Chapter 16: Crunch Time
Ah, you have returned once again! With perfect timing, I might add. As we left off, our heroes had most miraculously reunited after a brazen two-pronged assault launched by Risky Boots in both Scuttle Town and the Baron Desert as an ominous prelude to the impending invasion she had planned. And, after such a petrifying close call, our most amiable assortment of adolescent adventurers almost immediately committed themselves to the task of stopping the reprehensible pirate menace at all costs. Of course, the circumstances remained dire, with both of the aforementioned locations suffering massive levels of damage that only further demonstrated the sheer terrific ruthlessness the savage lady pirate and her crew were capable of with her new arsenal. Nevertheless, the valiant crusaders that assigned themselves the task of putting an end to Risky's reign of terror before it had a chance to begin were already hard at work constructing some form of counterattack that would hopefully stop the Pirate Queen in her tracks before it was too late. As it was established, Risky's execution of the latest phase of Operation: Bombardments of Artillery Rainstorms was mere hours away, with the capitol of Sequin Land potentially being the primary target. Time was tight, so our heroes kicked it into high gear on finding anything and anyone they could that would benefit their last-ditch effort. Before I ramble on too long, though, I'll quit with the monologue and get us right into the action… starting riiiiiiight… here!
LOCATION: IN THE AIR, NEAR NAGA MOUNTAIN (RUINS), SEQUIN LAND
DATE: OCTOBER 2ND, 16 P.G.F.
TIME: 1225 HOURS (roughly 3-and-a-half hours until Risky's umpteenth invasion of Scuttle Town)
"Hm… Looks like we're getting close…" a certain blonde bird tamer somberly announced as she rode atop her gigantic, prismatic avian companion. She scanned the shattered, smoldering remains of the once lush, lively, and colorful mountain she'd previously tried to defend. And when she did, she could only find herself distraught at the carnage she was presented with. "…Gosh, this place is a total disaster now…"
"No kidding…" the bird tamer's spiky blue-haired passenger acknowledged in equal astonishment. "I get it that this mountain was targeted as a diversion, but did they really have to go and completely demolish it like this?"
"I must admit, this was not my intention. Risky's minions truly have no restraint," a well-known bell-headed crocodile, who'd also been riding on the back of the giant, majestic bird, chimed in as he also took in the full aerial view of Naga Mountain post-invasion. "I do have to ask, though… Why are we back here of all places?"
"This is where my friend wanted us to meet," Bolo assured as they flew around the island in search of said friend.
"Uh-huh… Odd that they would be here…" Techno Baron observantly commented, his suspicions rising as they circled around Naga Mountain while steadily descending. Looking around, he could see no one who could even be close to possibly being the person who wanted to meet him so badly. And, all things considered about how little information he was given up to this point… "Who is this 'friend,' anyway?" he dared to ask as he surreptitiously began fiddling with the rope in case he was being set up.
"Hmph. You should know exactly who she is," Bolo remarked with what sounded like contempt.
"And as a matter of fact, she's right over there," Sky added, pointing toward a gigantic, beautiful, yet morose mermaid who'd just arisen from under the surface of the sea with a mighty *SPLOOSH* while flipping her hair. Techno Baron looked in the direction of the bird tamer's finger and had his heart sink to the center of the planet once he laid eyes on the 'friend.'
"G-G-G-G-G-G-GIGA MERMAID!? THAT'S WHO YOU'RE TAKING ME TO SEE!?" Techno Baron shouted in terror, knowing for himself that, given his recent history with mermaids, any encounter with a free and uncontrolled Giga Mermaid meant nothing but bad news for him.
"That's right!" Bolo excitedly informed his former employer with a mischievous chuckle. "She really wanted to see you again, Techno Baron, and we thought it'd be a wonderful idea to reunite the two of you!"
"Yeah! Especially after your wonderful, tireless efforts in completely wiping out her friends on this island and obliterating their home," Sky added with just as much sarcasm as she directed Wrench to descend toward Giga Mermaid, who'd spotted them and observed. "We were asked by her to personally see to it that you two got another chance to meet. As far as I understand, she would really, really, REALLY like to let you know what she thinks about the bang-up 'decoration' job you did."
"No! No, no no, no, no!" Techno Baron shouted in panic, immediately attempting to pull himself out of the rope's constricting grip. "Anyone but her! I can't be anywhere near this behemoth of a woman! Not after the Mermaid Falls fiasco! She'll roast me to cinders!" he further protested, desperately attempting to gnaw on the rope to escape. Try as he might, however, his teeth weren't exactly built like saw blades. As such, he wasn't able to make near as much progress as he'd hoped in the literal minute before Wrench landed safely onto the sandy, tide-washed shore of Naga Mountain's once-exuberant base just outside of the ocean's reach.
"Good afternoon, travelers," a saddened Giga Mermaid greeted with a wave before recognizing one of said 'travelers' as the friend of Shantae she'd spoken to the night prior. "Oh, it is you!"
"Yo, Ms. Mermaid!" Bolo informally greeted as he and Sky climbed off Wrench. Techno Baron, of course, attempted to bolt the second they made landfall, but the *PLICK* of the rope tightening as he tried to run stopped him dead. "We've got someone we'd like you to meet," the young man added, doing the honors of untying the portion of rope tied to Wrench's saddle while Sky took it upon herself to go and grab the culpable crocodile before he got the chance to run.
"Gah! Haargh! Let me go this instant, you blonde bozo! Get your filthy talons off me!" Techno Baron ranted and raved as he kicked and screamed. If one looked desperate to get out of a bad situation, then one could NEVER look as desperate as Techno Baron did.
"Pipe down, ya little creep!" Sky demanded, wrestling with him as he writhed and flailed. She managed to pick him up, though he refused to give up wildly flinging his tiny little limbs everywhere and screaming. "Hrgh…! This is what you get when you blow up somebody's home! Now it's time to face the music!"
"No! No music shall be played here! And I keep telling you morons that I DID NOT BLOW UP NAGA MOUNTAIN! Now, stop goofing around and get me out of here!"
"So, the fiendish little cretin responsible for the destruction of this sacred oasis has finally come to pay his debts…!" Giga Mermaid practically growled as she glared at the lizard being forcibly dragged to his impending doom by the blonde bird tamer.
"Yep," Bolo answered with a nod, considering his mission complete as he handed Giga Mermaid the end of the rope previously tied to Wrench. "As promised, he's all yours."
"You have my deepest and sincerest thanks for going out of your way to track him down for my sake, human…"
"Eh, it's no big deal. He wasn't as hard to find as we thought he'd be," he casually assured. "Turns out he was more or less right under our noses," he further boasted as Sky, with much effort, finally brought the tantrum-throwing Techno Baron close enough to where Giga Mermaid yanked on the rope to pull the dangling reptile high.
"Whowhawhwhaaaaaah!" Techno Baron continued to panic as he dangled in midair while suspended by the rope, kicking and flailing in a futile effort to escape.
"Hmm…" Giga Mermaid hummed as she studied the filthy, battle-damaged state he was in. "Did…you have to fight him again before you captured him?"
"Nah. Well at least, I didn't have to fight him. This is the way my friend here and I found him."
"I see… Well, it hardly matters. As it stands, this foul, deplorable creature has just landed himself in HOT water…!" Giga Mermaid declared, glaring directly at Techno Baron as he continued desperately trying to escape.
"I'm almost curious enough to ask what you're gonna do with him, but I'm too sure he'd deserve it to really explore the question," Sky remarked with a shrug, though she did remain… at least slightly interested in knowing how harshly Techno Baron would be punished.
"It is quite alright, though I assure you he will be made to answer for the crimes he has committed," Giga Mermaid assured, tightly containing a boiling fury the likes of which only Techno Baron would know as soon as she was able to direct all of her attention to the despicable little lizard. "I cannot thank you enough for doing this for me, Mister…"
"Bolo, ma'am, at your service!" Bolo charismatically introduced himself as he puffed his chest and saluted her.
"You do one small job right, and suddenly you think you're Mr. Fix It…" Sky murmured, shaking her head as she found herself unimpressed by Bolo's radiant machismo.
"Pleasure to formally meet you, Mr. Bolo. I am in your debt, sir."
"Ah, don't sweat it , Ms. Mermaid! That uh… Th-that adorable smile on your face is thanks enough for me," he replied, taking the opportunity to ride the heroic wave he'd been on since sometime this morning. At his comment, however, Giga Mermaid blushed, smiling bashfully as she did so. "You also have my gratitude for helping Shantae."
"Wow…" Sky murmured, quite discombobulated by the casual exchange between her youngest friend and this enormous mermaid. "What the heck am I seeing right now...?"
"My, you are quite the charmer," she pointed out with a giggle. "Indeed, you and she have proven yourselves to be quite the capable crusaders of justice. Do you two work together often?"
"All the time!" Bolo lied… or rather, I thought he lied. It could very well be true that he believed his own statement, of course. "Just this morning, I defended her from a Tinkerbat invasion in Scuttle Town and bought her enough time to wake up and finish the job. We floored those monsters like we were using them as mops!"
"My, that must've been quite perilous!" Giga Mermaid remarked with a gasp. "From the sound of it, though, I presume that means Shantae is…?"
"Back in action!" Bolo excitedly finished with a fist pump. "And with me at her side-!"
"And me, and the others," Sky chimed in, shooting him a deadpan expression.
"Right… With me and the rest of our friends at her side, we'll see to it that Risky Boots never gets the chance to wreak this much havoc again," Bolo heroically vowed. "Although, we do have something of a request, if you'd be so willing to hear us out…"
"Would you like me to aid you in the battle against Risky Boots?" Giga Mermaid asked, figuring that the human would suggest that as her repayment for his bringing Techno Baron to her.
"Whoa, how'd you know?"
"Because Techno Baron is not the only one responsible for the destruction of my sisters' home," Giga Mermaid matter-of-factly informed him.
"Newsflash: I wasn't, and I repeat, WASN'T responsible for this!" Techno Baron continued to uselessly protest, having given up trying to slip free from the rope being held by Giga Mermaid. "This was ALL RISKY'S FA-!"
"The pirate menace and her minions must also be made to pay for the harm she has spread across these fair lands," the humongous sea woman shared. "It is all too clear that if she is allowed to run amok, she will turn this entire country upside down. Because her minions demolished the Sheared Spool Shrine and caused the decimation of the Siren's Requiem Labyrinth, I can no longer idly wade and hope someone deals rightful justice to Risky Boots. This time, I will do everything in my power to aid you in your battle."
"You said it, sister," Sky proclaimed in agreement. "We also appreciate you joining us, because we're gonna need as much help as we can get. That said… I uh… Is it possible that some of your fellow mermaids, Nagas, or other creatures of the sea could join in as well?"
"I am afraid not," Giga Mermaid gloomily shared. "Those who had not perished in yesterday's heinous onslaught are severely injured and incapable of entering another high-stakes conflict. Those from other places such as Mermaid Falls, Saliva Island, and even Mermaid Cliffs are either guarding their respective homes to prevent the tragedy that befell Naga Mountain, or they are here, assisting Naga Mountain's survivors. At this time, only I am capable of assisting you."
"Darn… Well, you have our condolences, Ms. Mermaid," Bolo extended his sympathy. "And for what it's worth, not one life Risky ruined will go unaccounted for. Not one," the young man additionally promised, borrowing the words of a certain comrade to emphasize his point.
"Well, it certainly warms my heart to know that Sequin Land has such a dedicated team of heroes willing to defend its peace and tranquility at all costs," Giga Mermaid happily acknowledged, buying into Bolo's projected altruism. "In that case, simply let me know how I can assist. I will do my absolute best to comply with your wishes, Mr. Bolo."
"Really? Sweet!" the spiky-haired lad cheered with another fist pump, Giga Mermaid's natural charm and camaraderie sending his excitement sky high. "In that case, we're… expecting Risky to potentially launch a full-scale invasion sometime later today. We're not sure when, and we're not exactly sure where she intends to strike first, but all fingers point in the direction of her looking to catch us off-guard since she's tried multiple times to divide and conquer us over the course of the last week."
"Indeed, I am aware. It is part of why I found Shantae injured and unconscious…"
"Yeah, but you don't have to worry your incredibly pretty face about any of that anymore," Bolo oh-so-smoothly blurted out, causing the impressionable mermaid to giggle again in flattery.
"Oh, my… I never knew you human males could be so forward…" Giga Mermaid commented, cupping a hand to her cheek as she studied the young adventurer up and down. "And for one so young to be so bold with his words… it's amusing, yet endearing…"
"…Okay, now this is getting a little strange. A point in time where Bolo actually has ANY sense of charm that could win over a week-old turkey sandwich, much less the guardian of Mermaid Falls? Now, I've seen it all… We must be in some weird alternate, parallel universe... That, or I've gone crazy from all the chaos we've been wrapped up in..." Sky rather... peculiarly muttered with a confused shake of her head, to which Wrench appeared to agree by chirping in response.
"The gang's all back together, of course, so we're getting ready for Risky. And especially with Shantae back in the fight, we can't lose," Bolo continued to boast. "I don't know how much time we've got left, but if you can, could you possibly meet us back at Shantae's house in an hour or two?"
"Ah, the old lighthouse on the peninsula off the edge of Scuttle Town?" Giga Mermaid guessed.
"Yeah, that's the one. That's where we're all planning to congregate to discuss an appropriate counteroffensive against Risky, her goons, and all those suped-up weapons she stole."
"You have my word. I must say though, Mr. Bolo, you sound quite confident. I admire that," Giga Mermaid complimented him with a warm, disarming grin; one that sent Bolo's body temperature through the roof. It stood to reason that he may have thought Giga Mermaid was flirting with him. Nevertheless, Bolo's heart kicked into overdrive as his breath got tight in his chest.
"Ah, w-w-well, y'know… I-it's all part of the job, ma'am… heh…" the flustered handyman-in-training nervously proclaimed, rubbing his index finger under his nose.
"I certainly bet it is. With that level of confidence, it is hard not to feel comfortable with the idea that things will turn out in our favor. I am certain that it is why your girlfriend over there seems just as relaxed about this ordeal as you are."
"What!? Girlfriend!?" both Bolo and Sky shouted in unison as they shot the unassuming (yet, very assuming) mermaid some very confused looks. After a few seconds, the two heroes turned toward each other. "Do you seriously think we're together like that? Eww, no way! Not in a hundred lifetimes! So gross!" the two of them continued to yell in unison, equally repulsed by the idea of dating each other.
"Don't flatter yourself, you little knucklehead! I would much sooner try to drink five gallons of spoiled Monster Milk in one sitting!" Sky additionally protested, absolutely rebuking by the idea of ever making a love connection with Bolo of all people.
"Jeez, you don't have to be so harsh about it, Sky!" Bolo yelled back at her in embarrassed ire. "I'm not exactly looking to bust down your door for a date either, but you don't see me overreacting like you are!"
"Overreacting? For a Peeping Tom like you, this is normal!"
"Stop bringing that up!" Bolo irritably protested, none too fond of being reminded of… certain hobbies of his. "You're gonna embarrass me in front of Ms. Mermaid!"
"Is that what you're so concerned about? Really?" Sky rhetorically and flatly asked, not the least bit surprised by her comrade's situational priorities. "If I were in your shoes, I'd be more concerned about my awful reputation and how I'd clean it up before trying to put the moves on a woman five hundred times my size."
"Yeah, well nobody asked you for dating advice! My reputation is just fine, thank you very much! And for the record, I wasn't trying to put the moves on Ms. Mermaid! Get your mind out of the gutter!" he defended, highly irritated by Sky's unwelcome suggestions.
"My mistake, you two," Giga Mermaid laughingly apologized, breaking up their bickering before it got any worse. "No need to argue further. Let us continue where we left off."
"Yeah, hardy-har-har, let's all have a round of applause and a good little chuckle about nothing while you're about to wrongfully punish m-!" Techno Baron was about to gripe.
"Silence, murderer! I shall deal with you momentarily!" the enormous sea maiden shouted at Techno Baron, her humor ending the minute he opened his mouth to speak.
"But I keep telling you, I didn't-!" he continued trying to protest as he continued to hang in the air by the rope tightly affixed to his waist.
"I must bring this remorseless warmonger to face his judgment," Giga Mermaid cut Techno Baron off to inform Sky and Bolo. "I will not be terribly long, and I hope to rejoin you at the Scuttle Town Lighthouse."
"By all means, take your time with him," Sky rather indifferently permitted with a shrug.
"Other than that, we'll see ya soon, Ms. Mermaid," Bolo concluded with another salute and nod, prompting Giga Mermaid to acknowledge their conversation as complete.
"You no-good, backstabbing, traitorous WRETCHES!" Techno Baron shouted as Giga Mermaid turned and began swimming away toward another part of the island. "Mark my words, you little punks! You have not seen the last of me! And when I get out of here, I'll make you rue…!" he furiously shouted at the two teen adventurers until long after he was out of earshot. And once Giga Mermaid disappeared around a corner, Bolo and Sky turned to one another.
"Whelp, that was a lot easier than I thought it'd be," Sky pointed out as she gestured for him to follow her back to Wrench.
"In a sense, it kinda needed to be. No matter what way we slice it, we're in the thick of this situation now," Bolo asserted as he warily stepped around Wrench to avoid being attacked. Wrench, of course, locked his ravenous gaze on the young man, which frightened him nearly stiff. "U-um… So, we got the giant mermaid on our side in exchange for Techno Baron. Any idea on what we do next?"
"Well… we could simply head back to Scuttle Town to regroup with Shantae and the others, but I get the feeling they've probably already begun their portion of whatever plan we might have to stop Risky in her tracks. It wouldn't make sense to just go back and wait like we usually do if we've still got time to do something else," Sky pensively answered, trying to come up with other ways to contribute to the cause.
"Oh? You, not a fan of sitting and waiting for Shantae to fix everything? What the heck's gotten into you to make such a huge change in your M.O. these last few weeks?"
"How rude," Sky tersely remarked with a turn of her head. "But I suppose after my trip to the Sheared Spool Shrine with Tay and Twitch, in addition to the perilous battle that Shantae, Rottytops, and I were in against Techno Baron here in Naga Mountain… I… in a sense, gained a new appreciation for being proactive."
"Wow, I had no idea you teamed up with everybody else in our crew at least once," Bolo observed, focusing on one specific part of her statement. "You even teamed up with one of the Ammonian girls at this point, which is a huge surprise to me."
"Sure, but don't count on that happening again anytime soon. Teaming up with Twitch, even with Tayshan there, was a nightmare. From start to finish, that girl found every reason in the book to pick a fight with me, and she never let up."
"Heh, so I've heard," Bolo remarked, stifling a laugh as he remembered Tayshan's telling of the story of the Sheared Spool Shrine. "I can't say my experience with Ammo Baron's ladies in charge was the same as yours, but I can see where you're coming from. On my end, though, I only got to team up with Shantae individually in the Thimble Canyon, Tayshan individually once at the Inseam Municipality, and Twitch and Vinegar just this morning until Shantae woke up and narrowly saved Scuttle Town from total destruction. How was it teaming up with Rottytops without me there, by the way? I'm curious."
"Hmm... Despite the bad blood between me and her, it was... actually not that bad," Sky admitted. "At least, not until we got split up and captured by Risky's forces. It helped a ton that Shantae was there to reel her in, but generally, Rottytops pulled her weight. We kept up with our cohesion from when we were inside Shantae's head and the three of us made a really solid team. If not for those Tinkerbats wreaking havoc here, we'd have easily handled Techno Baron and his giant, clunky dragon machine without breaking a sweat. Rotty came through with abilities new and familiar that at least helped us survive. Don't tell her I said any of this, of course."
"...Huh... Y-you make it sound like you three girls handled things and got along better than when you, me, and Rotty were all in Shantae's mind..." he nervously pointed out, kinda-sorta hoping he wasn't correct to make his guess.
"Eh, it had its ups and downs," Sky nonchalantly shared with a shrug. "We started off rocky, but when the battle got rough, the three of us started combining our abilities in ways I never thought we'd get to do. Even I, for someone who generally dislikes getting too deeply involved in these perilous quests, have to admit that I'd... be open to the idea of teaming up with Shantae and Rottytops at least one more time to see what we could really accomplish. I still can't stand Rottytops at all, but you get what I mean. She's still a slightly better battle partner to me than Twitch could ever be. To be fair, though, I preferred it when I teamed up with Shantae and Tayshan the first time we came here."
"Right, you got more than one chance to team up with them..."
"Yeah, that time was much simpler and easier, but it gave us all a chance to explore our teamwork," the bird tamer explained. "I didn't get to fight Squid Baron alongside the two of them, but that experience was pretty cool. As a matter of fact, it was that trip where Tay really got a feel for how Shantae's quests work. Shantae and I taught him a bunch of different aspects of the usual adventure that he capitalized on in adventures that followed; especially when he, Twitch, and I went to the Sheared Spool Shrine."
"Ah... I... I got it," he acknowledged, feeling a pang in his stomach that seemed to stem from his discomfort at missing out on such epic adventures.
"Either way, I'm honestly surprised you've been so involved this time, Bolo. Shoot, I'm surprised I've been this involved, for that matter."
"Er, y-yeah. For better or for worse, I just take it as us finally getting our time to shine outside of Shantae's dreams. If one of us can contribute, then all of us can. Heck, when you think about it, it wasn't even Shantae who saved you from Risky Boots when she captured you," Bolo additionally pointed out.
"Y-yeah… That much is true, too… though it haunts me to know what had to happen for me to be saved… and poor Tay…" Sky remarked, her tone riddled with what sounded like reflective guilt. From the sound of it, she appeared to have a harrowing idea of her own that offered her no form of comfort.
"Hm? What's going on? Why do you look so sad all of a sudden?" Bolo asked, taking note of Sky's rather unexpected dejection as she nearly got lost in thought.
"Oh! Oh, it's… it's nothing, Bolo. Come on, let's get moving," Sky dismissed as she and her teammate boarded the gigantic avian creature with the intent to take off toward their next destination.
"If you say so, Sky, but you know you can talk to me just like Shantae in case something's bothering you… right?"
"I do now," she plainly replied, taking a deep breath to calm herself. "In any case, do you have any ideas on where else we would need to go before we rendezvous at Shantae's?"
"Not… really," Bolo admitted, scratching his head in wonder. "That is, unless you've got some idea on someone we're able to maybe convince to help us out?"
"I don't have many ideas on that, I'm afraid," Sky shared, unable to ascertain who might be able to assist. "I'm not too confident that many people, monsters, or the like on any corner of the country is going to want to tangle with Risky Boots; she's been far more brutal, conniving, and aggressive this time around. There's no doubt that word of her latest escapades has probably spread across Sequin Land by now. And even if we could convince someone to help us, we don't want to jeopardize their safety just to fluff up our numbers in the wake of Risky proving herself more dangerous than ever. I'm totally dry on ideas of where else to go. That is, unless we potentially went to Genie's Hem and maybe asked if Hypno Baron could lend a hand."
"Didn't Ammo Baron say he wasn't gonna lift a finger to do anything to help us?"
"Yes, but the day I trust anything Ammo Baron says is the day I give up my current job and take up interpretive dance for a living," the bird tamer declared. "And there's no way I'm giving up my birds for a pair of tap-dancing shoes."
"Fair point, but isn't Genie's Hem like a half a day's worth of traveling one way?"
"By sea, sure… if you also don't know where the heck you're going. On average, it usually takes maybe an hour and a half to get from Scuttle Town to Genie's Hem on Wrench. And considering we're partway there with Naga Mountain also being somewhere to the far north of Scuttle Town, we could realistically get there within the next half-hour."
"You won't hear any arguments from me there," Bolo ceded. "I just wonder what that weirdo's gonna say when he sees us hat-in-hand, asking for his help. I uh… also wonder… if… i-if he's gonna be there, too…" Bolo very worriedly murmured, a knot forming in his stomach at the idea of going anywhere near a certain Hypnotist apprentice for whom he still held conflicting feelings.
"He? He who?"
"No one. Just… letting my mind wander. In any case, if you're so sure we can get anything at all out of Hypno Baron, then we may as well at least check it out. It sounds like a better plan than the alternative, which would be just twiddling our thumbs waiting for Shantae. Considering what happened to Genie's Hem, though, I'm not too positive many of their guards-if any-are going to be available to even hear us out."
"Considering what Hypno Baron's minions did to the place, I wouldn't be surprised if none were available either. It's set, either way. To Genie's Hem, we go. Hang onto your seat!" Sky appropriately advised Bolo, who'd gripped the back of the saddle in preparation. And, with a mighty flap of Wrench's massive wings, the kicking up of the sand around him, and a mighty caw of sheer valiant vigor from the behemoth, our heroes took flight to their next place of interest. One could only wonder how much help, if ANY, they were going to get out of the likes of Hypno Baron, but as they say… desperate times call for desperate measures. And while Sky and Bolo soared off toward the current residence of the disreputable cackling magician, we'll do something a little different this time and instead jump to another group (or in this instance, pair) of key contributors to the upcoming battle against Risky Boots. Without saying too much more, let's dive in…
Elsewhere, later...
LOCATION: GROUND ZERO, BARON DESERT, SEQUIN LAND
DATE: OCTOBER 2ND, 16 P.G.F.
TIME: 1300 HOURS (Three Hours before Risky's umpteenth invasion of Scuttle Town)
"…Jeez, this place is a total disaster now…" one of two female Ammonian servicewomen remarked with a devastated exhale after said servicewoman and her partner landed in the middle of the war-torn Baron Desert.
"I… I can't believe this all happened in the span of just one hour…" the other servicewoman spoke, equally devastated by the disheveled state of their base of operations. "And whatever guys that were unlucky enough to be here when the invasion happened… they've never looked much worse than this… Vinni, what are we supposed to do from here?"
"Question of the century there, Vidi," Vinegar remarked, also scanning the smorgasbord of broken buildings, burnt tents, loose weapons, and vehicular shrapnel littered across the wet sand. "I was hoping we had at least SOMETHING left, but between Risky's twin invasions of our base and what we were struggling with before… I-I honestly don't know how we're expected to contribute…" she further lamented as the two young ladies spotted a group of their injured, ragged subordinates in the distance lining up in a particularly large tower with a red cross over it that seemed to show minimal signs of damage.
"At the very least, they didn't take out our medical unit. Let's see if anybody knows anything there," Twitch pointed out as they, with no hesitation, rushed toward the infirmary. Their trek was a short one, though the two girls got to feast their eyes on even more of the destruction and carnage suffered in the most recent Tinkerbat invasion. Twisted piles of mangled wreckage that used to be planes and tanks here. Piles of burnt bricks, sand, and tattered fabric that used to be defense and surveillance towers there. A smattering of torn, burnt, shredded, or otherwise damaged articles of clothing strewn about the battlefield. The sight alone was nothing short of supremely distressing. The utterly shambled state of the Ammonian Army's headquarters both angered and deeply concerned the girls as they absorbed the harrowing image of their livelihoods in ruins.
"…And to think that the guy we were supposed to call our 'friend' did the majority of the damage we're seeing around here…" Vinegar commented with some form of resentment toward the man responsible for the Baron Desert's destruction. "I mean… I know we messed up and set him up, but this… there's no excuse for this…!"
"…I… I almost feel the same way, Vinni. Almost…" Twitch agreed… for the most part as they continued their discouraging trip.
"Why almost?"
"Because, even if we're angry at him for following Risky's orders to get revenge on Ammo Baron… I'm finding it hard to ignore the real reasons behind it…" she admitted. "With what Risky did to him just to spite us while at the same time force-feeding him a Dark Magic shard without us noticing after she wore him out in Inseam… and then when we consider her dragging him to her ship with a dog collar around his neck, humiliating and torturing him to try and force him to her side once she got him completely alone… and what she did after that… forcing him to… to give up his… I can't even say it, because I still can't even believe it happened," she hesitantly confessed, thinking hard about the way this awful predicament played out. "I… I could never accept it as justification, believe me. But… I… honestly can't blame him for being so mad that he would do this, either… Granted, he was also corrupted with that Dark Magic business, but still… I feel like in a sense, it's my fault…"
"I see…" Vinegar somberly acknowledged her partner's guilt-ridden explanation. "Well, I can't help but understand it when you put it that way, but there's no way you should blame yourself for any of this. You couldn't control what Risky Boots did, and none of us could predict how the situation would evolve from there. I... I honestly feel bad for Tay, too, but as far as I'm concerned, we didn't deserve this. I dunno, Vidi… I mean, at the end of the day, we all know who's really at fault for all of this. That no-good, manipulative, predatory pirate hag pulled a fast one on all of us. But for it to turn into our friend destroying what is basically our second home, wiping out a chunk of our forces, and almost killing our leader in a revenge-fueled rampage? I can't just drop that piece of it. I still can't help but hold him at least partially responsible for this, considering what he admitted and considering the state of our base; Dark Magic or no Dark Magic."
"Trust me, I feel the same. But... in his defense, he didn't just drop it either," Twitch countered. "I know it isn't much to say at this point, but he wants to make amends with us after we clean up this Risky Boots mess. That's what my last conversation with him was about before we took off from Scuttle Town. It's certainly not going to magically fix all this, but I'm at least hopeful that we can eventually still come to some sort of understanding of why this happened and what we can do to keep it from happening again. I'm beyond peeved that we got the short end of the stick again, but I figure we'll start our recovery process by getting our revenge on Risky while the opportunity is presenting itself. After that, we can contemplate whether our revenge needs to go beyond that, or if we can seriously, actually forgive Tayshan for this... and, if we do forgive him, I also wonder if maybe he'll seriously forgive us for stabbing him in the back and selling him out to Risky Boots at Inseam... I mean, we at least owe it to him to get back at Risky, but still..." the younger Ammonian affiliate further admitted, her feelings about the situation as a whole seeming to be in constant flux.
"Well, that's something of a relief to hear we're all taking this seriously, I suppose," Vinegar understood, however begrudgingly. "And I agree with what you're saying in full. It seems like no matter what way we slice it, we've all got our hands dirty in one way or another. If the chance comes, I'd honestly like to understand in full how it came to this as well. And honestly... I'd prefer not to have to fight much more after we're through with the pirate hag. Normally, I'd encourage us finding a way to get back at anyone who dares to hurt us and our guys. But, I can also imagine that, even if we do go the forgiveness route, it wouldn't just be one simple trading of apologies and beating up Risky Boots, followed by us going our separate ways and pretending this didn't happen. I imagine we'll be negotiating equal reparations for the foreseeable future," she further theorized, hopeful that they would receive some kind of silver lining in the clouds in the long run. "In the meantime, what do you suppose we do to help stick it to Risky once and for all?"
"Good question. I've got a couple ideas on how to get our own personal revenge against that pirate hussy, but we need to at least make sure we have the equipment we need…" Twitch secretively replied as she and Vinegar reached the infirmary. As soon as they were within the sights of the injured men present, each of them stood tall and saluted their commanding officers.
"Afternoon, gentlemen!" Vinegar hollered with bass in her voice as she stood tall with her hands behind her back. "Is someone able to give us a status report?"
"Ma'am, permission to speak, ma'am?" a particularly unique brunette-haired, fair-skinned Ammonian soldier wearing large crimson sunglasses and a raccoon-themed sailor hat in addition to her (yes, it was a female) severely damaged standard issue Ammonian uniform called in response as she removed herself from the front of the line.
"Permission granted, Admiral Nila!" Twitch announced, thus providing the Admiral the consent she needed. "Also, why aren't you with the rest of Sector K0414 in the Eastern Doily Protectorate?"
"Ma'am, our sector received word at approximately 0900 Hours on 9/26/16 P.G.F. that our headquarters was compromised by the notorious Risky Boots, ma'am," Admiral Nila explained. "Ma'am, I volunteered to lend some aid to the main branch of our honorable forces to reorganize and rebuild what was lost in the invasion. I arrived here on 10/1/16 P.G.F. at approximately 2000 Hours, but by the time I engaged my fellow Ammonian soldiers the following morning at around 0830 Hours, we were assaulted by a hyper lethal vector of Risky Boots's pirate crew, ma'am! Ma'am, we tried our best to neutralize the targets, but the main perpetrator of the invasion—a silver-eyed humanoid male shrouded in Dark Magic—escaped after compromising many of our troops and our headquarters, ma'am! Ma'am, I am now here to offer you the assistance of our experimental naval fleet that has since arrived here in the Baron Desert, ma'am!"
"Wow, what a coincidence," Vinegar pointed out as she rubbed her chin with a hand. "It's not a very good coincidence, considering what caused it to happen, but it's one that has to be acknowledged."
"Yeah, that we were in such bad shape over here that we apparently had to call in our top-secret underdeveloped trump card naval unit for reinforcements. Gosh, what a mess this is turning out to be…" Twitch lamented with a sigh. "Well, in any case, you're here at the perfect time, Nila. We've got a mission on our hands with stakes high enough that the fate of Sequin Land as we know it hangs in the balance."
"Ma'am, what is the mission objective, ma'am?" Admiral Nila asked.
"We're gonna need your sector to assist in a calculated, collaborative counterattack against Risky Boots," Vinegar informed, much to Nila's shock.
"What!? A counterattack against Risky Boots!?" the Sector K0414 member remarked, reeling back in such shock that she immediately forgot to address her commanding officer with another 'Ma'am' sandwich.
"You heard right, girlfriend," Twitch assured her. "We've made a few connections outside of the Ammonian Army in the form of Shantae, her band of misfit crusaders, and the same individual responsible for ambushing you guys this morning, and we're going to join forces with them to take Risky Boots down once and for all."
"Huh!?" Nila reacted in even more surprise, emphasized by her reeling back so hard that her glasses slipped to reveal the vibrant emerald green iris of her eye as she processed the preposterous statement. "We… we're teaming up with enemy forces to combat Risky Boots!? And… counted among those enemies are the ponytailed genie pest Shantae and the despicable assassin who attempted to take Ammo Baron's life in Risky Boots's name!?"
"It sounds super crazy, but yes," Vinegar confirmed. "Ammo Baron is still alive, but he'll be out of commission for a little while as he recuperates at the Oasis Town Medical Center. And as it turns out, Risky Boots used Dark Magic to brainwash that 'assassin' into attempting to carry out the hit she ordered on Ammo Baron. As it stands right now, Shantae was able to un-brainwash him and turn him to our side, but we're not sure it's going to be enough to truly stop Risky unless we get as much help as we can."
"Yes, and at this point in time, Risky's forces are planning to invade Scuttle Town to potentially pave a clear pathway to the Sequin Land Palace," Twitch added. "We suspect that she is going to use a supply of vastly upgraded weaponry to storm into the palace, stage a coup, and usurp the Sultana. And Risky Boots cannot be allowed an opportunity to take over Sequin Land under any circumstance. It'd be bad for the business we already have with the Sultana, and it'd be even worse for us if Risky Boots was ever allowed to take control of the country."
"My gosh, it seems as though we have arrived in the nick of time," Admiral Nila observed, taking in the astonishing bits of information as they were given to her. "I don't know if I like the idea of fraternizing with those scoundrels, but if the purpose of this alliance is to forward the agenda of the Ammonian Army, then I have no objections. In that case, what may Sector K0414 assist you with?"
"We're going to need as much help as we can get with at least providing sea-based support while Twitch and I use the one airplane we have left to alert our allies and then try attacking Risky from the air," Vinegar explained. "As far as we know, Risky's most likely on a straight path toward Scuttle Town from her base with the purpose of storming the Sequin Land Palace and overthrowing the Sultana. We scouted around a potential projected path for her ship, but we weren't able to spot her on our way back here. We couldn't risk flying around for too long, either, because Risky has access to surface-to-air missiles that home in on enemy aircraft… amongst other ridiculously powerful weapons she stole from the armory of another armed forces faction somewhere far, far away from here."
"We'll need to get your troops up to speed, but the idea is that we need to be ready for Risky's invasion by 1600 Hours, which is the E.T.A. of her arrival in Scuttle Town," Twitch informed.
