Shantae: Clash of Arms

by IllusoryNomad

After her Tinker-Brain was destroyed, the notorious Risky Boots hatches yet another dastardly scheme to annihilate Sequin Land as we know it. Only this time, she's managed to pilfer an extensive collection of military weapons from another world! With the threat of Risky's conquest more perilous than ever, Half-Genie Hero Shantae and an unlikely ally must join forces to stop her!

45. Epilogue Pt 3: And Beyond

Epilogue Pt. 3: And Beyond

Ah, you're back! Okay, this is it. For real, this time. The absolute, utter, total, ultimate, final, FINAL chapter. We've finally made it. So, I know we left off with our heroes beginning their bonfire story time. And, like I said last time, there's no way I'd subject you to the experience of hearing EVERY story from thirteen different people. That would be torture for both of us! So, the best I can do at this point is at least let you know that the gang's story time lasted until the raging blazes of the bonfire dwindled down to dying embers (which, by the way, gradually occurred over the span of at least three or four HOURS) as everyone got a turn to share an experience or two here, gorge themselves on the sweet, smoky, sticky, chocolaty goodness that was S'mores there, and generally relish each other's company as the sun steadily crept over the horizon and the moon and stars were allowed their time to illuminate the breezy peninsula. Throughout the course of their time together, the group traded a plethora of tales, not the least of which included many of the adventures had throughout the Clash of Arms saga, some from other periods such as the Risky's Revenge, Pirate's Curse, and Half-Genie Hero sagas, at least a couple from Shantae's earliest days as Scuttle Town's guardian genie.

They all also shared personal experiences from their own backgrounds such as exciting escapades from Mimic's days as a Relic Hunter, what mischief Abner and Poe get into on their spare time, Aleaqarab's unrelenting quest to give her father Alsumu a desperately needed sense of conventional fashion, Bolo's mysterious upbringing and the roots of his interest in martial arts, Sky's origins as a bird tamer, Twitch and Vinegar's first riveting encounter with Ammo Baron, Rottytops's apparent goal of getting deep into fitness and exercise for the sake of becoming just as tough as she was cute, Aashiq's numerous travels across the country since leaving Scuttle Town, Bruce's short-lived stint with Bran-Son and the Overlords of the Galaxy, Shantae's most favorite parts about traveling across the land and performing her signature belly dances on-stage when she gets the chance, and Tayshan's pre-Sequin Land 'adventures' on the streets of his hometown and as a part of his world's military leading up to the day he met the infamous Pirate Queen Risky Boots. The group also traded funny little snippets of wacky encounters everyone had with people throughout the mystical landscapes of Sequin Land (or, in Tayshan's case, wherever the heck he was originally from), and even some nutshelled, heavily censored version of the undead serviceman's times in the Village of Lost Souls as he explained how he came back as a wraith.

Eventually, as time marched on and the crickets began serenading the peaceful atmosphere with their incessant, obnoxious chirping, the group began to experience varying cases of drowsiness and fatigue as they all began contagiously yawning, wiping their eyes, and/or shaking their heads to keep from dozing off. That or, in Vinegar's case, clinging tightly to Twitch and trying not to panic at the fact that there was no light around them save for the waning flames, the moon and stars above partially obscured by clouds… and Tayshan's halo. Nevertheless, the call for bedtime had rapidly approached as our heroes seemed to lose track of time while they shared their laughs, told their stories, and indulged themselves in copious amounts of delicious cookout food. But, after the last story was told…

"Alright, kiddos, I think this is where we should probably call it a night," Mimic informed with a stretch and a yawn as he stood to stretch his legs. "It's gotten quite late, and I'm sure we all have our tasks to tackle in the morning…"

"Yeah, my dad's probably worried sick about me…" Ali agreed, shaking herself awake as she and the rest of the group gathered themselves up and began to prepare themselves to disperse. "Abner? Poe? Do you mind taking me back home?"

"Not an issue, girlie," Abner nonchalantly volunteered as Poe silently nodded in agreement. "Rotty, you about ready ta hit the road with us?"

"Yeah," the undead maiden in question confirmed as she raised her arms up high, arched her back, and stretched as hard as she could. "Hmmm~! Whoo… Man, I haven't felt this wiped out since mine and snack cakes's first footrace…"

"That tired, hm?" Shantae acknowledged with a giggle that the other girl shared with her. "You and me both, to be perfectly honest…"

"I am certain that makes all of us," Aash chimed in as he and Bruce began gathering up some of the cookout supplies in case they were asked to clean up.

"Ah, you're already ahead of the game, Aash!" Mimic happily proclaimed as he moved to dump a bucket of water over the flames to put them out completely. "I could certainly use the extra sets of hands to take all this down. Any other volunteers?"

"Sure thing," Tayshan agreed as he removed the grill from the fire pit and began dismantling it.

"I'll help you, Tay," Sky also volunteered, kneeling next to the soldier to offer her assistance. Taking no issue, Tay handed Sky a separate piece of the grill as they began breaking it down together.

