though the mere thought about the origin of her extraterrestrial comrade's discolored eye sent a wave of dread coursing through her abdomen. "…That's… a different story entirely, but… yeah, even that was a result of a past adventure here…"

"Ohh. Wow, sounds like you guys have been through the ringer a handful of times."

"You could say that…"

"Then, say it, I shall. Anyway, how do you feel overall?"

"Well… Generally speaking, we have our differences, but we get along so well when things are peaceful… I really enjoy our time together. But I know it won't last forever, all things considered."

"So you're really torn on this one, huh?" Rotty expertly deduced. "That makes sense. I don't suppose running around trying to take down Risky Boots grants you two that much time to talk about stuff. Maybe things'll be clearer with more time, at least?"

"I hope so. But then, Sky already made it clear that she likes him and told him in full how she felt."

"Wow. Why doesn't THAT surprise me? What a no-good homewrecker that obnoxious featherhead is," Rotty spat, evidently disliking Sky just as much as Sky disliked her.

"Rotty, that isn't nice," Shantae chided. "As I was saying, though… she confessed to him at some point and since then, she's been spending a lot of time around us. Not so much that it raises too many concerns, considering we're all working together, but… I… I'm starting to wonder if I'm worrying too much about how they interact when they're in the same place…"

"Well isn't that peachy? Sounds like a good old-fashioned love triangle."

"Love square, if you also count one of Ammo Baron's right-hand girls fixating on him, too."

"Ooh, and the plot thickens! There's yet another girl in the mix!?"

"Yeah, unfortunately, so even if I DID turn out to… well, really like like him, we'd still have to deal with that, too."

"That's rough, girly. But then, that comes with an easy solution; the solution being in this question: Which one of you three saw him first?"

"I did, technically, unless you count Risky Boots dragging him here in the first place."

"That settles it, then! Unless for some gross, unfathomable reason he likes Blondie McBirdbrain or whichever one of those loudmouthed, gossipy jar-head groupies of that one-eyed snake Ammo Baron that you're talking about, there's no way he can't be yours!"

"Alright, come on," Shantae complained. "He's a human being who can make his own decisions, not a prized jewel that we're fighting over. Still, there's so much to think about… Plus, his main goal is to get back hom-! Rotty, be careful!" Shantae warned Rottytops as they approached another hollow tree stump. Rottytops tried to slide under it, but rose too early, hitting her head on the stump as Shantae was sent flying from her grasp. As though it were a game of rugby, Tayshan caught up and caught the half-genie in midair as he glowed with magic and sped up.

"Haaah, finally! Okay, let's make sure you stay with me this time," he remarked, his breaths heavy with fatigue as he leapt over the next path-blocking boulder. At this point, Shantae wasn't certain who to root for. She'd been changing hands frequently between her two friends since this ridiculous footrace began and had started to feel squeamish with all the hang time she'd been getting with every time one of them messed up on an obstacle. It also didn't help that she'd been carrying two simultaneous conversations with each of them. What made matters worse, however, was that when Tay landed, the *SPLOOSH* of mud from his boots hitting the ground sent some of the earthen substance right into the half-genie's eyes.

"Agh! Ow, my eyes…! There's mud in them…!" Shantae complained, squeezing her eyes shut as she attempted to wipe the dirt from her face to restore her vision.

"Ah, my bad," Tay apologized, though he remained focused. Shantae kept her eyes closed from this point on, as she found it quite difficult to manage between trying to wipe the dirt out of her eyes with dirty hands while also being constantly bounced, jostled, and passed around like a football.

"I-it's alright, Tay! You can do this. I know it's tough racing against her, considering she doesn't exactly run out of breath, but you just need to outrun her. No tricks or hitches about it. Avoid the obstacles and you'll win," she cheered, remaining completely blind as she did so.

"I intend to. So, this girl… what's her deal, exactly? She seems… odd. No offense, but like, I don't think I ever met anybody like her. Not because she's undead, either."

"Rotty's unique in how she carries herself. Other than her being a zombie, she's just about the most energetic and… how do I say, the most lively of all my best friends, ironically enough," Shantae explained as Tay slid under a hollow tree trunk and braced himself for the incoming boulder. "It's what makes her stand out in a crowd, though. Once you get to know her, she's awesome!"

"Ya don't say…" he pondered, gearing up to jump the block. "So why does Sky dislike her? I remember her sayin' somethin' about her bein' untrustworthy."