"I understand, Chief Officers Twitch and Vinegar, but…" Nila hesitantly spoke, adjusting her sunglasses and straightening her hat as she recomposed herself. "…all things considered, Sector K0414 is merely a few speedboats with mounted turrets on some of them. Against what we just had to face… are you certain we will be that much help?"
"A few speedboats with turrets is better than one passenger biplane with no turret at this point," Twitch pointed out with a nervous breath as she began to think about what it would take for this counterattack to work in their favor. "We won't necessarily need you to directly engage, of course. We want to preserve as much of your unit as you can for future endeavors, so we primarily need you to help us with serving as a diversion to knock Risky off her game. Shantae, Tayshan—er, the 'assassin,' and their allies will hopefully capitalize on the opportunity we open up for them and take Risky down before she gets anywhere near the Sequin Land Palace."
"I see… Then, is it safe to say that our involvement is chiefly related to seeking retribution for Risky Boots's rampant treachery and debauchery by assisting her greatest enemy in defeating her once again?"
"That's… most of it," Vinegar stated, informing Nila that she was on the right track. "The other part is paying back a massive non-monetary debt we owe to someone for their recent troubles. In return... we hope to have that same courtesy extended to us by the beneficiary of this repayment."
"A massive non-monetary debt? What debt could that be? And to whom is it owed?" Nila questioned as she tilted her head and raised an eyebrow.
"It's… something deeply personal," Twitch answered without actually giving up any concrete information. "All that needs to be known is that, by any means necessary, we have to do our part in putting that miserable pirate hag in her place," she added, a sense of vehemence immediately presenting itself in her tone.
"I fully understand. In that case, I will ask no further questions," Nila acknowledged with a confident nod. "Simply tell me what our plan is, and I will see to it that your orders are carried out to the finest detail."
"Glad to hear it, soldier," Vinegar proudly acknowledged, the K0414 squad leader's cooperation instilling a sense of hope within her. "Get yourself treated in the infirmary first. After you're done, we'll regroup with the rest of your unit to map out our strategy."
"Ma'am, yes, ma'am!" Nila enthusiastically complied with a salute before turning and entering the Ammonian health clinic to be screened for potential injuries suffered from her previous battle.
"The rest of you, we'll address as soon as you all get treatment," Twitch informed the rest of the Ammonian soldiers in the line. "We've got one last big job to do before we earn ourselves a well-deserved break. Those of you that can still fight, we'll need as much support as we can get. Ammo Baron debriefed us on the attack earlier today, and as it stands, Risky Boots remains our biggest threat to date despite our previous 'partnership' with her. By any means necessary, we'll need to score a decisive victory against her while we have the chance, and with the right tools and the right amount of motivation, we can do it."
"Hoo-rah!" the Ammonian collective shouted in unison, pumped up by their de facto leader's words of encouragement.
"That's the spirit, men! Now then, it's understandable if any of you needs to recuperate after the dirty sneak attack Risky launched today to try and bury us when she thought she had us under her thumb. We can't blame you for minding your health, but I will say that the Ammonian Army, even during its most trying of times, is still presented with an opportunity like no other in the form of joining forces with our half-genie 'acquaintance' and her allies," she informed the soldiers present, somewhat to their surprise and confusion. "And if I need to clarify it, then I'll say that our alliance with her is STRICTLY for the purpose of gaining an edge over Risky Boots for what she's done to us. Not a single thing more. One way or another, we'll make Risky aware that we're a force to be reckoned with, and no amount of subterfuge or underhanded sneak attacks is going to keep us down. She will not break us! And now, the time is at hand to deliver upon her and her scraggly bat freaks the wrath of the Ammonian Army! For you! For me and Vinegar! For our comrades who laid their lives on the line for our cause! And especially for Ammo Baron, who was gravely injured to the point of not being able to physically join us for this final confrontation! We can't take that lying down! We have a duty to deal back any transgression committed against us tenfold! Am I clear, men!?"
"HOO-RAH!" many of the Ammonian soldiers present collectively agreed, pledging their undying loyalty to their faction as they got pumped to take revenge against the Queen of the Seven Seas.
"Glad to hear it! As soon as you guys get checked out, those of you who are able and willing to continue the fight can meet Vinegar and me at the North surveillance tower," Twitch informed the men as she gestured for Vinegar to follow her back toward the spot where they had originally landed their plane (which happened to be near the tower in question). "We don't have much time to work with, so make sure you get yourselves in gear! Time is of the essence, and revenge is a dish best served hot enough to incinerate anyone who dares to order it! And Risky Boots just ordered it!"
"HOO-RAH!" the Ammonian soldiers chanted once more, saluting their commanding officers as the young women marched off in confidence that their pep talk brought some form of morale to their largely compromised forces. As Twitch and Vinegar made their way back to the damaged tower through the scrap-littered sands of the desert, they wore… peculiarly worried looks on their faces.
"…So much for that 'indefinite sabbatical' we were supposed to take…" Vinegar mentioned with a heavy sigh.
"No kidding…" Twitch agreed with a shake of her head. "In a way, it just seems to me like there will never be a time where we're NOT doing Ammonian Army-related stuff…" she murmured, secretly mulling over the parting words of her non-Ammonian comrade.
"Yeah, but it's the nature of the job," Vinegar assured, unaware of Twitch's internal dilemma. "We wouldn't have signed up together if we weren't prepared to bear the burdens that came along with working as diligently as we do. And even though we're bearing a few heavy burdens right now, we're still moving toward the future. Of course, we've still gotta set our own boundaries for what we put up with. I'm sure I speak for us both when I say this past couple weeks have had both of us hit our limits on how much we can deal with before it starts to burn us out."
"Can't argue with that, Vinni," Twitch fully agreed, though her closest companion's words struck another chord within her that she dared not speak of in that moment. "Can't argue with that at all…"
"Hm? What's going on, Vidi?" Vinegar asked, noticing from Twitch's concerned facial expression that she appeared to be mulling over something. "You seem like you're really thinking about something. Is there something I can help you sort out?"
"…It's nothing, Vinni," Twitch dismissed after a brief pause. "I'm really just thinking about how we're going to pull off our part of this counterattack against Risky with one plane, a few of those interdimensional weapons, and our underprepared Sector K0414 and some willing volunteers as our only available resources."
"Well, however bleak things look, I still think we've got more than enough at our disposal to at least put a dent in Risky's forces before Shantae and company take care of the rest. At this point, we can only support them. Much as I'd hate to say it, we'll have to play it smart. I'm thinking we'll do a lot of hit-and-run while keeping a safe enough distance to distract her and those rotten Tinkerbats. If we distract her enough, then that'll at least create some crucial opportunities for the others to make a decisive move."
"Sounds a lot like something A.B. would do in this situation," Twitch pointed out as they closed the distance between themselves and the surveillance tower. "And at this point, we don't really have any other option. It's fine by me, either way. If we can keep from losing any more troops or weapons or especially Sector K0414 in this battle while keeping that hideous witch Risky busy, that'll be the closest thing to a victory we can claim for the Ammonian Army."
"Exactly. Plus, Nila will know exactly what to do once she and her squad come from the infirmary to discuss the game plan with us."
"I only hope so, Vinni. In that case, let's commit to it and finally show that miserable pirate shrew who she's messin' with!" Twitch vowed, holding out a fist toward Vinegar with a confident smirk on her face.
"Count on it, Vidi," Vinegar wholly concurred, fist-bumping her best friend as they finally reached the damaged defense tower and got set to plan out the phases of their portion of the collaborative effort to defeat Risky Boots. And with that, it seems like preparations for what could be the ultimate confrontation were in full swing. With mere hours to get themselves ready for the full might or Risky's approaching forces, and with so much at stake, it was only a wonder how things would turn out for everyone… I won't lie, it pretty much KILLED me inside to anticipate the conclusion of what may very well have been Sequin Land's deadliest conflict yet.
Things were never quite this serious before this point in recent times… it was almost to the point that even the most oblivious of individuals couldn't help but notice the palpable danger roaring out from every corner. This time, there were no additional guardian genies to rescue. There was no Magic Lamp capable of sucking the powers out of a genie or trapping said genie inside. There was no Pirate Master. And at this point, there wasn't even a Tinker-Brain that could warp mere humans into the mystical Genie Realm with the intent to destroy it and corrupt its inhabitants. Instead, there existed a Tinker-Portal that could potentially be used to invade another timeline/planet/universe without restraint. We only thank our lucky stars that she hadn't been able to fix it at this point, but as long as that monstrosity continued to sit idly by in her lair awaiting much-needed repairs, Risky's insatiable appetite for destruction and mayhem remained limitless. Making matters even worse was that Risky Boots was also armed with a heaping (literal) boatload of incredibly destructive tools of war from another dimension, in addition to a massive boost in her own physical power no one could've ever predicted. And as everyone's most fearsome Pirate Queen had demonstrated time and time again, she was pulling no punches. Our heroes were fortunate to have been able to keep her occupied as long as they had, for better or for worse, but it seemed like the most crucial clash of this entire saga had yet to take place. After so long of planning multiple methods of dismantling the country and rebuilding it in her own image, exterminating or otherwise incapacitating all who opposed her with extreme prejudice, and trying to figure out a way to get the Tinker-Portal working again with limited success, Risky found her hand forced. At this point, it was take over Sequin Land or bust, whether she got her Tinker-Portal repaired in time or not. As always, she would stop at nothing to get what she wanted. And, even without the aid of some reality-warping, magic-fueled technology the likes of which should probably not exist because of people like her, Risky Boots still proved herself to be the world's most dangerous enemy since her old mentor, the Pirate Master, lived to plunge the world into total chaos. Of course, even without his assistance, Risky Boots proved that she had her own brew of nefarious methods of swallowing the world in darkness; be it by one kidnapped or mercilessly corrupted person, one decimated city, one annihilated army, one usurped country... or even one invaded alternate WORLD at a time. The stakes were high, and anyone caught bringing anything less than their best to the table was liable to get wiped out in the ensuing turmoil.
Nevertheless, we're not quite done observing how our heroes prepared to go toe-to-toe with Sequin Land's Number One Would-Be Destroyer. That said, we've got just a few more quick visits to make. And where better to jump next than…?
Elsewhere again, slightly later...
LOCATION: HALFWAY POINT, THIMBLE CANYON, SEQUIN LAND
DATE: OCTOBER 2ND, 16 P.G.F.
TIME: 1317 HOURS (Roughly two hours and forty-three minutes before Risky's umpteenth invasion of Scuttle Town)
"Hm. This puzzle sure is a brain-scrambler," a certain undead maiden observed with a scratch of her head as she and her two friends stood atop the flat surface of a thimble-shaped mountain in the middle of the conveniently-named Thimble Canyon.
"You can say that again…" another young woman with an extremely long, lush, lavender-hued ponytail and a jewelry-decorated belly dance ensemble agreed as she crossed her arms and studied the puzzle in front of them. "I've solved this kind of three-shape panel puzzle before on Tan Line Island. Why is it so hard this time?"
"We probably ain't go through every single combo like we thought we did," the third party member, a tall, puffy-haired male wearing a tank top and army fatigues of a rich crimson whose voice sounded like two of him were speaking at the same time, additionally observed. He stared up toward an olive-green crate trapped within the confines of a floating platform wall puzzle, wondering alongside his friends about how to get the crate out of its arcane prison.
"Eh, I'm feeling like we hit them all," the zombie girl countered as she continued to study the panels on the ground that corresponded to the puzzle they were trying to solve that displayed a garnet-colored pentagon, an azure-colored diamond, and an emerald-colored triangle. "With there only being three shapes and three panels to choose from, there can only realistically be 27 different combinations we can achieve. Mind you, we've only been at this for the last, like, twenty minutes, and all three of us were pounding away at the buttons to get every combination as fast as we could."
"I suppose that's a good point, Rotty," the young man agreed after giving his friend's comment some thought. "But then, for this one puzzle t' just be arrangin' the platforms in a way that it lets us simply walk up there an' take whatever's in there, it sure ain't lookin' so easy…"
"Hmm… Y'know, I'm starting to wonder if maybe the idea ISN'T to find the right button combination, but to organize all these platforms by pressing the buttons here in a sequential order, even though the buttons change shape every time we press one…" the ponytailed young woman theorized, pressing on one of the panels with her foot. The platforms shifted in a seemingly random direction, in addition to the triangle on the panel she pressed switching to the shape of a diamond. Curiously, she pressed it again, causing the platforms to orbit around one another while changing the shape of the panel to a pentagon. "Hmm…" the girl pensively hummed, pressing the panel one more time, causing the platforms to shift back into the position they were in prior to her first button press while the shape returned to that of a triangle. "Yep. Turns out, we have to press them in a certain order to line the platforms up, not figure out the right shape combo. The changing shapes on the panels themselves might just be a red herring meant to keep us from figuring out the real purpose of the puzzle."
"Ohh," the young man and the zombie woman both droned in realization, each of them glancing at the super complicated puzzle before exchanging glances with one another. After a moment, one of them spoke.
"…Yeah, ain't nobody got time for all o' that," the man declared, evidently no longer interested in completing the puzzle as he eyed up the platform way above them that held the desired prize.
"Really? Do you want us to skip this and move on, then?" the ponytailed maiden asked, surprised that her friend would want to give up. "I won't blame you if you do, and we probably could spend what little time we have gathering other resources."
"Not at all, Shantae," the man answered, confirming his interest in solving the vexing puzzle. "I've got a better idea."
"Oh yeah, Tay? And what idea might that be?" Shantae questioned, tilting her head in wonder.
"You'll see," Tay answered before turning toward Rottytops. "Rotty?"
"Yeeeeees~?" she cheerily responded, expecting him to ask her for a favor.
"Give me your head," he nonchalantly requested, though the reaction he got from the zombie girl was anything but what he was expecting… by which I mean Rotty gasped, clasping her hands over her mouth in total shock that utterly befuddled her two comrades.
"Tayshan! You can't just go asking girls for such outrageous things like that!" Rotty blushingly chided him, discombobulating both him and Shantae further. "That's totally improper! Plus, now's not the time for that! We're kinda busy right now."
"Wow…" Tay remarked with a deflated tone and a sigh, flat-out dumbfounded by Rotty's most impressive ability to make any normal situation completely awkward in a single comment. "An' already, I've been made t' regret askin'."
"…What… in the world are you talking about?" Shantae asked Rottytops, completely lost on her best friend's unusual reaction to a simple request.
"…Y'know, I feel like I know where she's goin' with this, but I'm gonna give her the benefit o' the doubt an' ask again," Tay very carefully stated to Shantae, holding up a finger and considering his words before turning back to Rotty. "Rottytops, may you pretty please give me your head?" At that, Rotty inappropriately blushed even harder, giggling like she was being tickled by invisible feathers. "…Aaaand now I realize exactly what you're thinkin'…"
"D-do you, stud muffin?" she teased, still chortling to herself while Tay shook his head and sighed. "Because if you do, that's really naughty…"
"Get your mind out o' the gutter," Tay humbly suggested, less than amused by the undead maiden's lascivious display. "You play too much. Are you gonna give me your head or what?" At that, Rotty burst into adorably mischievous laughter, doing no one around her any favors.
"Seriously? How can I consider the request when you ask me like that? It sounds so raunchy!" she requested to know through her bout of guffawing like she was watching a comedy routine. In response, Tay breathed the deepest and heaviest of sighs as he plastered a hand over his face.
"…Yo, you are trippin' SO hard right now," he flatly remarked while suspiciously clasping his hand over his mouth to hide his involuntary smirk. Seeing right through it regardless, Rotty busted out laughing at the fact that she just heard her new favorite word while also getting Tay to crack yet again.
"Ahh, I gotcha again~!" she teased, proud of her latest achievement.
"D'oh, for goodness sake, Rotty, grow up! You're so gross!" Shantae chastised the rambunctious zombie, marching right over to her and clasping her hands on the other girl's cheeks. Rottytops offered no resistance, continuing to giggle in glee as she got under the skin of her non-zombie comrades once again. In that same moment, Shantae detached Rotty's head with a comical *pop* before tossing it toward Tay, who caught it with one hand.
"Thanks, homegirl," Tay demonstrated his appreciation for Shantae's interference in the conversation that otherwise would've gone WAY left.
"Sure thing. Otherwise, we'd be here all day trying to get Rotty to stop being inappropriate."
"Maybe not all day," the zombie maiden smilingly interjected as the soldier held her head high in his hands. "I'd have stopped within the next hour or two. Promise!"
"Rrrrrriiiiight..." the half-genie droned, shooting her friend a deadpan expression before shifting her focus. "Anyway, Tay, I'm going to take a wild guess and say your idea is to toss her head up to the platform the box is on, have her use her Head Warp to teleport up to it, and then have her Head Warp back down with the box?"
"Yep. How'd you know?" he confirmed in mild surprise.
"I think I've grown familiar enough with your sense of creativity in recent times to figure out how you think," she coyly mentioned with a knowing smirk.
"You've been watchin' me," he pointed out with a grin of his own.
"It's hard not to. You're just that interesting," she shot back, smiling wider at him.
"You flatter me," he bashfully accepted her flirty compliment.
"D'aww, you two are so adorable…" Rotty took the opportunity to whimsically interject. "The lovey-dovey energy between you is overwhelming! I gotta say, I didn't think you'd be such a natural at flirting, Shantae, but I'm glad to know my lessons are finally paying off!" And with that, the moment was lost long before it had a chance to be appreciated. Tay, thoroughly flustered by Rotty's comment, groaned and batted his gaze elsewhere while Shantae turned in another direction while shyly pressing her index fingers together.
"Gee, thanks for pointing all that out…" Shantae meekly shared her 'appreciation' of Rotty's observation. "Although, I don't have a clue what 'lessons' you're talking about. Constantly hitting on me and then telling me to do the same thing to you or a guy I like is hardly educational..."
"Hittin' on her and then...? Jeez, you are wild..." Tayshan remarked in complete astonishment, shaking his head in a mix of wonder and total confusion at Rottytops.
"Aw, don't be so shy now, snack cakes! I'm just telling you how proud I am of you!" Rotty cheerfully assured as she seemed not to hear Tay's comment, to the benefit of no one around her as both her friends grew hot under the collar.
"Great. So anyway, Rotty…" Tay interjected again, changing the subject immediately. "Think you can pull it off, with teleportin' that Weapons Crate from way up there?"
"Originally, I'd have not entertained it. But after that daring rescue you helped me pull off a couple hours ago, I'm sure this can be done lickety-split!" Rotty offered her vote of confidence. "Only thing I'm iffy about is how high up that box is. It's WAY up there."
"Yeah, Tay, do you think you can toss her up that far?" Shantae asked, growing curious herself. "That platform has got to be at LEAST as high as the top of the Sequin Land Palace from here by comparison."
"Tough t' say," he uncertainly answered as he scanned the incredible distance with just his eyes. "It's pretty far up, but I figure that if I can fling one whole Bolo halfway across a forest, I can toss one sixth of a Rottytops up t' that platform with just as much effort." At that, both girls chuckled.
"I mean, if you're going to use those sorts of calculations, then I don't suppose I can argue," Shantae humorously conceded. "Only thing I'd have to ask you about is the conversion rate between the Bolo and the Rottytops."
"And you'd better say that one of me is lighter than one of him," Rotty sternly, yet smilingly warned. "Otherwise, I'll haunt your dreams."
"Good luck with that one, Rotty," Tay confidently challenged. "Last I heard, only phantoms can haunt dreams, not zombies."
"Hmm… Funny you should say that…" Shantae cryptically remarked, evidently knowing something about Rottytops that Tayshan didn't. For some reason, however, she decided against elaborating in that moment.
"Yeah, well this zombie's full of surprises, as you already know. Don't make me have to use more of my superpowers from beyond the grave to teach you a lesson," Rotty playfully cautioned him again.
"Right, because everything you've done t' spook me out o' my wits wasn't punishment enough," he shot back. "I'm positive that as of now, there's nothin' else you could could do t' scare me outside of actually tryin' t' eat my brain. After the last thing you did with the whole 'coming inside me' deal the other day, I'm not sure what else you'd expect me t' learn from you other than that you're certifiably nuts."
"And as we already know, you love me for it," she retorted with a highly pleased, toothy giggle as she reminisced on the wonderful, potentially lethal misadventure of using her Head Warp to teleport out of a grown man's stomach like a rabbit out of a magician's top hat. "No other girl aside from me and maybe Shantae could give you such zany and breathtaking experiences like that, and you know it. And let's be real, Tay; You had to enjoy that neat little Head Warp trick of mine in hindsight. I mean hey, you're the first person I've ever done that to! Even if it was... mostly unintentional."
"Don't get carried away. My stomach still hurts thinkin' about the 'Head Warp trick' in question, thank you very much," he half-joked, rubbing his abdomen in reflective discomfort. "There's no way I'm livin' a horrible experience like that down, an' that's sayin' somethin' as a guy who, just three weeks ago, had no idea you, or this world in general, even existed. Also, even for how much I've learned about you, I've only known you for two days."
"Yeah, well, considering what happened between us in the span of those two days, stud muffin, time is basically irrelevant. Doesn't matter that you're from a different world anymore, either. You know you love me already, so there's no use hiding it! Just be honest!" At that, Tay shot Rottytops a most plain, yet scrutinizing facial expression as the impressionable young zombie confidently and jovially smirked back at him. And at that moment, he could read the outlandish sincerity in her demeanor that she did nothing to hide.
"…Sure, Rotty," he admitted with slight chuckle and a roll of his eyes. "You got me there. With homegirl's permission…" he trailed off, glancing at Shantae as she smilingly watched the exchange between two of her closest friends.
"Go for it, homeboy," Shantae permitted with a jubilant grin, though she wasn't sure what he needed her permission for. At the phrasing of the half-genie's statement, Tay couldn't help but crack a smile at her before turning his attention back to the disembodied head in his hands.
"…I guess it wouldn't kill me too bad t' admit that you grew on me just a little bit, despite our rocky beginnin'. So there. If I gotta say it, then there's no time like now. I er… I-I love you," Tay shared to Rotty as he held her head up to meet his gaze at eye level. Making such a gushy admission right then and there, however endearing, still embarrassed him to no end as his cheeks grew hot. Meanwhile, Rotty's eyes widened, glimmering with delight as her cheeks darkened by a couple shades to emphasize her excitement in hearing his admission.
"Awww, I knew it! Not many who see past the detachable limbs and green skin can resist my exuberant charms and magnetic personality," she cheered with the brightest smile on her face, though her energetic reply hid the fact that she was genuinely happy to have made another friend who could completely accept her for who she was. It was to the point where her body, which had been patiently waiting nearby, experienced a notable increase in its nigh-nonexistent heartbeat. "Of course, you've seen far more of me than all of that by now, Tay…~" she further teased with her trademark flair of inappropriateness as she winked at him.
"An' it's always fun t' know you'll never let me forget a single second of it," he sarcastically remarked, much to Rotty's humor. "Ever…"
"Goodness, Rotty, does EVERYTHING you say to him have to be so forward and inappropriate?" Shantae chided, greatly perturbed by Rotty's relentlessly salacious comments. "I feel like this is a little much, even for you. You've never even been this bad with me."
"Darn tootin'!" she proudly confirmed. "And don't worry, I won't bite! This is basically how you and I became friends after we met, so I may as well treat Tayshan the same way! I mean heck, the fact that you two have almost the same name and have the same appreciation for my sense of humor speaks volumes about why I should go about it like this!"
"Well… I'm perfectly okay with just havin' a casual chat or two t' break the ice. Trust me, it's much easier that way t' build on your friendship with me. It's also way less intense…" Tay strongly advised Rotty.
"Yeah, but that isn't anywhere near as much fun. Besides, for my next best friend to be such an unbelievably handsome guy like you is icing on the cake! Sorry, but you're far too attractive not to flirt with~!" the zombie girl blurted out, much to Tay's chagrin as he groaned in continued embarrassment. The sheer heat from the sudden wave of nervousness he felt from Rotty's constant goading was palpable… and no one could really blame him.
"Rotty...!" Shantae called, growing steadily more irritated with the more the excitable zombie maiden continued to goad the mildly uncomfortable serviceman.
"O-okay, thanks, but you're layin' that 'icing' on WAY too thick, Rotty," Tay complained while humbly accepting her compliments, trying his best to temper his reaction to his 'next best friend' vocalizing such intense and unnecessarily detailed opinions of him. "Your super affectionate sentiments are bein' read loud an' clear, but I don't think I need that kind o' preferential treatment; especially not just based off my looks. Just sayin'."
"Mmm, yeah, you definitely do need the preferential treatment. How else am I supposed to get a 'rise' out of you? Plus, your dry, sarcastic remarks are to die for! Pun totally intended, by the way."
"…Ah, you remind me so much of an old friend o' mine…" Tay quietly murmured with a shake of his head, calling back to the memory of one of his dearly departed companions.
"Do I? Interesting!" the zombie maiden proclaimed, finding herself even more excited to have gained Tayshan's approval and friendship. "In that case, it's basically like we've always known each other! And just so you know the feeling's mutual, I love you too, Tayshan! I love ya bunches! This isn't even factoring in my ironically undying appreciation of you for risking your life and saving me and my friends from certain doom multiple times. I'd totally be hugging you right now if my head was still attached to my body."
"Fantastic. I'm sure that can wait till later. Now, we can move ont' this Head Warp thing, right?" he dismissed, wanting VERY BADLY to regain focus on the task at hand before Rottytops got more carried away.
"Yep!" she thankfully agreed, allowing things to finally get back on-track.
"Thank goodness…" Shantae murmured with a heavy sigh, long since wanting that portion of their conversation to reach its end. "Now that we're moving ahead, though, I've got an idea. Instead of having him throw your head up there, Rotty, I could just turn into my Harpy form and carry you," she further postulated.
"That makes sense, too, but now I'm curious to know if stud muffin's guns are just for show or if there's some real substance he's packing in 'em," Rotty teased with a wink. "Granted, I know the answer to that, but I'm thinking I need another example… If anything, maybe you can fly to the spot and carry my head back down once I Head Warp up there?"
"Hm. I mean, if you say so…" Shantae permitted with a shrug, though she also found herself curious to know if Tay could pull it off. "Plus, it's probably a lot faster that way. Feeling up to the challenge, Tay?"
"Now that the pressure's on to impress you two, I don't have a choice but t' go for it," he quipped with a nonchalant shrug as he sized up the target platform once more as he searched for a comfortable position from which to engage his maneuver.
"In that case, I'm sure you won't disappoint. I'll still get ready in advance…" Shantae advised, engaging in a quick little belly dance routine that saw her morph with a *POOF* into Harpy-Shantae. "Ready when you are!"
"Cool. Now, then…! Haaaaah…!" the serviceman grunted, readying his throwing arm as he tightened his grip on Rotty's detached head. Staring intently at the platform in question, Tay raised his free hand to where it was fully extended toward the platform to gauge the angle at which he needed to throw his comrade's head to make sure she landed on the platform. "Hooh…! Hrrrrgh…!" the young man grunted some more, his body finding itself coated in a shroud of black and purple energy that sent an almost paralyzing shockwave of dread racing through his half-genie team leader as she found herself all but compelled to watch on. And, from Tay's perspective, he experienced a familiar, yet uncommon phenomenon of visualizing an arching trajectory line. As it had done so in the past, this line provided him with the ability to adjust his throw for accuracy while he built his strength.
"No…! His magic… It's still Dark?" she asked herself in worry as Tay cocked his arm back as far as he could manage in preparation to give Rotty's head a good, long, mostly vertical toss. He hadn't even noticed in that moment that he was bathed in evil energy. "Tay, hang on! You shouldn't overdo-!"
"Huaaaaaarrrrrrrryaaah!" Tay hollered out as he, with a mighty range of motion, launched Rotty's head toward the platform like he was trying to throw a space shuttle into orbit. With a sudden, incredible *FWOOSH*, Rotty's head went barreling up into the sky at top speed.
"Wheeeeeeee~!" Rotty sang as her head found itself bulleting way upward like it was on a direct crash course to the next planet. It had to be nothing short of a miracle that the zombie girl's noggin didn't catch fire from the sheer velocity of her rapid ascent toward her mission objective as she bulleted upward with a windy *WHOOSH*. However, this trip didn't come without a heavy toll on the person who provided it to her.
"Gaaaahagh…!" Tayshan grunted in searing agony, clutching one arm with the other as he fell to one knee, panting like he'd just run fifteen laps around the perimeter of the Thimble Canyon. The arm he'd just used to throw Rottytops's head appeared to be in immeasurable pain as he winced massaged it.
"Tay!" Harpy-Shantae called out, noticing right away that something was wrong. That ominous feeling in her gut never showed any signs of subsiding in that moment, which worried the young woman greatly. Her concern was amplified by the sight of her partner in agony as his compromised arm found itself crackling with magic-borne electricity while also being surrounded by an encompassing swirl of dark energy. Horrified by the unnerving display, Shantae morphed back into her human self with a *POOF* before she rushed toward him, ready to try and help the ailing man out. Just as she got within arm's length of him, however, she felt a sudden press of something cold and clammy plastering itself onto her back before she even had the chance to prepare for it. "What the-!? Rotty?" she accurately guessed, trying to turn around as her best friend's headless corporeal form wrapped its arms around her with no intent to let go. "Rotty, no! Wait! Don't teleport me with you!" Shantae pleaded, realizing right away what was about to happen as she began to struggle to break herself free.
"Hah…! Hagh…! Grgh…" Tay grunted, trembling immensely as the ominous swirls of the evil aura around his arm began to die down. He remained on one knee, massaging the troubled appendage more as he took deep, coordinated breaths to try and dispel the accursed sensation. "Gah… L-looks like I ain't gettin' off this Dark Magic kick so easy… Darn it…!" he complained, realizing immediately that he was still prone to being overwhelmed by the power of the gem still located somewhere within his body. "Risky, I'm… I'm gonna pay you back in spades for this…!"
"Rotty, I'm not kidding around! Hrrrk…! Get off me right now!" Shantae continued to demand as she wrestled with her relentless friend to avoid being warped to her location. However, without her head being there, Rottytops couldn't actually hear Shantae's requests for her to let go. As such, Rotty's body continued to squeeze the half-genie tight and hold her in place. "Rottytops, stop!"
"If you're tryin' t' check up on me, homegirl, then don't worry about it. I'll be alright," Tay advised, pulling himself back up to a standing position before taking a few more deep breaths to calm his nerves. In the meantime, he stretched and flexed the impacted limb to rid himself of the uncomfortable burning sensation coursing through his skin.
"Hrrgh…! I-I'm glad to hear that, but I still want to know for sure," Shantae offered while still trying to break away from her zombie friend's grip. To her surprise, she found it incredibly difficult to find a position from which to give the headless Rottytops the slip. "The fact that you're still able to use Dark Magic like that is a huge concern for all of us."
"Trust me, I know…" Tay concurred, stretching every inch of his body as the semblances of Dark Magic surrounding his arm finally disappeared with a few *CRACKLEs* of purple electricity. Noticing it for himself, he breathed a sigh of relief before getting set to walk over toward Shantae to try and help her. By the time he took two steps toward the half-genie, however, a swirling purple vortex had suddenly opened up under her. "It looks like we might have t' wait until you get back down here t' talk about it, if that portal beneath your feet is somethin' worth mentionin'."
"What?" the unaware young lady questioned, looking below. In that instant, she noticed exactly what Tay had pointed out. "Oh, no…! Rotty, stop! Stop!" Shantae continued to demand, though it was far too late by that time. Skeleton hands sprung forth from the unusual portal, latching onto both girls before the half-genie got any additional opportunity to escape. "No, no, no, no-! Gack!" the poor girl yelled as she, with a mighty *THWOOSH*, got sucked into the portal alongside her friend.
"Hm. I only presume that means Rottytops made it up there," Tay remarked, turning his attention upward toward the platform that held the Weapons Crate. "At least, I hope… Hm. I… should probably get started on figurin' out this Dark Magic business while I wait… Last thing we need is for me t' go flyin' off the handle again..." he further murmured, worriedly staring at his hands before clutching his chest with one of them. Within a second, however, he heard a *beep* coming from the Heart Monitor, prompting him to look at the device on his wrist in hopes that it could give him an idea of what was happening. "Huh… The lamp is still full an' is still the same color. But… my health readin' is down t' 485 points? That's no good… Does that mean it hurts t' use magic in general now, as opposed t' bein' hurt if I overuse it…? Will… will this potentially be the thing that kills me if I'm not careful…?" he pondered, staring at his other hand and clenching it into a fist. Within seconds, however (and possibly against his better judgment), he tensed up his fist and channeled some corrupted energy into it. The sudden rush of Dark Magic came roaring forth with a startling *FWOORSH* that burned the serviceman's hand like he tried to grab an active light bulb. "Gah...! Ow, this... this really stings... It's so strong, but it hurts so much...! R-regardless, if I expect t' contribute t' the fight against Risky, then... then, I'll have t' figure out a way t' use this power t' my advantage without it corruptin' me. If possible... But then, I'm hopin' my time in the Grotto o' Judgment gave me some idea o' how t' handle this...! Just keep calm, and don't let this energy control me. It feeds off intense negative emotions an' it warps my thoughts if I let it, as far as I've experienced. That's... exactly what Risky tried t' use against me, but I'm somehow still in control for now. There's... agh...! a lot t' consider here, but I'll figure somethin' out about this..." he vowed, channeling another current of Dark Magic into his fists as he took the time to begin understanding his unwanted new power. Soon after, he began throwing coordinated punches into the air while his fists were coated in Dark Magic, the ominous *WHOOSHes* of his had against the open air emphasizing how much energy he'd been exuding. One could only wonder if he was jeopardizing his own safety playing with fire like he had. We would find out momentarily, nevertheless.
Meanwhile…
"Wahawhahah!" a certain half-genie bellowed as she and the headless, curvaceous form of another young woman emerged from a portal conjured up from within the stony surface of a floating platform way high up in the air. Just as the sudden and almost instantaneous trip ended, Shantae hurriedly stuck her hands and feet out toward the platform's surface to avoid crash-landing face first onto the floating structure. Rottytops, whose head found itself faithfully reattached to her body in the process, held on with her arms wrapped around Shantae's shoulders while wrapping her legs around the half-genie's waist. "Hoo… I will never get used to that…"
"Can't say I blame you on that one, snack cakes," Rotty bashfully agreed, still holding her best friend tight to avoid falling herself. Picking herself up while scooping Rotty up into a bridal carry for a moment, Shantae took a moment to observe their immediate surroundings. It seemed as though they'd indeed made it to the platform that, as promised, held the coveted Weapons Crate on top of it. "Gotta hand it to stud muffin, though. He's got quite the major league arm to be able to throw me this high up. Color me impressed!" Rotty added as she let go of Shantae and allowed her to set her down on her feet.
"Agreed...! Ergh... W-We'd better hurry and get back down there, though," Shantae urged, clutching her stomach as she continued to feel pangs of discomfort and unusual dread as she prepared to instruct her teammate to enact the second phase of their impromptu item collection strategy. "I need to check on-!"
"Whoa, look at what else is here! Neat!" Rotty exclaimed in excitement as she ran along toward the far corner of the massive stone platform opposite of the Weapons Crate while interrupting her friend. The excitable young zombie maiden had spotted a few items and swept them all up without a second thought. In short, Rottytops got Fake Brain, Potion, and a hefty sack of gems that were conveniently resting there. Peculiar how that works… especially regarding the Fake Brain. Hmm… Eh, I'm sure we'll figure THAT out later. Anyway, Rotty collected the items and walked over to hand Shantae the potion. Shantae got Potion and stashed it in her inventory, though she also found herself mystified by such an unusual development as the pangs in her stomach began to fade.