"Yeah, we've got you covered, gramps," Rottytops also volunteered as she, Abner, Poe, and Bolo dispersed and committed themselves to packing up the tables and chairs while also clearing off any leftovers and empty food containers.

"Here, we'll lend a hand as well," Twitch offered s she and Vinegar went on to gather up loose bits of trash and toss them into a couple of giant plastic bags. "Anything we should do with the refuse here?" she further asked.

"I'll take care of those in a sec," Bolo volunteered as he finished folding up the last couple tables and chairs alongside Rotty and her brothers. "Should we carry this other stuff back now, too?"

"Nah, you can leave all that here for tonight," Shantae instructed. "We'll take care of it in the morning. Just set it all down behind the lighthouse."

"You got it, squirt," Abner agreed, prompting everyone working on that part of the cleanup process to follow the half-genie's suggestion. "Gotta say, this was one heck of a party you threw. For somethin' so simple and so basic, this was actually a lot more fun than I thought it'd be."

"Y'know, a simple 'this was fun, thanks for inviting me' would suffice, Abner," Rottytops chided.

"Aw, don't you start," the taller zombie man shot back with a sneer. "She knows what I mean."

"Luckily for you, I do," Shantae laughingly acknowledged as the group finished up their respective tasks and collected around one another. "Thank you all for coming, everyone!"

"Don't mention it," Vinegar happily acknowledged. "Thanks for having us."

"Yeah, this was the best time of my entire life!" Aleaqarab cheered, though she stretched and yawned right after making her statement. "I'm so glad that we finally got to spend some time together! I hope we get to hang out like this again sometime soon, Shantae!"

"Count on it, homegirl!" the half-genie affirmed, borrowing certain lingo from a certain someone to emphasize her point. "I'm happy that you enjoyed yourself. We know where to find each other, so don't be a stranger! I… may be a little busy from here on out, but… borrowing a quote from your dad, it is far from a reason to be discouraged." At that, the innocent scorpion girl busted out laughing.

"Hah! You sound just like him! You're too funny, Shantae! Ohh, I can't wait to tell him the kind of day I had! Oh! And before I forget…" Ali trailed off as she turned her attention toward Tayshan, who'd perked up in wonder as his eyes met hers. "Tay?"

"Yo."

"…Um… I'm sorry about what happened to you… but I'm glad that whatever freaky, bizarre, outlandish miracle of total spontaneity occurred, gave you the chance to come back to hang out with us… even if you'll only be here a year before you're gone forever…" she somberly shared, revealing that the group had indeed been let to know about the undead soldier's condition. Most of the partygoers exchanged uncertain glances with one another once the topic was brought up.

"Oh! Uh… well, I appreciate that, Ali," Tay acknowledged as he patted her on the shoulder. "And… however much time I have left, I plan on makin' the best of it. Trust an' believe."

"You better believe I will!"

"Good. Also… Make sure you cherish your dad an' appreciate him while you two are livin' together, alright?" Tay further advised, shooting the young scorpion girl a disarming smile that caught her by surprise. "An' tell him I said hi."

"O-oh! Of course! I know he'd be thrilled to know that you're back for the time being," Ali assured with a smile of her own before moving in to hug him. Though entirely astonished, the wraith accepted the warm embrace wholeheartedly. "And maybe sometime, you and Shantae can pay us a visit. You're always welcome at my place."

"I believe it," Tay acknowledged before he and Ali separated. Soon after, the chimera went on to hug Shantae.

"Bye for now, Shantae," Ali bade, practically squeezing her favorite half-genie as though she'd disappear if she didn't let her go.

"Gah…! Heh… Don't worry, Ali. We'll see each other again soon. I'm sure of it," the lavender-haired maiden assured as she hugged Ali back for a moment before they also separated. Afterward, Ali turned toward the zombie trio.

"You guys ready to go?"

"Sure am," Abner affirmed, though he approached Tayshan. "Yo."

"What's happenin', man?" the serviceman casually asked.

"Dude... It took a lot o' guts ta go out the way you did, an' you have my eternal respect for it. Just from the stories I got ta hear from ya, I can tell you're a natural brawler who don't take no nonsense from nobody. I couldn't imagine the kinds o' trouble you've seen in your time, but it sounds like it pushed you forward instead o' holdin' ya back. On top o' dat, goin' toe-ta-toe with some o' the freaks an' monsters you went up against in this world since you got here could not have been a walk in the park… And I KNOW it couldn't have been easy gettin' one over on that rotten, no-good, double-crossin' swindler Risky Boots. She's a REAL tough cookie herself."

"DEFINITELY not a walk in the park. An' you're absolutely right about Risky Boots," Tay humorously remarked. "I'm sure all the scars prove that… on top o' the halo."

"Yeah, but those are the marks of a true fighter! You earned those battle tattoos by goin' ta war an' winnin' most o' the battles in it! You especially earned that wicked gash there ya got on yer stomach," the zombie man asserted, pointing toward the very same wound on the soldier's abdomen that caused the soldier's demise in the first place. "An' the halo, I'd say wasn't from you dyin' because o' Risky, as much as it is a symbol o' you givin' up everything for Shantae, my sister, an' their friends' safety… an' gettin' a much-deserved second chance for your efforts."