"Rotty has an extensive track record of… causing mischief and misfortune for others. It has to do with her reputation as a troublemaker."

"I… kinda got that impression, all things considered, which confirms what I mention earlier. Aside from whatever prank Sky was complainin' about, did she do somethin' t' you or Sky to make Sky dislike her as strongly as she does?"

"Many things, to be honest… There was one time, though, where I thought she was helping me, but it turned out she and her brothers led me into a trap set up by Risky Boots, who promised to give her a lifetime supply of coffee and my brain after Risky got her way. Of course, Risky backed out on her end of the bargain and they never got that coffee or my brain."

"Evidently."

"Yeah. Rotty felt terrible for doing that and has always been doing her best to make up for it since then. Sky won't let her live it down, though. Once a traitor, always a traitor in Sky's eyes. It doesn't help that Rotty, even though she's got control of herself, still has cravings that I guess would be normal for zombies. That and her frequent tendency to get really uh… inappropriate with me or with boys as a way to try and get more comfortable around others."

"Inappropriate, you say?" Tay inquired, wondering exactly how Rottytops could ever be inappropriate. "Total mystery t' me how that could be possible."

"I guess you would know about that by now, huh?" she deduced, frowning a bit. "Still, I think she deserves a solid chance to turn herself around for the better. She's had it rough since she became a zombie, so making friends has been incredibly hard for her. Rotty's already not well liked based on her being a zombie, which is totally unfair. She, Abner, and Poe have been trying to make better lives for themselves, though, which is why I value her company despite her reputation. I want to protect her. Please don't let this first impression or what Sky said influence you to dislike her, Tay. She really just wants to make friends."

"I… I guess I can understand when you explain it like that. Can't imagine what it's like bein' dead, much less bein' UN-dead…" Tay pondered, processing what his passenger relayed to him. "All the other stuff just seems like it falls in place when you're dealt a hand like hers… Shoot, I guess I could give her another chance, if you're so adamant about it."

"Thanks. You'll understand her soon, I promise."

"I'll hold ya to it, homegirl. Still, about the 'inappropriate' tendency… Does that explain what happened back a couple minutes ago? With the uh…"

"See, that's where it gets complicated," Shantae pensively answered, knowing what Tay was referring to as he cleared the boulder and kept his pace through the barren badlands. "Rotty can be a different kind of… assertive when it comes to that sort of thing, but-!" she explained before being cut off as Tay forgot to duck under the hollow tree stump, instead trying to jump over it, which caused him to toss Shantae into the air as he tripped. Rottytops used Tay as a footstool as he fell, jumping off his back and catching the half-human, half-genie football in her arms and cradling her as she bolted along.

"We're almost there!" Rottytops confidently assured. "We'll be tasting victory in no time! Or at least, I will~!"

"Keep your efforts strong, Tay," Shantae mistakenly addressed as she continued trying to wipe the dirt out of her eyes. "You've got it. So, as I was saying, she's… brave, when it comes to flirting with people. Like, really brave. Maybe TOO brave," she carried on as she continued to struggle with getting her eyes clean, though her current carrier shot her a look of perplexity. "Sometimes, she does it just to mess with you, but it's always hard to tell the difference between her playing pranks and actually being sincere in some of the things she says and does. I'd never expected her to kiss you out of nowhere like that, though… Sorry I didn't warn you…"

"Shantae, what are you talking about? And why are you squeezing your eyes shut like-?" Rottytops asked, thrown off-kilter by Shantae's misplaced explanation. Before either of the girls could realize what was going on, Rottytops' loss of focus caused her to slam into a boulder, again tossing Shantae into the air.

"Whoa!" she hollered, feeling herself being catapulted into the air despite still being unable to see. In that moment, Tay, using his Propeller Boots, leapt high into the air after her. He secured the half-genie in his arms before landing with the other end of the spooky racetrack in sight.

"We're just about done! We got this!" Tay affirmed as he leapt over the final boulder before the finish line. "So, what was that thought from before?"