"How… eerily convenient that those items were just sitting there," the half-genie warily pointed out, shifting her eyes around the surrounding clouds. "I was certain that the only thing we saw up here before was this Weapons Crate… At least, that's what I saw last time I was here, though I didn't really get a good look..."
"You say that like you never find conveniently placed power-ups just lying around right where you need them all the time," Rotty joked with a chuckle at how ironic her teammate's statement sounded.
"…I guess that isn't too off the mark to say," Shantae conceded after a moment of contemplation on just how right Rotty was. "Eh, that's a good point," she further lauded the zombie woman, dismissing the concern entirely.
"Of course it is, hon! Now, let's get this box where it needs to go!" Rotty proclaimed with gusto as she gleefully hopped onto the Weapons Crate, took a comfortable seat, and detached her head. She followed up by resting her detached noggin directly on the crate for her best friend to pick up and carry once she transformed back into her harpy form.
"Right," Shantae initially agreed as that nauseous feeling in her abdomen dissipated entirely. "Huh... The feeling's gone now. I wonder if that means he's okay..."
"Hm? What do you mean?" Rotty asked, uncertain of the reasons behind her friend's concerened expression as the half-genie momentarily stared at her stomach. "You feeling okay over there?"
"I'm fine, Rotty," Shantae assured with a simple nod. "I had a bad feeling for a little while, but it's gone now. I still wonder if what I saw was a one-time incident, or if there's something we still need to fix, though..."
"You're losing me, babe. What are you talking about?" the zombie maiden asked again for clarification.
"Sorry. Um... In a nutshell, we're not out of the woods with Tay and that Dark Magic gem stuck in his body," she warned. "When he threw your head up here, he was coated in it. I was about to check on him before you whisked me up here with you."
"Oh... That's... pretty scary to hear," Rottytops acknowledged as her expression turned to one of concern. "Sorry for not giving you that chance. We should be more careful from here on out, from the sound of it. Wouldn't want him to go berserk again..."
"Yeah. I have a feeling he's got it under control now, so with any luck, there's nothing too pressing to worry about right this second. We should get back down there as quickly as possible, no less."
"You won't hear me disagree with that," Rotty concurred as she patiently waited for Shantae to get ready. "In that case, let me know when you're ready to get a move on with bringing this fancy box to our newly reformed boy toy?" she rather impertinently asked, thus evoking a different sense of discomfort within the half-genie as she silently looked Rotty's disembodied head in the eye. "Er... Snack cakes? Are... you ready to go?"
"...Now that I think about it, Rotty, I... I want to take the opportunity to address something with you while we're up here alone," Shantae candidly informed the other young woman, her tone suddenly laced with a hesitant seriousness. Out of seemingly nowhere, Shantae had found herself somewhat displeased with Rottytops as she suddenly changed her mind on hurrying back down to their teammate.
"Oh. Uh, sure. What's up?" Rotty asked, opening her ears to listen as she wondered what her best friend was thinking to be looking at her so intensely.
"I don't know exactly how to put it, but… Could you maybe take it a little easier on Tayshan?" Shantae requested, thereby cutting to the chase of a personal concern she had with Rotty's conduct in relation to Tay.
"Take it easier? What do you mean?" Rotty defensively asked, warily raising an eyebrow.
"I mean with your jokes and comments," Shantae clarified. "I get it that you're excited to make a new friend, and I… can't really ignore that you're attracted to him…" she further admitted with a grain of salt.
"Hmm… Correct on both counts," Rotty admitted, though she did so with no form of hesitation or joking inflection.
"Right... But considering what just happened to him, I feel like maybe it's a little… uh… insensitive, I guess… to keep flirting and making racy comments when he hasn't even had time to cope with everything…" she spoke, her heart pounding as she considered stopping herself. However, she knew for herself that if she didn't speak up at this point, there may never have been another appropriate opportunity to do so. "I'm gonna be honest with you. Even though he's not saying it, I'm pretty sure he's uncomfortable with the way you're acting toward him. And, considering that he and I are dating now, so am I. If you don't mind, could you please tone it down a notch?"
"I mean... I don't think I was acting out of the ordinary, but okay. Also, you think he's uncomfortable? Eh, I beg to differ," Rotty disagreed, much to the genie girl's surprise.
"How?" Shantae incredulously asked, surprised to hear that Rotty didn't see it her way.
"Trust me, I've made plenty of people very uncomfortable in my time," the undead maiden admitted, though the momentary dejection in her face emphasized how unwilling she was to admit it. "I know what it looks like when people get tired of me or otherwise stop enjoying being around me. It's... not the greatest feeling in the world. Far from it. But yeah. I haven't really picked up on any signs that stud muffin is bothered by anything I've said or done so far; especially after we all just shared a shower not too long ago. He seems fine to me," she further asserted.
"...R-right..." Shantae acknowledged, though the mere mention of their situationally influenced group shower time earlier put a sour taste in her mouth. "I-I still can't believe we did that..."
"Aw come on, that was nothing," Rotty assured, having no issue with such an arrangement. "Like I said before, we did everything we needed to do to make that shower as safe, quick, and efficient as possible; especially when we need all the time we can afford to stop Risky. Besides, I wouldn't have suggested it if I didn't trust either of you to handle it with some level of maturity. Don't get so hung up on something so silly! It was a one-time thing based on a tense situation where neither the Bathhouse nor the Item Shop were available. It's not like I was planning on convincing you to make it a regular habit between the three of us or anything! I think we've had more than our fair share of 'bonding' experiences, anyway."
"...Well, with that reasoning, I suppose it's hard not to see your point," Shantae begrudgingly admitted, sighing away the tension brought on by such a fond recent memory.
"Exactly. Regardless, I'm sorry if I'm upsetting you, Shantae," Rotty went on to humbly offer her genuine apology. "The last thing I want to do is put my best friend in an awkward spot or in a state of mind where it seems like I'm crossing clear boundaries. Just give me a heads-up if I'm getting carried away, and I'll stop."
"Thanks for understanding, Rotty," Shantae accepted the apology with an uncertain smiling nod.
"Of course. That said, I'll also be honest and tell you that being overly cautious around Tayshan with what we say after what happened to him is probably not going to work, if that's where you're going with this," Rotty additionally hypothesized to counter Shantae's point.
"What? Overly cautious?" the half-genie asked, not at all expecting her friend to make such an assertion.
"Mm-hmm. He said it himself that he doesn't want anyone's pity and he flat-out told us he doesn't want to be treated any differently despite what Risky Boots did. The way I see it, I'm being respectful by acting like I always do around you guys. Of course, you hit the nail on the head when you said I'm super excited to be making another close friend through it all. I can't deny that, so I'll give you that one, snack cakes. That said, it's like I mentioned before we all showered together; if he had any issue with how I've been acting toward either of you, he could just tell me. Instead, he's more or less acted the same way toward me now as he did back on Spider Web Island once we became friends. If anything, I'd go as far as to say he's been even more responsive to my jokes."
"Hm. Well, that's true enough, but I'd still advise against pushing the envelope too hard," Shantae replied, holding her main point firm. "If I had any kind of experience like… well, like that, I know I probably wouldn't have the same reactions to your jokes that I usually do. To me, it would just come across as haunting, because it would remind me of the incident… if that makes sense."
"That's fair, and I acknowledge that," Rotty understandingly concurred. "What happened was pretty—no, VERY heavy for a lot of different reasons. There's no skirting around that at all, and I wouldn't wish that kind of experience on anybody. But, I think it's a matter of understanding the person who went through the experience and respecting their wishes when the topic comes up. Like, I'm definitely not offended by jokes about me being technically dead even though it does still get to me sometimes that I can't remember anything about how my brothers and I actually died or what our lives were like before, y'know? It's not a comfortable subject for me, but I'm not one to tell my friends to never talk about death around me. I want us all to be able to enjoy conversation, no matter what the topic is."
"Oh. Hm. I… guess I didn't really think about it that way," Shantae stated, ruminating on Rotty's opinion. "Still, it stands to reason that not everyone is going to have the same kind of tolerance for sensitive topics when they've been made to go through a really horrible experience. We can't assume that any person in any given situation will be able to take things lightly like you're able to. And... and..." she hesitated, her gaze faltering toward the ground for a moment as she thought further about just the sheer depravity of the terrible situation Risky Boots forced Tayshan into. She couldn't help but be wracked with a sudden, almost inconsolable anger as she clenched her fists, wishing for herself that he was never put in that predicament. She could hardly believe it herself that her archenemy would go as far as hurting someone for whom she cared so deeply... and for Risky to hurt him so immensely... as just another part of one of her convoluted plots to target her and take her down. It was absolutely unthinkable... It was awful...! It was utterly disgraceful...! Yet... she couldn't help but feel a tad guilty for not being able to intervene and save Tayshan, and by extension, all of her friends, from their horrible experiences with Risky Boots. It was still a wonder that the situation worked out in that he ultimately saved Rotty, Sky, and Bolo, but the price he paid for it... all because she wasn't there to stop it from happening...
"Shantae?" Rotty called, noticing that her best friend was getting tangled up in her own head.
"Hm?" the half-genie perked up, snapping back into reality before she got lost in her whirling cyclone of reflective dismay.
"There's no doubt that this situation affects all of us, if I'm gonna come out and say it," Rotty admitted with a worried look on her face. "I'm not going to pretend like we didn't come dangerously close to losing to Risky Boots, and you're not going to hear me downplay the terrible, terrible experience stud muffin went through with Risky to eventually get the chance to save me and Sky. But if we expect to push through and keep our morale high, we're going to need to keep being strong like we always are. We all know how Risky operates... or rather, we thought we knew until she did what she did to Tay, but we can't let her get the upper hand on us. We can't let her get into our heads."
"...R-right..." Shantae hesitantly agreed, understanding her best friend's viewpoint. "I definitely get that, Rotty. I do. Trust me, when Risky made me destroy my genie powers, she almost robbed me of my entire identity at the time until you and the others helped me rebuild my confidence in myself. And when she turned me into Nega-Shantae, I was so scared senseless that she'd finally managed to destroy who I was that I almost gave up hope until you, Bolo, and Sky risked your lives to jump into my mind and save me from myself."
"And you'd better believe we'll always be there to lend a hand when you're down, babe!" Rotty excitedly assured her. "There wouldn't even be a ghost of a chance she'd be allowed to hurt you on our watch!"
"I appreciate that like you wouldn't even believe," Shantae assured with a smile as some of her worries melted away. "Trust me, not a day goes by where I don't appreciate you for having my back in my times of need. If our last big series of quests were anything to go by, I learned to rely on you guys more than ever," she further asserted, though her smile quickly faded into a contemplative frown. "...but this is the first time Risky's gone this far to hurt someone other than me... and even if her end goal is to hurt me to the point where she thinks I wouldn't still battle her to the bare bones, it... it honestly frightens and infuriates me that she'd be capable of targeting you guys directly to get to me..."
"Yeah... I can't deny that, either," Rotty admitted. "But that's why we're all supposed to get stronger together. That's why we always stick together. And, no matter what malicious curveballs she wants to throw at us, we always push through in the end and come out on top."
"Of course, and I agree a hundred and ten percent," Shantae confidently acknowledged, though she still couldn't shake the feeling that this discussion was still missing the point. "That said, Rotty... even though we still seemed to pull through Risky's latest kidnapping attempt, and we managed to get Tayshan back to... well, as close to normal as we could manage, I still feel like we shouldn't underestimate the impact she may have had on him with what she did. She turned him evil for a short time using a totally unexpected method, and it almost worked until we talked him down. But then, there's no way he's not feeling some form of internal distress from the situation as we all try to recover from it and stop Risky again. My point is that we need to be more mindful."
"Right, and I agree, but that's why I was saying it's always important to get an idea of how that person feels before anything potentially uncomfortable gets mentioned. If someone wants us to be mindful and to avoid mentioning it or avoid saying certain things, then you'd better believe I'll be the first to completely abide by it; no matter what other people think. You know how much of a crowd-pleaser I can be sometimes," Rotty shared, still keeping up her jovial energy.
"No arguments there," Shantae agreed with a light chuckle.
"Exactly. And, if Tay is at least holding strong enough to where he's not letting that situation bother him, and he said it himself that he's not going to let Risky's disgusting attempt at controlling his mind mess him up, on top of him saying he'd rather we treat him the same as we always have, then what's the point of us getting so skittish around him that it would make any interaction between us and him super awkward?" At that, Shantae mulled over Rotty's words, her eyes momentarily wandering the cloudy autumn atmosphere before she returned her gaze to Rotty.
"I… I mean, I guess you're not wrong there…" Shantae hesitantly admitted, appearing to consider Rottytops's points while questioning her own interpretation of the situation at hand. Granted, she would never flat-out retract her initial statement. To her, it still seemed… wrong to downplay the severity of such a life-altering event. She still found herself wanting to find a way to support her significant other in an appropriate and… dare she say, nurturing manner. In general, she felt that Rotty was taking things a little too lightly. However, Rotty did still have a point about understanding a person from where they're at when it comes to such complicated ordeals. With that thought in mind, Shantae decided to convey her next point. "You're not wrong at all, Rotty. But I'd just rather it not eventually turn into a problem in the future, y'know? We're only a few hours removed from you guys being kidnapped by Risky, and no one's really had any time to process everything. I know we usually bounce back from sticky situations without a hiccup, but this time, I feel like we should tread a little lighter. If not specifically for Tay's sake, then at least so we know we're able to speak to each other when things get serious."
"Wow, Shantae…" Rotty remarked in surprise. "You're really wracking your brain over there. What gives?"
"Nothing. I've just… had a lot to learn since Risky's latest plot began, and I generally want to make sure I'm taking my lessons to heart. I'm sorry for saying I was uncomfortable with your method of talking to Tay. I didn't mean anything harsh by it. I just want to make sure that we all remain friendly to each other at the end of the day, no matter what."
"Aw, don't sweat the small stuff!" Rotty cheerfully rebutted. "Of course, we're all gonna be friends, silly! I acknowledge where you're coming from. Believe me, I do. Don't worry your pretty little head, sugar-brains!"
"R-right…" Shantae nervously concurred, though she still remained… unusually worried about something; a sentiment Rotty picked up just by looking the half-genie in the face.
"Hey, that reminds me…" Rotty spoke up once more, immediately knocking her friend out of her train of thought.
"Reminds you of what?"
"You never explained to me why you looked so worried when that blonde girl with the glasses was hugging stud muffin earlier," she brought up, unknowingly intensifying the dread Shantae was feeling in that moment as that other sense of dread suddenly crept up within her once again. Doing her best to keep it hidden, however, Shantae quietly shook it off and took a deep breath to dispel some of the mounting internal tension that had been welling up inside her.
"Oh, that? No, I was just… thinking about how the rest of this adventure would go from here," she relayed, masking the real concern behind a generalized one. "I was mainly worried about how we'd plan to counter Risky while keeping everyone involved safe from harm. But… of course, the only way we're going to do that is by facing her head-on and being careful not to go too wild or let her get the upper hand."
"Ah, I see. Just the average sense of pre-Final Boss jitters?" Rotty unassumingly guessed.
"Yeah…" the half-genie 'admitted' with a nervous titter, momentarily turning away to hide her shame. "Even now, I still get just a little antsy about fighting Risky. We never truly know what to expect from her; especially this time around..."
"Gotcha. In that case…" Rotty trailed off, making her body grab her head to reattach it. Soon after, she climbed off the Weapons Crate and practically pounced on her unsuspecting friend.
"Whoa, hey! What are you-?" Shantae tried to ask, alarmed by the zombie maiden's unanticipated maneuver. Before she knew it, Rottytops wrapped her up in her arms for a most affectionately suffocating hug. "Ack…! O-okay…! I get it… I won't be so worried…" she choked out while being squeezed by her best friend. Nevertheless, Shantae happily returned the loving embrace. "Thanks...! L-love ya...!"
"Love you too, snack cakes. You'd better not still be frying that delicious brain of yours over this after the heart-to-heart we just had," Rotty acknowledged, moving to cup one of Shantae's cheeks. And before Shantae could react, Rottytops planted a quick, friendly, albeit strong and affectionate kiss on the genie girl's cheek. Once she finished her public display of affection that threw poor Shantae for more loops than the wheel of a speeding sports car, the zombie maiden followed up by letting her go and climbing back onto the Weapons Crate. "Now, let's get back down there and keep the ball rolling! We've dawdled enough, haven't we?"
"…Goodness, Rottytops, you are… just… unbelievable…" the half-genie blushingly retorted, letting out a nervous giggle as she lightly rubbed her cheek with a hand. In that moment, just a tiny bit of the pressure she was feeling melted away... except for the continuous discomfort she normally associated with a certain soldier being in danger. Recognizing that as her cue to get a move on, Shantae quickly raised her hands and began to wiggle her hips to perform her next belly dance. "Transform!" she announced after striking a sassy pose, morphing back into Harpy-Shantae once more with another *POOF*.
"Tell me something I don't know," Rotty joked, detaching her head and placing it back onto the Weapons Crate. "Anyway, I'm ready for liftoff!"
"Right," Harpy-Shantae acknowledged, taking flight and hovering toward her friend's disembodied head. With a sense of haste in her movements, the harpy girl carefully clasped the zombie girl's head into her talons and proceeded to soar into the sky over the edge of the floating platform. Once she spotted where she needed to descend, Harpy-Shantae wasted little time closing in on the designated landing spot with one sixth of Rottytops in tow.
"Yaaaaahooooo~!" Rottytops sang once again, thrilled by her second joyride of the afternoon.
Back on the mountaintop…
"Hah…! Hah…!" Tay panted, his fists coated in Dark Magic as he patiently waited for Shantae and Rottytops to get back from their mini expedition. "Hm… I… This… magic burns like an oven on maximum heat once you start acknowledgin' its presence…" he breathlessly murmured to himself as he threw two punches straight ahead into thin air. The minute he did so, however, he winced in pain, taking more calculated breaths to try and ease his discomfort. Soon after, he began massaging his Dark Magic-coated hands as the aura around them slowly dissipated. "Shoot… It's a wonder that I'm still in control now… Once this evil magic starts t' flow, it's so hard t' get it t' stop. But then, if the case is that I'm stuck usin' this instead o' Light Magic, then I've gotta at least keep my eyes on the prize… There's no tellin' what'll happen if I lose control o' myself again, so I can't afford t' let it overwhelm me… Remember: Do not let your passions burn you…" he fearfully pondered, his deep breaths doing him wonders in bringing the malevolent energy under his control. Curiously, he looked at the Heart Monitor once again to see that the oil lamp still did not change. As for his health reading, however… "474 points. I think that settles it, then. I can't overuse this kind o' power. It's just like Light Magic, but harder t' control, an' it's more overtly harmful t' me… Go figure. If nothin' else, I at least wonder if it's even feasible t' be usin' Dark Magic with good intentions without it eatin' at me from the inside out…"
"Thank you ever so much for being patient with us, stud muffin!" a familiar female voice called from above. Turning and facing upward, Tay spotted Shantae in Harpy form, slowly but surely floating her way down to the mountain summit with Rotty's disembodied head (who'd uttered the statement) in tow. It took mere seconds for the girls to make landfall, with Shantae gently placing Rotty's head on the ground before landing beside her. Soon after, the half-genie transformed with a *POOF* back into her ponytailed humanoid self. Of course, Shantae was hit with another wave of concern when she noticed the faint vestiges of Dark Magic emanating off Tayshan's hands. Immediately, she approached him.
"Tay… Is the Dark Magic starting to take you over again?" she asked while not giving him much time to think about what to say.
"No. I assure you, it ain't," he replied, holding his hands up to gesture for her to relax. "I… got a little bit curious about what my body was goin' through when I tossed Rotty's head up t' that platform. Suffice t' say, I think I'm more or less able t' use this Dark Magic like it was Light Magic. Only problems are that it's a lot harder t' keep under control an' that my health dropped by a good fifty points since you went up t' get the Weapons Crate, accordin' t' this Heart Monitor," he shared without hesitation, causing Shantae to gasp.
"Oh, no…! We should do something about that right away, then," she preemptively suggested, walking closer to him to study him up and down. "But what can we do? The Heart Monitor can only purify your magic but so fast, and we don't have any way to speed up the process unless we found some way to get the Dark Magic shard out of you."
"I'm not sure, no matter what way we spin it," Tay shared, resting a hand on Shantae's head to keep her from worrying too much. "Regardless, I'm still here. I won't become a puppet t' this energy. Not after we got this far…" he vowed, looking directly at his team leader as he did so.
"Right… but Tayshan… Now that you brought that up, there's… something I really want to talk to you about…" Shantae informed him, her worry not disappearing in the slightest as she looked him in the eye. "It's… really important…"
"Oh. Uh… What's on your mind?" he uncertainly asked, a sudden and unprecedented feeling of discomfort welling up in his gut as he read the dismay on his significant other's face.
"I… I don't know quite how to begin addressing it, but it… it has to do with a… an 'idea' that was put into my head not too long ago… about how the rest of our adventure is supposed to play out," she fought through a wall of apprehension to admit to him as she reached forward and grabbed his hand.
"…I see…" Tay hesitantly acknowledged her concern, his own dread growing more evident as he continued to read Shantae's increasingly worried facial expression. For some reason, he found himself getting the idea that she may have… in a sense, found out about something from a certain someone. Possibly someone wearing a certain kind of animal mask… He couldn't pinpoint it outright, but the look on his mentor's expression… that unmistakable sense of intense fear and concern that she otherwise never wore on her gorgeous face at any other point in time… It reminded him all too much about what another mysterious woman told him about Shantae eventually coming to know about a potential set of circumstances in due time. Before they got the chance to explore the uncomfortable topic further, however…
"Haaaaaaa-yah!" Rottytops grunted, causing both of her companions to turn their attention to her. As they had hoped, Rotty's body emerged from the portal with the Weapons Crate in tow. After being flung in the air by a few inches, the crate hit the mountain surface with a noisy *PLONK*. Rotty, having pulled through yet again, breathed a sigh of relief as she climbed off the olive-green box and approached her friends. "Whew… I'm really getting my workout with all these super experimental Head Warps…" she confessed, panting as she did so.
"You doin' alright there? You seem like you're out o' breath," Tay asked.
"I'm good, stud muffin. Thanks for asking," the zombie girl assured. "Nice arm, by the way. I swore I'd have been flying forever before I came down and landed on the platform."
"Well, I'm glad t' have not disappointed you," he modestly accepted her compliment.
"You? Disappoint me? Not a chance! Now then, what's this I hear about you losing health because of you still being under the influence of Dark Magic?"
"Exactly that," Shantae clarified, letting go of Tay's hand.
"Gotcha. Well, then… As you already know, Shantae, I have just the thing to possibly fix him up," she cryptically informed, though it came with its fair share of awkwardness as the half-genie hummed in discomfort.
"…An' what 'thing' is that?" Tay curiously inquired.
"A Fake Brain!" she cheerfully announced. "As in, the very thing I needed in order to use my Symbiotic Brain Chomp! You're in luck!"
"…Oh, r-really?" the flustered serviceman hesitantly asked, momentarily shooting his gaze toward a disquieted Shantae. The poinytailed maiden said nothing, but the worried look she gave him let him know what she was thinking. Regardless, it was evident that Shantae and Tayshan did not see things the way Rottytops saw them in regard to her healing item pick-up.
"Aw yeah. And all things considered, we may as well get it out of the way now. I'm still not at a hundred percent, even after all those snacks I had in your room, and I know we all need to be in tip-top shape for the battle ahead. Of course, I know you might be uncomfortable with the idea cons-!"
"If it has t' be done, then fine…" he quickly acquiesced, shocking the zombie girl while worrying the half-genie further.
"My, how very eager of you!" Rotty teased.
"Yeah, that's the word. 'Eager,'" Tay flatly commented. "I do have a quick question, though, since you brought the topic up…"
"Shoot," Rotty permitted.
"Now, this is completely hypothetical because I can't imagine ever havin' t' actually do it, but… What would happen if I ate part o' the Fake Brain myself instead o' the alternative?"
"Hm. Y'know, that's a really good question," Shantae pensively agreed.
"You wouldn't get any benefit from it, as far as I know," Rotty answered, shooting down their hopes of avoiding another awkward predicament. "Humans don't normally eat brains, and these Fake Brains are as close to the real deal as you can get. Plus, it's essentially a giant pile of raw meat. Would you really want to try stuffing your face with raw meat with the expectation that it will do anything other than make you violently ill, if not just straight-up kill you?"
"…I-I see," Tay conceded yet again.
"I can't say it wasn't worth it to ask…" Shantae murmured as she really, REALLY wished it was the case that Tayshan could simply eat the Fake Brain on his own rather than be subjected to kissing Rottytops again.
"So, what's the difference between me eatin' the Fake Brain an' you havin' t' do your Symbiotic thing?" Tay posed.
"The difference is that the Fake Brain heals me directly while anyone I kiss gets just as much of the healing effect as I do," Rottytops clarified. "On the other hand, if you eat it, you'll probably get sick and die without the chance of at least becoming a zombie to make up for it."
"Oh. Looks like the options are pretty slim there…"
"Yep. And in case you're wondering, Tay… No, it doesn't require you to actually eat any part of it, nor would I have to feed it to you mouth-to-mouth like a bird."
"Ew… I wasn't even thinkin' about that," he remarked, instinctively flinching in revulsion.
"Good. Trust me, the process is much better than it sounds. All you have to do is lay a big, juicy, wet one on me before I swallow the brain, and bam! Instant full restore for the both of us!"
"An' that's exactly what I was thinkin' about… That's… just… great…" Tay grumbled, feeling no more willing to endure the procedure than he had mere moments earlier.
"Well, shoot," Shantae griped, equally as disconcerted. "And none of us were able to buy or find any food outside of the little snacks in the hotel room. In that case, uh… I-I guess there was no avoiding this… unless there's something food-related in the Weapons Crate? Maybe?" she innocently suggested, definitely NOT as a way to delay what could very well be the inevitable.
"Good point. Let's check right now," Tay jumpily and hastily offered, not even waiting for a response from the girls as he approached the Weapons Crate and flipped its lid. In it, the soldier found just three things in the form of yet another weapon (as expected) and, as he'd hoped, two small, unidentified food items. "Okay… Well, I can't say I'm entirely satisfied with what we've got here, it's… Haaaap…! Definitely something…!" Tay murmured, first pulling out the gigantic weapon with considerable effort.
"What the heck is that thing?" Shantae asked, studying the bulky, metallic, stone-gray cannon-like device that the soldier had slung over his shoulder.
"Somethin' that should never have seen the light o' day, much less made it all the way out here of all places…" Tay warned, aiming its gigantic kaleidoscope-like magnifying lens into the air as he held the weapon's front end up with one arm while his other hand rested on the grip of it just in front of his shoulder. The hulking piece of equipment stretched a few inches past the serviceman's reach on the front end while also stretching at just as far behind him while also being colossal enough to where it looked like it could crush him if he wasn't careful. "This thing never got an official name, an' I've only seen it used once. Based on what it could do, we gave it the name, 'The Sun's Wrath,'" he shared, much the girls' collective shock.
"The Sun's Wrath? That sounds… terrifying…" Rotty commented, wide-eyed as she stared at the abominable device that looked like a cross between five bazookas, a telescope, and a miniature Ammonian tank.
"It is," Tay affirmed, putting forth another considerable burst of strength to take the weapon off his shoulder, where it disappeared into his inventory… despite how gigantic it was. "That weapon has the ability t' incinerate just about anything and everything in its path. Instead o' bullets or rockets, it fires off a massive blast of blinding light an' intense heat that… well, as the name implies, can be compared t' walkin' directly int' the sun while it came barrelin' toward you with the speed of a sniper's bullet. I'm shocked Risky came across this thing… and even though she did, I'm more surprised that she allowed it t' be left out here. Of course, it's also possible that she planned t' have a Tinkerbat use it from the vantage point that platform provided, presumin' she knew what this thing even was. An' even then, she'd also have t' know its function…"
"Whoa… Sounds like anyone caught in its path would get a major sunburn," Shantae theorized, though it made her wonder just how frighteningly lethal the weapons from her comrade's world could truly be. "I'm just glad that, for whatever reason, Risky never got her own hands on it."
"Yeah, you ain't lyin'. For reference in terms of its power, though, imagine that manga series we read, where the characters were shootin' concentrated energy beams out o' their hands with enough force t' level a building or a mountain." At that, both Shantae and Rottytops gasped.
"You mean Lummox Egg Z!?" both girls remarked in unison, evidently having been equal fans of the series in question.
"Exactly. It's basically that, but in the form of a weapon," Tay confirmed, smirking in amusement at their collective surprise. "Granted, it's supposed t' be a prototype an' it ain't all that useful. It takes a solid fifteen seconds t' charge up, an' the recoil is insane. On top o' that, you only get one shot because once it's fired, its insides can't withstand the heat an' it basically crumbles in on itself an' melts."
"That's completely insane!" Rotty declared, flabbergasted by the idea of such a ludicrously dangerous weapon ever existing. "So, what are you gonna do with it?"
"The only good thing I can do with it," he answered. "My only bright idea is t' use this t' destroy that Tinker-Portal once an' for all."
"Really?" Shantae questioned, seeming not to expect his answer. "And here I was, ready to tell you not to think about using it on Risky's ship," she further shared.
"Trust me, as entertainin' as that sounds, I'd rather aim it at somethin' I know can't move out o' the way an' that I know would spoil our enemy's chances at invadin' another world," Tay assured, though he… MAY have briefly considered the possibility of turning Risky and her ship into cosmic dust with the pull of a trigger in revenge for what she'd done. Knowing better in that moment, it didn't take him long to reconsider. "Plus, I'm not a heartless psychopath. I could never really go through with the idea of aimin' this monstrosity at another person. That's fifteen full seconds I know I'd regret for the rest o' my life, no matter who the target was… An' I know it goes without sayin' that neither o y'all would approve o' that kind o' senselessness. Of course, I say this while fully acknowledgin' that I almost killed Ammo Baron an' Techno Baron with my bare hands mere hours ago in a fit o' Dark Magic-fueled rage…"
"…Wow… You… Just… wow…" the half-genie stammered, seeming to be pleasantly astonished by her partner's unwillingness, even in his corrupted state, to grievously maim or injure someone with a weapon of mass destruction while his mind was clear.
"What?" Tay requested to know, raising an eyebrow at Shantae.
"I'm pretty sure she's amazed that you wouldn't use that thing to hurt someone, even if they hurt you as badly as Risky did," Rottytops spoke up. "And even I've gotta say that it takes a LOT of guts to have that kind of power and not use it to settle your own grudges. I'm honestly impressed."
"Oh, is that it? Ah, that ain't so special," he nervously assured with a flick of his hand. "That's just me knowin' better than to… how do I say, 'let my passions burn me,' as I was once told. Risky will still get what's comin' to her, regardless. Thanks t' you two, I've got my head on straight enough t' know right from wrong again. I… I almost lost my way when I attacked Ammo Baron, an' I honestly don't wanna go back t' that…"
"Then by all means, we'll continue to do all we can to keep that Dark Magic from taking you over, Tay. I promise," Shantae vowed, her confidence in her extraterrestrial teammate bolstered by his resolve to do the right thing.
"And believe me when I say that there's no way we're letting you slip away from us again as easily as before. You got that, stud muffin?" Rotty additionally offered her vote of confidence.
"Copy that, ladies," Tay appreciatively acknowledged with a simple nod of his head before peering back into the Weapons Crate to see the other goodies it contained. "Hm. No other guns in here. Shoot..." he lamented, momentarily turning toward Rotty. "And you're sure you don't have my pistol?"
"Positive, stud muffin," Rottytops assured. "I checked everywhere. It's not on me at all. Sorry..."
"Nothin' we can do about it now. No need to apologize," he assured with a disappointed sigh as he looked back into the crate and... found himself even more disappointed when he discovered that the 'Food Items' in question consisted of a Black Licorice Stick... and yet another Fake Brain. "Ugh…" he groaned, his previous contentment replaced with disgust as he reached in and got Fake Brain #2 and Black Licorice Stick. "Horrible…"
"So, there really was food in there? Huh. What an unusual turn of events this is," Shantae pondered, though she read the revolted look on Tayshan's face as he stared at the offending item in question.
"Another Fake Brain!? Wow, how lucky!" Rotty additionally exclaimed, happy to have one more magic healing item that only she could use.
"Absolutely repulsive…" Tay grumbled, shaking his head in stark disdain toward the items he held in each of his hands.
"Sorry that the healing items weren't exactly what we were hoping for, Tay…" Shantae offered her sympathy. "I get it that finding another brain is as far from ideal as it gets. And there's no ignoring how gross it must be to have found a brain of all things—even if it is fake—in that crate. At the very least, though, that Black Licorice stick might do you some good."
"Hm?" Tay hummed, not seeming to catch the entirety of his teammate's statement. "Oh, no, it's the licorice that I'm disgusted at," he clarified, much to the half-genie's shock.
"…Wait, what? Why? You've got an edible piece of candy in one hand and a literal BRAIN in the other… and you're more skeeved out by the CANDY, Tay?"
"Yes!" he emphatically answered. "I HATE licorice! I'd rather eat this Fake Brain whole, then down it with a gallon o' Monster Milk than put even a tiny piece o' this DISGUSTING licorice anywhere near my mouth." At that, the Rotty giggled in glee while Shantae shook her head in humored disbelief.
"Ah, just when ya think you know a guy…" the ponytailed maiden commented, letting out a highly amused chuckle of her own as Tay approached Rottytops and handed her the second Fake Brain.
"Thanks a million, stud muffin!" Rotty expressed her gratitude as she got Fake Brain #2.
"Don't mention it," Tay acknowledged. "You want this licorice by any chance, homegirl?"
"I'm okay," Shantae declined. "I'm not too big a fan of that stuff either."
"Understood. Rotty?"
"Nah, I'm good," the zombie girl also denied. "Candy that rich in flavor goes right to my thighs, and it's already a total killer keeping myself as bodaciously curvy as I am. Plus, I completely cheated on my diet this morning," she nonchalantly added as she pressed her hands to her chest and ran them down to her hips and back up.
"Ah… R-right," Tay acknowledged, bashfully batting his eyes elsewhere and sticking the Black Licorice Stick into the deepest reaches of his inventory where he'd hoped to forget about it entirely. Seeing the reaction she got, Rotty snickered in secret triumph. "So, anyway, it looks like our business here is done. Are we movin' ont' the Kitschy Quilt Desert t' meet Al again?"
"You guessed it," Shantae affirmed with a nod, approaching her teammates with the intent to employ another Warp Dance to send them on their way. "Are you two set?"
"We will be as soon as we get one more thing out of the way," Rotty hinted, 'reminding' her comrades of the final 'task' to be taken care of.
"…Right…" both Shantae and Tayshan acknowledged in shared discomfort.
"Aw come on, it isn't like I have to make out with him to get it to work," Rotty assured as best as she could, though it did neither of her comrades any favors… y'know, given their history with this sort of thing. As such, both Shantae and Tayshan sunk into themselves a bit as they blushed with embarrassment. "You know from experience how quick and easy it was, Shantae. You and I only had to kiss for two, maybe three seconds tops. Or… maybe four or five, give or take. Sorry, I wasn't exactly counting."
"Doesn't make it much easier to acknowledge how this ability of yours works in general," the half-genie countered with a flustered pout, scratching her head as she felt the air in her chest grow extremely warm and heavy.
"Now, I only heard that a kiss had t' be done t' make it work, but for it t' last that long? Interesting..." Tay remarked with a raised eyebrow, resisting the urge to smirk at Shantae in relation to a certain grudge he'd been holding. Reading his expression, she immediately caught on and immediately shot him a grumpy frown.
"Shut it, Tay, or else I'll tell her about you and Aashiq!" Shantae preemptively warned as she pointed at him, wiping the smirk right off his face as he flinched in sudden discomfort.
"...You don't play fair...!" he griped, gritting his teeth.