"Huh… I guess it makes sense lookin' at it that way…" the soldier pensively remarked with a nod of his head. "How profound… Goodness…"

"Yeah, I can be real poet sometimes. Don't tell anybody about that, though," the proud undead elder brother lightly warned as he extended a hand toward the other young man. "All the mushy stuff aside, though, I trust you'll continue ta make the time you have left count, no?"

"I appreciate everything you're sayin', Abner," Tay acknowledged as he extended his own hand and completed the handshake with the zombie man. "That means a lot. An' yeah, I plan on livin' every day like it's my last."

"I bet you will. Also, thanks for stickin' your neck out for my troublesome little brat sister," Abner humorously added, much to Rottytops's chagrin as she glared at her big brother. "She gives Shantae a hard enough time as it is, but it's nice ta know she's got somebody else ta look out for her an' keep her from makin' a mess everywhere she goes."

"You keep that up, Abner, and I'll let you have it!" Rotty playfully threatened as she shook a fist at him. Abner merely laughed off the threat as he gave his sibling a thumbs-up before turning to Shantae. Rather than offer her a handshake, however, he reached his hand to her head and mussed her untied hair.

"Hey!" the half-genie protested, swatting away at the zombie man's hand as he chuckled.

"Keep up the good work on keepin' the peace, squirt. Once again, you prove that nobody can do it better than you. And uh… my condolences on the boyfriend."

"I'll… take that for what it is and say 'thank you for your thoughts,' Abner," Shantae laughingly replied as she fixed her hair. Nodding in acknowledgement, Abner walked away, allowing Poe his turn to shake hands with both Shantae and Tayshan.

"Best of luck, you two. Sounds like you have an interesting road ahead of you, but I hope you'll travel it together and find good fortune every step of the way," Poe kindly bade.

"We absolutely will, Poe. No matter what, we'll keep our heads high, and we'll keep pushing through," Shantae assured, prompting Poe to nod as he disengaged, allowing Rottytops her turn to say goodbye.

"Good night, snack cakes," Rotty bade as she opened her arms for a hug that Shae accepted without a hint of hesitation.

"Good night, Rotty," the half-genie also bade as the girls hugged each other tight. "We should definitely hang out again real soon. Don't be a stranger, okay? Stop by sometime! Much as I enjoy it when we randomly run into each other when we least expect it after at least a month of not seeing or hearing from each other, it doesn't hurt to meet up to chill the more conventional way every once in a while."

"Yeah, but it's always more fun to see how surprised you are when I pop up out of basically nowhere!" Rotty shared with a giggle as she and Shantae continued to hug. "That said, I guess I could try the old-fashioned method of just coming to your house and knocking on your door. It's not as spontaneous as my norm, but I'll do it just for you, sweetie pie~! At the very least, you won't know who could be knocking until you get to the door."

"Well, that just means the world to me, and I'm sooo glad that you'd make such a huge sacrifice for me," Shae teased, prompting both of them to giggle in collective amusement as Rotty strengthened her embrace. Readily acknowledging it, Shantae hugged Rottytops with just as much zeal. Before they separated, however, Rotty took the opportunity to plant one last goodbye kiss on Shantae's cheek, causing the genie girl to heat up like a light bulb in astonishment.

"D'awww, they're just so precious…" Bruce cooed as he and the rest of the group marveled at the affectionate moment between the half-genie and the zombie maiden.

"I love you, Shantae… I never get to say this enough, but thank you for always being there for me…" Rotty shared, though at this point, her heart had begun to pound ever so heavily as she took the moment in for what it was. And as she and her best friend locked eyes with one another, Shantae smiled with glee as her eyes wavered. And then, much to Rotty's surprise, Shantae took her own opportunity to return the zombie maiden's favor. As in, she cupped Rotty's face with her hands and moved to plant a friendly little kiss on her forehead. To say that Rotty felt like she'd been struck with a billion volts of electricity from the unexpected gesture would have been grievous understatement as her eyes widened.

"I love you too, Rottytops… And thank you for always being there for me… I also hope you know that there will never be a day where I'm not in your corner…" Shantae shared as the girls finally separated, though their smiling gazes never broke from each other.

"Oh boy… The love is in the air now, isn't it?" Twitch rather flatly murmured.

"You're telling me… It almost makes you think those two were dating each other…" Vinegar shared, evidently spotting loads of Shantae x Rottytops chemistry unfolding in front of them.

"I see the 'Shipping Game' is a game everybody likes t' play around here," Tayshan remarked with a chuckle as he craned his head toward the Ammonian acolytes in question. Though they hadn't expected him to hear them, they shared in the humor nevertheless.

"It's hard not to play it," Vinegar teased with a chuckle. "Especially around you guys and these over-the-top public displays of affection."

"…Point taken," Tay acknowledged with another chortle and a shrug.