"Right, right… I think we were discussing my feelings. So, if I'm gonna be totally honest, Rotty… After all the time he and I have spent together getting to know each other and hanging out and sharing pretty much everything with each other… I think maybe I AM starting to kinda-sorta… y'know, grow a little attached to him… to the point of me maybe… I-I guess, having something of a crush on him, if I'm gonna come totally clean… but I know he misses his old life…" Shantae explained the wrong thing to the wrong person, having gotten confused as to who was carrying her because she was still rendered temporarily blind. Lemme tell ya, this was some VERY stubborn mud in her eyes. Her continued efforts did eventually grant her some relief as the earthen substance finally began to clear. Either way, the half-genie's words caused Tay to shoot her a curious look of his own. "I don't want to burden him further with my feelings when he's been struggling so much with adapting to life here and helping me stop Risky…"

"Huh? You an' she… actually have somethin' like that goin' on?" Tay asked, not at all expecting Shantae to confess such a personal secret to him, though he was too busy running toward the finish line and looking out for obstacles and his opponent to fully understand her. He felt oddly conflicted as his heart skipped a beat at her confession. He had no idea that the conversation would take such a tense and unexpected turn, but he did his best to hear the half-genie out. He'd never have expected Shantae to have a crush on another girl (much less a zombie), so there was nothing he could do to mask his surprise at his closest friend coming out to him as she had. While lacking experience with handling such delicate issues (unless one counted his own personal encounters with the likes of Aashiq), he understood nonetheless and, as her friend, he supported her. "What a curveball… No wonder she's so affectionate toward you… Huh… I didn't think you an' she were that close… shoot, I didn't even think you got over Aash fast enough t' start up another relationship so soon. But I can help you process it if you're confused. I get that it's tough dealin' with feelings like the ones you have; especially considerin' who it is you're talkin' about havin' them for. I'm here for ya, though. Maybe you should be honest with her, if you want my two cents."

"Her? No, no… I'm sorry, Rotty, I must be getting you confused," Shantae began to clarify, still thinking she was in Rotty's grasp while barely hearing Tayshan speaking to her as a result of all the commotion related to the race.

"Rotty…? Wait, do you think Rottytops is the one ca-?" Tay tried to ask, hearing her enough to pick up that, while she was unable to see, she must not have been able to keep track of who was holding her with how frequently she'd been changing hands between him and Rottytops. One would've thought that the sounds of their voices would've at least tipped her off, but…

"We were talking about Tayshan, remember?" she corrected without warning, still not realizing who she was talking to. Tay, hearing this, went bug-eyed as his pace decreased rapidly. "Anyway, he and I have been bonding so well, so often, and so quickly… through thick and thin, it's been the most wonderful, but at the same time, the most puzzling experience I've ever had… It makes me wonder just what kind of connection we have at this point, even after Aashiq and I separated…" Tay had just crossed the finish line when he heard her, causing him to stop dead in his tracks as he turned his flabbergasted gaze toward her. "The more I think about it, though, the more I realize you might be right. Maybe I do have a crush on Tayshan now…"

"…Wh-what?" he stammered, causing Shantae to finally cleared her eyes enough to open them and look up. The second she did so, she gasped in indescribable horror, covering her mouth as she realized just who she was talking to. To say her blush made her face as red as an apple would have been an egregious understatement. Rottytops caught up a few seconds later, holding her head in agony as she recovered from her introduction to the boulder she ran into.

"Wow, you actually managed to beat me, stud muffin! I'm impressed," she congratulated, offering a hand to shake. "I don't normally lose footraces, but you've got some skills!" When she didn't get a reply, she approached him to see that he and Shantae were staring at one another, their eyes wider than the moon and their faces redder than Scuttle Town's Mayor after a bad sunburn. "Uh-oh… Looks to me like somebody just said something she shouldn't have…" she murmured to herself, though neither of them budged.

"You… y-you have a crush… o-on who?" he asked, setting her down as she continued to stare at him as though he were her worst nightmare personified. Tay was himself caught off-guard by the half-genie's confession, his mind going totally blank as he stared at her, waiting for her to clarify her words.

"Um… I-I… uh…" Shantae was speechless. She'd just realized that she'd gotten so confused in the pandemonium of the race with being tossed back and forth like a hot potato that she mixed up the conversations she was having with her friends after temporarily suffering mud-related blindness in the middle of it. "I… I think… um…" she continued to stammer, her gaze lowering to the ground as she began anxiously nibbling on her index finger.

"Hey, what'd you do to her, ya big bully!?" Rotty yelled, incensed by what she'd witnessed.

"What!?" Tay yelped in shock, gathering from Rotty's tone that she thought he did something to Shantae. "I-I didn't do anything!"

"Yes, you did! You hurt my friend!" She screamed back, ferociously stomping toward him with a glare that demonstrated her vindictive rage. "I ought to call up some of my zombie pals around here to eat you alive, you jerk!"

"No I didn't! You don't understand, Rottytops!"