"Him and Aashiq? What am I missing there?" Rotty asked, understandably thrown off as she exchanged glances between her two allies.
"Nothin', Rotty. Nothin' at all," Tay hastily dismissed with a defeated sigh, pouting at Shantae as he let his disapproval of her dirty trick show. Silently, he pointed two fingers toward his eyes before pointing one finger at her. In response, the half-genie shot him a smug grin, shrugging in secret triumph.
"If ya say so, but it sure as heck don't sound like 'nothing' to me...~" the curious undead young woman hummed with a grin, suspecting there to be a juicy boy-on-boy secret being kept thanks to Shantae's defensive threat. At that, Tay sighed in contemplative regret for having tried again to win the shipping game with unfavorable results.
"Hmph. Anyway..." he changed the subject as he relaxed his expression before turning his full attention to the zombie maiden. "Er, no offense, but I'm not really a fan o' kissin' anybody other than Shantae at this point," he openly admitted while trying his hardest to imagine how the procedure worked, inadvertently causing the poor genie girl's face to heat up like a fresh branding iron. "Even if it turns out you two kissed each other at least once before, however difficult that is t' believe…" he further remarked, trying to avoid becoming distracted by the tantalizing thought.
"D'ohhhh… Tay, you're so embarrassing…" Shantae griped, hiding her blushing face behind her hands as she sunk into herself. Her heart had suddenly begun pounding loud enough to pretty much cause the entire mountain beneath their feet to quake with each successive beat. Can't say she didn't look totally adorable in her flustered state, but she was flustered nonetheless.
"Hey, it… it ain't like I'm too comfortable sayin' any o' this, but it's true…" he stammered as his own face grew hot. He'd been trying to keep his composure while Shantae all but lost hers in that moment.
"Aww, the love is so strong between you two, I swear that my heart's gonna melt…" Rottytops cheerfully teased. "But yeah, it also won't be anything like the last time I kissed you, stud muffin. I promise you; it'll be a lot tamer and a lot less spontaneous. Plus, its only function is to get your health back up to full before we move along."
"I guess, but the more you talk about it, Rottytops, the more I realize you've been goin' on somethin' of a spree in these last couple days…" Tay pointed out, growing hotter under the collar as he almost lost his composure.
"Yeah, I know, but I swear it's mostly been a matter of circumstance," she countered, growing a bit nervous herself. "Every time I've done it, it's been with a specific purpose in mind. I'm not just plastering my lips all over people for the heck of it, if that's what you're getting at."
"…Weeeeell…" he pensively hummed, wondering if it was an appropriate time to counter the zombie girl's point as he inadvertently glanced toward Shantae for a literal second. Rotty understood his point, nevertheless.
"Okay, so I'm not plastering my lips all over people other than you and snack cakes. There, I admit it," she begrudgingly corrected herself. "You're both just that kissable. Is that what you want me to say?"
"No! Goodness, no," he remarked, flustered beyond comprehension at her bold comment. "Your point's been acknowledged. But…" he additionally vocalized his continued reluctance. "…even with the context in place here, it just doesn't feel right. But then, I should ask… Does it have t' be lips-t'-lips, or can you do it anywhere?"
"Er… So, you're PROBABLY not gonna like what I have to say to that…"
"…Lips-t'-lips. Got it…" Tay acknowledged with a heavy sigh as he once again glanced at Shantae, who'd uncovered her face and had exchanged glances with her friends.
"Bingo. Of course, we can always put this on the shelf and see if we can find some other food items to heal you…" Rotty innocently suggested, reading the tangible collective discomfort in her allies' mannerisms and growing a little self-conscious. "I don't want to pressure either of you, and… um… I get it that it'd be a little… odd to do such a thing now of all times."
"No, no, it's just… not the most conventional way to heal someone," Shantae countered, not wanting Rotty to feel upset that neither she nor Tay were chomping at the bit to allow her to utilize the Symbiotic Brain Chomp. "I can definitely attest to how useful it is, but it's just… the method…"
"I know, but trust me, I want to make sure we're all in good shape," Rottytops reasoned. "Especially with how little time we have left before we have to battle Risky Boots again, and with us not even having access to the Bathhouse. If you guys don't feel comfortable with it, though, just let me know. The choice is yours at the end of it all," she further shared, leaving the floor open to discussion.
"…Well, personally, I'd prefer other healing methods, but there's no doubting how practical it is," Shantae apprehensively pondered. "It's really up to you, though, Tay. I have a Potion, but as we discovered, Potions don't refill your health. If that Dark Magic is hurting you, then I'd rather see you at least regain full health to deal with it properly. Would… you like Rotty to heal you up now? Or would you rather we go and finish up our other tasks and look for something else?"
"Hm. For all intents an' purposes, I'd rather just go with what's faster an' easier… even with how… unusual it is," he answered with as much confidence as he could muster as he shrugged his shoulders and breathed a deep, heavy sigh. "It's just… really hard t' come t' that conclusion, based on the fact that you an' I just got together as a couple, Shantae."
"My thoughts exactly…" Shantae agreed, a pit forming in her stomach despite her acknowledging Tay's point.
"So, wait… You're choosing to do the Symbiotic Brain Chomp?" Rotty asked, taken completely by surprise as a result of the serviceman's decision.
"…Yes," he answered with careful consideration. "Plus, that Brain Chomp thing heals both of us, as opposed t' you just eatin' it an' losin' an opportunity t' heal somebody else, no?"
"That's right," the undead young woman confirmed. "And, in case I need to make it clear, it's basically just a peck on the lips that'll do it. Or, maybe just a little more than that. Either way, there's no tricks, no gimmicks, and no ulterior motives involved. Of course, it's only something I do during emergencies or with the informed consent of anyone who needs the help."
"Heh, if that's the case, you might as well carry a stack o' consent forms just in case you need t' clarify that in the future," Tay found it in himself to joke, causing Rotty to grin in appreciation. "But still… Shantae, uh…"
"No need to worry, Tayshan. Much as I really, REALLY dislike the idea, you made a good point in that this is faster and easier. Plus, it's Rottytops, and I trust the both of you," Shantae assured, though it took everything in her being to resist the urge to shout. "And especially because we just discovered that the Dark Magic is gradually draining your health, the best we can do right this minute is at least have Rotty refill it to maximum. Of course, this is the ONLY time I'm gonna let it slide. You'd better believe we're picking up a ton of food items once we have the time after this, so we don't have to run into this situation ever again." At that, Rotty laughed again while Tay cracked an unbelievably nervous grin.
"Don't worry, snack cakes. Dr. Rottytops only conducts herself in an appropriate and professional manner when it comes to her healing remedies," she quipped, causing the half-genie to involuntarily smirk. "And I fully acknowledge that stud muffin is primarily your boyfriend, so I will respect those firm boundaries accordingly. Forever and always."
"Thanks for understanding, Rotty," Shantae appreciatively replied, nodding and accepting Rotty's 'disclaimer.'
"…Hold up. What do you mean, 'primari-'?" Tay was about to ask, catching onto the zombie girl's slick wording.
"Ready to get it done, Tay?" she interrupted him at the perfect time, causing him to suspiciously eye her up and down.
"…Ready when you are…" he warily replied, still nothing but reluctant to engage.
"Jeez, I told you I'm not gonna try anything funny. Just relax, will ya?" she smilingly advised him, pulling out Fake Brain #1 to prepare.
"Hmph… Shantae, you're absolutely sure you're okay with this?" Tay was all but compelled to ask again.
"Are you kidding? Of course, I'm not!" she sternly replied, vocalizing her disdain. "But unfortunately, I don't exactly have the power of healing kisses. Rottytops does."
"And you'd better not forget it," Rotty inappropriately joked with a prideful wink.
"Well… it seems t' me that the 'power of healin' kisses' belongs to all three of us, considerin' we healed each other when you kissed me earlier today. An' then there was that one point where I had t' kiss that Bat Gal Venus t' heal her in Genie's Hem, an' especially the whole thing with me healin' you when we kissed in the Kitch—!"
"Dah! Nope, we're not barking up that tree again! Anything you're saying there in this context is pure coincidence and nothing else! Just get this over with, so we can get out of here and speak of this to nobody in this whole universe!" she demanded, growing comically irritated with the longer he stalled for time by suggesting that all three of them had magical kissing powers. I mean, he wouldn't technically be wrong, but still...
"Fine…" he acquiesced before turning to Rotty, who'd been smiling with glee at him. "You'd better not try nothin' funny this time, Rotty."
"Oh, don't be such a scaredy cat, stud muffin. I'm not gonna do anything you wouldn't want me to do," she teased with a wink at him.
"I already 'want' you t' rephrase that comment," he demanded, not at all comforted by her words of assurance.
"Nope! It's perfect as is. Seriously though, Tayshan, I should really ask before we continue…"
"Oh? By all means, ask away."
"Cool. So… I know I've been a little… uh… I guess I'll say 'affectionate' with you since we all regrouped…" Rotty hesitantly began, glancing toward a surprised Shantae for a split-second as she carefully considered her statement. "But I just want to make sure of something…"
"…You're probably gonna ask me for real this time if I feel uncomfortable with the way you've been interactin' with me since we met. Ain't you?" he guessed, blowing the zombie girl out of the proverbial water.
"How'd you know?"
"I imagine it had t' come up eventually," he candidly replied, scratching his head. "An' considerin' what's been goin' on, I had a hunch that we were gonna bring it up sooner or later."
"Huh. Er, o-okay…" she nervously acknowledged, gulping in anticipation. "You're quite perceptive. S-so, uh… you can be honest. Am I making you uncomfortable with me? Especially after… well… y'know…?"
"Don't sweat it, Rotty. You're cool," Tay plainly assured her with a thumbs-up, causing her to breathe a sigh of relief. "I will say that we should probably consider settin' an' respectin' appropriate boundaries in the future, but you ain't got a thing t' worry about otherwise. Of course, this is after all the… compromisin' situations we all found ourselves in, but generally speakin,' I appreciate that you're as carefree an' as energetic as they come."
"Aw, you really do like me! That's a huge relief! I was honestly scared I was getting on your nerves, all jokes aside."
"You're fine. Believe me. Plus, if Shantae can put up with your tireless shenanigans, then so can I," he teased with a knowing grin.
"That's kind of a tall order, Tay," Shantae smilingly interjected. "I hope you know what you're signing up for."
"Eh, that's fair," Rotty admitted with a nonchalant shrug. "In that case, I hope you both know not to expect those 'tireless shenanigans' to end anytime soon. Of course, I'll definitely be more mindful of how much is too much from here on, stud muffin. Promise."
"Good. So, how about we start by gettin' you t' stop callin' me 'stud muffin?'" At that, Rotty comically sucked in a rush of air through her teeth as she pretended to flinch.
"Ooh, sorry, babe… The nicknames are there to stay, I'm afraid. They're unique, and if you've earned one from me, then you're permanently considered a special friend to me. No takesies-backsies," she teased as she pointed both her index fingers at him, prompting both of her teammates to chuckle.
"Whelp… that was worth a shot… Heh…" he murmured, scratching his cheek. Seeing this, Shantae stifled another giggle at his expense. "Anyway, in case I need t' clarify again, girls…" Tay began anew, prompting his friends to perk up as they listened.
"Yeah?" both Shantae and Rottytops replied in unison, waiting for his clarification.
"…Uh… What happened with Risky Boots…" he hesitantly continued to make his point, his breath growing hot in his chest as he fought through a typhoon of reflective discomfort to speak. "…I've been pickin' up that it's still on everybody's minds, an' I get it that y'all want t' be mindful o' how I feel. I promise y'all that I'm okay, though. There's… no goin' back t' change or reverse it, but I wouldn't want it t' mess up our relationships with each other. An' I'm gonna be honest… Between the three of us… Risky flat-out told me that one o' the reasons she did what she did t' me, was because she thought it would permanently ruin any connection I had t' y'all on an emotional level… especially you, Shantae," he very shakily admitted with a most… uncertain facial expression, mortifying the half-genie and the zombie maiden as their eyes went wide. "Her other purpose was t' try an' turn me against you an' use me as a distraction t' make you lower your guard enough that she could take you out."
"…Dude…" Rotty murmured as she planted a hand on top of her head in shock and disbelief. She found herself even more dismayed than she thought she could've been. "I can't believe… just… Wow, that just… She was so horrible to you…!"
"…I swear she's going to regret that for as long as she lives…!" Shantae vowed, suddenly so full of boiling anger and resentment toward Risky that her tightly clenched fists momentarily flickered with Light Magic. "To think that she could ever stoop so… so LOW…!"
"I know, but clearly, it didn't work. Of course, I didn't get off scot-free, but ultimately, it didn't work," Tay assured, taking a deep breath to keep himself from losing it in front of his companions. "She failed t' consider how strong my connection t' y'all has been. An' like I said earlier, she overestimated her ability t' manipulate an' brainwash me. An' as long as I can keep my head in the game, there's no chance I'd ever truly be ruined on the inside or be made t' reconsider my allegiance t' the people I grew t' love. So, by all means, let's keep bein' friends the way we've been doin'. I don't know if y'all know it, but it's been a huge help t' have us continuin' from where we left off the other day instead o' dwellin' on this an' lettin' it fester int' somethin' really unhealthy. I mean shoot, Risky really banked on that experience t' be the key factor in havin' this Dark Magic take complete control over me an' turn me int' the puppet she wanted me t' be. But I'll reiterate that, as long as I keep my sights on the true goal we set out to accomplish together… an' as long as I can trust an' rely on the boundless love you girls have shared with me… No amount o' Dark Magic on this planet is gonna turn me against you. That much, I have no choice but t' promise," he further confessed, shocking both Shantae and Rottytops stiff as they processed his statement.
Not quite vocalizing their collective thoughts in the wake of them staring intently at him, the air around them grew quiet save for the various cries of the wildlife nearby. Just from their expressions, however, it was impossible to miss the immense concern they had for their friend as he exchanged glances between them. Of course, things got just a TAD awkward after a solid minute of no one saying anything.
"…Uh… W-was that too much?"
"No, that… that was perfect, Tayshan…" Shantae responded as she clutched her pounding heart, evidently awestruck by his vow of continued and committed cooperation. "I… I can't say I've ever been more amazed at anything anyone's ever said than I am now, but I'm… I'm amazed. But yeah, you can count on us to be there for you the same way we've always been there for each other… if not more so."
"Same here, stud muffin," Rottytops confessed, equally as astounded. "I hope you know without a shadow of a doubt that we always do our absolute best to support and protect each other."
"Trust me, I know from experience," he acknowledged with a confident nod. "It's that level o' connection between us that… however sappy this sounds, motivates me t' keep pushin' through, no matter how difficult the circumstances. I learned t' do just that not too long ago, an' I ain't choosin' today t' turn my back on what I believe in. That said, if I can still stand, then I can still be with y'all t' help stop that deranged pirate woman from gettin' her way."
"That's not sappy at all," Shantae assured, feeling full to the brim with determination. "That just sounds like you've come a long way and that Risky couldn't hope to destroy what we've built together. And as long as we're in this together, supporting and protecting each other, we won't ever fail against her!"
"You hit the nail on the head there, homegirl," Tay agreed with a nod.
"Awesome. Now then, speaking of support and protection…" Rotty conveniently trailed off to segue into the next topic of discussion. "Any chance you've changed your mind on my Symbiotic Brain Chomp?" At that, the two non-zombie adventurers went silent in contemplation.
"Hm…" Tay hummed in wonder, glancing at Shantae to see what she would suggest. "Er…"
"Go for it, Tay," she acquiesced with a disquieted sigh. "We've got a tight schedule to keep today, and I'd rather you be healed before we commit to anything else."
"Makes sense t' me, I suppose. I'm still gonna throw it out there an' say that I'm really startin' t' question why anything havin' t' do with a major healin' process here, has had t' constantly involve at least one of us kissin' somebody. This is just plain unusual t' me…"
"Y'know, I hate that you're so right about that," Shantae fully agreed. "This has NEVER been a thing on any of my previous adventures. Gosh, I'm starting to wonder about that myself…" she further pondered, reminiscing on all the times either she or Tay had to kiss someone to heal them or get healed. Suffice to say, it seemed to happen QUITE often this time around.
"Think about it however you want, but I just find it to be as convenient as it is exciting if you ask me," Rotty interjected, having no issue doling out sweet smooches of rejuvenation to those she deemed worthy to receive them. "A simple kiss to heal up instead of scavenging for food all the time or having to find time to go to a specific place at a specific point during the day to take a dip in some water for five minutes? Sounds like a sweet deal to me! Anyway, you ready, stud muffin?"
"As I'll ever be," he acquiesced with a shrug, giving Rotty the green light. Rotty responded by opening her mouth wide, lifting the Fake Brain up to her face, and just… most graciously chomping and tearing into that gelatinous organ like it was her last meal. Seriously, she SHREDDED the poor thing in like, three seconds. In case you're wondering, it was definitely the most ladylike thing either one of her comrades had ever seen. The way Shantae had to turn away for a moment, an ultra-sour expression on her face like she'd just eaten the world's strongest lemon? Perfect indicator of Rotty's impeccable feminine charm when voraciously munching on brain matter. Of course, all Shantae had to do this time was watch. Tay on the other hand… was not so fortunate. With a mouthful of brains, Rotty beckoned the soldier with a finger, causing him to shudder in… Eh, we'll call it 'excitement' for the sake of discussion.
"Rerderh!" Rotty announced through a mouthful of Fake Brain.
"…How in the world is this is even a thing…?" he dared to question the not-so-natural, yet ironically natural order of things as he realized the absurdity of locking lips with a zombie of all things to regain his health. He did his best to brush the chilling thought aside as he built up all the courage he had in himself to approach the waiting zombie maiden and bend down toward her to meet her at eye level. "…Well… I'm trustin' you this time, Rotty. Whatever we gotta do… let's… make it count."
"Wirf plersher," the excitable young revenant spoke again as she calmly approached Tay and gently clasped her hands around the back of his neck. Just the radiant warmth of the soldier's skin on her hands told her how nervous he was. Knowing that things could get uncomfortable if she hesitated, however, Rotty shed all her doubts (of which there were very little in her case) and went for it. Closing her eyes and pressing her lips to his with unprecedented strength, Rottytops used her Symbiotic Brain Chomp on Tayshan without another thought as she hummed into his mouth.
In response, Tay raised his arms outward from his sides as he stared into Rotty's blushing face and found himself utterly flabbergasted despite knowing (for the most part) what to expect. Needing to keep his balance, however, he reached one arm forward and laid it on his healer's shoulder to keep from falling over. For all of maybe two seconds, he didn't feel anything related to the healing effect. Instead, he really only registered the unsettlingly frigid, wet, sticky, meat-flavored texture of the zombie girl's lips pressing into his that reminded him all too much of the last time she did this to him. Oddly enough, however, the unsettling coldness suddenly turned into a surprising, vivacious warmth that he didn't expect before he had much time to register it. Thinking it to be the effect of her Symbiotic Brain Chomp, the soldier allowed his friend to complete the unusual process, relaxing himself as much as he could while still keeping his eyes wide open.
Meanwhile, Rotty carefully held her friend/patient in place, instinctively tightening her grip to make sure her secret technique worked properly. Contrary to popular belief, she derived no form of personal pleasure from what was just a simple healing technique… is what I wish I could've said, were it not for her continuously humming into Tay and lifting her leg up as she adjusted herself. She did at least attempt to ignore the tickle of his facial hair brushing against her upper lip, in addition to the almost scorching and electrifying heat coming from her newest best friend's mint-flavored lips that she felt superfluously race through her entire body, of course. Suffice to say, it was a really taxing 'attempt.' Though she kept her eyes closed, Rottytops could hardly fathom the powerful, yet peculiar feeling she got from the procedure. It wasn't bad by any means, but… whatever it was, it caught her by total surprise as she instinctively pressed herself just a bit more firmly onto her healing recipient. Before too long, however, both the zombie girl and the serviceman flashed a bright, glimmering jade green for a second to signify that the Symbiotic Brain Chomp succeeded in its purpose of healing them. After just a second or two longer, however, Rotty loosened her grip and released her teammate. The two separated with a slick *pop* as Tay rose back to a full stand, staring in awe at Rotty as she swallowed the Fake Brain.
"Hmmmph…!" Shantae groaned in understandable discomfort, crossing her arms and momentarily turning away with a blushing crossness in her facial expression.
"Huh… That… was… interesting…" he shared his thoughts, trying to make sense of the procedure in question as he failed to realize just one more change that wasn't immediately noticeable. "Wow… I feel so much better now…" he further pondered, shifting his gaze to stare at his tingling hands as he tried to ignore the enrapturing heat in his face. "How strange…"
"Whew… That was incredible…!" Rotty murmured to herself, breathing heavily and blushing deeply as she pensively pressed two of her fingers to her lips and looked toward the ground. "I've never felt anything like that before. It didn't feel like this at all the last time. Why did it change here…? Why did it feel all hot and tickly…? And why is my body tingling like I just got shocked with a bolt of lightning? And my heart… my heart's beating almost as quickly as a normal person's… I haven't felt this good since I first became friends with Shantae. Is… this what making a new friend usually feels like…?" she further pondered, clutching her chest with a hand.
"You seem like you're lost in thought, Rotty," Tay called to her once he stopped wondering about the procedure in question. Perking up and losing her train of thought, Rottytops redirected her gaze toward him as he looked back at her in concern. "What's goin' on?"
"Er, n-nothing. I was just wondering how well this worked, but from the feel of it, it worked like a charm," she nonchalantly replied, brushing her previous thoughts to the back of her mind. "See, though? That wasn't so bad! Nothing to worry about!" she additionally assured. "One quick little kiss, and your health should be back to full! I know for a fact that mine is now." At that, Tay took the opportunity to look at his Heart Monitor to inspect the result.
"Yeah, that's exactly what it says," he affirmed. "Accordin' t' this, I'm at a full one thousand points now. The bar under the number's completely green now, too. You've… got quite the talent there, Rottytops… Thank you… However unusual the method was, I really appreciate you for healin' me."
"Naturally, stud muffin!" she cheered, though his kind words made her feel like she could jump to the moon and back out of sheer joy. "I'm glad you recognize that about me now!"
"Wait… Tay," Shantae called, shaking off her discomfort with the procedure as she found something else most intriguing.
"What's up, homegirl?" Tay answered, expecting her to say something about how much she disliked Rotty's technique.
"Your voice… It isn't all weird and distorted anymore!" she pointed out, pleasantly surprised by the development.
"It ain't?" he asked, though he heard it for himself the second he uttered his question. Instinctively resting a hand on his throat in shock, he realized it. "It ain't. Huh. It really ain't. Man, am I glad t' sound like my normal self again, but I don't have much of a clue why it suddenly changed back…"
"I mean… it could have something to do with yours truly," Rottytops half-joked, grinning and confidently shrugging. "I can't say I expected that to happen, of course, but it's like you said; maybe that whole 'Power of Love' thing really is the key to completely purifying you, Tayshan. Confessing your love to and making out with Shantae healed you a little, cleared your mind, and turned you back to normal despite that Dark Magic gem business. It also changed the color in your eye back to the way it was when you and I first met… with a little bit of a golden glow still going on there. But then, kissing me not only healed you the rest of the way, it also got rid of that admittedly awesome double effect in your voice. Teamwork makes the dream work, evidently, but I think it shows more than words can describe that you really do love us. There's no mistaking it. Aww, I feel all warm and fuzzy inside now…" she teased to his chagrin as she comically hugged herself tight and grinned.
"Huh… That's… true, isn't it…?" Shantae murmured, listening intently to Rotty's amorous theory and wondering what it really meant for Tayshan to have seen such rapid improvements from a few simple shows of affection between them.
"Hmph. An' here I was, believin' that it would take somethin' a bit more… action-packed t' turn me back to normal. But noooo, of all things… it has t' be sweet, loving, tender magic kisses from incredibly beautiful young women. Like some kind o' whimsical fairy tale. How embarrasin'…" he griped, crossing his arms and shaking his head in disbelief as his comically frowning face heated up again. Evidently, he wasn't all that satisfied with the idea of unconditional love trumping hate as the most appropriate catalyst in his purification process. Y'know, instead of like, an epic, grueling duel of good and evil like the one with his evil clone in the Grotto of Judgment.
"Heh, is he normally so suave with his words, snack cakes?" Rotty inquired through a highly amused giggle, evidently flattered by the nonchalant compliment he paid them.
"Yeah, but not on purpose most of the time," Shantae confirmed, resisting the urge to laugh herself as she acknowledged the affectionate meaning behind his complaint. Rotty picked up on it, nevertheless.
"This makes me I feel like I'm stuck in one o' those trashy, unrealistic, one-note romance comics about the plain old high school kid who got magically sent to another planet t' have his wildest girl-related dreams fulfilled…" Tay continued to gripe.
"Fair, though unlike those comics, you're only dating one girl, first of all," Shantae was quick to counter. "And that girl is me. I know we took forever to establish that, and other girls and guys have made passes at you—and even at me in recent times—but at the end of the day, it's just you and me. I don't care what anyone else says, and despite this Symbiotic Brain Chomp thing, I am NOT sharing you with anybody else. I hope I'm making myself clear, Tayshan."
"Aww…" Rottytops humorously groaned in feigned disappointment… at least, I think she was feigning it. "Oh well… A girl can still dream…" she further remarked with a wistful sigh.
"Crystal," Tay wholeheartedly agreed with a confident thumbs-up. "You're my one an' only, an' I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm supremely an' incredibly lucky t' call you my girlfriend, Shantae, an' you better believe I would never take it for granted."
"Glad to know that, Tay, though I feel like I'm the lucky one to have someone as awesome as you to call my boyfriend," the half-genie smilingly accepted his vow of commitment to her. "That aside, your last comment makes me question whether getting beat up, electrocuted, stabbed, kidnapped, shot, body-swapped, cut up, beat up some more, burned, trapped, whisked into a cave and forced to meet the ghosts of old friends before being made to fight an evil clone of yourself, almost blown up numerous times, used as a toboggan, almost killed in like fifty-eight different ways, shot a bunch more times, ambushed multiple times, kidnapped again, betrayed, tortured multiple times, and temporarily turned evil in the worst way possible by Risky Boots on top of you being dragged into this world from your old one with no hope of going back counts as being part of your manga 'dream' there," Shantae politely reminded him. "I'm not even sure I hit everything, but yyyyyyeah… None of the things that have happened to you normally ever happen to the boys in those manga series."
"Yeah, it's usually the case that the boy meets an adorable girl that basically drops right into his lap, they instantly fall in love, shenanigans ensue, and then a bunch of other pretty girls with one of five basic personality types swarm the boy like locusts on fresh crops, fighting each other because they're all hungry for a chance to steal him for themselves," Rotty added, evidently knowing more than one might've suspected her to know about such a literary genre.
"...Uh-huh..." Tay murmured, listening intently as he pondered his own experiences in Sequin Land.
"Plus, the boy's usually depicted as some socially inept, talentless, hapless dimwit with no backstory who MAY have some random special superpower out of nowhere because reasons, but who lets all the girls he meets walk all over him the entire way through, and they all get away with it just because they're beautiful, yet somehow magically in love with him despite him accomplishing nothing to win their hearts... and then those stories usually end with the boy having an entire harem with zero effort on his part," Shantae concluded. "And if I've gotta say it, Tay, you don't really match that description at all. You're a lot more... complicated than that, I guess I should say," she laughingly added.
"Ah... I see," Tay acknowledged, further pondering the circumstances of his arrival and the quality of his stay in Sequin Land.
"If that sounds confusing to you, stud muffin, then just imagine if Bolo got sent from another timeline to here like you did. And then from there, make it so Shantae, me, Sky, those Ammonian girls, the Sultana, and even Risky Boots immediately fell head-over-heels for him on first sight like he was the only guy on the planet. And then imagine it getting to the point where we all gave up any and all goals we had just so we could slobber all over him despite the fact that he would never, ever realistically deserve so much attention from even one of us, no matter what he did. And then imagine us fighting each other over him, which makes it even more ridiculous."
"Wow, Rotty, that's really mean..." Shantae chided, unappreciative of the zombie maiden's use of Bolo as a most unfortunate example.
"It's also really true," Rottytops unrepentantly countered.
"Huh... While I ain't exactly approvin' o' the shade bein' thrown at Bolo, I guess I see your points... Though, I can't help but admit that there are some parallels t' draw there..." Tayshan pensively remarked.
"Parallels? Like what?" Shantae dared to ask.
"Well... the whole 'being dragged from a different world an' havin' a bunch o' girls throw themselves at me' thing, I can't ignore. But then, I was active in the military, I was pretty happy with where I was, an' I had no desire t' date until I got t' know you. An' even then, I wasn't even a hundred percent sure I had a crush on you until the day we went t' Yarnball Heights Town," he explained, completely surprising her in the process. "Plus, you never threw yourself at me, Shantae, which I'm super thankful for. We started off as friends an' gradually built up t' where we're at now. Despite our very unlikely way o' meetin' each other, our friendship has always felt... natural."
"Natural, huh?" the half-genie remarked. "Honestly, that's how I felt, too. Weird..."
"And we remain on the same page. I like it," he complimented. "Other than that, uh... Sky an' Twitch were pretty vocal about their feelings from the day that I met them until yesterday, even though I ultimately didn't return their affections... an' the two o' them came t' blows at a certain point."
"Yeah, but they didn't give up everything they ever knew or worked for just to get a chance to take you for themselves," Shantae countered. "Sky still wants to be an accomplished bird trainer and scholar and Twitch is still dedicated to the Ammonian Army. Plus, I think it's pretty clear by now that what they felt toward you leaned more toward infatuation than anything else, which is different from love in the romantic sense. That happens sometimes, but it's not out of the ordinary. We've all been there at one point or another."
"True. Kinda reminds me of what we discussed back when you gave me my first tour o' Scuttle Town," he concurred with a nod, though he soon turned his gaze toward Rottytops. "But then... there's also our wonderful friend over here, who I still can't get a good read on..." he further murmured, gesturing toward the zombie maiden with a tilt of his head in her direction.
"Hey! What do you mean you can't get a good read on me?" Rotty complained, evidently offended. "I've got nothing to hide!"
"Hmph. I'd like t' believe that, but with what I've experienced o' you, Rotty, you've given me more than a few ideas about you..." he remarked, eyeing the zombie maiden up and down and unknowingly making her nervous.
"Oh? Okay... Well, what's that supposed to mean? You been watching me, stud muffin? Hm?"
"Like a hawk," he half-joked, smirking at her. Taking it as him just teasing her, she giggled in amusement, winking at him as she did so.
"Ah, I see. Clearly, I'm doing my job of keeping you on your toes really well, then," she playfully taunted.
"If that's your goal, then you're succeedin'," he admitted before refocusing. "Anyway, uh... I'd... also say you-know-who, but as I learned from personal experience, she just plain hates everybody... an' she only did what she did t' me, so she could satisfy herself an' turn me int' her ultimate pawn...!" he further admitted, tempering himself as he made that statement.
"Eh, I'm sure we'd be able to draw parallels all day about your time here in Sequin Land and some random fictional romance novel, Tayshan," Shantae interjected, not particularly interested in comparing apples to oranges in regard to his recent experiences. "Like I said, though, your experience here seems to be far removed from any silly old comic, considering all the things I know about you and all the sorts of incredible danger you've been in since we met. And even before, for that matter... Plus, you and I both know it takes a lot for me to come around to the idea of even having a crush on someone, much less dating them. And, wouldn't you know it, you gave me a whole bunch of different reasons over time to like you the way I do, that I otherwise wouldn't have known... had we not gotten to know each other... i-if that helps you at all."
"It... actually helps a lot, homegirl," Tay assured with a smiling nod that she happily returned. "An' I feel the exact same."
"Yeah, I'll bet…" Rotty commented with a shake of her head. "But then, as far as these adventures go, you must've been put through the wringer quite a lot, considering what Shantae mentioned a second ago. All that stuff seriously happened to you? I mean, I'm aware of some of it, but goodness...!"
"'Put through the wringer' is a massive understatement, Rotty," Tay remarked with a heavy sigh to emphasize his surprise that he survived as long as he had. "And yes, everything Shantae mentioned was true... even the toboggan thing, if you were wonderin' about that."
"Yikes... I want stories later, but I gotta say... No wonder you've got all those scars all over your body. Then again, I was there when you picked one of those scars up, so I know where you're coming from at some level. Also, if it's any additional boost to your assurance that you're not in one of those trashy harem comics, then I'll say it's pretty clear you're far more than just some 'plain old high school kid.' I've had more fun with you in two days than I've had with most of the guys I've messed around with in the last year, and no other guy I know on this planet could nearly get killed as often as you have and still find the courage to date Shantae of all people," she teased, much to Shantae's chagrin. "Plus, it sounds to me like you earned the affections of some of the girls around here, as opposed to having them give it to you the minute they saw you. I can definitely attest," the undead young lady shared with another innocuous smiling wink.
"Rotty...!" Shantae called, glowering at Rottytops for making such an impolite suggestion.
"I'm only being honest, snack cakes. I'm not going to put the moves on your man. I promise," Rotty smilingly replied, holding her hands up in front of herself as though she was expecting Shantae to pounce on her.
"Yeah, okay, Rotty..." the ponytailed heroine shot back with a watchful grin.
"Heh, well I'm flattered that you think so highly o' me. Really, I am. Granted, I was almost two years removed from my high school graduation anyway," Tay retorted with a chuckle. "I also had a clear goal of establishin' myself as a respectable figure in the world I came from, an' I was set to accomplish that goal through my military career an' makin' a lot o' different personal changes as I walked my path into adulthood. I just wonder how I'm gonna continue that here, since the case is that Sequin Land is gonna be my new home. An', just so you know, Rotty, my past... ain't quite so clean. I've got a lot o' dark spots on my track record, as I've told Shantae about in full," he further hinted, growing a tad self-conscious about how Rotty would react to his admission.
"I won't judge you for your history, and it hardly matters to me anyway. I'm not much of a goody two-shoes, either, so that much, we can relate on. Either way, I'm much more interested in the fact that we've got a full-grown man in our midst!" Rotty teasingly asserted, flustering Tay in the process while completely subverting his expectation. "No wonder you're so mature, so hot, and in such excellent shape, yet still so much fun to tease… You're a total anomaly."
"An 'anomaly'?" Tay asked, uncertain of whether he should be flattered or offended. "Thanks, I guess…" he flatly offered his partial gratitude as Shantae derived a hearty giggle from their exchange.
"You got it, hon, but dang…" Rotty further commented before turning her attention to the giggling half-genie. "Shantae, do you know if Risky kidnapped any other super cute guys with stable careers, realistic goals, outgoing personalities, rich histories, and superpowers from other dimensions and brought them to Sequin Land? There's no way you can be the only girl to get so lucky…"
"As far as I know, Tay's the only one," Shantae laughingly answered, though Tay did his trademark thing of pouting and cutting his eyes elsewhere as a result of being called that entirely unmanly thing he loved (read: absolutely loathed) being called so much. Didn't help that Shantae played right along with Rotty's humiliating comment. "Anyway, we're getting way off-track. I think the main point of this chat was supposed to be that despite a lot of our experiences, we're not in one of those romance comics."
"That, an'... well, no matter what, the only woman in either o' the worlds I've been in that truly captured my heart is you, Shantae," the soldier added, albeit very nervously so.
"Aww, Tayshan!" the excited half-genie affectionately cheered, her heart skipping a beat at the gravity of his confession. "You're so sweet... I-I don't know what to say... I've never had someone say anything that special to me before..."
"Well, I'm glad t' be the first. I aim t' please," he assured, grinning at her just as brightly as she had at him.