"And here, we expected you to be offended by such a suggestion, Tay-Tay," Twitch teased, laughing a bit herself.

"Hardly," Tay assured. "It's all good on my-!" he was about to add before he felt someone's arms wrapping around his waist, startling him into turning in the direction of the person who ambushed him. Surprise surprise, it was Rottytops wrapping her arms around him and squeezing him tight as she nuzzled her face into his chest. "Ooh! You got the jump on me there, homegirl…" he informed her with a chuckle as he wrapped his arms around her in return.

"Sorry about that, stud muffin," Rotty apologized as she turned her head to look up at him with those same wavering eyes she was giving Shantae moments earlier. "But… I-I can't even put into words how happy I am that you're here and that we got to hang out for the first real time today… It was a blast… Possibly one of the best experiences I've ever had…"

"Aww, Rotty… You're gonna make my heart melt int' puddin' with comments like that," he nervously joked as he hugged her a little tighter. Giggling with glee as her body heated up just a smidge, Rotty squeezed him just tight enough that she was BARELY avoiding the threshold of breaking the soldier's back out of the pure ecstasy she felt from the hug itself. "But yo, I had tons o' fun hangin' out with you, too. I hope that we get t' hang out a lot more in the future; especially if you're serious about trainin' with me. An' in case I need t' say it… Thank you for bein' my friend, Rotty. I honestly appreciate everything about you… an' it's to a point where no amount o' words I speak could justify it or paint a clear enough picture o' how highly I value you."

"D'aww, Tay!" Rotty blushingly cooed as she reached her hands up to his face as he held her. "You're gonna make me burst with enough excitement to cover the entirety of Scuttle Town, you've got me feeling so happy…!" she further shared as she, with unprecedented power, jumped on the unsuspecting soldier.

"Whahow!" Tay bellowed in surprise, catching the undead young lady by instinctively cupping her bottom with his hands as she wrapped her legs around his waist and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Goodness, Rottytops, a little warnin' would've… uh…" he tried to protest, though he trailed off after he found himself practically nose-to-nose with the zombie maiden. It wasn't simply that she'd been staring right at him as he held her that threw him off, however. Instead, he found himself moderately taken aback by the fact that as Rotty locked eyes with him, the expression on her face had changed to… well, if Tay didn't know better, then he'd have guessed it looked like Rottytops… was sad. Her eyes were wide and wavering, but she'd been smiling. Yet, the smile on her face seemed to communicate an energy of worry and uncertainty as she carefully slid her hands up from his neck to his cheeks. "…Um… N-not t' be rude, Rotty, but… why are you lookin' at me like that?"

"Sorry… It's just that… I'm thinking about the story you shared about that place you were in before you came back to us… and how much it sounded exactly like the dreams I remembered having about you after you died…" she somberly revealed, seeming to be on the verge of shedding a tear as she ran a hand up and down the side of his face like she couldn't believe he was actually there.

"Oh! Huh… Y-yeah, it's uh… it's pretty wild how similar your dreams were t' my journey through purgatory… The craziest coincidence I ever heard," he rather coyly responded, taken by total surprise. He held it together, nevertheless. "It definitely explains why my outfit looked so familiar to you, at least. But hey… Dream or no dream, you can always count on me t' be there for you when you need me. No matter how much or how little time I have left, or however many chances we get t' hang out, I want you t' know for absolutely certain that I appreciate an' cherish you as somebody truly special t' me. Always…" he made sure to share with her as he stared right back at her with a most solemn expression on his face. He could never know for sure that his words would resonate with just one version of Rottytops or both, but he still felt compelled to make that confession to her. Just the sound of his words alone caused a powerful pang to shoot through Rotty's thumping heart as she barely fought back the urge to cry. On the verge of breaking down, the undead young woman continued to observe Tayshan in all his ghostly glory while he continued to hold her.

"…Thank you so much… for everything you've done for us… and thank you especially for coming into our lives in the first place. I love you, Tayshan…" Rottytops confessed, barely above a whisper as she turned his head to the side, wrapped her arms around his neck again, closed her eyes, and planted a most poignant kiss on the soldier's cheek.

"Gah… H-huh… Wow…" was all Tay could manage to utter as he felt his entire body heat up like he'd been standing in the middle of the world's most scorching heat wave as Rotty pressed her lips to his face… while a single tear ran from her eye down her cheek.

"Oh, my! I had no idea she could be quite so rambunctious…" Aash humorously pointed out, though he and Bruce were eating up every moment of it. "…and yet, so tender with her emotions…"

"Oh, boy… the love is REALLY in the air now, isn't it?" Vinegar rather flatly pointed out.

"Seriously… it's to a point where you'd think those two were dating each other…" Twitch rather irritably agreed, evidently picking up on loads of Tayshan x Rottytops vibes emanating through the vicinity.

"Nah, I just see it as her taking it in for herself that she has another person in her life who loves her just as much as I do… well, aside from her brothers, of course. It doesn't necessarily have to be seen as romantic for her to be so affectionate with either of us," Shantae was quick to explain as she mentally batted the idea of any ship other than Shantae x Tayshan out of her head. Evidently, even the Shipping Queen herself had her limits. Nevertheless, her comment wound up startling Twitch and Vinegar again due to them not wanting her to hear them.