"Don't address me by name! You have a lot of nerve doing what you did to my sweet, precious snack cakes, and I've got half a mind to kick you up and down this island myself!" she continued her tirade, hugging the petrified Shantae.

"Listen to me!" Tay yelled back his anxiety quickly transforming into rage. "You're misreadin' the si-!"

"No! I don't listen to punks who pick on innocent, gorgeous young ladies! Why don't you make like a pirate ship and shove off!?"

"Yo, Shantae, are you gonna stand there an' let her talk t' me like this!? Say somethin'!" he urged her, though she appeared much too frightened by her most recent blunder to acknowledge him. Shantae's silence further jarred him, delivering a message he never thought he'd need to receive about the possibility of him bringing her harm.

"I said beat it, Jack!" Rotty commanded, silencing the soldier as he took a step back to try and understand what was happening. He'd heard the half-genie mention something about her feelings toward him. He questioned her, but he got no discernible response. And at this moment, this hotheaded zombie girl, who'd already made quite an appearance as it was, was screaming at him because she thought he hurt her. He didn't think merely questioning Shantae about what she said could have done anything to make her upset, but… maybe it wasn't for his ears to hear.

"…Man, what is goin' on…?" he mumbled to himself with a sigh and a crestfallen shake of his head, befuddled and feeling somewhat guilty as he walked into the cave beyond the end point of the impromptu racecourse. As soon as he was out of earshot, Rotty spoke.

"Phew, that was a close one…" she sighed in relief as she let go of her mortified companion, apparently having flipped out on Tay as a means to rescue Shantae from her conversation with him, which had taken an incredible left turn for the awkward. "Lemme guess; you got mixed up with our conversation and a different one you were having with him, then told him something you meant to tell me, right? And, just for the record, you probably told him in no better words that you might have a crush on him, didn't you?"

"Yeah… I definitely slipped up…" she acknowledged as she also sighed, rubbing her head. "How'd you know?"

"Because just before that, you were telling him something about me while you apparently thought I was him. Something about me being really brave? Which, I'm glad you think that about me, but I knew you probably weren't talking to me, about me, when you and I were talking about him."

"R-right. I'm sorry, Rotty… I could've sworn you were carrying me when I said what I said to him. I could barely hear you guys with all the noise, and then some dirt got in my eyes, so I lost track of what was happening… Goodness, as if things weren't stressful enough between me and Tay…"

"Well, look at it this way; you guys do your thing to get him home as soon as possible, no one will ever have to speak of this again, and I won't need to share you any more than I already have to!"

"Rotty…" Shantae droned, shooting her friend a stern look of disapproval. "Anyway, thanks for bailing me out. I didn't know what to say in that situation. I feel bad now, though, because Tay and I were already bickering with each other pretty much all day today… This probably just made it worse."

"Yeah, I get it. The old-fashioned lovers' quarrel," Rotty shrugged, though the already-dissonant young genie girl deadpanned at her friend's observation. "It's never fun dealing with it, but after a tub of rocky road ice cream, a nice, piping hot batch of coffee, and a marathon of Sequin Sea Siren comics, I get over it in a snap. Maybe after we apologize and clear things up, we could get together tonight and do just that to take a load off, huh? That'll cheer you up! Granted, I don't know if stud muffin's gonna be too fond of either of us after that stunt we just pulled…"

"Hmm… I don't know, either… After a day like today, I just might take you up on that. If he doesn't join us, I could still use a girls' night to sort my thoughts out before I even try to hash this out with him… For now, though, we should go and find this friend of yours. Where is he, anyway?"

"He's actually supposed to be inside that cave that stud muffin just wandered into," Rotty explained. "Here, I'll carry you inside," she further offered, stretching her hands out toward her companion.

"No, no, I think I've had enough being carried around like a baby," Shantae politely declined. "At this point, I think I can… Ouch! Manage…" she further expressed as she limped toward the cave. "I just need something like a potion or at least some fruit to heal up a bit so I can walk normally again."

"Hmm… Y'know what? I've got just the thing!" Rotty reached into her back pocket and pulled out a fresh vial of magenta colored liquid and handed it over.

"You had one of those this whole time?"

"Not the whole time… I found it after I smacked into that rock during the race. I almost forgot about it after what just happened. I guess it was a good thing I lost this time."

"I'll say…" Shantae agreed, practically swallowing the potion whole and instantaneously feeling all better. "I was starting to worry we wouldn't find anything else to heal up with. You're a real lifesaver, Rotty! Thanks!" she perked up with a smile, hugging her friend in appreciation.