"And 'pleased,' I am, Tay..." the half-genie appreciatively affirmed. "And for what it's worth, um... I-I... Er, you've... you've captured my heart, too..." she further sheepishly admitted, causing Rotty to nearly burst into a fit of giggling while Tay resisted the urge to explode with tightly contained excitement as his heart fluttered at Shantae's confession. He was rendered speechless as he glued his eyes to the adorable young ponytailed heroine. In response, she smilingly glued her eyes to him, the lovebirds seeming almost... hypnotized by one another as the atmosphere grew quiet.
"D'aww... You two really, really like each other... The two of you are so cute...~" Rotty murmured, quietly and smilingly appreciating her friends' connection to one another as they let the tender moment pass.
"So... Are we ready to head out to the next spot?" Shantae asked her friends as she took a deep breath to get set and extended her hands toward them. Judging by the lingering blush on her face as she resisted the urge to keep staring at the equally blushing serviceman standing beside her, it was apparent that the affectionate moment might've gotten the best of her nerves. As such, she timidly made a move to push their conversation along before they got too distracted.
"What spot are we about t' hit up next?" Tay inquired, reaching toward Shantae to grab one of her hands.
"Umm... Honestly, the only other place I can think of is the Kitschy Quilt Desert, unless any one of us has got other ideas in mind on where else to go."
"I'm bone dry on ideas myself, unfortunately," Rotty confessed, grasping Shantae's other hand. "That is, unless we want to try our luck going back to Spider Web Island to comb the area for anything we missed."
"No, thank you," both Shantae and Tayshan collectively denied, neither of them wanting anything to do with such a terrible place that, all things considered, nearly cost them their friendships with one another... in addition to very nearly costing them their lives.
"Yeeeeeeaah, that's what I figured you guys would say," the zombie maiden remarked with a chuckle. "In that case, do you have any other ideas, Tay?"
"Not really at this point," Tay regretfully denied. "I was bankin' on us havin' help from the monster girls on Naga Mountain, possibly some o' the guards from either the Sequin Land Palace, Yarnball Heights Town, or even Genie's Hem, or some o' the locals in any o' the other places we visited over time. Yet, every single one o' those places was destroyed by either Risky Boots or Hypno Baron. I was also hopin' we'd have had a more... cohesive workin' relationship with the likes of the four Barons in case they understood the threat Risky posed, but... look where trustin' any o' them got us."
"No kidding," Shantae agreed. "And, from the sound of it, most of the help we could've gotten was knocked out of the game before they could even participate. Shoot..." she further lamented, realizing for herself how serious the predicament was. "Well, I can't say this wasn't to be expected. I trust that we can still come up with a solid game plan, even if it turns out we'll have to fight Risky on our own."
"We've always been prepared for that, homegirl," Tay acknowledged, though he couldn't help but be concerned about their chances. "But then... aren't there at least supposed t' be some other half-genies hangin' around somewhere? I imagine that if Risky has as much trouble with you as she does, addin' a few o' those other genies would stomp out any chance she had o' takin' over the country."
"There are, but I don't have a clue where any of those girls could be. There also aren't very many of us, to my knowledge. We're apparently very few and very far between," Shantae admitted, briefly pondering the idea herself. "We don't exactly have a lot of time to go searching for them, either. And, not to sound like I'm tooting my own horn, but I... haven't really heard any stories about any of the other half-genies that would convince me that they'd be ready for the likes of Risky Boots like I've always been. It's honestly a wonder why none of them have ever shown up to try and stop her before..."
"That's probably because you're the strongest by at least a hundred miles and running," Rotty interjected with a compliment. "There may be at least a few other half-genies out there, but there's only one Shantae. And, of course, there's only one Risky Boots. Either way, ladies and gents, it seems like the arrow's pointing toward us taking it upon ourselves to stop Risky as usual."
"Yep..." Tay acknowledged, finding little comfort in the idea as he considered what Risky was still packing. "If that's how it's gotta be, then we're gonna have t' work hard, work smart, work together... an' work quickly t' bring her down...!"
"We've got this, no matter what," Shantae confidently assured, tightening her grip on her allies' hands. "We've stopped Risky many times before despite what she's brought to the table, and we don't have much reason to believe this'll be too different. I promise you, Tay, we're still in this; especially when we consider that you, as something of an honorary 'genie,' almost defeated Risky Boots and her Tinkerbats all by yourself in the Inseam Municipality, if it wasn't for Ammo Baron and his troops getting in the way." Her comment, though it was meant to flatter him, filled him to the brim with complete surprise instead. "That fight may not have ended in your favor, but you totally caught Risky off-guard and forced her into a corner like no one would've expected you to with the odds so stacked against you. You've come a LONG way since we began traveling together, and like we talked about when we started, you definitely got a lot stronger over time. For that matter, we all have."
"What!? How did you-!?" he tried to ask, considering he never told her any explicit details about what happened in the Inseam Municipality. He only remembered confirming to her that the city in question was where Risky staged her ambush that eventually ended with his capture by the Pirate Queen and her forces. He didn't even remember getting into the specifics of the Inseam ambush when they were talking with the others as a group.
"Oh, so we've definitely got this in the bag if we play our cards right!" Rotty assured, inadvertently cutting Tayshan off as she breathed a sigh of relief. "You didn't say you gave Risky such a run for her money that she had to pull out all the stops to capture you, stud muffin!"
"I-I mean, I guess, but I never tol-!" he tried to explain.
"I'm not sure what we're worrying about now!" Rotty naively cheered, cutting him off again. "As long as we get ourselves ready in due time, we'll mop the floor with that old bat before dinner! Now, come on! Are we gonna get a move on to this Kitschy Quilt Desert place or what?"
"I'm good for it," Shantae agreed ready to roll. "Tayshan?"
"...Yeah, I'm ready," he confirmed with a nod, though he studied Shantae as he wondered just how much she knew about their time apart between Spider Web Island and their reunion in the Tittle-Tattle Plains.
"Good. Alright now…" Shantae trailed off as she began to rhythmically shake her hips and focus her energy. It took basically no time at all for her entire form to be enshrouded in a mystical flow of Light Magic as she concentrated. And, within another three or four seconds… "Warp Dance…!" she announced, teleporting herself and her friends to their next destination with another *POOF*. Well, it certainly seemed like the valiant adolescent adventurers were making some incredible strides toward preparing to stop Risky Boots in her tracks, if I could've said so myself. The pervading question in mind, of course, was if their preparations would be enough. Time was of the essence, and at this rate, anything could happen. However, we aren't quite done yet. Though the window of opportunity was slim, our heroes continued to disperse throughout various previously visited locations to scout for assistance. Speaking of which, we should probably take some time to catch up on progress elsewhere…
Elsewhere yet again, even later...
LOCATION: GENIE'S HEM UNIVERSITY, GENIE'S HEM, SEQUIN LAND
DATE: OCTOBER 2ND, 16 P.G.F.
TIME: 1427 HOURS (roughly one hour and thirty-three minutes prior to Risky Boots's umpteenth invasion of Scuttle Town)
"And what in the blue blazes do you insufferable little rugrats want!?" an incredibly rude older man in a giant purple-and-gold cloak with a neon skull for a face shouted at Sequin Land's most famous bird tamer and Sequin Land's most famous… er, blue-haired hero-in-training? Eh, bear with me on that one, alright? So anyway, Sky and Bolo had just made it to Genie's Hem via Wrench and had followed the ages-old lead that Hypno Baron was using the beautifully decorated college there as a substitute for his long-lost castle. The two of them quickly found success, though there wasn't much reason to celebrate.
"Wow, you're rude. A 'hello' would've worked just fine, Hypno Baron," Sky sagely advised the grumpy wizard, having no soft spot for him or his attitude.
"Not for those who go cavorting around with that insipid half-genie menace," Hypno Baron irritably shot back, evidently wanting nothing to do with Shantae or her friends. "Especially after that irritating squirt and her punch-happy boyfriend came here and beat me to a pulp for no reason?"
"No reason? Dude, who are you kidding?" Bolo incredulously interjected. "You made them switch bodies and then told them to come here while they were switched to convince you to change them back. And then you tried to fight them when they got here instead of just changing them back like you promised. Let's be real: Whatever they did to you back then, you were asking for it."
"Oh, and the mouth on this one… Repulsive!" Hypno Baron continued to lambaste his unwanted guests as they stood outside the main entrance to the campus's main building. "You've got some nerve coming to my college campus and disrespecting me in such an irreverent manner. I ought to call my security guards to rough you up something good."
"Cool your jets, Hypno Baron," Sky advised him again. "We're not here to pick another fight with you."
"Then what are you two whippersnappers doing, sullying the sanctity of my college campus with your mere presence? I never even directly deal with you two, so it baffles me to no end that you're even talking to me right now."
"Trust us, we don't want to make a habit of associating with the likes of you either," Bolo remarked.
"That said, we're here to ask if you and-slash-or your apprentice would be willing to lend a hand in stopping Risky Boots from launching another harebrained scheme to take over Sequin Land. It's kind of an emergency," Sky plainly informed the magus, who reeled back in such disgust that one would've thought he'd just eaten a grapefruit doused in cough syrup.
"After that filthy pirate witch utterly decimated my castle, and then manipulated me into ambushing your precious friends the following day? Hmph! Both of you idiots are dumber than you look if you really thought I was going to get myself tangled up in that mess again. No thanks! Now buzz off!" Hypno Baron irritably commanded before attempting to slam the giant wooden door. Bolo, thinking quickly, rushed ahead and thrust his hands forward, where the door met them with a dense *WHAP* that just HAD to sting.
"Come on, dude, the fate of Sequin Land as a whole depends on it!" the young man urgently informed the angry magician, who'd still been trying to shut the door in the teens' faces.
"Then deal with it on your own! I'm not lifting another finger to help anyone unless it also helps me! Now get off my lawn, you little snots!"
"Don't you think stopping Risky from taking over Sequin Land helps you in the slightest?" Sky interjected, joining Bolo in forcing the door open while Hypno Baron began ramming his shoulder into it to try and close it.
"It's none of my concern what that brutish pirate woman does now," Hypno Baron continued to protest. "I lost my castle, but she paid me enough to buy out this entire college campus! And with as many renovations and repairs as I've had to organize, in addition to all these ridiculous lawsuits, refund requests, and mostly-female employee departures I've had to deal with, I CANNOT get caught up in another one of these utterly preposterous genie-versus-pirate scuffles! Besides, Risky would just blow up Genie's Hem University if she saw me gallivanting around with the likes of you little clowns!"
"Hrrgh…! Don't be such a coward! Even Ammo Baron still found it in himself to want to help despite Risky doing the same thing to him that he did to you!" Bolo informed, shocking Hypno Baron enough to relent on forcing the door shut. Not realizing his sudden lack of resistance, Sky and Bolo forced the door wide open, haphazardly stumbling over their own feet before landing with twin *THUDs* in the middle of a messy, boarded-up foyer that still served as Genie's Hem University's main hall. It took mere seconds for the duo to get up and dust themselves off, but it was worth note that both of them were utterly flabbergasted by the state of total disarray the foyer was in. Missing furniture, boarded-up windows, the shattered remnants of a chandelier resting in the middle of the gigantic hall, even more caution tape wrapped around various areas, and various stains and burn marks all over the floor and walls… the place was still a complete mess from the last time we visited it.
"What the heck happened here…?" Sky asked herself as she and Bolo looked around, astonished by the disheveled state of the main hall.
"This, children, is one of the reasons I didn't want you in here," Hypno Baron rather somberly expressed with a sigh as he flung the door shut in frustration before sullenly approaching the intruders. "My main hall has been in need of serious repairs since Shantae and her boyfriend showed up here and decided to challenge me to a most gruesome Boss Battle. It… may have also served as the site of the vicious group beating of a certain gelatinous, aquatic waste of space with eight legs, but we needn't get into the details of that mess…"
"Right…" Sky uneasily murmured, finding herself disheartened to see that her top pick for higher education had been sullied by the likes of the scheming wizard.
"This is bad and all, and I hope you get what you need to fix this total trainwreck…" Bolo rather insensitively stated, causing Hypno Baron to glare at him. "…but we've got more important things to worry about than your mounting financial hardships and your fancy school. Right now, Risky's on the verge of yet another country-wide conquest, and she nearly took us all out in the middle of it."
"And that's my problem… how? She's doing the exact same thing she always does, except this time with a few more abominable technological toys at her disposal. Handle it on your own," Hypno Baron rebuffed as he crossed his arms and scowled.
"You're not getting it," Sky retorted, none too fond of the conjurer's refusal to cooperate. "Risky's much closer to actually fulfilling her goal of taking over the country this time around, and she's much more ruthless than she's ever been."
"Oh, you think? Was her total obliteration of my castle not enough of a hint?" Hypno Baron sarcastically remarked with nothing but bitterness in his tone. "I 'get it' enough to know that I would not benefit further from interfering in such frivolous matters. What happens to the country as a whole is of no concern to me, for I consider myself most resourceful in the wake of a crisis like this… when it comes to protecting myself and my residents-slash-minions. And like I told that one-eyed, gun-toting carpetbagger Ammo Baron, if you don't give me a really good reason to intervene, I will not—and I repeat—NOT go breaking my back for someone else's benefit again; least of all that irreverent, disrespectful little ponytailed halfling twit and her idiotic frie-!"
"Watch your mouth, dude," Bolo interrupted with a sudden sense of anger in his voice. "Say what you want about the situation and why you're too scared to lend a hand, but don't you dare sit there and insult Shantae like that."
"Says the spiky-haired punk who comes to MY temporary home, demanding MY assistance with no regard to MY plight," Hypno Baron countered, already having had enough of the conversation. "If you've got nothing else to try and coerce me with, kids, then I'm going to not-so-kindly ask you to get your sorry butts off my campus before I call security to handle you," he conclusively demanded, gesturing toward the door.
"Hypno Baron, come on," Sky tried one more time to negotiate. "I get it that you don't like any of us and that you're mad at Shantae for whatever happened here the other week, but we didn't come all the way out here to rub salt on the wound or deliberately inconvenience you. We came here because we thought we could benefit from your help on stopping Risky Boots after what she did to your castle."
"Right, but despite that, she fulfilled her end of our extortion-based bargain by paying me what she said she would in exchange for my 'cooperation.' I would still like to see her get what she deserves for the trouble she put me through, but I personally don't have enough of a reason to get involved again either way. And from what I hear, she went on to make Ammo Baron AND Techno Baron's lives a living nightmare without paying them a single gem. The way I see it, I got lucky with her, and I'm not about to squander that luck turning against her because a bunch of her greatest enemies want me to. That is, unless you can offer me a hefty price for my assistance."
"Blow it out where the sun don't shine, Hypno Baron," Bolo irritably shut down the wizard's attempt to press them for money. "This is no time to be a crook about helping us save the entire country."
"Bolo!" Sky yelled at her teammate, surprised to hear him say something so vulgar. "Tone it down a notch, will ya?"
"You're telling me to settle down? He just told us we had to pay him to help him, or else he won't do anything at all to try and save Sequin Land from potential destruction. What kind of opportunistic scumbag does that at a time like this?"
"That's it! Get out! Out, out, out! I have had it up to my neck with you ignorant little brats coming in here and finding all sorts of ways to utterly disrespect your elders! Beat it!" Hypno Baron very angrily demanded, walking back to the door and opening it to usher his 'guests' out.
"Fine, but can you at least give us SOME idea of who can help? Like your apprentice Aashiq, or some of your minions, or SOMEBODY?" Sky demanded to know, at this point certain that the stubborn Hypno Baron wasn't budging.
"Aashiq is on a sabbatical in the wake of a gruesome injury he sustained on an ill-fated trip to Yarnball Heights I specifically advised him not to embark on," Hypno Baron shared, dashing their hopes of at least getting the Hypnotist apprentice's continued support. "I am not telling you where he is, either. I am also most certainly NOT sending a single minion in your direction for assistance, and in case you were wondering, Squid Baron's having a much-needed, well-deserved stay at the hospital, where he will also be of no use to you. Now get out of my sight, you insufferable curs!"
"Alright, we're going, you crotchety old stick-in-the-mud!" Sky shouted back at him, also having had more than enough of Hypno Baron's constant derision of her and Bolo. Nevertheless, the two adventurers marched out the front entrance per Hypno Baron's request.
"And don't you dare come back unless you're applying and signing up for classes!" Hyno Baron decided to additionally shout, making sure they knew that they were only welcome at Genie's Hem University if they became students. With that, he used all his might to shut the door with a mighty *SLAM* that startled the daylights out of Sky and Bolo.
"I hope your school gets sued and shut down, you creepy old jerk!" Bolo shouted through the door, wanting to make absolutely sure Hypno Baron knew how he and Sky felt about him. Seeing no more reason to hang around, the two were about to set off and contemplate their next move. Within a few steps of their departure, the door opened back up, revealing Hypno Baron once again.
"Hang on, kids," he beckoned, his tone somewhat calmer than it was mere seconds ago.
"What now?" Sky warily asked, expecting him to come up with another smart remark.
"Much as I should just let you go without knowing about it, I figure I'll at least do you some good by divulging this information. That said, you should probably relay this message to your genie friend that there's a permanent side effect to the Corporeal Transmission spell she and her lover found themselves the prime test subjects of," he revealed, though he didn't at all explain the reason for his sudden change of heart.
"What!? What side effect?" Sky demanded to know, her breath catching in her chest in fear for the safety of her friends.
"As I've discovered by testing it out a few times since the last time I encountered Shantae, switching bodies with someone and then switching directly back may cause there to be something of a… I guess I'd describe it as a 'Soul-Link' between the two parties," he revealed, uncovering one of this tale's greatest mysteries to date.
"Soul-Link?" Bolo repeated, equally as shocked to hear the important detail as his comrade.
"Indeed, though the results seem to vary. I'm not sure how at this point, because it was an experimental spell in the first place. Regardless, some of my later test subjects have reported being able to sense extreme emotional or situational stimulation in the person they'd previously switched with after they switch directly back."
"So… what, like if Bolo and I switched bodies and switched back, it would give us both the ability to sense each other's emotions?" Sky took the liberty of asking.
"Not exactly," Hypno Baron corrected. "It's generally like one of you would be able to sense when the other is in some form of distress, but I don't know much beyond that," he further shared, causing Bolo to gasp in realization. "As I said, results have varied between subject pairs…"
"That explains why Shantae and Tayshan could sense each other whenever one of them was in trouble...!" Bolo proclaimed in wonder, even more surprised than he was moments ago.
"Oh, really?" Hypno Baron asked in intrigue, stroking his invisible chin.
"Yeah, believe it or not. Whatever it is you're talking about, it sounds exactly like what they've been dealing with. I saw it myself yesterday in Tayshan, and earlier today in Shantae."
"Care to explain?"
"Sure, I guess. When Shantae got hurt near Naga Mountain yesterday, Tayshan sensed it all the way over in the Inseam Municipality, where he and I were dealing with Risky's Tinkerbats there. And while Tayshan was in the Baron Desert earlier today, Shantae could sense him all the way from Scuttle Town to the point that she kept complaining about stomach pains when she sensed him. And then, when he eventually showed up somewhere near Scuttle Town, she knew exactly where to find him before any of the rest of us did. Granted, Tayshan also went totally berserk with rage and got taken over by Dark Magic when he sensed Shantae was hurt yesterday… which was before we found out Risky forced him to swallow a Dark Magic shard. That wouldn't have anything to do with YOU, now would it?"
"Oh, heavens, no!" Hypno Baron denied. "I had no idea that a human could have access to Dark Magic to the point where it'd drive them insane with anger. Then again, your half-genie companion apparently still had some hidden away inside her when they came here. When the boy was inside her body, he went berserk with Dark Magic-fueled rage back then as well."
"Wait… WHAT!?" Sky asked at nearly max volume as she failed to hide her surprise. "Shantae still has Dark Magic inside her!? That's impossible! We helped purge it out of her right before her last big battle with Risky Boots!"
"Evidently, you weren't very thorough. I know what I saw," the magus firmly reiterated. "When that Tayshan boy was in her body, her eyes had changed from blue to golden, and she wore a positively murderous scowl on her face. She wasted absolutely no time trying to kill me with nothing but pure, unbridled wrath in her every move. From what I saw, he had come under the effects of the Dark Magic in her body sometime before they reached me. I didn't see Shantae use any Dark Magic while she was in his body, and neither of them used any when they got lucky and switched back to their original bodies. To hear that that young man apparently had subsequent experiences with being consumed by Dark Magic only AFTER coming under the effects of my spell speaks volumes about its ability to transfer magic between subjects in addition to their souls… Hmm…" Hypno Baron continued to ponder, evidently finding an entirely new area of research to explore regarding one of his most dangerous spells yet.
"…So, what does that mean?" Bolo asked, a sudden sense of apprehension in his tone as he and Sky glanced at one another.
"It's difficult to say. It's still too soon to draw any absolute conclusions," Hypno Baron remarked with a shrug. "That said, one of my theories appears to be right on the money. At the very least, your two friends have been permanently spiritually bound to one another with the Soul-Link side effect of my spell."
"Well, is there a way to fix that? That sounds like it could be a real problem in the future!" Sky asked, even more worried about the wellbeing of her comrades than she thought she could've been in that moment.
"I don't have a clue on how to reverse it," Hypno Baron casually gave his answer with a shrug. "Maybe if one of them died, I suppose?"
"Well, we know that that's not an option," Bolo hastily rebuffed, his heart sinking at the suggestion. "Especially not if there's a possibility that if one of them dies, the other would go along with them."
"No, no, the spell's side effect isn't strong enough to produce a full-blown Destiny Bond effect… I think," the wizard postulated. "In my experiments, one subject couldn't feel pain or happiness or stress the same way the other subject did. The Soul-Link effect's only consistent result, as far as I've seen, was one subject sensing when the other was in danger or under significant pressure. There were no direct emotional or physical components involved. That Dark Magic sensation piece is an enigma all on its own, however…"
"Well, great," Sky remarked, doing nothing to hide her concern. "So, they're soul-bonded thanks to you, and you don't have a clue what could potentially happen to them from here on out, nor do you know how to undo it."
"Ah, you're not as dumb as you look," the magus shot back in a condescending manner.
"I'm going to do the mature thing and ignore that. Instead, I'll ask you this one last question."
"For the sake of this most intriguing discussion, ask away."
"What do you plan on doing with that body transfer spell?" she suspiciously asked (and rightfully so). "It seems AWFULLY powerful for a madman like you to be allowed to play around with…"
"If you're worried I'm going to try and use it to steal Shantae's body again, I'll have you know that that is no longer an option."
"Why not?"
"As I've discovered, I can only cast the spell on a particular subject twice. And whether she was the main transmission subject or not—which in this case, Tayshan was the main subject both times and not her—she's switched bodies with him via my Corporeal Transmission spell twice. After two swaps, the subjects in question seem to become entirely immune to any further attempts while also potentially inheriting the Soul-Link side effect if they switch back to their original bodies from each other's. Therefore, your genie pal and her lover are unfortunately safe from any future endeavors with my body-swap spell. I also need to be careful with it, because I can't afford to lose my beloved body without the chance of returning to it in case I mess it up…"
"…Well, that's as close to good news as we're ever gonna get from you, I bet."
"Indeed it is. Thanks for the information, by the way. Now, as you were," Hypno Baron bade his not-so-friendly farewell as he shooed them off and hurriedly shut the door again to disengage Sky and Bolo. With a collective sigh, the two of them strolled away from the compromised college campus as they pondered what to do next.
"So, this was kind of a bust," Bolo lamented as he and Sky walked far enough off the college campus to be right in front of its badly damaged, yet decorative entrance a fair distance away from the main building.
"Yeah, except for the bit of info we found out regarding Shantae and that soul-swap business," Sky mostly agreed. "We've gotta let her and Tay know about that and the deal with the Dark Magic as soon as possible. Until then… I'd hate to say that I'm all out of people to ask for help," she further confessed with a disappointed frown.
"Already? But we only got the Giga Mermaid in the last hour or two, and that took us trading off Techno Baron. Wasn't there at least ONE more person you might've encountered in your recent travels?"
"No, unfortunately. The only major places I've been to were Naga Mountain, here briefly, and the Sheared Spool Shrine. And of those three places, two of them were completely destroyed by Risky and her Tinkerbats, leaving us with next to no options for help. And considering the guards here are patrolling the streets on high alert like they are here, it seems like Genie's Hem is still on lockdown. It wouldn't surprise me if another part of their reasoning for refusing to help us is because they caught wind of other cities that were attacked in recent times. How about you?"
"My big three are Thimble Canyon, Inseam Municipality, and Scuttle Town earlier this morning when Risky's Tinkerbats came after us," Bolo shared. "I got kidnapped and brainwashed in one place and ambushed by Tinkerbats AND the Ammonian Army in another. I don't remember the Thimble Canyon being too lively, and as we already know, the Inseam Municipality was also completely destroyed. My only saving grace was convincing Twitch and Vinegar to come to our side for real instead of playing any other dirty tricks long enough for them to help fight the Tinkerbats that attacked Scuttle Town until Shantae finally woke back up."
"The fact that you of all people had to convince those two backstabbers to stop stabbing us in the back AFTER Shantae, Tayshan, and I gave them two other chances already, should speak volumes about how untrustworthy they are," Sky fervently spat in sharp distaste for the Ammonian acolytes.
"Trust me, I know," Bolo acknowledged with a nod as he sighed. "This time, though, they've got no choice but to help us. After what they put us through, they owe it to us to lend their aid."
"That doesn't guarantee that they'll stick to their word, but if that's what we've got, then the best we can do is at least keep a closer eye on them," the bird tamer suggested. "With any luck, they're doing more than just sitting around and waiting for us to figure everything out."
"They seemed pretty eager to help, but only time will tell."
"Right," she agreed with an understanding nod, though she still couldn't find it in herself to stomach the idea of working with Vinegar or especially Twitch of all people again, no matter how dire the circumstances. "In that case, I think we should at least attempt to find Squid Baron or that Aashiq kid from way back in the day." At that, Bolo instinctively flinched at the mention of the Hypnotist apprentice as his face grew hot.
"Ah… N-no, that's fine. If nothing else, we can just head back to Scuttle Town and meet up with the others," he hastily suggested, though it caused the scrutinizing Sky to raise an eyebrow at him.
"Hm. That's awfully… avoidant of you," she stated, eyeing him up and down to notice he'd suddenly found it hard to look her in the eye as he began wringing his hands. "Is there something I should be aware of on why you don't want to at least try to look for them while we're here?"
"Uh, w-well, Squid Baron's not gonna be any help if he's in the hospital for whatever reason," Bolo stammered through his explanation. "A-and even if he wasn't, he would still be more or less deadweight. And uh… Aashiq…" he continued to stutter, oddly attempting to find any reason in his head not to try seeing the other young man… wherever he was. "Well, you heard what Hypno Baron said. He's apparently injured and on a sabbatical. Plus, now that I remember it, he came to Scuttle Town last night and healed Shantae's injuries. His arm was in a sling, and he said he felt like he wasn't gonna be much help in his condition anyway… Heh…"
"…Uh-huh…" Sky incredulously remarked, eyeing Bolo up and down. Sensing that he was under the proverbial magnifying glass, the nervous handyman-in-training did his best to straighten himself up to look like nothing was wrong. Did it work, you might ask? Well… "You can try and hide it all you want, kiddo, but it seems to me like you're scared you might be overshadowed by someone other than Shantae this time around," Sky immediately pointed out, causing Bolo to jump hard enough that he could've cleared the entire distance between two ends of Genie's Hem (which is a HUGE city, by the way) in a single bound.
"What!? Sky, don't be ridiculous!" Bolo sternly denied, dismissively swatting a hand in her direction as he momentarily turned away. "This has nothing to do with me having an issue with other people getting more important roles than me in the upcoming battle. I'm being totally serious when I say neither Aashiq nor Squid Baron are going to help us!"
"Hey, I'm not denying that what you're saying is true," the amused falconer explained, smirking at her friend. "I can detect jealousy when I see it, no less," she further teased, much to his dismay.
"D'oh, cut it out! I'm not jealous of anybody!" he protested, highly irritated by her assumption.
"And I was born yesterday. You're not fooling anyone, dude. It's okay to admit that you feel uncomfortable with someone potentially stealing the spotlight from you," she jokingly pointed out to him, striking a chord within him as he balled up his fists at his sides before taking a deep breath to temper himself.
"Yeah, well nobody asked you, Ms. Know-It-All," he brashly insulted, glowering at her as he crossed his arms. "I was just telling you what I know about why we'd probably be better off not spending too much more time sniffing around for extra supports that aren't gonna be there. Besides, Shantae is probably waiting for us to get back to her and we didn't exactly plan this extended detour."
"Know-It-All? You've got some nerve!" Sky argued back, offended by her comrade's name calling. "Excuse me for making an observation based on how jumpy you got from the mere mention of Aashiq as though you and he had an awkward encounter that you'd rather not talk about." At that, Bolo's eyes widened as he began to sweat. He'd also instinctively gulped, hoping Sky wouldn't take the conversation in that direction.
"…Umm…"
"As if you weren't paranoid enough about Tayshan," Sky also name-dropped, snapping her friend out of his initial fear of her constant prying as he found himself shocked by her next assumption.
"What? And what does Tay have to do with this conversation?"
"As if we're not painfully aware of how much you apparently dislike him for the simple fact that he's another guy who's capable of going on adventures with Shantae," Sky quickly pointed out, though it only irritated Bolo further.
"You couldn't be more wrong there," he sternly corrected. "Tayshan and I started off a bit rocky, sure, but we've long since come to a mutual understanding of each other. We worked together really well in Inseam, and we equally respect and trust each other as friends, teammates, and rivals in crime fighting," he further boldly claimed. "I don't know where you got the idea that I'm 'paranoid' about him, but that isn't true in the slightest, Sky."
"Teammates and rivals in crime fighting, eh? Interesting. Well, I'm at least glad to know you and he are on friendly terms now."
"Exactly. That aside, you could really benefit from quitting that habit of always trying to put someone or something in its place," he angrily accused, causing her to reel back in offense.
"Excuse me?"
"Yeah, I said it. I'm getting a little tired of constantly being treated like I don't matter as much as the rest of our group or like I'm just a nuisance to you," he finally spoke up, addressing a long-standing issue he'd been dealing with since forever.
"Slow it down, Bolo. What are you even talking about? We don't treat you like that at all."
"Of course, you don't see it," he flatly retorted with a frustrated sigh. "Go figure that Twitch and Vinegar treat me better in just a few hours than you have in the last few years."
"Okay, well THAT'S gonna need some explaining from you," Sky shot back, taken aback by the very idea that Bolo could make such an outrageous claim. "If you think those two conniving con artists are better friends to you than me or Shantae, then you've CLEARLY got some issues we need to work out."
"I didn't say anything about the two of them being better friends. I only said that they're giving me a better shot at proving myself than you are. I also didn't say anything about Shantae relating to this topic, Sky. She and I have had our talk already, and the two of us have been much cooler with each other ever since. She trusts me far more now than she has before, which says a lot more than I could say about you."
"What? So, your issue is just with ME now? Wow, okay. Fine then, Bolo. You act like I'm always giving you a hard time."
"That's because you do always give me a hard time," he shot back, growing more resentful of Sky's attitude toward him. "Are you only just realizing that?"
"Alright, I'm strongly advising you to watch it," she warned. "I don't know what's gotten into you all of a sudden, but there's no need to be so snippy about whatever's on your mind. I guess we'll have to address this as soon as we figure out whether Aashiq and/or Squid Baron can help us at all," she dismissively remarked with a roll of her eyes, though it really did surprise her that he was being so confrontational with her.
"We really shouldn't bother with Squid Baron," Bolo continued to hold his stance firm. "And we already know enough about Aashiq's situation from what he told me, in addition to what Hypno Baron said. We'd be wasting valuable time looking for them now."
"Yeah, well we don't have the luxury of being picky when it comes to recruiting potential allies to the cause. If there's a chance that either of them might be able to help, then we're going to explore it and find out for ourselves instead of just relying on rumors and your own preferences. Get over it already. Now, are you coming along or what?" she tersely asked as she pulled out her whistle and blew into it to summon Wrench in his Giga form. Within seconds, the aforementioned avian beast came flittering in, flapping his gigantic wings as he landed next to Sky. She wasted no time climbing onto the saddle already affixed to his back and getting herself settled. Nevertheless, the bird tamer's words did nothing to quell Bolo's building irritation with the way she'd been addressing him as of late as he (with considerable effort) held his tongue. Or at least, he tried.
"…I wish I'd have come out here with literally anybody other than you…!" he muttered under his breath as he carefully approached the transport bird, though the quiet rustling of the surrounding foliage being lightly brushed by the brisk Genie's Hem winds were not enough to mask his derisive comment. Though he didn't notice, Sky had flinched in a sudden rush of shared frustration.
"The next time you want to say something hurtful to me, Bolo, you should at least have the courage to say it to my face," Sky angrily advised him, though she didn't turn around to glare at him. "Now hurry up."
"…Okay," he hesitantly obliged, a pit suddenly forming in his stomach as he climbed onto Wrench, took the passenger seat, and held onto it tight. The two squabbling comrades in arms said nothing further to each other as Sky gave Wrench the command to fly to their penultimate destination.
A little later…
LOCATION: RED THREAD HOSPITAL, GENIE'S HEM, SEQUIN LAND
DATE: OCTOBER 2ND, 16 P.G.F.
TIME: 1456 HOURS (roughly one hour and four minutes before Risky's umpteenth invasion of Scuttle Town)
Sky and Bolo had made their trip to the city of Genie's Hem's local hospital a quick one as they tried to mind the time. Granted, neither of them was aware of our other heroes' plans to reconvene with one another by 1600 Hours (A.K.A. 4:00 PM if you haven't been catching on THIS late in the game). They were in a hurry because they were way beyond the time Sky told Shantae that she and Bolo would return from their voyage to Naga Mountain. Concerned that their extended absence would potentially cause them to miss out on some important brainstorming on how to stop a certain Pirate Queen once and for all or that said absence could raise concern about their wellbeing, the duo resolved to wrap up their business in Genie's Hem posthaste. Nevertheless, the bird tamer and the fledgling warrior (as he liked to at least be acknowledged) wordlessly entered the massive, super-busy healthcare establishment, where they were met with a waiting room full of ailing patients on stretchers or in wheelchairs, adorable and curvaceous young nurses and nursing aids in full hospital garb running around with medical equipment in their hands and tending to said patients, and a single doctor in full doctor gear with glasses, a clipboard, and a stethoscope hanging from his neck going around and interviewing various consumers. Much as I'd like to be more descriptive about the hustle and bustle of a typical hospital setting, I get the feel you already know what I mean. Hospitals… Not exactly my first choice for a day out on the town.
Nevertheless, Sky readily approached the front desk of the emergency room and asked if it was possible that a giant red sea creature had been checked in as a patient… despite how outlandish it was to ask a hospital for human patients (as far as the context was concerned) about literally anything other than a human being. But, considering we're in Sequin Land of all places, anything was possible. Of course, you knew that already, because reasons. Lots of reasons. Anyway, a helpful nurse (a particularly curvy, busty young chocolate-skinned lady with long, wavy turquoise hair wearing a bright pink nursing dress with a matching cap that Bolo was definitely NOT staring at inappropriately the entire time) led them down a few busy corridors littered with miscellaneous medical tools and supplies as she gave them the rundown on how busy the Red Thread Hospital had become since shortly after Hypno Baron bought out Genie's Hem University. After a few twists and turns through the periwinkle-tinted walls of the maze-like hospital, accompanied by a couple flights of stairs mixed in between, the two were led to a particularly large patient room isolated at the end of the hall.
"And here we are, kids; Room D-815!" the nurse brightly presented to the exhausted visitors as they caught their breath following the incredible hike they took.
"Jeez… Whew, that was some workout…" Sky complained, massaging her legs to keep them from feeling like mush after their extensive trip.