"Whatever you say, genie girl," Twitch remarked with a shrug as she sighed. "You guys sure do lay it on thick sometimes, though. That much, you CAN'T deny."

"Oh, yeah? Well, I suppose it takes someone who also lays it on thick to point that out about someone else, huh?" the half-genie confidently rebutted with a grin, flustering the bespectacled blonde in the process.

"Hmph! I-I have no idea what you're talking about…" Twitch dismissed, feigning ignorance as she crossed her arms and turned her blushing face away.

"Hah! Nice one, Shantae," Vinegar complimented as she chuckled at Twitch's misfortune of being called out.

"Hey! Don't praise her for that, Vinni!" Twitch complained. "I am not that sappy!"

"And Squid Baron is the smartest person in Sequin Land," Vinegar sarcastically shot back with another laugh, causing her teammate to pout and roll her eyes. Meanwhile, Rotty had just finished up her poignant display and pulled her head back to meet Tay's flabbergasted, blushing gaze. Just the total cluelessness in his glimmering golden eyes was enough to make the affectionate zombie maiden giggle as she took a hand off his face to wipe her eye.

"What with that look, stud muffin?" Rotty humorously asked as Tayshan continued to hold her up. "You look like you just caught sight of your favorite dessert after not having it for ten years or something…" Yet, as the ghostly soldier stared at the gleefully grinning Rottytops, he… he couldn't help but be hit with a powerful vision as he observed her face. For a glimpse that lasted only a couple seconds between blinks of his eyes, he could've sworn he'd seen… well, that same light-skinned, black-haired schoolgirl with the glasses that the zombie maiden in his arms used to be… that same girl that became his closest friend in the Village of Lost Souls… and though the image of that girl disappeared as soon as he blinked again, the image of her eternally cheerful smile was forever burned into his mind. He was once again greeted with the version of Rottytops we all know and love after reopening his eyes, yet… he couldn't help but be overcome with a powerful swirl of… both joy… and soul-rending sadness that he couldn't even explain as his eyes watered up. "…Um… H-hey, are you alright, babe?" Rotty asked in concern as her smile disappeared and she wiped a tear from his eye with her thumb, snapping the soldier out of his catatonic state.

"…Y-yeah. I'm good," Tay rather shakily answered, after which he took a deep breath and moved a hand to the back of the zombie maiden's head. "And I love you too, Rottytops…" he further confessed as he planted a quick peck on the undead young lady's forehead.

"Whoo…!" Rotty sang out in a mixture of surprise and wavering excitement as she felt another exhilarating rush of energy shoot through her from head to toe. Before she could process it, however, Tayshan bent forward and gently set Rottytops back down on her feet, ending their touching embrace. "Goodness, stud muffin… Something about the way you kiss… it always makes me feel like I could run around the globe five times in under an hour… Wow…" she blurted out, taking a deep breath and clutching a hand to her heart as it thumped in her chest like a caged gorilla trying to break free from its prison. Little did she know, however, she managed to totally embarrass the serviceman with her comment as most of the surrounding group shared a hearty chuckle at his expense.

"That was incredibly sweet of you, habibi! I am surprised you could be so affectionate!" Aash cheered, much to Tay's chagrin.

"Yeah, seriously! That was super cute! I didn't think you had that in ya!" Bruce further egged on, doing the soldier no favors.

"Dah…! Hrrrgh…" Tay grunted in surprise as his eyes darted around the area to see everyone looking directly at him in varying degrees of either amusement or surprise.

"Now where was that kind of warm, tender, nurturing energy whenever we hugged, Tay-Tay?" Twitch complained, further flustering the wraith in the process. "Honestly, I'm starting to get a little offended…" she further griped, making Vinegar laugh even more. At that, Tay wordlessly shot a pouting glare at the Ammonian acolytes before turning his head away. It didn't take long, however, before he felt someone tapping his arm. Curiously, he turned in the direction of the arm tap to see Shantae beaming at him in exuberant joy as the reflection of the moon off her scintillating blue eyes especially captured his attention. Before he could say anything, however, the half-genie roped him into a most adoring hug as she wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her face to his chest. Though he was mildly shaken by his lover's sudden show of affection, he did nothing to resist it as he rested one hand on the back of her head while the other found itself pressed firmly to her back.

"Tay… You never cease to surprise me…" Shantae confessed as she hugged her boyfriend just a little tighter as she felt his body temperature spike up to sweltering levels and heard his heart begin pounding fast enough that it sounded like someone doing a drumroll inside his chest. At that, she let out an elated giggle as she absorbed the encapsulating warmth of the embrace for herself. At something of a loss for words, Tayshan remained silent as he ran his fingers through the young heroine's hair and tried to mentally fight off the mountainous levels of embarrassment he'd been feeling. Before long, however, Shantae turned her head and looked up at him, at which point he looked back down at her. It was then that each of the lovebirds took in one another's blushing faces as they never let go of each other.