"Of course, snack cakes! I'm just doing a cherished friend a favor! It was either that or wait until you were too injured to move and call dibs on your brains."

"Gee, thanks Rotty," the half-genie sardonically shot back as the two girls broke the embrace. "Anyway, let's go get that chocolate bar."

"Right behind ya!" with that, the girls set off into the cave, which turned out to be a long, straight, narrow, leaky passageway with torches lined up on the walls on either side of them. The tunnel appeared not to be terribly long, however, as they could already see a dim, flickering light at the other end. However, they would not get the chance to admire their unsettling surroundings, as their ears were soon filled with a sudden *CRASH* of what sounded like crumbling boulders in the distance.

"Whoaawaaaaaah!" a male voice hollered out, growing increasingly distant in a span of just a few seconds until it could be heard no more.

"Oh, no…! Tay!" Shantae gasped in horror, recognizing the scream as having come from him. Wasting not a single additional millisecond, the half-genie dashed ahead in hopes that he was alright.

"Whoa, wait up!" Rotty called after her, racing behind her new(ish) teammate to investigate the disturbance. Once they reached the end of the corridor, they were greeted with the sight of a large, empty cathedral-like chamber rife with thick, viscous webbing plastered all over the ceiling, walls, and floor. What our heroines' attention was immediately drawn to, however, was the massive, gaping hole in the ground at the center of the room. Cautiously, they peered into it to see that it housed a pitch-black abyss. Scanning the room further, they could see no other method of entry or exit from the chamber. No windows, no other doors, no teleportation pads… Nothing but the narrow walkway from which they'd just emerged. Yet, with a sudden, startling *SLAM* of a gigantic stone against the floor behind them, Shantae and Rottytops found themselves trapped within the confines of this ominous cavern.

"Shoot!" Shantae cursed, turning to see that formerly open entrance to the chamber had suddenly been blocked off by a dingy-looking stone door. "Looks like we're stuck in here with only one way to go…" she observed, shifting her gaze between the doorway and the hole in the ground.

"Weird. My friend said this place was safe," Rottytops pondered, curiously looking around and scratching her head in wonder. "None of this stuff was happening when he invited me over here before…"

"Where IS your friend, anyway?"

"He should've been here. This creepy cave is what he calls his 'eternal home,' and he told me there wasn't ever much reason for him to leave it. Of course, he never let me all the way inside to even see what he looked like, so there's that."

"Never let you see what he looked like? Yet, you're calling this mystery guy your friend? What's up with that?"

"Something about him being too scared of what people might think if they saw him face-to-face. Either way, I respected his privacy. We mostly only communicated from a distance, so tt's a shock to me not to see him here now. I'm also not sure where he could be, unless he fell into this hole with stud muffin."

"Oh. Weird, because if that was the case, then we should've heard both of them yell. I only heard Tay. Either way, I hope your friend doesn't mind us popping in unannounced and doing some detective work in his house," Shantae declared, making evident that she was going in. "Tayshan could be in trouble, so we'll need to be quick."

"There's that lively, can-do spirit I love so much," Rotty gushed, finding herself filled with excitement rather than dread over the idea of her best friend leaping feet-first into imminent danger for the express purpose of potentially rescuing a lost comrade. "So, what's the plan? Want me to stay up here and keep watch while you go and save your boyfriend-to-be?"

"Nope. You're coming with me to save him," Shantae clarified, to which Rottytops reeled back so hard, she almost lost her head… literally. It took her clasping her cheeks with her hands to keep it from falling off.

"What!? You want me to tag along with you on an adventure!? Tell me I'm dreaming!" the excitable zombie girl exclaimed, thoroughly unable to hide her happiness at the thought.

"If this was a dream, Rotty, then believe me, I wish I'd have woken up already. No offense to you."

"None taken! Still, I… I can't believe my ears! Are we actually going to do it?"

"Oh, yeah. We are," Shantae confirmed again with a smirk, finding herself… dare she say, enthused to collaborate with Rottytops. "After this long, and after I've already teamed up with a handful of allies old and new between Tayshan, Sky, Bolo, Squid Baron, a scorpion girl named Aleaquarab, and even Aashiq in the last few weeks, it's about time you got a chance to shine, too."