"Yeah, I feel like I'm gonna be sore for at least a week after all that…" Bolo agreed, stretching his legs to ward off the lingering exercise-related burn. The sweet nurse merely giggled at their collective discomfort.
"Sorry about that. Our hospital is pretty huge, and the specialty units are reserved for most of our non-human patrons. The Squid Baron fell right within that category, as you might imagine. Anyway, I'll leave you to it," the nurse cheerfully addressed them with a bow. "I'll be waiting right here for you, so just give me a holler once you're finished, okay?"
"Roger that, ma'am," Bolo acknowledged along with Sky, who'd merely nodded.
"Awesome! Although, sir…?" the nurse trailed off, addressing Bolo as Sky walked into the room to see Squid Baron.
"Er, y-yeah?"
"Much as I am flattered that I and the other nurses seem to catch your attention, I must inform you that it's most unbecoming of a man to stare at us the way you've been staring at me since we met," she warned him, though she said it with the most confusingly bright and cheerful inflection anyone could've been hit with. Poor Bolo never stood a chance.
"Dah! Ergh, uh… S-sorry… You're just ah… You're really pretty, but I-I get it… Sorry…" he nervously apologized, batting his eyes somewhere else as he blushed.
"Not a problem! Let's make sure it doesn't happen again, because I would hate to call our new bodyguard Bruce over there if I get the impression that you'd present yourself as a danger to our staff!" she once again brightly informed him, happily pointing toward a most familiar-looking, big, burly, muscly, brown-haired one-eyed man sitting in the far corner of the hall in a comfortable chair reading a fashion magazine. He'd been wearing a skin-tight mauve set of hospital scrubs, paying no mind to the conversation happening in front of him.
"Oh! Ah, I g-got it, ma'am! Sorry, it won't happen again! Promise!" Bolo vowed in a state of panic, wanting NOTHING to do with the hospital's security staff as punishment for his wandering eye problem.
"I would hope not! Now, I hope you have a nice visit!" the jubilant nurse bade with a smile and a wave, prompting Bolo to hurriedly shuffle into the room, where Sky had already been in the middle of a conversation with the gigantic cephalopod in question.
"What in the…? Of all people to come and see me, you two?" Squid Baron inquisitively spoke up above the incessant *BEEPs* of the heartbeat monitor he was strapped to. It was worth note that, rather than be laid up in a hospital bed like other patients, Squid Baron was planted firmly on the floor, casts covering his tentacles (which was odd, since squids are invertebrates), a brace around his lower body (again, weird because squids are invertebrates), and a host of bandages plastered all over his oily body (which, I couldn't even be bothered to question, because my head would explode trying to make sense of how any of this worked).
"I know, it's pretty unusual, since you mostly only talk to Shantae," Sky acknowledged, understanding the injured cephalopod's confusion.
"Yeah, and she could've had the common decency to come and see me, since she provoked Hypno Baron to have me nearly assassinated after he found out about his missing spell book," Squid Baron grumbled, seeming to hold a grudge against the half-genie for putting him in this situation. "I've been in here for the last two weeks, and they're saying I have to stay for at least another two until my tentacles heal enough for me to be able to move around with them. And between you guys and me, this place is only as nice as it looks because it's expensive. My health insurance doesn't even cover the kind of treatment I'm getting. As soon as they find out, I'm bailing for the hills before they stick me with the bill."
"You may want to keep that under wraps in case they're listening, Squid Baron," Sky humorously informed him.
"Right, right. You've got a point, Star."
"Star? My name is Sky," the bird tamer corrected.
"Oh. Huh. I've secretly been calling you 'Star' all this time. You sure look like one."
"Uh-huh… I'll… take that as a compliment, I guess…?"
"Whatever floats your birds," he cleverly remarked with the closest thing to a shrug as he could manage. "Anyway, what gives? Why are you two suddenly so concerned about me?"
"Sky thought it was a bright idea to see if you might want to help us stage a counterattack against Risky Boots alongside Shantae and the rest of us," Bolo interjected, making clear that this was Sky's suggestion, not his. At that, Sky shot him a side-eyed glare.
"Ooh! An opportunity for more screen time in this crazy, convoluted, cacophonous cavalcade of colossal calamities is what you're here for?" he excitedly asked, evidently recognizing the 'invite' as another chance to potentially get me fired for messing up the continuity with his FOOLISHLY INACCURATE comments.
"Uh… Sure, if that's what we're going with," Bolo half-heartedly confirmed with a perplexed shrug.
"That's what I figured. I knew that pretty little purple-haired diva would've desperately needed my help again eventually," he overconfidently claimed, causing both Bolo and Sky to raise eyebrows at him.
"In what backwards alternate universe would that ever conceivably be a thing?" Sky dared to ask, apparently not believing the statement for a second.
"Alas, I am unable to help, for I am bound to these oppressive devices of overpriced healthcare… Aaaand, I may be just a tad too injured to do anything. Aaaaand by 'a tad,' I mean 'way too' injured. I can't move any of my tentacles without experiencing excruciating pain because Hypno's minions stomped, crushed, chewed, and smashed them all up. The savages even used some of them as punching bags for, like, six hours per tentacle. Punching bags, for crying out loud!"
"Probably because you look like a giant punching bag…" Bolo muttered, snickering at bit at Squid Baron's poor condition.
"Ah… Well, darn," Sky vocalized her disappointment in finding out Squid Baron had been rendered useless… well, more useless than he normally was, but still. "Here I was, hoping you'd still at least be in fighting shape."
"Trust me, I'd love to join in and totally save the day and be recognized as the one true hero in this ridiculously long, yet compelling and intricate story, but the hand of fate—by which I mean the hand of Hypno Baron—dealt me a most devastating indirect blow… while his minions dealt me thousands of literal physical blows," he poetically remarked, though his comment only filled me with seething rage because he kept saying ignorant things that didn't make any sense.
"…The true hero of this 'story,' huh? Right…" Bolo suspiciously queried, though he seemed more focused on how much he didn't want to be there, wasting his time talking to Squid Baron. "Whelp, that's one way to look at it from the outside in, even if it makes you sound like you're in the wrong kind of hospital," he further remarked, dismissing Squid Baron's claims as nothing but the egotistical and deluded ramblings of a mental health patient. Thank goodness someone finally put it into words.
"Well, that's rude," Squid Baron commented, less than amused by Bolo's assertion. "And to think, such a disparaging remark coming from the eternally useless and hopelessly stupid comic relief character of the series who recently got his thunder totally stolen by a noob with little more than a gun, a bad attitude, muscles, and a nasty right hook. Oh, and let's not even mention the kicker that the noob I'm referring to is also DATING your precious, purple-haired role model. Your corny joke is among the most ironic I've ever been hit with," the cephalopod further pressed, dealing a most stinging hit to the young man's ego. This comment, Bolo really didn't take well, as he reeled back in tightly compressed irritation. Rather than lash out or scream or threaten Squid Baron, however, Bolo… simply took in a VERY deep breath through his nose, held it in for a few seconds, and then breathed out tangible steam. Yeah. He was THAT mad.
"…Aaaaand I'm done," he declared, cutting his losses where he could as he turned around and marched right back out of the patient room. "This was a complete waste of time, and I regret every second of it. Goodbye, Squid Baron. For your sake, I hope we never cross paths again. I don't know what I'd do if that happened, but you definitely wouldn't like it."
"Heh. Struck a nerve there, didn't I, ya salty little punk?" Squid Baron proudly observed, getting his cheap, easy wins wherever he could.
"Squid Baron… For the record, you're a complete jerk," Sky irritably informed the giant sea creature in Bolo's defense. Squid Baron tried to chuckle, only to flinch in well-deserved pain. "We'll be on our way now. Have a good one."
"Thanks for the little bit of extra attention!" he thanked in a most bizarre and misguided show of gratitude. "It'll be sure to earn me a ton more fans!" At that unusual comment, Sky found herself convinced that Bolo may have been onto something when he implied Squid Baron belonged in a psychiatric hospital. And I agree with them; he belonged in a psychiatric hospital. Anyway, Sky joined Bolo back in the hospital corridor, only to see him staring in total shock at something going on at the end of the hall.
"Hm? What are you…?" Sky was about to ask, following her teammate's gaze to notice a certain familiar gorgeous young man with long ebony hair, dressed in tan harem pants and a stunning baby blue open vest with a white sleeveless shirt under it. The young man had one arm in a sling, though the adventurers' attention was drawn toward the public display of affection going on more thant they were hypnotized by his unquestionable beauty. "Oh! Whoa, wow… Okay, we should… probably give those two their privacy…" the flustered bird tamer hinted, tapping Bolo on the shoulder as they bore witness to the man in question planting a most affectionate series of kisses on Bruce the security guard's lips as they warmly embraced one another. Hearing the statement from across the hall, the boy in the blue vest turned toward them and immediately smiled brightly at them.
"Bolo! Sky! Long time, no see!" the boy addressed, evidently recognizing them as he momentarily separated himself from Bruce to approach them. Sky, uncertain of who the individual was, tilted her head in wonder and scanned him up and down to get a clue. Bolo, who'd immediately recognized the irresistibly handsome young man and felt something of a weird pang in his heart as a result, clammed up as he stared. "Oh, it is most wondrous to see you once again, friends!" the mysterious boy exclaimed, wrapping the two of them into a most uncomfortable group hug that did not see a return from his 'friends.'
"Uh… H-hey, Aashiq…" Bolo sheepishly greeted as he turned and blushingly scratched his head, unable to overcome the monumental wall of nervousness hitting him from the second he laid eyes on his recent acquaintance.
"Aashiq…? Aashiq!? No way!" Sky remarked in surprise as she got a good look at him. "Wow, you look so different from the last time I saw you! How've you been?"
"I have had my fair share of ups and downs, but I am doing well, overall, Sky," Aash confidently informed her. "Likewise, you have only grown more gorgeous since I last laid eyes on you," he added, prompting Sky to blush as she chuckled a bit.
"Aw, th-thanks!" she bashfully accepted his compliment. "Uh, it's great to see you again! I… can't help but notice you have a boyfriend now…" the bird tamer pointed out as she scratched her head, uncertain of how to push the conversation forward.
"Indeed, I do. That wonderful man over there is Bruce." At that, Sky looked over toward Bruce, who'd merely smiled and waved while hiding his face behind the magazine he'd been reading earlier. Finding it to be rather cute, Sky smiled and waved back at him before turning back to Aashiq. "I must apologize for Brucey Bear. He is a bit embarrassed that you saw us, so excuse him for not readily coming over here to introduce himself."
"Brucey Bear, hm? That's adorable… It's fine, nevertheless. Although, last I heard, you either still had a crush on Shantae… or, you had a crush on our newest friend, Tayshan…" she pried, finding herself far too curious not to dig in and figure out what was happening with her best friend's former object of affection.
"You would be correct on both counts," he answered with a sly wink, leaving little to the imagination regarding his feelings. "However, I realized that their feelings for one another far outshined any feelings either one of them harbored for me. I know this because Shantae and I briefly dated during our trip to the Siren's Requiem Labyrinth," he informed, much to Sky's shock.
"What!? You and Shantae DATED!? When was this!?"
"About a week ago, though we agreed to part ways once that adventure I mentioned went sour toward the end of it. Our relationship lasted mere hours, but those hours were truly special. Shantae is a spectacular lady, no less. I hope she is doing well since I came back to Scuttle Town to heal her after she had been rendered unconscious and was subsequently rescued by Giga Mermaid. And, now that I remember the dire circumstances at hand, I am incredibly relieved to see that you have escaped the clutches of the notorious Risky Boots!" he cheered.
"Yeah, we were in quite the pickle, but Tayshan pulled through and saved me and my… er, Shantae's other friend Rottytops."
"He did? How?" Aash asked in total surprise, though he was relieved even more. "I had heard that he, too, had been captured by Risky Boots."
"It's a long story. In a nutshell, he found a way to sneak out from under Risky's watch and set up the rescue once he found his way to Scuttle Town. Meanwhile, Shantae was able to defend Scuttle Town from a Tinkerbat ambush this morning…"
"With my help…" Bolo quietly interjected, though it went unheard.
"…and eventually, we all found ourselves nice and regrouped, ready to stop Risky once again. Bolo and I were actually here looking to see if you might be able to lend a hand…?"
"Ah, I see. I feel as though there are many juicy details that I would love to be enlightened on, but I will suspend my anticipation of the exciting tale until the time is appropriate to hear the full account. However, I am sorry to say that I cannot participate in the battle ahead."
"Aw…" Sky exhaled in disappointment. "I figured that would be the case, but I wanted to know for sure. It's because of your arm there, right?"
"Indeed. I suffered a badly dislocated shoulder during my trip to the Siren's Requiem Labyrinth alongside Shantae and Tayshan. It was Tayshan who popped it back into place, but upon conferring with the doctors after returning to Genie's Hem, I was told to keep it in this sling and avoid strenuous activities until I complete my physical therapy program here in two months."
"Ah, that's rough," Sky offered her sympathy. "Well, we wouldn't want you to hurt yourself further."
"Again, my sincerest apologies. I believe my friend Giga Mermaid would be of assistance to you, however."
"Funny you should say that, because we just came from Naga Mountain after she agreed to help us."
"Oh, splendid! I am glad to know that she will cooperate with you," Aashiq expressed in relief.
"Yeah. She and the others are probably waiting for us to get back now, so we'd better get going," Sky informed Aashiq, realizing that she and Bolo were losing valuable time at this rate after she glanced at the clock on the wall.
"Oh, most understood. I would not want to keep you," Aashiq acknowledged as Sky and Bolo turned to ask the nurse to take them back out of the hospital. "One more question, however…"
"Hm? What's up?" Sky asked, turning back toward Aash.
"How are Shantae and Tayshan?" he inquired, deeply worried about their condition since he'd last heard about either of them.
"They're okay for now. Shantae's back up and at 'em, just as pumped and ready as ever to save the day like she always does. Tay's… as close to 'normal' as we can probably get him right now. Risky Boots apparently made him swallow a Dark Magic gem to try and turn him evil after she kidnapped him, but thankfully, it didn't work. At least, not as well as Risky thought it would… He's still struggling with the effects of it, but he's just as ready to take down Risky as Shantae is, otherwise."
"Oh, dear… Things sound like they are still growing dire…"
"They kinda are. I won't lie about that, Aashiq," Sky confirmed. "But that doesn't mean we're giving up, nor does it mean we're going to crack under pressure. We've beaten Risky many times before, and even with her being more ruthless than ever, we're expecting this time to be no different."
"I see," the Hypnotist apprentice acknowleged, smiling confidently at the two heroes as he had faith that they would prevail. "In that case, I sincerely wish you all the best! Be careful out there, okay? I would like to see you all succeed, so that we may celebrate the thwarting of Risky Boots's latest attempt at destroying the country."
"You'd better believe that we'll all make it out of this in one piece," Sky confidently assured with a smiling nod. It was at this point, however, that it became noticeable that Bolo hadn't uttered a word since the conversation with Aashiq began. No one called attention to it in the moment, however. "And… while I'm not always the biggest fan of gossip, Aashiq… um… I figure I've got to say this to somebody, so I can believe it for myself…" she nervously stammered, inadvertently grinning as she locked eyes with Aash.
"You are going to say that Shantae and Tayshan have finally become a couple, are you not?"
"What!? How'd you know?" Sky asked in complete shock that Aash would basically read her mind.
"I did not, until you just confirmed my suspicions," he teased with a smiling wink. At that, Sky chuckled while Bolo merely sighed and impatiently rolled his eyes. "That aside, the two of them have been quite sweet on one another, whether they acknowledged it or not prior to their momentous romantic union. Nevertheless, it warms my heart immensely to know that they have finally confessed their love to each other…"
"Heh, y-yeah… It's super exciting," the bird tamer agreed, albeit with half as much enthusiasm as Aashiq had expressed in the wake of her sacrificing her own chance with the extraterrestrial serviceman.
"Yep. It's pretty cool," Bolo finally chimed in with a nonchalant shrug as he turned back to face Aash. "Anyway, Aashiq, we really need to be going. We're running low on time, and we ought to be back in Scuttle Town to prepare ourselves against Risky Boots," he added, gesturing for Sky to move along with the nurse who'd patiently been waiting for them.
"I understand. Farewell, friends! I wish to see you all again soon!" Aashiq bade with a friendly, smiling wave as the teen adventurers finally parted ways.
"Bye, Aashiq!" Sky bade back while waving back at him. "I'm glad I got to see you again!"
"Yeah, see ya later, dude!" Bolo additionally offered his farewell, concluding their joint interactions within the confines of Genie's Hem. With hardly another interruption after their mostly unfruitful effort to gather anything of value within the bustling municipality, Sky and Bolo were led back out of the Red Thread Hospital. Soon after they exited, Sky summoned Wrench once more, feeding him more of her magic bird seed to extend the effects of his Giga transformation before they climbed aboard and took off without a moment's hesitation. And, much as I'd like to have indulged you on the conversation between Sky and Bolo on their way back to Scuttle Town… I'm… actually a bit mystified as I say that they didn't really talk the whole way through. It seemed like, even with them having some time to cool off after the arguments they got into, neither one was entirely willing to address the elephant in the room. It was an unsettling sight to see, but it wasn't terribly unusual for two friends to have a disagreement with one another. Nevertheless, we shift focus just one more time to wrap up our heroes' preparation for what could either be the final battle in this terrific, titanic tale… or the beginning to some truly awful new era, depending on how things played out from here. Only time would tell. Alas, we continue…
Elsewhere, slightly earlier this time…
LOCATION: KITSCHY QUILT LIBRARY, KITSCHY QUILT DESERT, SEQUIN LAND
DATE: OCTOBER 2ND, 16 P.G.F.
TIME: 1436 HOURS (Roughly one hour and twenty-four minutes prior to Risky Boots's umpteenth invasion of Scuttle Town)
As we draw toward the critical point of the motley crew of crusaders' tireless efforts to mount an appropriate defense against the wrath of the Queen of the Seven Seas, we rejoin Sequin Land's most famous beacon of justice and her comrades. They had just been wrapping up their time dropping in on the Kitschy Quilt Desert's most fashionable (though arguably Sequin Land's LEAST fashionable) scorpion man Alsumu and his daughter Aleaqarab within the confines of the newly restored Kitschy Quilt Library... y'know, the giant sand igloo located in the middle of absolutely nowhere, in case you forgot.
"Thanks for the treasure chests, Al," Shantae thanked Alsumu as she adjusted her top to shift what appeared to be a decorative ruby-tinted metal plate under one of the cups. "This Reinforced Bikini Armor you dug up in your storm bunker is sure to come in handy right when it needs to, as well those delicious Falafel Wraps you made for us. I'm glad you made enough for us to take leftovers."
"Hm. I probably should've thought to save mine like they did before wolfing them down... Oopsies," Rotty murmured in wonder, licking her lips as she did so.
"Oh, it is far from necessary to thank me, dearie," Al (whom I might point out was wearing a green and red winter holiday sweater with a yellow and purple polka-dotted turban) humbly acknowledged the half-genie's praise as the entire crew stood within the book-laden confines of the Kitschy Quilt Library. "I am simply ecstatic to see you in such wonderful condition after the last time we encountered one another. It appears that antidote worked like a charm!"
"It… uh, i-it definitely did," Shantae nervously confirmed, not wanting to bring up such an uncomfortable topic yet again. "Er, anyway, those other treasures were super useful, too."
"Yeah, you can thank yours truly for digging up most of it," Aleaqarab proudly proclaimed, excited to have been able to help her favorite half-genie out. "Are you sure you gals—and guy—wouldn't want me to join in the battle though? I'm sure you know how useful I can be."
"Sorry, kiddo, but the battlefield's no playground," Rottytops nonchalantly countered, though the comment immediately irritated the young scorpion girl. "You've helped enough by getting us those treasures."
"Excuse you," Aleaqarab angrily retorted, not taking kindly to Rotty's perceived condescending tone. "I'm eleven years older than you, thank you very much. I'm no 'kid.'"
"Oh. You're 27? Really? Wow, you could've fooled me."
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing bad, I assure you. It's just… well, no offense, but you look… a lot younger than that, for some reason," Rotty observed, momentarily batting her eyes up and away while giving little indication of what she really meant.
"How dare you!? Just because my chest isn't nearly as big as yours is, doesn't mean I can't be viewed as woman! Besides, I'm very mature for my age!" the indignant scorpion girl self-consciously shouted, alarming everyone in the vicinity. Of course, none were more alarmed than her own father, who'd been all but petrified by his little girl's short temper.
"Ali! My word, you cannot simply mention such indecent things to our guests like that!" Al scolded, though he wasn't sure at all what else to say.
"Yeah, sure, but I can't stand being made fun of for my small b-!"
"Wow, okay, Time Out," Rotty immediately commented, forming a 'T' shape with her hands to emphasize her point. "That's not even where I was going with that, first of all. Second, you shouldn't hold the size of your breasts as the most valuable thing about yourself as a woman. You gotta rock what you've got!" she encouraged, striking a most emphatic pose to drive her point home.
"Rock what I've got? Easy for you to say, C-Cup…" Ali irritably spat, crossing her arms over herself and pouting at Rotty.
"I'm actually a D-Cup, but my point still stands," Rottytops shared while groping herself without ANY form of restraint, startling both of her comrades out of their wits while flooring the scorpion woman and her father.
"What!? A D-Cup!? At your age!? How!?"
"My word, this conversation is as far from conventional as it gets. Oh, you kids grow up so fast…" Al observed, nervously fanning himself with his hand.
"Fact number 246 about Rottytops that I never asked for…" Tay muttered, shaking his head in utter disbelief. "At this rate, I'll probably know everything about her by tomorrow…"
"Rottytops!" Shantae shouted, embarrassed that the zombie girl would share such unnecessary details about herself just to prove a point about body positivity. "We get what you're trying to do for Ali, but blurting out your cup size isn't the LEAST bit appropriate! Especially when there's two guys right here! Are you kidding me right now!?"
"Ah, it's fine!" Rotty naively assured with a smiling shrug. "I'm only trying to say that there's no need for her to be ashamed about her body! It's how you flaunt what you've got that counts, anyway! You've gotta be confident in yourself! Confidence is the most attractive thing a woman can have!" she further reasoned, 'innocently' bouncing on her toes to make yet another point about one of the other most attractive things a woman can have.
"Cut that out, will you!?" Shantae ordered, grasping Rotty by the shoulders and applying enough pressure to where the zombie girl was unable to keep provoking everyone around her like she was wont to do.
"…Hoo, this is gettin' SO awkward…" Tay murmured, unable to fathom the truly raunchy nature of this conversation.
"Oh, okay, fine. I'm just hoping I got my point across," Rotty acquiesced, settling down as she turned toward a flabbergasted Aleaqarab, who'd merely been gawking at her. Also frazzled beyond belief, the silent Tayshan exhaled a breath of hot air from his mouth, urgently needing to avert his gaze before he got caught looking somewhere he shouldn't have. Sensing his nervousness, Rotty turned her head toward him and grinned. "Don't act like I didn't just catch you sneaking a peek at me, stud muffin~! I already know what you like most about me, based on what you've seen~!" she further teased the innocent serviceman, baiting him right in when he didn't need to be baited in as he reeled back in surprise at her.
"Oh, my-! Yo, you're trippin'! Stop tryin' t' get me in trouble!" Tay complained, his face hot with embarrassment as he scowled at the undead prankster he recently became best friends with. At that, Rottytops giggled in a mixture of amusement and triumph at provoking him to say her favorite word. Rottytops the master baiter, everyone, in all her playful, self-serving glory. Anyway, seeing the rather goofy dynamic of the friendship between the three heroes, Ali couldn't help but brush off some of her previous discomfort and chuckle a bit at what she'd been witnessing.
"D'oh, Rotty, you're gonna get it when we get back to my house!" Shantae yelled, equally as mortified as Tayshan.
"Sorry, sorry! That was my last joke, I promise! Don't hurt me, snack cakes!" Rotty 'apologized,' feeling just AWFUL for the shenanigans she'd been pulling with such poor timing.
"Yeah, okay," Tay incredulously remarked. "With as much as you like jerkin' people around, I doubt you're really gonna stop here." At that, Rotty mischievously grinned right at Tay, who'd tensed up in immediate anticipation of what lurid statement she had prepared for him. "…Aaaaand here it comes…"
"Weeell, stud muffin, what can I say? Jerking you is way too much fu-! Mmrph!" Rotty was about to horribly, HORRIBLY remark before Tayshan quickly leapt into action by rushing behind the zombie maiden and tightly wrapping his hand over her mouth with an emphatic *PLAP* and pulling her closer to him. He wanted to avoid her saying another truly reprehensible thing at the worst time imaginable. Honestly, so did almost everyone else.
"You'll wanna stop talkin' now," he sternly informed the rambunctious zombie maiden, though she only responded by giggling gleefully into his hand as she reveled in her friends' reactions to her terrible joke.
"Thank you, Tay, because I was about to do that myself," Shantae communicated her appreciation as she breathed a deep, pressured sigh. With his free hand, Tay gave Shantae a dutiful salute.
"Uh… what was she about to say?" Aleaqarab innocently asked, having no clue why Tayshan covered Rotty's mouth.
"So anyway, we can't appreciate y'all enough for goin' through the storm bunker," Tay hastily changed the subject, shaking his head to dispel his Rottytops-related shame as he let the zombie maiden go. "Y'all saved us a lot o' valuable time, an' the weapons you gave me will do me wonders."
"Uh, y-yeah. No problem," Ali bashfully accepted his offer of gratitude as she recomposed herself. "Um… I never got a chance to see how those weird weapons work, but they look incredibly dangerous. What do you plan on doing with them, anyway, Mister…?"
"Tayshan," the serviceman modestly introduced himself, prompting Ali to reel back in shock. "An' I plan on usin' them t' help fight Risky Boots an' her Tinkerbats like we've been doin' over the last few weeks. Believe it or not, Risky Boots stole these weapons from a faraway place where I used t' live, an' I'm here t' help Shantae stop her from tryin' t' take over Sequin Land."
"Ohhh, I know who you are!" she exclaimed, somewhat to Tay's surprise.
"You do?"
"Yeah! I never got to lay eyes on you the last time you and Shantae were here because you were in the storm bunker while Shantae and I were climbing over the super dangerous sand dunes on the surface. She mentioned she came here with you last time you guys were here. Anyway, you're Shantae's boyfriend, right?" Ali eagerly (if not a bit intrusively) asked, putting him on the spot immediately.
"…Uh… Y-yeah…" he bashfully admitted, scratching the back of his head and momentarily batting his eyes elsewhere as Al drew in such a dramatic and excited gasp that he could've sucked all the air in the room into his lungs without fail.
"That's awesome! It's so nice to finally meet you!"
"Likewise," he returned her sentiment with an uncertain peace sign as Aleaqarab scanned him up and down.
"Wow, she really knows how to pick 'em. I had no idea what to expect when she mentioned you way back when, but you're a total beefcake!" Ali rather bluntly informed him, causing him to nearly explode with embarrassment as he stammered, stricken speechless by the young scorpion woman's forward comment. "Way to go, Shantae!"
"Ah, uh, erm… Huh… Th-thanks, I suppose…" Tay stuttered, not sure at all how to receive Ali's compliment.
"…I was really hoping we could've skipped this topic entirely…" Shantae murmured, knowing the consequences of a certain someone finding out about a certain something. Looking directly at Al, she saw him chomping at the bit to express his thoughts. "…Aaaaand here it comes…"
"Oh, dear heavens, you two have finally come clean about your true love for one another!?" Al boisterously exclaimed, putting both Shantae and Tayshan on the spot. "Oh, this is most wondrous! I was very confident you two would eventually come to terms with your relationship, but it is most exhilarating to hear that you are officially a couple!"
"…Jeez, Al, it ain't that big a deal…" Tay griped, not at all wanting any extra attention for his and his significant other's relationship.
"Oh, but it most certainly is! This calls for celebration!"
"No it doesn't, Al," Shantae nervously chimed in, unwilling to let the discussion carry on in this direction. "At least not right now. We've got other things to worry about, but since the cat's out of the bag… Yes, Tayshan is my boyfriend," she further stated, wanting to curb the unnecessary fascination wherever she could. Of course, she still couldn't believe it for herself that she was able to confirm something she thought was entirely unlikely to occur. "Anyway, we appreciate your help with finding the stuff you gave us, like we were saying earlier. Hopefully, it'll be just what we need to stop Risky in her tracks."
"Well, you certainly have my highest prayers that you will succeed," Al offered his vote of confidence. "I do say, though, that I am far from happy that my daughter and I are unable to directly make ourselves more useful to you."
"I mean, I totally could, if given the chance," Ali vouched for herself, evidently itching to stand alongside her hero. "With the way you and I teamed up last time, Shantae, you know you can count on me!"
"I understand, Ali, but this battle's going to involve a LOT more work than skating through the dunes in the middle of a sandstorm," Shantae countered. "The stakes are a lot higher, people are almost guaranteed to get seriously hurt, and the last thing I want to do is take you away from your dad to put you in imminent danger."
"Indeed. Plus, dearest daughter, you haven't even got your stinger in yet. You would be entirely defenseless," Al added, agitating the younger chimera as she pouted at him.
"Daaaaaaad! The whole world doesn't need to know about that! I'm a late bloomer, but that doesn't mean I can't hold my own! And stop airing out my dirty laundry!" Ali whined, lightly shoving her father as a form of protest.
"Heh. And she said she's 'mature' for her age. This girl's so cute," Rotty murmured, snickering at Ali's rather childish display.
"I understand your willingness to hang around your favorite celebrity, dear, but not while she is on the job. Right now, you are far from capable of handling such incredible danger, as she said. Your best bet is to stay here with me and allow Shantae to save the day once more," Al reasoned, though Ali didn't like it one bit.
"But daddyyyy," Ali pleaded, grabbing Al's hand and lightly tugging on it while looking up at him with a glassy-eyed pout. "I wanna go out and help Shantae save the country from certain dooooom-aahh!" she continued to whine, causing Rotty to stifle a giggle as she and her teammates watched the adorable exchange.
"I am afraid that my decision is final, young lady," Al put his foot down, thereby forbidding his only child from entering an ongoing war. At that, poor little Ali huffed in disappointment.
"D'oh, fine…!" she complained, crossing her arms and aiming her agitated scowl toward the ground.
"Aww, it would be far from beneficial to me to see my little girl so upset… We can go out for ice cream at Cape Crustacean to make up for it a little later… Okay, my little sugar plum?" Al nurturingly offered, pinching Ali's adorable little cheek to try and cheer her up. Resisting the urge to smirk, Ali playfully swatted at her father's hand.
"Stop that! I'm not a baby anymore, daddy!" Ali protested, prompting Al to hug his pride and joy as they began giggling while showering each other in familial affection.
"No matter how grown she tries to make herself seem, Ali's always gonna be his daughter," Shantae commented from the sidelines, touched by the closeness shared between Alsumu and Aleaqarab.
"I'll say. It almost makes me miss my own parents. If I could even remember them, of course," Rotty added, equally as moved by the innocuous display before them.
"Hm…" Tay merely hummed, hit on an entirely different level as he watched Al cradle the younger chimera while telling her he loved her, only for Ali to demand that he stop embarrassing her in front of her friends. It was so… odd, to see a family as close as they were. Not because it was weird at all, mind you. Rather, it was because he hadn't even come close to having such an enthralling and fulfilling experience as simply hugging his parents since he lost them so long ago. And then, right as he realized that, a pang shot through his abdomen as he felt most of the air in his lungs suddenly rush out. His heart immediately growing heavy enough that it felt like the organ gained ten pounds, Tay breathed a shaky sigh, bowed his head, and brought a hand to his face to wipe his watery eyes before anyone could see him. "This... This is part o' what we have t' protect in this world," he quietly vowed, clutching a fist to his chest. "No matter what..."
"Well, we'd better get going," Shantae suddenly spoke up, catching the attention of Al and Ali.
"Oh dear," Al remarked in concern, separating from his daughter as he did nothing to hide his disappointment about his guests leaving. "So soon? I was hoping you kids at least had time for tea."
"Unfortunately, we've only got but so much time before Risky strikes again, and like always, we need to be prepared," Shantae explained. "With any luck, and with the right amount of preparation from all of us, we'll take her down before this battle drags on too long."
"Yeah, an' the sooner we intercept Risky, the better," Tay agreed, regaining his composure as he, Shantae, and Rottytops turned and headed toward the door. "An' the sooner this is over, the sooner we can all finally catch a break."
"I'm with these cool cats," Rotty jokingly added, enthusiastically following suit as she, along with her allies, turned and waved at Al and Ali.
"Ah, I see," Al acknowledged, knowing in full how important it was for Shantae and her friends to get back to work. "In that case, I hope you all come back to visit sometime! You are always welcome at my humble abode!"
"Yeah! And not to sound like I'm begging, but PLEASE come back and hang out with us sometime! It's super boring out here, all secluded in the middle of a desert almost no one knows about!"
"Now now, Ali. That is far from accurate. We have plenty of activities to stimulate our minds and hone our bodies with."
"Torturing myself with constant exercise and reading books like a nerd all day are your hobbies, dad. I'd rather not keep pretending we live 30,000 years in the past," she complained, eliciting a collective chuckle out of all three of the departing houseguests. "We need to get out more!" she further advised before turning to her acquaintances. "In any case, see you guys around! Make sure you really stick it to that no-good pirate Risky Boots for my dad's sake, too!"
"You'd better believe we will, Ali!" Shantae proudly accepted the task, raising a fist in the air to emphasize her agreement with the scorpion girl's humble request. "Alright, we'll see ya later!" the half-genie further bade as she opened the front door.
"Peace out, y'all," Tay bade with another peace sign.
"Toodles!" Rotty also offered her farewell with a smiling wave before all three of them were out the door.
"Ah… To be young and in love…" Al gushed in a rather wistful tone after his guests departed.
"Yeah, sure, adorable," Ali remarked with a roll of her eyes. "Anyway, since you didn't let me go with them, when are we gonna go to Cape Crustacean to get that ice cream, hm?"
"Fret not, dearest Aleaqarab. We will gather ourselves up, and once you've done your chores for today, we shall head right out."
"Chores!? Aww come on, dad, can't those wait until we get back?"
"I'm afraid not, young lady. It is far from appropriate to reward you for negligence. Now come on. Grab the broom and help me sweep up."
"Ugh, fine…!" the adorable little chimera groaned, marching off to one of the far corners of the library to take hold of the broom her father had pointed her toward.
"Soon enough, my dear, you will come to appreciate the importance of a hard day's work…" Al murmured as he went to grab another broom located at the other end of the library laid up next to a bookcase. And with that, Al and Ali continued on with their happy (if not a tad bland, according to Aleaqarab) daily lives as they held out hope that Shantae and company would continue to keep Sequin Land safe as they always had.
Meanwhile…
"One… Two… and… Warp Dance…!" Shantae announced just as we were transitioning to her and her allies. With a sudden *POOF*, they were gone… Ooooookay. Jeez, a warning would've been nice. All these transitions are starting to get to me, to be totally honest. They could've also at least waited... Ah, whatever. Moving on. After these messages, we'll be riiiight back~!
A series of uninteresting commercials about overhyped toys and personal hygiene products later…
Aaaaaand we're back~! Like I'd ever willingly subject you to such a woeful and unforgiving torture as being made to watch a bunch of silly advertisements while you eagerly and (im)patiently awaited more of the irresistibly juicy details of our terrific tale. We'll leave the torture to the constant cliffhanger cop-outs littered throughout this story. Kidding! Please don't leave! That was a joke! Okay… Still here? Good. Whew… Anyway…
LOCATION: SCUTTLE TOWN LIGHTHOUSE (OUTSIDE), SCUTTLE TOWN, SEQUIN LAND
DATE: OCTOBER 2ND, 16 P.G.F.