"Ahh, there it is…" Vinegar took it upon herself to point out about the half-genie and the wraith. "Now those are the lovey-dovey puppy-dog expressions you'd only ever see couples making with each other when they're REALLY in love… So cute..."

"Hm. I mean, I guess, but it isn't that cute…" Twitch dismissed, shrugging her shoulders and turning her head away. It… seemed like she wasn't too fond of the shipping show she had front-row seats to.

"Jeez… I don't think this could get sappier if we tried," Bolo complained as he scratched his head and averted his gaze.

"Are you kidding? I'm loving every second of this…" Ali disagreed with the young fledgling warrior as she, like much of the rest of the group, kept their eyes locked on the spectacle unfolding in front of them. "This is so adorable…" Within a few seconds, however, Shantae and Tayshan separated from one another, each of them taking deep breaths before turning their attention to Rottytops, who'd been smiling at the both of them. Without a word between any of the three of them, Rotty moved in and roped both of her friends in for one final group hug.

"You two are the best friends a girl could ask for… I'll see you again real soon. I promise," she lovingly shared before they each separated once again. Afterward, the zombie maiden made her rounds saying her goodbyes by waving to Twitch and Vinegar, giving a quick hug to Mimic before moving on to hug Sky (much to the bird tamer's surprise, mind you).

"Thanks for letting me crash at your place this whole week, Sky," Rotty offered her gratitude. "I'm also really glad we finally got the chance to break the ice between us..."

"Oh! Of course, Rotty," the bird tamer happily acknowledged as she returned the hug with gusto. "You're welcome at my place anytime... as long as you don't pull another one of those silly cauldron pranks or give me a reason to kick you out..." At that, the zombie maiden chuckled.

"No promises, but I'll at least try to go easier on you for now," she vowed... sort of. Nevertheless, the young ladies broke their hug after an additional few seconds. "Either way, I really appreciate you for putting up with me for a week. And... much as it may sound weird for me to say this... I-I love you for it!" she further admitted, a blush creeping onto her face as she took it in for herself that she actually told SKY of all people... that she loved her. Never in ten thousand years, did she think there'd be a day that she'd say such a thing to someone she initially considered a bitter rival of sorts.

"Ah! Wow, I... I can't say I was expecting that, but uh... I love you too, Rotty," Sky also admitted, though she also couldn't believe that she could tell ROTTYTOPS of all people... that she loved her back. Never in ten thousand years, did she think there'd be a day that she'd say such a thing to someone she initially considered a constant nuisance. "I hope we get to hang out soon, so we can keep breaking down the barriers between us.

"Count on it, birdie! You'll see me again before you know it!" Rotty promised as she turned to approach Bruce and Aashiq.

"Aaaaand there we go," Twitch remarked with a grin. "I'm starting to see sparks fly between those two."

"Brains and Squawks?" Vinegar questioned with a raised eyebrow, evidently not feeling the Rottytops x Sky vibes as much as Twitch was. "I'm not so sure about that one."

"Heh... and here, I thought Shantae was bad with this shippin' craze..." Tayshan remarked with another chuckle.

"Yeah, even I don't just drum up ships on the spot like you two do," Shantae laughingly agreed.

"Sure, but even you two have gotta admit that it's fun to speculate what would happen if any two people wound up developing a special 'link' together," Vinegar teased, smirking at them as she deliberately spoke another pun into the world.

"Trust us, we know all about that," both Shantae and Tayshan acknowledged in unison, causing the Ammonian ladies to chuckle a bit.

"That said, you'd better be careful," the half-genie additionally warned. "With as much as you two are seen together, who's to say people aren't shipping you with each other?" she further teased, causing them to flinch in shock.

"Uh-oh..." the wraith murmured in worry as he briefly had a thought about Twitch x Vinegar that he immediately batted out of his head as he cleared his throat.

"Not a chance!" Twitch very vehemently denied. "The day would MUCH sooner come that I swipe Tay-Tay from under your nose for myself, Hairball," the bespectacled blonde warned, throwing in a most controversial thought of Twitch x Tayshan that Shantae immediately hated as she glared at the shorter Ammonian affiliate.

"Whoa, Twitch! Those are fighting words! Be careful about that!" Vinegar warned. However, Shantae merely sighed away her discomfort and chuckled a bit... which came as nothing short of a massive surprise to Tayshan, Vinegar... and even Twitch as they all looked at her.

"Okay. That's fair. But I'll warn you right now that if you make even the slightest move on him, I'll make sure it's the last move you make without thinking about the consequences of trying to steal someone else's boyfriend," Shantae made it ABUNDANTLY clear. She was smiling, sure, but only someone completely blind would've missed the tempestuous rage that hid behind that adorable face of hers. "Tayshan is, and ALWAYS WILL be mine," she fervently declared, laying claim to the wraith before anyone else could.

"...Message received," Vinegar wisely cut in with a nervous titter, pulling Twitch back a couple inches by her shoulders before anyone's tempers could flare.