"That's so awesome!" Rotty cheered, immediately pouncing on Shantae to wrap her up into an airtight hug the likes of which no bear could compare. Despite almost having all the air squeezed out of her lungs, Shantae returned the gesture with almost as much energy. "I can't wait to show you what sorts of new tricks I've learned since I saved you from turning totally evil that one time! Granted, I'm a little offended that you went ahead and had all that fun without me since then."

"Trust me, Rotty, if we knew where you were, we'd have sought you out and had you join us way sooner."

"Aw, I'm so glad to hear that!" Rotty gushed, nuzzling her cheek up against Shantae's as they continued to hug. "And, I guess you can make it up to me as we go down this giant hole to rescue stud muffin."

"Sure. Also, please stop calling him that. That's an even weirder name than the one you gave me," Shantae plainly requested as she attempted to let go of her friend. Rotty would have none of it, however, as she kept one arm firmly wrapped around the half-genie's hips.

"No can do, snack cakes! My nicknames are special. I don't just give them out to anybody."

"But you just met Tayshan, like, thirty minutes ago. How-?"

"Because you're my best friend, and I've been waiting forever for you to start really exploring your tastes in romantic partners… well, aside from that wimpy little nerd you thankfully dumped. Trust me; he was not worth your time."

"Hey!" Shantae protested, though it fell on selectively deaf ears.

"That said, I'm proud of you for finally taking a step in the right direction. My corruption process is working after all!"

"I don't think my warming up to the idea of having a 'partner' counts as me being 'corrupt,'" Shantae disagreed, frowning a bit in embarrassment. "Anyway, that's not even the point. Tay needs our help. This has nothing to do… with… that…"

"No need to hide the truth from me, hon. You can count on my boundless expertise to properly win him over to our side in no time."

"No, no, no. I don't need-! Wait… Our side?"

"You heard me! Our side! You can't let a hottie like that slip through your fingers and have him wind up with that snotty, know-it-all egghead or some goose-stepping, gun-crazy goon of that loser Ammo Baron. And you know what? Good ol' Rottytops has heard enough of the details of your plight to know I need to support you."

"I'd prefer that you didn't call Sky a 'snotty know-it-all egghead,' Rotty. And like I said, I don't need any help on how to-!"

"Also… Any crush of yours is a crush of mine, so long as they're hot enough to get the Shantae-and-Rottytops stamp of approval~!"

"…Um… I… Wow, that's… How… do you even come up with THAT logic?" Shantae dared to ask, her cheeks heating up as she tried (and failed) to make sense of Rotty's impeccable reasoning.

"The less you question it, the clearer the answers will become," Rotty teased with a smiling wink, still clinging tightly to her friend with seemingly no intent to let go. "Anyway, we're wasting time. Let's get this show on the road already! We can start by having me show you one of my favorite new techniques. Hang on tight, babe!" the energetic young lady instructed before she reached for her own hair with her free hand, ripped her own head off with a cartoonish *pop*, and threw it down the hole without a moment's hesitation. "Last one down there's a rott…!" she tried to tease further, though the hole proved too deep for Shantae to hear her finish her sentence. After what felt like a good fifteen seconds, an incredibly faint *thud* could be heard from deep within the chasm, prompting Shantae to try to peer into it once again.

"Huh… I wonder if she knows I could've just turned into a spider and carried her down there…?" Shantae pondered. However, before she could even attempt to do anything different, Rotty's headless body suddenly wrapped the half-genie up in its arms, squishing the two of them together like they were bound with rope. "H-hey! Watch where you're putting your haaaAAAAAAAWWAAAAHAAHAA-!" she attempted to complain as she pressed her hands into Rotty's shoulders before, out of nowhere, a swirling, smoky, dark purple portal to parts unknown formed under them. And, without warning, Shantae, along with Rotty's headless form, were sucked into the vortex with a powerful *WHOOSH*, thus kicking things off in the spectacularly uncanny fashion that could only be witnessed within the realm of Sequin Land.

And here we are again, at yet another instance of an adventure having another adventure shoved into it, and then having ANOTHER adventure shoved into that one like chicken stuffed inside of a duck that itself was stuffed inside of a turkey. By now, I'm positive you understand how difficult it must be for me to keep up with all the monkeyshines and tomfoolery that carry on throughout these extravagant expeditions, but I remain ever determined to keep you as tightly in the loop as I can manage. That said, stay tuned as we spend the next chapter bearing witness to the vivacious escapades of Sequin Land's most titanic twosome on this side of the living world as they set off to investigate the sudden disappearance of their princess (or in this case, prince) in jeopardy. Toodles!