TIME: 1503 HOURS (Roughly 57 minutes before Risky's umpteenth invasion of Scuttle Town)
Shantae, Rottytops, and Tayshan reached the peaceful peninsula where the half-genie's home was located with a sudden *POOF*, seeming to be generally prepared for the impending battles ahead. What surprised Shantae, however, was that Sky and Bolo were not there to greet them.
"Huh… I could've sworn Sky said she and Bolo would be here within the next hour or two from earlier," the half-genie pondered. "It's past three, and they're nowhere to be seen."
"Where did they even go?" Rotty asked, not even having a clue why their friends had gone off on their own earlier.
"I'm not sure. I only remember Sky saying something about helping Bolo take Techno Baron to meet some friend of his…"
"Which is weird when you think about it, because Bolo doesn't have any other friends."
"Don't say that, Rotty. I'm sure he's got a social life of his own outside of us."
"Yeah, in his own head," the zombie unrelentingly commented, having little faith that Bolo had any social skills.
"Alright, quit it," Shantae scolded, not finding Rotty's derision of Bolo amusing. "Anyway, we've still got a little under an hour to figure something else out before we prepare to face Risky, provided she really is coming at 4:00 PM today. Any ideas on how else we can prepare?"
"None that I can think of right this second," Tay denied with a shrug. "That is, unless we maybe try t' pop over t' Genie's Hem t' find either Hypno Baron or the octopus."
"The octopus? You mean Squid Baron?" Rotty asked Tay, confused as to why he referred to the cephalopod as such.
"Sure, if that's his name. The big, dopey red one with all the tentacles."
"Yep, that's Squid Baron. Also, he's a squid, not an octopus, babe," Rotty corrected him.
"Hmph. Doesn't matter t' me," Tay dismissed with a shrug, making it evident that he may have been deliberately forgetting Squid Baron's name out of some strange sense of seething contempt. Granted, it seemed Tayshan harbored an immeasurable amount of contempt toward the Four Barons of Sequin Land in general, but none more than Squid Baron… if he wasn't factoring in Ammo Baron. "He an' all those other Barons get on my nerves just thinkin' about 'em, t' be honest. Forgive me for how this sounds, but it'd be a relief t' me if that eight-legged troublemaker couldn't come and 'help.'"
"Aw, don't be like that, honey," Shantae addressed Tayshan with a chuckle that Rottytops shared… at least, until the zombie girl and the serviceman heard her address him with a pet name, at which point they reeled back in collective shock. "I know they've all gotten under your skin at one point or another… and definitely provoked you to beat them all up one by one at various points, but you can at least trust that Squid Baron is the least… problematic of the bunch. Even for what nonsense he put us through, he's the only one of them who at least TRIED to do an honest good deed… even if it was draped in his own selfish motives."
"…Uhh…" Tay and Rotty collectively droned.
"…What? Why are you two looking at me like I grew an extra set of eyes on my face?" Shantae warily questioned.
"You just called stud muffin 'honey,' snack cakes," Rotty pointed out, immediately embarrassing her best friend as she flinched.
"S-so? He's my boyfriend. Why wouldn't I call him that?" she nervously asked as she brought her hands up to her face and sheepishly hid her mouth and nose behind them.
"Ooh, that must mean that you really, really, really like him, huh~?" Rotty teased, not letting up as Shantae grew more flustered and refused to answer the undead maiden's question.
"Alright, leave her be, Rotty," Tay politely requested. "I'm uh… I'm flattered t' know we're already on a pet name basis, an' I take pride… in it," he fought through a monumental torrent of situational discomfort to add. If for nothing else, he was trying to save his girlfriend some of the embarrassment. "Ain't that right, er… boo?"
"Y-yeah. Yeah, most definitely…" Shantae hesitantly and blushingly agreed, bowing her head and shyly pressing the tips of her index fingers together as her heart pounded loud enough that each beat could've been mistaken for an explosion.
"Did you just call her your 'BOO,' stud muffin? D'aww, that's how I know you're serious about dating her! I'm so proud of the both of you! Get over here, you!" Rotty cheered, immediately dashing toward Tay and springing onto him like an adorable lion on fresh prey. Not expecting his comrade's overly affectionate move, Tay froze in place as Rotty pounced, latching her arms around the back of his neck and squeezing her face into his tightly enough that she'd potentially cause him to pop like a balloon.
"Gack, khaaaaagh…! Okay, I-! Ack…! I-I get it…! Thanks for your blessings, but you ain't… gotta suffocate me t' show your approval…!" Tay struggled to protest in the midst of being lovingly strangled by Rottytops. Once she showed him enough of her boundless, almost deadly appreciation of him for that moment, she soon let go, landing firmly on her feet. Tay massaged his neck and checked for potential bruises as he gasped for air. "Goodness, I bet you give the MEANEST headlocks…!"
"Sorry," Rotty laughingly apologized, shaking and flexing her hands that had oddly gotten warm and had been tingling uncontrollably. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm honestly surprised I could squeeze you that hard… Hmm…" she wondered as the hot pins-and-needles sensation continued on. She stared at her hands to see that they didn't look any different, despite the feeling she'd been getting. "Y'know, that weird, tickly feeling is still here, now that I realize it. And it feels… the exact same way it felt back at the Thimble Canyon… Weird…"
"So anyway…" Shantae spoke up to redirect the conversation. "As far as going to Genie's Hem is concerned, I honestly have a feeling it wouldn't do us much good," she theorized to the surprise of her teammates.
"How come?" Rotty asked.
"If what Ammo Baron and Techno Baron said was true, then neither Squid Baron nor Hypno Baron are gonna be in a position to help us," the half-genie reasoned. "And Aashiq is too injured, based on what Twitch and Vinegar said."
"And you're sure we should believe those snobby raccoon lovers or that grouchy little newt?" the zombie girl rather bluntly asked. "Especially with all the lying and scheming they're known for?"
"We don't have much reason not to at this point. Plus, we're almost out of time. I'm just wondering if…?" Shantae was about to continue to speculate as she heard a screeching avian cry in the distance. Turning and looking into the air along with her friends, they spotted a familiar ball of magenta and sapphire-colored feathers hurtling toward them from over the horizon. As the ball of feathers approached, it soon became apparent that it was Wrench, flying in with Sky and Bolo in tow. Within seconds of being spotted, Wrench landed safely on the grass as Shantae, Tayshan, and Rottytops approached. "Oh! Hey, guys! You made it back!"
"Yeah. Sorry we're late," Sky acknowledged Shantae's gleeful greeting as she and Bolo climbed off her trusty avian sidekick and quickly separated from one another. "We took a bit of a detour in that after we dropped Techno Baron off to Giga Mermaid in Naga Mountain, we went to Genie's Hem to try and see if Hypno Baron, Aashiq, or Squid Baron wanted to participate as well."
"Oh, really? Wow, we were just talking about going there!" Shantae remarked in mild surprise. "Although… You left Techno Baron with Giga Mermaid? Why? And was she the 'friend' Bolo was talking about?"
"You guessed it," Bolo affirmed with a nod. "Last night, I ran into her after she brought you back to Scuttle Town. She asked me to bring Techno Baron to her if I got the chance, so that she could… 'have a word' with him about the consequences of laying waste to Naga Mountain. In return, she'll be on her way here to lend us a helping hand in the battle against Risky Boots. Of course, the only way he was going to come along for the ride after we all landed in the Tittle-Tattle Plains was if I hid the location and the name of the 'friend,' and convinced him that he was meeting an eager 'fan' of his."
"Wow, really? Huh… Sounds like a lot of thought went into that. I'm surprised she didn't ask me," the half-genie stated in wonder, unable to fathom a conversation in which Bolo of all people would be assigned the task of bringing someone as unpredictable as Techno Baron to Giga Mermaid. And for this task to result in the gaining of Giga Mermaid as a direct ally to the cause? She couldn't believe it.
"Hey now, you're not the only capable of completing side quests," Bolo confidently assured with a triumphant grin. "I've already told you how reliable I can be when you put some faith in me, haven't I?"
"I… I guess you have. I'm impressed, Bolo. Good job!" Shantae cheerfully praised her friend with a thumbs up, immediately filling him with a sense of pride that no one else in the vicinity could hope to understand as he puffed his chest out and victoriously pumped a fist in the air.
"You can always count on me, Shantae! I hope I've-!"
"Okay, she gets it. You're trustworthy in her eyes now. Moving on," Sky cut in, having heard more than enough of Bolo's pompous boasting.
"Hey! What's your deal!? Don't just cut me off like that! This is exactly what I mean!" he shouted, glaring at her with such a sudden rush of anger that even Tayshan and Rottytops picked up on some of the animosity. It was made even more apparent by the fact that Sky shot Bolo a dirty look and rolled her eyes at him before turning her attention to Shantae. Glancing at one another, the soldier and the zombie maiden communicated a nonverbal message before they both turned to Bolo.
"Yo, what's goin' on, homie? You good?" Tay felt all but compelled to ask Bolo.
"Yeah, dude, you and Sky seem awfully testy with each other right now," Rottytops added in agreement. "Did something happen while you two were away?"
"Huh? Uh, no, it's… it's nothing major. Just… a little disagreement, is all," Bolo tried to dismiss.
"A 'little' disagreement? Sure as heck doesn't look so 'little' to me," Rotty countered, reading Bolo's discomfort.
"It might not be the best o' times t' address it, but we might as well squash the beef while we have the opportunity," Tay suggested, much to Bolo's surprise. "The last thing we need is more squabblin' between us at a time where teamwork an' communication are a must-have. Whatever it is you an' Sky are beefin' over, we can talk about it over here," he added, leading Bolo and Rottytops toward the plank bridge while Shantae and Sky continued to converse with one another near the lighthouse.
"Alright, spill," Rotty demanded of Bolo. "What did Bird-Brain Betty do to get your undies in a twist?"
"Well… it's kind of complicated, but I'll nutshell it," the spiky-haired young man began, kicking off a separate discussion about why he and Sky weren't getting along.
Meanwhile…
"So Hypno Baron, Squid Baron, and Aashiq are really out of this picture, huh?" Shantae lamented, evidently having been filled in. "That's what we figured, though we were hoping it wasn't true."
"Yeah… Sorry, girl. Hypno Baron wouldn't budge, no matter what we tried to tell him. If anything, he tried to convince us to pay him off to do so much as lift a finger to help. Squid Baron looked like he was in bad shape, too; he was hooked up to a bunch of machines while all his tentacles were wrapped in casts at the hospital over there. Aashiq said he was going through physical therapy for a dislocated shoulder and couldn't come along."
"That doesn't surprise me," Shantae acknowledged with a sigh. "Heck, the only thing that catches me off-guard at all is the fact that Aash already has a new boyfriend," she further confessed. "And for it to be the one member of Bran-Son's crew that Tay and I never actually fought last time we were there? Funny how that works… I'm proud of him, but still…"
"I know he was your old crush and all, but hey. These things happen sometimes, Shantae," Sky consoled as she rested a hand on the half-genie's shoulder. "You can't always help who other people like."
"Hm? Oh, no, I'm not bummed about that at all. I'm genuinely glad Aashiq found another relationship," she countered with a reassuring smile. "I'm only concerned about how quickly he entered his relationship after he and I broke up. Other than that, I wish him and Bruce the best as he recovers from that nasty shoulder injury. I'm okay either way because I have Tayshan now!" she further shared with an even brighter inflection in her tone, though Sky couldn't help but stiffen up a bit. Happy as she was for Shantae and Tayshan, she… still hadn't had much time to cope with the lost opportunity on her part. She held no ill will, however.
"Yeah. Yeah, you do," Sky smilingly acknowledged with a contemplative sigh, patting Shantae on the shoulder once more. "That aside, how'd you, Tay, and Rotty get yourselves ready?"
"We went to the Thimble Canyon and picked up some supplies that I left behind last time I was there. After that, we warped to the Kitschy Quilt Desert to see if our friend Alsumu would be willing to help," the ponytailed maiden explained. "Sadly, he couldn't, but he at least saved us a trip down to his storm bunker by digging up the treasures we left behind from our last trip and giving them to us, in addition to some food items. I think we're decently prepared, though I wish we could've gathered more allies to make it a little easier."
"You and me both," Sky agreed. "Aside from Giga Mermaid, we couldn't find anyone either. All Bolo and I could really gather was some additional information from Hypno Baron. Which reminds me, Shantae… uh, I'm not really sure what it means in the long term, but you should definitely hear this…"
"Hear what?" Shantae asked, her curiosity most definitely piqued at Sky's statement.
"So… remember how you and Tay switched bodies a week or two ago, and then switched back by the end of that day?"
"Yeah. What, did Hypno Baron say something about it potentially killing us if we don't go back over there and ask him for another favor?"
"No, no, nothing like that," the bird tamer explained. "But, he did mention something about you possibly still having Dark Magic inside you." At that, Shantae froze for a moment, stunned to hear Sky's statement.
"...Oh. H-he did?"
"Yeah, though I couldn't begin to pretend I understand what that really means for you," Sky further admitted. "But if there's anything more we can do about that, Shantae, I hope you know you can still rely on us to keep you safe..."
"Of course I know that, Sky," the half-genie affirmed with a nod and a slight grin, though she remained nervous about her friend knowing about the small presence of Dark Magic within her that lingered from their adventure previous. "Thanks for looking out for me."
"Anytime, girl. But anyway, that pales in comparison to the other thing I have to tell you."
"Uh-oh... What could possibly be scarier than the Dark Magic inside me?"
"You're about to find out. So... it apparently turns out that, by switching bodies with Tay and then switching back… uh, you and he have involuntarily been afflicted with a permanent Soul-Link effect." At that, Shantae's eyes widened to the sizes of planets at the revelation.
"WHAT!? SOUL-LINK!? HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE!?" the half-genie hollered loud enough to startle everyone in the area. Worried that something was wrong, Tay, Rotty, and Bolo hurried back over toward Shantae and Sky.
"Hey, hey, what's all the fuss about?" Rotty asked, looking around to see if maybe her friend was flipping her lid because of some form of imminent danger.
"Tayshan!" Shantae called to him in a momentary panic.
"What?" Tay frightfully asked, bracing himself for a possible tongue-lashing for something he did wrong.
"Hypno Baron linked our souls together!" she told him outright, though he didn't understand at all what she meant.
"Linked our souls together? I'm… not followin'."
"Oh, Sky must've told her already," Bolo accurately guessed.
"Told her what?" Tay asked, only growing more confused.
"So apparently, when you and Shantae got your bodies mixed up by Hypno Baron the day you guys went to Genie's Hem, Hypno Baron said that a side effect of the spell he used was that any two people who switch and switch back are potentially spiritually bonded forever."
"…Wait, WHAT!?" Tay had to ask for clarification after a brief pause to registered exactly what he'd heard, taking his turn to be completely flabbergasted by the news. "That Body Transfer nonsense caused mine and Shantae's souls t' be LINKED together? Is THAT what I'm bein' told right now!?"
"Yessir," Sky confirmed.
"…Oh, boy…" the dumbfounded soldier remarked with a thoroughly mystified sigh. "So what, does that mean that whatever happens t' me, happens t' her, an' vice versa?"
"Apparently not," Sky clarified. "Hypno Baron said that it doesn't extend to the point where one of you can sense the exact emotion the other one does, nor does it mean that one of you can directly feel the other's pain. He also thankfully clarified that it is NOT the case that if one of you died, the other would as well."
"…Thank goodness for that," Tay quietly murmured, evidently scared of the possibility as he related it to the context of his… expectations for how the final bout with Risky would carry out.
"So in that case, what ARE these effects we should be on the lookout for?" Shantae asked.
"According to Hypno Baron, the side effect only really translates to one of you being able to sense when the other one is either in danger or experiencing high levels of stress, but that's about it. He said that interactions with magic might also play a factor in it, but he wasn't sure. And honestly, neither am I," Sky further divulged, though she unknowingly answered a major question both of the affected heroes had been pondering the entire time.
"Oooohhhhhhh…" both Shantae and Tayshan droned in unified wonder, having just been enlightened on the nature of their mysterious mutual ability to sense one another's distress. "So, THAT'S why we've been getting those weird feelings during adventures since our trip to Genie's Hem. Huh…" they both continued to talk in unison, turning their mutually astonished gazes toward one another.
"Now, I've heard of soulmates, but this is taking it to a totally different level," Rotty found a most appropriate time to quip. "You two are LITERALLY soul-linked together forever. I gotta say, for how completely jacked up that is for how it happened… it's actually kinda romantic~!" At that, the 'soulmates' in question both turned to their mutual zombie friend and shot her stares of varying disapproval.
"The context doesn't sound very 'romantic' to me. Hypno Baron goofed up and linked our souls together with no way to fix it, is what this boils down to," Shantae countered. "Ooh, I can't even begin to imagine what would've happened if he snagged either one of our bodies…"
"You're lucky that he didn't," Sky interjected. "Because the other side effect is that you and Tay are immune to the body swap spell he used now. Apparently, there's some kind of two-switch limit for anyone it's used on."
"Well, that's a relief," Tay vocally expressed his relief, clutching his chest as he took a deep breath. "We came so close t' losin' just about everything because o' him. Of course, that does nothin' t' help us figure out this manga cliché of a situation with the eternal, literal soul-bond between two lovers," he complained, immensely flustering his lover in the process while also drawing even MORE comparisons to his situation and the many, many comics he and Shantae had been reading together. "An' just when I think my life up t' this point couldn't sound much more like one o' those books…"
"R-right, but at least we know that he can't try to steal our bodies anymore," Shantae chimed in, quickly changing the subject. "Between that, my immunity to scorpion venom from our trip to Kitschy Quilt, and my ability to use my Fire Whip without that Elemental Hair Tie since Spider Web Island 2.0, I'm starting to wonder just how many other wacky ways I can gather new abilities without having to pay money for them."
"Wait, what? You're immune to scorpion venom?" Bolo asked in shock.
"Mm-hmm," Shantae confirmed with a nod.
"How?" Sky asked, equally as curious. "Does it have something to do with you being poisoned by that scorpion guy?"
"That's exactly it," the half-genie clarified. "According to Alsumu, his venom is deadly, but if someone who gets stung gets cured quickly enough, then that person builds up an immunity to all scorpion stings from that point on. So, thanks to that experience and Tay saving me, it's impossible for me to be poisoned by another scorpion sting again."
"Wow…" Sky droned in awe as she, Bolo, and Rottytops all looked at Tayshan. "You traded bodies and linked souls with Shantae, made her stronger by teaching her a bunch of fighting techniques, and you made her immune to scorpion stings, huh? My, oh my, Tay…"
"Huh? Wh-what? What are y'all lookin' at?" he apprehensively asked, evidently unnerved by everyone staring at him in response to Shantae's admissions about her abilities.
"Do you have the ability to give people superpowers or something, dude?" Bolo questioned, throwing the soldier WAY off.
"What!? No, I can't give people superpowers! What kind o' question is that?"
"One that I think has some factual basis to it, however silly it sounds," Rotty answered. "Now that we're talking about it, ever since we did the Symbiotic Brain Chomp back on Thimble Canyon, I have to admit that my body's been tingling like crazy," she mentioned, causing Tay and Shantae to flinch in terrible fright. "It's to a point where I feel like I could pick up a tank and hurl it halfway across the globe!" she further exclaimed, demonstrating her point by going over and wrapping her arms around Bolo's waist.
"Hey! What are you-? Whoaaawhahwhaaaaaah!" the unsuspecting handyman-in-training yelled in a panic as Rotty hoisted him high into the air and held him up there while he flailed in terror. "Rotty, what the heck!? Whoa, put me down!"
"Whoa! When did she get so strong…?" Shantae pondered, thoroughly floored to see her tossing the terrified Bolo up in the air like pizza dough.
"Symbiotic what?" Sky asked, puzzled by Rotty's statement.
"Secret emergency technique of mine that's… loosely based on my old ability to heal myself, you, and Bolo all at once by eating a brain while we were in Shantae's mind," Rotty rather… vaguely shared as she set Bolo down and allowed him to bashfully brush himself off and pretend like he didn't just get ragdolled by a girl.
"What makes it so secret then, if it's basically a different version of-?"
"None of your bee's wax, birdie. It's on a need-to-know basis, and you don't need to know," Rotty quickly shut down the discussion, earning Sky's irritation and curiosity at the same time. "The long and short of it is that I'm starting to think I also got superpowers from Tayshan just like Shantae did. And oh man, does it feel wonderful!" she gloated, clenching her fists and flexing her super muscular (just kidding) arms as she found herself momentarily washed over with that strange tingling sensation she'd recently been experiencing. "Woo! There it is!"
"Wait… You're serious, Rotty? You have super strength now?" Shantae curiously inquired, studying the zombie maiden up and down to see if she was bluffing or not.
"Yeah, I think! Here, I'll give you another demonstration…" Rotty humbly requested as she rushed over toward Shantae and immediately lifted her into a sudden bridal carry position. "Right now, you feel light as a feather!"
"Wah! H-hey, at least warn me before you do that!" the half-genie protested as she instinctively wrapped her arms around Rotty's shoulders. Nevertheless, Rotty demonstrated her newfound strength by tossing her best friend up into the air and catching her over her head with her hands. "Gahhah! Rotty, be careful! I can see you're not kidding now, but don't drop me!"
"Don't worry, I've gotcha!" Rotty assured, tossing Shantae with relative ease once more before catching her in the original bridal carry position. Feeling as though she'd demonstrated enough of her power boost, the zombie maiden gently set the half-genie down before flexing her arms while they still tingled with vigor. "See? Super strength!"
"No fair!" Bolo complained, immediately seeing something wrong with this picture. "How is it that those two got some weird new abilities from you, but I didn't!?"
"Uh… Because if I'm connectin' the dots right, then you really, really would NOT want t' know how either o' them got these so-called 'superpowers' from me…" Tay nervously explained with an inadvertent chuckle, not at all wanting to spill even a single detail of the mortifying theory he'd developed in his head about the nature of Shantae's recently-revealed immunity to scorpion stings or Rottytops's sudden, mysterious power boost. "Anyway, we can save all the stories an' theories about our adventures for after we stop Risky. With luck and proper coordination on our part, we'll hopefully have a fair shot at bringin' her down," he stated, changing the subject right away.
"Right, but if I might make just ONE more observation, Tay?" Sky humbly requested.
"What's up, Sky?"
"It's really nice to hear your normal voice again…" she confessed with a bright, disarming smile as she scanned him up and down to notice the other minute changes he'd gone through in the last few hours. "In fact, it looks like you're almost completely back to normal."
"Hm. Well, thanks for that," he acknowledged, though the smile he shot her was rife with uncertainty. "However, I'm still not quite 'normal,' per se."
"What? How? You seem as regular now as you were when we talked yesterday morning."
"I'll… show you…" he hesitantly volunteered before holding a hand out from his side and tensing up his entire arm. "Haaaaaaap…!" he grunted, channeling an alarming amount of energy until, with a most unsettling *WHOOSH*, the soldier's arm was suddenly bathed in the ominous purple-and-black aura of a certain kind of magic we all knew and feared. At that, Sky gasped in shock while Shantae flinched in dread, tightly clutching her abdomen in stark discomfort.
"Oh, no…! Snack cakes, are you alright?" Rotty called to Shantae, tending to her as the half-genie took a few deep breaths to regroup. Bolo, also noticing his purple-haired friend's reaction, shifted his eyes between the two of them as he drew the connection between the soldier's use of Dark Magic and the half-genie's ability to sense when it became active.
"I'm fine," Shantae assured, patting her bare abdomen as she took a deep breath of her own. "I guess it's the effect of the Soul-Link at this point."
"…Is… is that the Dark Magic Risky forced into you!?" Sky stammered, unable to believe her eyes as she gawked at Tay's darkness-enshrouded appendage.
"Yeah… I still have that Dark Magic gem inside me, an' now it turns out I'm only able t' use Dark Magic, as far as I know…!" he informed her, straining a bit as he took a few deep breaths and massaged his burning arm to get the magic to subside. "Ow…! Worst part is that usin' it hurts like no tomorrow. An' Shantae, I'm sorry for just doin' that without warnin'," he worriedly apologized as he turned to the genie girl. "I didn't know that usin' Dark Magic at all caused that t' happen t' you."
"Don't sweat it, Tay. It isn't like it hurts me or anything," she assured with a nod. "I think it's because the Dark Magic hurts you, that those weird gut feelings hit me like that. It's probably got to do with the Soul-Link thing between us. Either way, babe, don't overdo it."
"You got it… In that case, I'd better be careful," he vowed, flexing his fingers to make absolutely sure he was in control of himself.
"Right," Shantae agreed, though she couldn't help but continue to be worried about him. "I'll look out for you just to be sure. Anyway, I think it's time we switch gears and figure out what else we need to do to get ready. The only ones of us who haven't arrived yet are Giga Mermaid…"
"Who's actually swimming right toward us as we speak," Bolo shared, pointing toward the ocean, where the giant mermaid in question was indeed coasting toward them.
"Huh. Alright, neat!" the half-genie nodded in approval. "So, the only other allies we're waiting for at this point are Twitch and Vinegar, who are supposed to be in the middle of scouting the sea southwest of here in their plane for Risky's current location. And for those of you who weren't here to get the memo, Twitch and Vinegar are supposed to fly over to us when they spot Risky, at which point, we strike. They'll lead us right to where she is. With any luck, we'll head her off before she gets anywhere close to making landfall in or near Scuttle Town."
"Sounds like we're pretty decently prepared this time around," Sky observed as she checked up on Wrench.
"Yeah, but bear in mind that if Risky's as desperate as I'm thinkin' she is, she'll be throwin' everything she's got at us because her big plan looks like it's been fallin' apart at the seams; whether she realizes it or not," Tay advised. "One way or another, we're gonna need t' draw the curtain on this show long before she gets too crazy with the weapons she has left," he further instructed just as Giga Mermaid arrived.
"Good afternoon, friends," Giga Mermaid greeted, prompting the five teen heroes to wave at her to greet her back. "My apologies for my lateness. I lost track of time delivering Naga Mountain's new custodian his very, VERY busy work schedule after he was made to 'see the error' of his self-serving ways."
"Heh, I don't wanna imagine what that must be like…" Bolo joked, getting the idea that Techno Baron was being put through the wringer for sure. "Nevertheless, it's great to have you here."
"It is most wonderful to be here to lend my aid in any method I can," Giga Mermaid assured. "Although, it certainly does my heart wonders to see you awake and prepared for battle again, Shantae."
"Without an inkling of a doubt, Giga Mermaid," Shantae excitedly assured with a friendly salute. "Thank you so much for saving me yesterday. I honestly don't know where I'd be if it wasn't for you."
"It was no burden on me," Giga Mermaid modestly acknowledged. "It is an honor and a privilege to assist Sequin Land's greatest hero in her tireless quest to maintain peace and tranquility across the land and sea."
"And with the help of you and the rest of my friends, I'll keep that trend going for the foreseeable future. But hey…" she trailed off, knowing that hers and the gargantuan sea lady's reunion was bittersweet. "I'm… really sorry about Naga Mountain, Giga Mermaid… My friends and I tried our hardest to…"
"Your apologies there are not required, young Shantae," Giga Mermaid responded before the half-genie could complete her apology. "Your efforts to protect Naga Mountain and its inhabitants are fully appreciated. However, it is Techno Baron and Risky Boots who have a debt to pay for the atrocities committed against the innocent denizens of that once-peaceful oasis."
"I hear you," Shantae acknowledged with a nod. "Well either way, we'll do our best to make sure Risky is held accountable for everything she's done to us all."
"A vow I trust we'll all keep together," Giga Mermaid agreed as she scanned the grassy peninsula to get a read on the group of allies she had the pleasure of working with. "It appears you are all ready as well."
"As ready as we can possibly be," Sky concurred with a nod as she finished feeding Wrench, who'd still been in his Giga form.
"An' this time, we're gonna stop Risky before she get the chance t' blow up another building, much less another city or mountain," Tayshan spoke up, clenching a fist and holding it to his chest as a show of his commitment to stopping their shared enemy.
"Are we perhaps bringing the battle to her in that case, Mr. Tayshan?" Giga Mermaid asked in wonder as his statement piqued her curiosity.
"Exactly," Tay confirmed. "We suspect that she's on her way here t' seize the capitol as we speak, but we plan on ridin' the wave of interceptin' her mid-route. All things considered, Ms. Mermaid, you'll potentially be our most valuable ally in helpin' us turn the tides against her." At that, Giga Mermaid let out an adorable giggle that threw everyone off.
"Oh, how I missed those witty puns of yours," she gushed, cutely laying a hand to her damp cheek as she grinned at him.
"…Shoot, am I really doin' it again…?" Tay had to pause and question himself as he pondered what he'd just said, rubbing his chin as he stared at the ground.
"Ohh, I get it," Shantae chimed in with a light chuckle after perking up in realization. "Waves, tides… Hah! Nice," she appreciatively commented, shaking him off his train of thought.
"Ah, so I did do it again," he remarked in realization once Shantae pointed it out for him.
"There's no way you're not making those puns on purpose, Tay. Come on," she teased.
"I'm really not, though," he swore, holding his hands up to demonstrate his innocence. "Otherwise, I'd constantly be flounderin' in my head t' come up with somethin' t' say t' her," he unintentionally punned again… and I gotta say, I hated the puns just as much at this point as I did when we started this wild ride… but dang it, if some of them didn't make me crack a grin or two! And speaking of which…
"Baahahahahaha! He said 'flounder'!" Giga Mermaid bellowed, busting a gut as she immediately caught his next inadvertent aquatic quip. "That was perfect! Hah!"
"…I can see I'm still gonna need t' keep my mouth shut around you," Tay shamefully realized, taking a deep breath and clearing his throat.
"And you expect me to believe you're not doing it on purpose," Shantae prodded him, causing him just a tiny bit more shame as everyone watched on in varying states of amusement.
"I promise you, I ain't, homegirl," Tay pleaded, wanting nothing more in that moment than to prove he wasn't the joker Giga Mermaid painted him out to be. "It just seems t' me that it only happens around her, an' not a single thing I say ever sails past her," he further explained, though he realized immediately that he already screwed up again. Also realizing it, Shantae took in a breath of air through her teeth as she cringed for him.
"Aaaaaand you just did it again, babe…" she informed him, though she read the mortified look on his face and knew that he knew.
"…Aw, no…" he lamented as he massaged his forehead, wondering already if this was the most regrettable thing he'd done today.
"Sail!? Hah!" Giga Mermaid shouted, cackling some more as she found herself WAY too amused at a couple of bad sea-related puns that weren't even intentional. "Oh, dear me, your pun game is still as strong as ever, Mr. Tayshan! It blows me away every time!"
"It's a good thing I'm undead, or else these puns would seriously be killing me," Rotty complained, though she snuck in a pun of her own that made me want to put my head through a table.
"Right, though I hope you weren't expecting the joke you just made there to fly over everyone's heads," Sky addressed Rottytops while throwing in ANOTHER pun.
"Nice one, Sky," Shantae pointed out to Sky's surprise. "Of course, you're not going to magically dance your way out of being called for the pun you just made," she added, thus continuing on this miserable, terrible, AWFUL pun train.
"And now even you're in on it, Shantae," Bolo called the half-genie out. "Y'know, I don't really know if I like the sudden spike in terrible puns I'm hearing," he further punned. Somebody please end this abominable chain, PLEASE!
"Oh great, now you're ALL makin' puns…" Tay grumbled, shaking his head and sighing in feigned disappointment at his friends. "Whelp, this wasn't exactly what I was gunnin' for, but-! Ah! Oh, NO! Y'all made me do it again!" he panicked as he clasped his hands to his head, realizing he accidentally continued the trend of punning it up out here. Darn it, Tay! You were my final hope! How could you!? Of course, everyone else cracked up at the unfortunate event of them completing the pun chain between the five of them based on some special characteristic about themselves. Even the pun-plagued soldier couldn't help but let out a healthy chuckle, sharing in the amusement in that moment.
"Whew, now that was great!" Shantae remarked, still giggling a bit as she wiped a tear from her eye. "I love how everyone had a pun prepared for that chain. Is it safe to say we all needed that laugh after all the stress we've been dealing with?"
"You won't hear me disagree with you," Sky concurred, taking a deep breath to settle down.
"Aw yeah," Rotty agreed as she cleared her throat.
"Most definitely," Bolo affirmed with a nod of his head.
"Eh, if you say so," Tay bashfully remarked as he shrugged and turned his head to hide the involuntary smirk plastered on his face.
"Yeah okay, sweetie," Shantae playfully teased, chuckling a bit more. "You can pretend we don't see the grin you're trying to hide all you want, but we all know how you really feel." At that, the others laughed with her. At that, Tay groaned in feigned irritation.
"I can't get anything past you, huh?"
"Nope! And don't count on that changing anytime soon," she joked, shooting him a most confident smiling thumbs up that he couldn't help but chuckle at.
"Fine, then. You win this time," Tay conceded in the moment, tilting his head toward her for a second to emphasize his acknowledgement of her victory before the group decided to reorient themselves. "On another, more serious note, we're approachin' that critical moment. How do y'all suppose we go about battlin' Risky if we're gonna tackle her at sea rather than on land between the six of us?"
"Good question," Sky acknowledged. "I think we should figure out we'd split into separate teams based on who's able to do what. I've got Wrench here, and I can fit up to two passengers. I'd need someone who can cover me with extra firepower, though, because Wrench isn't capable of attacking while we're riding him."
"In that case, I can tag with you," Tay volunteered with a salute to the bird tamer. "If it's anything like when you an' I teamed up together for the Sheared Spool Shrine, we should be able t' manage from there."
"Perfect!" Sky excitedly exclaimed. "We'll coordinate once we take off, then."
"I am also able to provide transport for those who may need it," Giga Mermaid volunteered. "I may not be quite as nimble with passengers as I am without, but I am able to utilize magic attacks and provide some protection to those who volunteer to come with me."
"Sweet. In that case, would you mind if I tag with you?" Bolo asked, much to everyone's surprise.
"It would not be a contested matter," Giga Mermaid approved. "I will warn you, however, that the place you would be riding in… erm… is… not the most… conventional…" she further admitted with a sudden blush as she sunk into herself a bit.
"Uh… Okay? I'm not sure what you mean, but it shouldn't really-!"
"She means you'll be hitching a ride from the inside of her bikini top, Bolo," Shantae cut him off to inform him, causing him to jump like he just saw a cobra lunge at him.
"Oh! O-oh, okay. Jeez, I uh… I mean, if that's what has to be done, then… beggars can't be choosers, right?" he 'hesitantly' acknowledged, though anyone who knew Bolo well enough would know that he wasn't near as 'hesitant' as he let on.
"I hope you know, Bolo, that if you try anything weird with her, we're ALL gonna let you have it, right?" Rotty sternly warned, pointing a finger at him. Seeming to agree, Shantae and Sky also shot Bolo some very scrutinizing stares that he read right away as he shifted his eyes between the three young ladies.
"Hey, come on! Give me a break! You're acting like I'm some sort of creep or something!" Bolo pleaded, holding his hands up as he maintained his innocence.
"Given your track record, we have our reasons…" Shantae hinted, further incriminating the young man in question as he exhaled in total shock.
"Fair, but like, come on, guys! Cut me some slack! If she doesn't mind me going with her traveling like that, then what's the problem?" he asked, though the deepening blush on his face became the deadest of dead giveaways that he may not have been able to handle it. At that point, even Tayshan eyed him up and down suspiciously.
"…Okay, on second thought, I'LL ride with Giga Mermaid t' save you the trouble o' gettin' distracted, homie," Tay volunteered, changing his mind. "You can ride with Sky instead."
"What!?" Both Sky and Bolo yelled in unified shock. "Why!?" they asked in unison, evidently agreeing in not wanting to be teamed up with each other.
"Because, much as I really hate t' admit this, I… have experience hitchin' a ride with Giga Mermaid," he shared, surprising everyone but Giga Mermaid and Shantae, who'd reluctantly nodded in confirmation.