"...Aw, man…" Tay murmured in worry, blushing a bit a scratching his head as he absorbed the palpable tension in the air. MEANWHILE, Rottytops continued making her rounds of bidding her farewells as she fist bumped with Bruce before stopping at Aashiq. Before she bid the former Hypnotist acolyte farewell, however…

"…Is there something wrong, Rotty?" Aashiq uncertainly asked as the undead maiden scanned him up and down.

"Y'know, Aash… I was gonna ask if you wanted to hand over that shirt because I was looking for one in that exact color earlier today…"

"Ah, I see," Aash realized with a chuckle. "Well, I apologize, but I cannot part ways with this top. It is… sentimental. I trust you know what I mean," he further revealed with a wink as he flicked his eyes at the zombie maiden's orange tank top. At that, Rotty giggled in amusement.

"Yeah, I know exactly what you mean," she assured with a nod as she clutched her own shirt with a hand as she shot one last momentary glance at the soldier that both hers and Aash's tops originally belonged to. As she returned her attention to the young magician, however, she extended a fist toward him. Delighted to be offered the token of friendship, Aashiq fist bumped Rottytops as they smiled at one another. "Take care of that shirt and take care of yourself, dude. Maybe we'll see each other around, since you're tight with my brothers."

"Indeed we will, Rottytops. Safe travels!" Aash bade. On that note, Rotty sauntered over toward Bolo. Rather than say goodbye to him, however, she took him by the wrist and pulled him over to where Abner, Poe, and Ali were waiting for her.

"Whoa, hey! What's the big idea? Where are you taking me?" he demanded to know.

"I'm not quite finished with you yet, Bolo," Rotty teased with a grin. "You're coming along with us for the ride."

"What!? I don't remember agreeing to that! You can't just kidnap me on a whim," he protested, though he found himself curious about why she wanted to take him along for a last-minute field trip.

"I can, and I just did," she playfully put her foot down. "Now go on and say goodnight to everybody before we take off, why don'tcha?"

"…Huh… I wonder what that's all about…?" Sky murmured in wonder, entirely surprised that of all people Rotty would force to go on a trip with her, she chose Bolo. Nevertheless, the handyman followed the zombie maiden's order and started by approaching Shantae and Tayshan.

"Good night, sis," Bolo bade the genie maiden as they shared a firm, tight hug with one another.

"Good night, bro," Shantae bade back as she ruffled his hair while they hugged. "I'm not sure if you want a kiss as well, but that's up to you," she teased, at which point Bolo chuckled.

"Nah, I'm perfectly alright," he respectfully declined. "I'm positive you know I love you without me needing to get all mushy with it."

"Just as I thought you'd say," she smilingly remarked as they separated. "I love you too, Bolo." At that, the handyman nodded before approaching Tayshan and sharing a firm, very manly handshake-hug combo with him.

"It's been real an' it's been fun, Bolo," Tay offered his farewell as they made their manly embrace short and to the point. "You an' I have gotta chill sometime whenever you're done travelin' with Rotty."

"You know it!" Bolo excitedly exclaimed. "I've been itching to spar with you, as well as get something of a guys' day going on at some point! Granted, I hope that terribly busy schedule of yours will allow for it, considering what you apparently have planned right out the gate…"

"Trust me, I'll find a way t' make room," Tay laughingly assured. "All things considered, I don't plan on missin' any opportunity t' chill with everybody. An' believe me, I'm just as pumped about sparrin' as you are. Whenever you're free, just let me know."

"Will do, Tayshan. In the meantime, you have a good night. Thanks for coming to the funera—er, I mean… post-war celebration," he offered his gratitude, though he almost slipped up. At that, Tay couldn't help but chuckle.

"Sure. Thanks for havin' me, bro."

"Hah, no problem. Catch ya later, man," Bolo bade one more time, at which point Tay saluted to him.

"Most def," the serviceman assured. Afterward, Bolo moved on toward Twitch and Vinegar.

"Thanks again for coming, ladies," he extended his gratitude once more as he offered each of them handshakes with each of his hands. Rather than take his offers, however, the Ammonian acolytes shared one quick glance at one another. Within seconds, they nodded toward each other before moving in to simultaneously hug him. At that, Bolo stiffened up like a diving board as his face grew hot enough to potentially ignite the air around him. "W-whoa…"

"Don't get used to this," Twitch teased as she patted him on the back. "This is only because it's a special occasion. Still… Thanks for calling us over here. It means the world that you thought of us…"

"Yeah, it's really cool that you invited us here when you didn't have to, Spiky," Vinegar added as the three of them separated. "And hey… if you feel like it at some point after we come back from our vacation, just give us a buzz on that transceiver there. We'll think about hanging out with you again, as long as you behave yourself." While Bolo knew that Vinegar was taking a shot at him, he brushed it aside and smiled at her as he took in the fact that she was offering a potential chance to hang out.

"Sure thing, girls. Until then, I hope you'll try to stay out of trouble," he bade once more. "You girls are a lot of fun to spend time with when we're not squabbling over some petty nonsense having to do with adventures across Sequin Land."