"Fine, but that doesn't mean you should get to go with her again!" Bolo very brazenly challenged.
"Aaaaaand that's why I now agree that it's better that you go with Sky," Shantae countered right away. "You're far less likely to lose focus in that case, like Tay said. You'd be way better off."
"Plus, it stands to reason that you and the feather fanatic here need to spend some more quality time together to hash out your relationship issues," Rotty chimed in.
"Forget you, Rottytops!" Sky yelled at the zombie girl, who chuckled in triumph at getting under the bird tamer's skin. "I mean, I guess the context would call for the arrangement to be made that way. I don't really care to acknowledge that, but I suppose you guys are right. Bolo, if you don't mind it, then we can ride together. My only question is if you have any new abilities we can rely on while we're in the heat of battle."
"Of course, I do. Shantae and Tayshan can vouch for me," he proudly assured.
"Right, but I'm not asking them; I'm asking you," Sky reiterated, not wanting to go back and forth with him.
"Okay, fine, yes," he irritably confirmed, already upset at his tag partner. "I have a huge supply of three kinds of specialty Pikes that should help us eliminate Tinkerbats by the chunk, as long as we orient our attack strategy around them. I've also got my Morning Star and a homing spiked boomerang."
"I see. You've improved your repertoire," Sky observed with a nod. "That should be fine, then."
"Thanks for your approval," he sarcastically shot back, reading her acknowledgement as derision.
"Watch your tone, dude," Rotty warned on Sky's behalf, much to the shock of both the bird tamer and Shantae. "She just said she's okay with what you've got. There's no need to be such a brat about teaming up with her, no matter how much beef you two have."
"…Sorry," he bashfully, yet sullenly apologized with a sigh as he wordlessly acquiesced to the arrangement in question.
"Hm…" Tay hummed, seeming to be a bit conflicted on how he viewed the exchange.
"Wow, Rotty… I never thought I'd see the day where you'd defend Sky in an argument," Shantae observed with a sense of hope that the zombie girl and the bird tamer could finally start getting along with one another.
"Like I said, snack cakes, I'm full of surprises," Rotty retorted with a smiling wink. "Besides, even I know when it's time to get serious and set our differences aside. Anyway, with stud muffin teaming up with Giga Mermaid and Sky teaming up with Bolo, I suppose that just leaves you and me~!"
"Looks like it," Shantae smilingly acknowledged. "I'm most likely going to go Harpy for the trip, but I suppose my only question is how you might be able to keep us safe while we're in the air."
"Well…" Rotty pondered for a moment as she considered her options. "Provided we'll be staying exclusively in the air, I can always use the Concealer Ring we got from Spider Web Island to make us invisible. That way, you can get in and attack without being detected every time we use it."
"That's genius!" Shantae cheered, loving every bit of the idea. "Risky and her goons wouldn't know what hit 'em, and we'd be able to create openings for everyone else!"
"My thoughts exactly! Although, I don't know if you'd be capable of carrying me on your back while you fly…"
"I think I'm good for it. Our quick trip to the Thimble Canyon gave me just the indication I needed to know I can support us both in the air. Plus, that orange potion I drank from when we last visited Naga Mountain still seems to be in effect. I probably won't be as agile, of course, but I'm sure I'm strong enough to carry you along as a Harpy now."
"Awesome!" Rotty cheered, filled with excitement at the chance to team up exclusively with her best friend once more as she wrapped the half-genie into yet another impromptu hug.
"I guess it's settled, then," Tay concluded with a nod. "Bolo with Sky, Shantae with Rottytops, me with Giga Mermaid."
"Aw, yeah! I just hope you don't get jealous of me and Shantae being together without you, stud muffin~!" Rottytops teased, grinning at him as she continued to hug the ponytailed heroine. At that, Tay raised an eyebrow.
"Rotty!" Shantae shouted, scowling in disapproval at her affectionate undead companion.
"And there she goes, already butting into their relationship to keep their attention exclusively on her…" Sky murmured with a vexed sigh.
"Tell me about it…" Bolo agreed, having put his hang-ups with Sky aside for the moment to make it known that he was also wise to Rotty's proclivities.
"Well, you certainly don't miss a beat," Tay calmly remarked. "Of course, if she trusts you an' me t' do that Brain Chomp thing without gettin' too upset about it, then I can trust the two o' you t' 'be together' without you doin' somethin' you think might make me jealous." At that, Rotty comically gasped.
"That's a fair point, but come on… Me? Do something to make you jealous? Absolutely absurd, sir!" she continued to goad him. "I only do things to arouse your intrigue if nothing else. Also, what makes you think I'm the only one capable of such a thing? What if Shantae gets curious with me and decides to make a romantic move on me instead? Hm~?"
"Rottytops, that's en-!" Shantae tried to protest, growing irritated with Rotty's inappropriate banter.
"If that turns out t' be what she wants, however unlikely, then Shantae can explore it with you freely," Tay remarked with a shrug, giving no strong indication that he felt one way or the other about Rotty's ludicrous suggestions. The seriousness in his tone was too prevalent to miss, however. "She doesn't need my permission t' do anything, of course, but I'm certain we trust each other enough that we can be completely open an' honest with each other like we have been since the night she an' I met."
"Huh… Wow, I… I can't say I was expecting that reply…" Rotty admitted, barely above a whisper.
"Me neither…" Shantae agreed in shared surprise as she stopped trying to wrest herself free from the zombie maiden's grip.
"That said, you would have t' try REAL hard t' steal her away from me if that was your end goal. You know that much from footrace-related experience. If Shantae chose me of all people after everything that happened up t' this point, then you'd better believe I'm doin' everything in my power t' assure her that she made the right choice without a shred o' doubt. I hope you know that sharin' her in this context is out o' the question though, Rotty. Just gonna make that clear for good measure," Tayshan further challenged with a smirk of his own, shocking the rest of the group into a momentary silence.
"Wow… Gotta give him props for that one, completely batting Rotty's comment down without getting mad at her…" Bolo observed with a contemplative nod.
"…Shoot, what a mature way to handle such obnoxious antics…" Sky muttered, gaining more respect for Tay as she processed his solemn response to Rotty's relentless teasing.
"Goodness, Tayshan…" Rotty remarked, letting go of Shantae as both girls stared at the soldier in shock. "I er… huh… You like her that much?"
"Yes. Much more than any o' y'all know, t' be honest," he candidly replied, flustering Shantae once more as her face grew hot while she stared at him. "But, all things considered, I would hope that you don't feel like there's gotta be some type o' contest between us, if that's where you're goin' with this, Rottytops," he added, cutting to his point as he opened his arms toward the undead young woman. "I might not be as near an' dear t' you as Shantae is, but that doesn't mean I don't value you as well. You an' I have been through a bunch too, an' you know from recent experience how far I'd go t' protect you. I… hope I'm not trailin' too far off the point here." At that, the zombie girl remained silent as her heartbeat quickened ever so slightly. She remained still, merely studying the unusual extraterrestrial serviceman up and down as he held his arms out toward her. After a moment of mentally processing his statement, however…
"…I don't suppose you are, stud muffin," Rotty acknowledged with a pressured sigh, approaching him as he kept his arms spread and stood before her. "I don't suppose you are…" she repeated, taking what she read as an offer for a hug as she wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed him tight and pressed her face into his chest.
"Hurgh…! Hah… Some grip you got there… Heh…" he half-joked as he returned the zombie girl's affectionate hug by firmly wrapping one arm over her shoulders while pressing his other hand against the back of her head to press her closer to him. He wasn't terribly sure at all why this moment between the two of them had been transpiring like this, however. As he mentioned previously, he was never quite able to get an exact read on Rottytops since he met her, but as he found himself more and more reminded of… well, of an old friend of his that the zombie girl seemed to share at least a few personality traits with… Tay, for some reason, found it oddly… comforting to have gotten the chance to break down whatever barrier stood between himself and Rottytops to earn her unconditional companionship, nevertheless. Realizing this for himself, he hugged her tighter, prompting her to squeeze into him just a bit more as she hummed in delight. Before he got the chance to say anything else, Rotty looked up at him as they held one another, catching him off-guard as he caught sight of her ruby-tinted eyes wavering and glimmering as she smiled at him.
"Thank you, Tay… You… You don't know the half of how much this means to me," she confessed in a rare show of seriousness that honestly stunned him as his eyes widened. The others watched in varying forms of curiosity, though none were more intrigued by their interaction than Shantae. The ponytailed young woman studied Tay and Rotty, touched by the fact that they were forming a bond of their own in that moment. She couldn't help but crack a smile, watching as the adorable Rottytops made another friend that accepted her for who she was, inside and out.
"Uh… S-sure, Rotty. Not an issue," Tay uncertainly assured the zombie maiden as he cautiously moved one hand from the back of her head to her cheek. Surprising to him, however, was that her cheek was oddly warm to the touch.
"I would hope it's not," she remarked as she took a deep, heavy breath, patting him on the back before she slowly and somewhat reluctantly separated from him. "I'd be insane not to be grateful for everything you've done for us since we met. It honestly makes me feel a little bad that you had to go through so much just for an obnoxious troublemaker like me, but I'm glad you're able to put up with me."
"Hm. You make it sound like it's a chore t' be your friend, which I assure you is not the case," he joked. "Trust me, you're perfectly okay in my eyes, an' you ain't got a thing t' worry about. I'll say it as many times as I have to until you believe me," he further informed the zombie maiden, pointing his index finger at her to emphasize his statement.
"Okay, I believe you, I believe you," she assured, smirking wide as she secretly reveled in his confirmation of their friendship. "And… um… I mean it from the bottom of my barely functional heart when I say that, uh… even for us not having known each other long, I… I love you, Tayshan. You know that, right?" she hesitantly confessed, though it unnerved her to do so. Rotty never found it very easy to be honest about how she felt toward her friends, but she felt (just barely) confident enough to make her statement to the man standing before her. If he accepted her, then she would accept him, too. On the other end, the soldier's heart skipped a beat upon hearing her confession, though he did his best to play it cool.
"Well, with this sappy display, how could I not be sure o' that now?" he joked with a nervous, blushing chuckle, causing her to laugh with him. "Also, the feeling's mutual. I er… I love you too, Rotty."
"How rude! A girl pours her semi-platonic feelings out to you, and that's what you say? Why, I never!" Rotty teased, lightly shoving him with one hand, though she hardly realized she flustered him immensely with the context of her comment. "You're lucky we're best friends now, stud muffin, or else I'd have to beat you up for making me look so silly in front of everyone."
"Heh, well if you think you look silly, then imagine how I feel. I'll also make a note t' better polish my response the next time somethin' like this happens," he assured her with a thumbs up, choosing not to take the bait of acknowledging the 'semi-platonic' piece. However, he turned to glance at the rest of his allies and... once he made eye contact with a certain bird tamer, he found himself overcome with a desire to make amends. "Actually... While we're on this note... Er, Sky?"
"Hm?" the bird trainer hummed, surprised that he would suddenly call to her.
"Um... I-I... I'm not sure how t' put this, but... could you come here for a second?" he bashfully requested, scratching his head as he tried to figure out how to address her. At that, Sky smiled warmly.
"Is it my turn to share a 'sappy' moment with you before we get down to it?" she laughingly questioned, approaching him as he requested.
"For lack o' better phrasin'... Y-yeah, if you ain't uncomfortable with it."
"Come on now, hon. After everything we've been through, you think I'd ever be uncomfortable with you? Don't be silly," she assured, reaching him as she finished her statement. "So... What's up?" Wasting no time, the nervous serviceman approached the blonde falconer and wrapped her up into a tight, tender embrace the likes of which he'd never imagined giving her. He pressed her face into his chest with one hand and slung his other arm around her shoulders, much to her surprise. "Ooh! Wow, Tay... Huh, I uh... I'm already feeling the love..." she nervously remarked with a giggle, returning his hug by wrapping her arms around his waist.
"Sky... Thank you for bein' so good t' me, even when I was bein' too hardheaded to appreciate your boundless kindness..." he confessed, immediately causing the young lady's skin to heat up as she heard his words. "Um... An', I have t' be clear. Nothin' I said t' you in Risky's cave was true. An' I'm sorry for scarin' you an' hurtin' you like I did when I saw you in the cage back there. I hope you know that there would never, ever be a time where I'd ever want t' see, much less put you in danger."
"Oh. Well, you don't need to apologize for that, big guy," she assured him, though she found herself relieved to have him address their encounter in Risky's base with her. "I understand that there was a lot going on, and I'm not holding any grudges or qualms about it."
"Thank you for your forgiveness. And, I know we clarified it before, but I want you t' know that I really, sincerely appreciate the support you've given me throughout our time together since I wound up here in Sequin Land. From the day we met, to our first trip t' Naga Mountain, to our journey to the Sheared Spool Shrine an' beyond, I haven't forgotten one bit of how indebted I am t' you for everything you've done for me. I feel like I never got the chance t' tell you that straight-up, an' at this rate, there's no better time than now t' let you know that..."
"Aww, Tay..." Sky cooed, her heart beginning to race with the longer the two remained pressed to each other as he vocalized his appreciation of her. "You're gonna make me blush..."
"I'm only tellin' the truth," he assured her, moving to press a hand to her cheek while they continued to hug. At that point, Tay and Sky looked one another in the eyes. And at that same point, Sky was able to read the concern in his face as he looked at her. She could tell that he was trying his hardest to convey his truest sentiments toward her. The closeness of their embrace in the wake of what had recently happened threw her for a couple of loops, but she understood it in full that her extraterrestrial ally wanted her to know how he felt. "An'... I-I know we had a discussion or two about certain 'things' before I eventually came t' grips with my true feelings and confessed t' Shantae..." he nervously mentioned, causing the half-genie to stiffen up a bit as she and the others watched on. "...but uh... I don't want t' make it seem like your feelings weren't considered, Sky."
"No need to explain yourself, Tay," Sky assured him, resting a hand on his cheek as she sweetly smiled at him with glimmering eyes. "I know what you're getting at, and I've always known you considered how I felt in every interaction we had. We still handled it like adults, and we still managed to stay best friends through thick and thin. I wouldn't have it any other way from here, and... as weird as it might sound for me to say this, I know in my heart that you made the right choice in dating Shantae..." she confessed, though she fought through a mountain of internal hesitation to say it. "And... well, you have my full blessing and support. I know you'll love her just like she deserves to be loved by a man as dedicated and as mature as you are."
"...Jeez, you guys..." Shantae blushingly complained, turning away and pressing her index fingers together as he pouted at them.
"Heh... er, y-yeah..." Tayshan acknowledged with a nervous chuckle before clearing his throat. "I-I appreciate that. I really do. An' you can count on it that I'll be the best boyfriend Shantae will ever have. That said, my point still stands that you're still incredibly important t' me an' I want you t' know that in full while I have the chance t' tell you. An'... I'm not sure how t' say this without soundin' super sugary, so I'll just say it... I love you, Sky," he shared, only mildly surprising everyone else. Of course, Bolo shook his head, crossed his arms, and turned away at such an unmanly display of emotion.
"D'awww, I love you, too, Tayshan!" Sky exuberantly returned his affection, hugging him tighter as her heart pounded in her chest like it was being inflated by a superpowered bike pump. However, she found herself even more surprised when, in an unexpected move, Tay moved to plant a quick, unusually electrifying peck on the bird tamer's forehead.
"Whoa!" Rotty bellowed in total astonishment as Shantae silently went wide-eyed in just as much surprise. None were more shocked than Sky however, as she found herself 'shocked' in more ways that one.
"My, you kids sure are affectionate with one another," Giga Mermaid remarked in delight. "I am overjoyed to see such strong and admirable connections between friends, no less. It is absolutely adorable..."
"Whoooh...!" Sky exclaimed, suddenly feeling a tingling rush of what felt like adrenaline coursing through her body from top to bottom as Tay kissed her on the forehead.
"...S-sorry if that seemed inappropriate, but... uh..." Tay nervously tried to explain himself as he let go of her, seeming not to even know for himself what he'd just done or why he did it. He acknowledged that he kissed Sky; no doubt about that. It seemed he was more surprised that he somehow gathered up the courage to actually do it... even with an audience of their peers watching. Yet, considering how much they'd been through, in addition to how much he felt he needed to let her know how repentent he'd been about his harsh words toward her in Risky's base, he felt all but compelled to drive his point home. Nevertheless, Sky exhaled in a mixture of excitement and disbelief, gently pressing her hand to her forehead as she gawked at him in total surprise. Somehow, she still found it in herself to speak.
"N-no, it's not an issue in the least. I'm... You just caught me off-guard, is all," she admitted, momentarily turning her gaze toward her hand as her body continued to tingle for a few seconds. "Huh... I don't know what that was, but it felt amazing..." she further murmured.
"What felt amazin'?"
"...Nothing," she dismissed, turning her gaze back to him and smiling brightly. "Anyway, Tay, thank you so much for that... Now, I'm the one who doesn't know how to put her feelings into words. Heh..." she further admitted with a bashful chuckle as a furious blush crept across her face. "E-either way, I'm so glad to know we're friends again. Or rather, I'm glad to know that we're still friends, because you never stopped being my friend in my book. I want you to at least know that much."
"Oh. Er, w-wow... Thanks for that, Sky... I can't appreciate that enough," Tay graciously expressed his appreciation, however unworthy he felt of the bird tamer's affectionate sentiment.
"As you said, I'm only telling the truth," she countered with a smiling wink as she took a deep breath to calm her pounding heart. At that, the serviceman chuckled.
"Throwin' my own comment back at me. Clever," he smilingly remarked, to which Sky gave him a silent thumbs-up. Afterward, Tay turned toward Shantae, who'd been watching him intently. "Er... S-so, I figured I'd... uh..." he tried to explain, understanding that the half-genie might be a bit uncomfortable with all the public displays of affection not aimed at her.
"No need to explain it, Tay. I understand that you're just letting us know how much you appreciate us," she assured him, taking a moment to dispel some of her nervousness before she spoke further. "And to be honest, I'm beyond glad you were able to build such close connections to our friends. It warms my heart to see that you've gotten along so well with Sky and Rotty and that we're all on the same page," she admitted with a friendly smile, which he nervously returned.
"Oh. Well, it seems natural. I mean, they're cool people, an' it's no mystery why everybody's so tight as a group here at this point."
"Of course! That said..." she ominously trailed off, her disarming smile quickly turning into a scrutinizing stare aimed like a crosshair at Tayshan, who'd immediately grown nervous as he noticed.
"...Yes, ma'am?"
"That's the last time you're kissing either of these two. Or anyone else, for that matter. I don't care what anyone says," she sternly informed him, thereby issuing her decree as she poutingly pointed at him. Sky, Rotty, and even Giga Mermaid shared a collective giggle at Shantae's rather cross method of addressing him. "If you're going to be my boyfriend, then I imagine you know exactly what that means."
"I should only be kissin' you, or else you'll make me suffer. Read loud an' clear, dear," he very readily accepted her dating 'stipulation' as he shyly raised his hands in surrender. "I wouldn't dream o' betrayin' your trust, nor would I want t' kiss anybody but you... outside o'... what just happened, I guess. I... hope you're not too mad at me for uh..."
"No, as long as we're clear," she assured him, though she did a rather poor job of hiding her moderate disapproval of him having kissed two of their friends after having kissed her earlier in the afternoon. However, once she realized that only one person in their friend group remained unkissed by the serviceman, she got a rather... salacious idea. "Buuut, since you're on such a roll..." she further teased, not-so-subtly turning her gaze toward Bolo. "...I'm willing to make just one exception. Just this once. You may as well make it an even four-for-four, if you know what I mean..." she teased, knowing full well the reaction she'd get from the serviceman. Following her eyes, Tay looked over toward a flabbergasted Bolo, after which, he shot Shantae a most disbelieving deadpan expression.
"...Okay, now you're trippin'," Tayshan flatly remarked, absolutely not surprised at all by Shantae's latest attempt to play the 'Shipping Game' with him. "You would be the one t' make that triflin' suggestion, too," he further accused, eyeing the mischievous ponytailed maiden up and down as she snickered at his very correct assertion.
"What? It's not trifling! I'm only saying that you may as well not leave anyone in our friend group out..." she further teased, feigning innocence at the suggestion that Tayshan kiss Bolo at her request.
"Yeah, you should totally do it!" Rotty interjected, appearing to agree wholeheartedly with Shantae. "Go on, stud muffin! Kiss him next! And make it spicy for us!"
"Aaaaand now you're both trippin'," he further protested, refusing to fulfill either of the young ladies' lurid fantasies about him and Bolo. Rotty, loving every bit of the awkwardness being foisted upon her male comrades (in addition to hearing that wonderful word again), guffawed in joy. "I will not be used as fodder for your depraved imaginations!"
"Whelp, this conversation went from zero to weird in no time flat..." Sky muttered, shaking her head as she chuckled. "As usual..."
"Whoa, whoa, what!? No way, no how!" Bolo, having been snapped back to attention, fervently denied as he waved his hands in front of himself. Clearly, he didn't want anything to do with having another guy kiss him. "I like you as a friend, dude, but you'd better not come anywhere near me, trying to kiss me," he further warned.
"Well, you don't have t' sound so opposed to it," Tay complained, taking Bolo's refusal super duper personal. "I'm offended now." The girls collectively giggled in amusement at the boys' dramatic refusal to obey their command.
"Offended? Well, you should be," Bolo countered, not apologizing for his stance. "You're not my type."
"Hmph. Didn't know you had a type o' guy you'd be willin' t' kiss there, homie," Tay shot back, crossing his arms and turning away as he got his 'feelings hurt'. "That stings a bunch that I don't fit your mold," he further sarcastically remarked.
"Gah! N-no, I meant that you're not my type of person!" Bolo frantically tried to correct, much to the continued amusement of Shantae, Rotty, and Sky as he missed Tayshan's joke. Heck, even Giga Mermaid found a great deal of amusement in the peculiar exchange. "I prefer women, dude! Not men! Besides, you've got a girlfriend already!"
"So what, does that mean you'd be more likely to go through with it if he was still single?" Rotty teasingly asked, flustering both Tayshan and Bolo as she egged them on.
"No! You stay out of it!" Bolo shouted at her, though the zombie maiden, the half-genie, the bird trainer, and the giant mermaid continued to laugh at the expense of the boys as they continued to argue about why they would never get quite that close to each other. At that, Tay shamefully shook his head and sighed.
"First, she tries t' ship me with Aashiq, an' now this..." he griped, resenting Shantae's ludicrous boys' love-related fantasies. Refusing to let his mind wander too far, the serviceman refocused his attention as he turned back to his male comrade. "Either way, Bolo, it stands t' reason that, as men, we've clearly gotta stick together out here," Tay suggested on a slightly more serious note. "If not, we'll be played against each other like we're seein' now."
"No kidding," he agreed, shooting sour glances at the women who continued to grin at him in amusement. "That said, and without all the mushy gunk, it's great having you as a friend. You've proven yourself more than capable of handling the adventures we go on over the course of these last few weeks. And I'll be the first to say it's about time we had another guy join the group. And trust me, it's been a LONG time coming."
"Well, I'm glad t' fill the spot for as long as y'all will have me," Tay proudly accepted his new position as Guy #2 within the hero crew. "An' I suppose it goes without sayin' that you an' I will get along real well," Tay assured with a smiling thumbs-up.
"Considering the troubles we've recently tackled and how we collaborated through them, I completely agree," Bolo concurred with a thumbs-up of his own.
"D'awww, they're bonding~!" Rotty continued to tease, causing both young men to shoot her twin disapproving stares. "It's the start of a beautiful new bromance! Tayshan x Bolo, the one true pairing!"
"...Oh..." Tay droned in extreme disapproval.
"...My goodness..." Bolo also droned in equally extreme disapproval.
"Aw, come on, Rotty! L-let them have their moment!" Shantae countered, though she was stifling a giggle of her own the entire way through. Sky and Giga Mermaid merely continued to chuckle at the boys' expense. "We want them to keep the sparks flying!"
"Wow... You girls are TERRIBLE..." Tay remarked in total disbelief, sighing out a huge wave of comical irritation at the ship-happy half-genie and the equally ship-happy zombie maiden.
"The worst," Shantae shot back, no longer hiding her whimsical enjoyment of teasing her boyfriend while hitting him with one of her wittiest retorts since the two of them got acquainted with each other. Rotty, fully accepting hers and Shantae's status as 'the worst,' laughed right along with her.
"Fantastic... Anyway, we need t' get set, y'all. I'm not sure how much longer it'll be before either Twitch an' Vinegar get here, or Risky comes chargin' in, but as long as we got a general idea on what t' do, we might as well do more than sit here, twiddlin' our thumbs," the serviceman suggested, wanting very badly to get the conversation back on-track as they continued to wait for their cue to spring into action.
"You thinking we should start possibly scouting the area in the direction we're expecting Risky to show up from, so we can immediately take her on?" Shantae suggested.
"That's exactly what I was thinkin'," Tay confirmed.
"Good! In that case…" Shantae trailed off, taking a deep breath and engaging herself in a ritual of rhythmically shaking her hips for a few seconds. Once those few seconds passed, the half-genie transformed with a *POOF* into Harpy-Shantae once more. "I'm Ret-2-Go!"
"Same here," Rotty agreed as Harpy-Shantae crouched, allowing her to climb aboard and secure herself. Afterward, the chimeric half-genie lifted herself back to a full stand with her friend in tow.
"Alright, that's our cue!" Sky acknowledged, climbing aboard Wrench alongside Bolo as the two of them got ready.
"The time's finally arrived," Tay deduced, walking toward Giga Mermaid as she reached one of her enormous hands toward him. Stepping aboard, the soldier was elevated to the the sea woman's chest, where she carefully tucked him into one of the cups of her clamshell bikini top. "Didn't think we'd have t' do this again, if I'm gonna be completely honest."
"I agree, though I am certain that this will not put a damper on our efforts to defeat the notorious Pirate Queen," she assured while suspiciously trying to stifle a quick giggle.
"Wow. 'Damp,' huh?" he dared to question as he got settled in and pulled a semi-automatic rifle from his inventory in preparation for the grueling battle ahead.
"Maybe~?" Giga Mermaid cutely replied, pretending as though she didn't have the full intention of making just one more awful pun before they set off.
"Heh. I'll give you that one. On that note, are we good t' go?" he asked aloud to everyone.
"Yeah, we are. Alright, gang, let's go and stop a pirate invasion!" Shantae valiantly commanded as leader of her very own battle squad.
"Hoo-rah!" Tay chanted in agreement as the group set off to engage Risky Boots for a most… tempestuous 'meeting.' Whelp, the critical battle is coming up, folks. This is it. We've witnessed a lot going on throughout this grueling journey, and once again, it culminates in yet another titanic clash between good and evil. It goes without saying, though, that our heroes were in serious short supply in the allies department. To think that so many of the potential allies they'd acquired during their travels were rendered unable to battle alongside them for one reason or another… It was almost disheartening, were it not for them coming up with an improvised strategy in which they sought to stop their relentless opposition posthaste rather than wait for them to attack. Would it be enough, though? Would they be capable of stopping a desperate, power-hungry, ruthless Risky Boots and her crew, who were armed to the teeth with extremely dangerous alien weaponry and coming in hot toward a defenseless Scuttle Town? It sent a chill up my spine just wondering if they could pull it off… Of course, there's just one more loose end to tie up before we reach the culmination of both sides' efforts to topple the other. Let's tie it up right now, shall we?
Elsewhere…
LOCATION: MISTY CURRENTS, SEQUIN LAND SEA, SEQUIN LAND
DATE: OCTOBER 2ND, 16 P.G.F.
TIME: 1555 HOURS (approximately FIVE MINUTES before Risky's umpteenth invasion of Scuttle Town)
"Okay, crew, this is it," a certain Pirate Queen addressed the entire legion of her Tinkerbat crew, every last one of them armed with some form of rifle, grenade launcher, rocket launcher, explosive, or handgun as they stood tall and prepared for the invasion of a lifetime. Risky Boots, confident that she would still be able to accomplish her goal of bringing Sequin Land to its knees, stood atop the mast of her gigantic pirate ship with her arms crossed in anticipation for the commencement of Operation: Bombardment of Artillery Rainstorms. "We've suffered a lot of setbacks that threatened our inevitable conquest over the last month, but we've still got the upper hand. We may not have been able to rebuild the Tinker-Portal in time to potentially gather some additional resources, but we still have more than enough to completely overpower anyone who dares to stand in our way. We simply have to make this job swift and merciless. Just like we practiced on Hypno Baron's Castle and the Baron Desert, we'll strike when they least expect it, and we'll crush them with our unrivaled might!"
As it appeared, Risky really was planning on going all out. Feeling that she was so close to attaining her ultimate goal that she could taste it, the self-proclaimed Pirate Queen began to imagine different scenarios of how she'd go about dominating her weary opposition. Knowing said opposition consisted mainly of a certain half-genie pipsqueak and her obnoxious friends who'd not-so-mysteriously escaped their imprisonments, Risky welcomed the possibility of going toe-to-toe with those pitiful brats and bowling them over with her bolstered might. And no, I didn't just mean the firearms.
"Haaaah…!" Risky grunted as she held out a fist in front of her and tensed it up. After a couple seconds of focusing her energy, Risky's fist suddenly became engulfed in a familiar, terrifying black and purple aura. "I'm still not really sure how it's possible that I'm able to harness Dark Magic at this level, but I'm certainly not complaining. I feel more powerful than ever! This'll make it all the easier to crush those miserable cretins and take Sequin Land as my greatest treasure yet. Why settle for the small stuff when you've got the power to claim an entire country for my own? The opportunity is too good to pass up," she gloated to herself, practically tingling with anticipation as her ship raced over the ocean tides to hit her destination as quickly (and as hard) as possible. "And if it turns out that a certain 'pet' of mine has rejoined that brat's side, then he'll be punished for it…! No one pulls the wool over my eyes and lives to tell about it…!" she further vowed, still clinging onto the gut feeling that a certain soldier had been the reason her other captives disappeared from their cage. Risky was coming with a vengeance much more sinister than the last time she tried to get her revenge on Shantae. And at this point, she'd eliminate the purple-haired pest and her pathetic pals by any means necessary.
Just as the view of a certain port town had been coming into view in the far distance, however, a Tinkerbat wearing a propeller pack hurriedly raced up toward Risky to deliver a message.
"What is it?" she demanded to know, glaring at the Tinkerbat in hopes that it wouldn't tell her anything she didn't want to hear.
The Tinkerbat haphazardly gestured its arms every which way, mostly pointing upward and behind them.
"We've got some unwanted Ammonian company, you say?" Risky deduced, immediately irritated by the news.
The Tinkerbat nodded, handing her a spy glass and politely requesting that she look toward the clouds behind the ship. Just then, she heard the distant *whirr* of a plane's engine, directing her attention toward it as she quickly extended the spy glass and peered into it. The sight she beheld caused her no small form of agitation as she focused on the flying object.
"Those two blonde brats from the Ammonian Army are headed in the same direction we're headed, and it looks like they're in a hurry," Risky observed as the plane rocketed forth with a sense of urgency she couldn't quite figure out. "How long ago did you happen to spot them?" she asked the Tinkerbat as she removed the spy glass from her eye.
The Tinkerbat made another series of mostly unintelligible gestures.
"Less than five minutes ago? Odd. I was under the impression that this Ammonian thing was nipped in the bud, but something tells me we should expect something VERY inconvenient to happen," she pondered, reengaging the spy glass and peering past the back of the ship. There, she noticed what appeared to be at least three small boats speeding in her direction, two of which had turrets mounted on them. And, as though she was supposed to be surprised by it, all three of the boats housed Ammonian soldiers armed with the same weapons she'd bartered off to them days earlier. "We'd better make quick work of them before they get anywhere close to us… Something is definitely raising a red flag here, and now I've got to burn that flag to smoking cinders before we commence Operation: B.O.A.R.," Risky proclaimed, folding the spy glass back up and picking up a sniper rifle she'd had lying beside her. Afterward, she turned her attention toward the Tinkerbat. "Gather some of your crewmates, grab a couple of rocket launchers and long-range rifles, and line yourselves up at the stern of the ship. Looks like we'll be getting a nice round of target practice in before we annihilate Scuttle Town and storm the Sequin Land Palace. And make it snappy. We've wasted enough time as it is, and we'd be better off minimizing any potential losses."
Agreeing with Risky's suggestion, the Tinkerbat saluted her before coasting downward toward a group of fellow Tinkerbats armed with the weapons in question. The propeller Tinkerbat delivered Risky's instructions to them, prompting them to swiftly gather around at the stern of the ship, aiming their weapons intently as the sound of multiple motorized boats cruising through the brisk ocean tides began to pick up volume.
"I've got a lock on one of them!" Risky hollered as she peered down the scope of the sniper rifle and steadied her aim. Her finger rested on the trigger of the firearm, practically twitching with anticipation. "Aim!" she commanded, prompting the Tinkerbats responsible for eliminating the sea-borne threat from behind to choose a target and line up their shots. "Get set!" she commanded once again, signaling her Tinkerbats to steady themselves and lock onto their enemies. "Fire!" she commanded with a voluminous *BOOM* of the sniper rifle as she fired it directly at one of the Ammonian speed boats she spotted. The Tinkerbat squad followed suit, firing a flurry of rounds from sniper rifles and designated marksman rifles alike.
From Risky's perspective, she picked off one of the Ammonian soldiers as she (through the scope of the sniper rifle) witnessed them being flung off the speed boat into the ocean. That boat, in addition to the other boats in question dispersed, though they sped up to try and catch her. Just then, the *pops* and *bangs* from enemy firearms began to fill the air as more Ammonian seacraft emerged from the woodwork and engaged her crew in a surprise attack.
"Exactly the type of subterfuge I'd expect from such an overzealous clown like Ammo Baron," Risky spat with a sneer, removing her eye from the scope of the sniper rifle as a few rounds whizzed by her. While ducking for cover, Risky peered around from the mast of the ship to notice that an entire unit of Ammo Baron's troops had been gaining on her ship via a collection of speed boats whose occupants were armed to the teeth and firing relentlessly at them. Understanding the urgency of the situation at hand, Risky's Tinkerbats hastily organized themselves, readying their weapons and lining up across the edges of the ship and returning fire. What was once a semi-peaceful ride along Sequin Land's sparkling ocean, had suddenly erupted into an all-out bullet storm of a sea-based battle faster than anyone could snap their fingers. The deafening barrage of *POPs*, *POWs*, *CRACKs* and shouts of the brazen Ammonian soldiers as they rapidly gained on the ship and aggressively engaged in combat completely overwhelmed any sense of momentary peace there was in the vicinity. "Okay, so you idiots think you're going to get your ill-advised 'revenge' on me right when I'm about to achieve my greatest conquest yet? I'll make sure every trace of your pitiful army is REDUCED TO ASHES!" she very, VERY angrily vowed, peering down the sniper rifle's scope, picking a target, and firing away.
And before we even knew it, folks, the final battle for the fate of Sequin Land as we knew it had begun. And boy, was it a doozy of a start. There was no doubt that this was going to be a battle for the ages, and one that would ultimately determine whether the fair country we grew so fond of would remain safe or if it was truly was under the threat of total domination. Despite the distraction, Risky was determined to reach her destination as soon as she could. Her ship had not lost speed, and at this point remained on a lightning-quick beeline toward the vulnerable Scuttle Town. One could only hope that the interference of Sequin Land's best/only line of defense in the wake of Risky's impending conquest was potent enough to stop her. On that most egregious, action-packed note, however, is where we must part ways. Trust me though, you won't want to miss this catastrophic clash of arms (see what I did there?) as it unfolded into truly the most grueling, chaotic, and utterly explosive battle anyone had ever seen! I'm telling you, things are about to get completely crazy! On that note, see ya soon!