"The sentiment is acknowledged and returned, Spiky," Twitch appreciatively shared as she and Vinegar nodded in unison and saluted to him. "Till next time!"

"Till next time," Bolo agreed with a thumbs up before walking over to Sky. Without any form of hesitation, the bird tamer and the handyman wrapped each other up in an affectionate embrace.

"Stay safe… Okay, Bolo?" Sky urged of him as they hugged.

"You as well, Sky," he returned her sentiment wholeheartedly. "I know you'll be super busy helping the town recover, and I'll most definitely lend a hand as soon as I come back to Scuttle Town. I just hope you don't overwork yourself like you usually do."

"Like I usually do? Gee, your concern is so appreciated," Sky laughingly remarked as they ended their hug. "That said, I'll pace myself. Don't worry. I know the importance of self-care. On your end, I hope you don't get into too much trouble going on this spontaneous trip of yours with Rotty. Without Shantae, Tayshan, or me to bail you out, you're gonna need to be alert around her and her brothers at all times. Check back in with me when you come back to town. Maybe we can spend a day catching each other up."

"I most definitely will hang out with you when I get back, but you don't have to worry about me as far as Rotty goes. I'll be fine. I can totally handle myself," Bolo naively assured with a toothy grin and thumbs up. "Besides…" he continued, pausing as he leaned in "…between you and me, if I go missing or if I come back with green skin, detachable limbs, and a craving for brains, you know who to go after…" he joked, causing Sky to chuckle as she patted him on the shoulder.

"I've got your back. I promise," the bird trainer laughingly assured. "Good night, Bolo. Love ya."

"Heh, love you too, Sky…" the spiky-haired young man nervously returned his friend's sentiment before turning to Mimic. "Professor!"

"Safe travels, my boy!" the retired Relic Hunter bade as he finished collecting the trash and piling it neatly beside the lighthouse. "Don't worry about the trash, by the way! I've got that handled. You go on and join Rottytops and company on that field trip!"

"No, no, we've got it!" Bolo assured. "Besides, I was gonna say I need to pick up a few things from your workshop before we take off!"

"Oh! Well in that case, you just give the word when you're ready, and then we'll all head into town together!"

"Sure thing. Now, then…" he trailed off as he breathed a deep sigh and approached his final challenge… bidding his farewell to Aashiq. And as though he was walking onto a stage in front of a crowd with nothing but his underpants on, Bolo grew rapidly more nervous with every step he took toward the gorgeous young magician and his boyfriend. Instinctively lowering his head as he closed the distance, Bolo's heart began to pound loud enough that it could very well have overtaken the ambient sounds of the whispering breeze and the crickets in the distance. Though it felt like it took him a solid fifty years to do so, Bolo eventually found himself nervously standing in front of a totally jovial Aashiq with… something of a blush on his face.

"Farewell, Bolo," Aash bade first, pulling the handyman into a hug that he was hardly prepared for.

"Gah…! Uh… B-bye, Aash… um… i-it was good to uh… to see you again…" he stammered, barely fighting off his overwhelming nervousness to return the hug.

"My, you appear to be quite unsettled this time around…" Aash pointed out with a giggle as he performed his usual ritual of kissing Bolo on both cheeks. After the second peck, however, Aash took a moment to examine the other young man with a look of concern. "Oh, dear… Bolo, you feel like the inside of a space heater. Are you feeling sick?" he asked, pressing a hand to the back of Bolo's head and nudging him forward. And before Bolo knew it, he and Aash were practically nose-to-nose with one another, their foreheads pressed up against one another as Aash checked his temperature. At that, Bolo grew even more nervous as his heart pounded harder and his knees began to quake.

"…Jeez. Poor Spiky never recovered…" Vinegar murmured with a chuckle as she shook her head.

"I guess his crush on Aashiq ran deeper than we thought it would," Twitch agreed in another whisper, though a certain soldier heard everything they were saying about the Bolo x Aashiq chemistry they saw flowing through the air. As such, he reeled back and turned toward Twitch and Vinegar with a look of total confusion.

"…What?" he asked in utmost curiosity about what he'd just heard. And, if he didn't know better… he'd just heard Twitch and Vinegar say that Bolo had a crush on Aashiq. Rather than keep their composure and deny the rumor, however, both of the Ammonian blondes flinched and scrambled amongst themselves to come up with a convincing lie.

"Dahh, um… W-we didn't say anything about that," Vinegar hurriedly dismissed, though she immediately gave herself away.

"Say anything about what?" he pressed, raising an eyebrow.

"About what you just heard about Spik-!" Twitch was about to blurt out before Vinegar slapped her on the arm to shut her up.

"Vidi…!" the taller Ammonian affiliate called, waving her hand under her chin to tell her friend to cut it out. By that point, however, it was already far too late. At that, however, Tayshan picked up on it and decided to play it cool.

"I'll… just 'assume' y'all are still just gossipin' about the Shipping Game an' leave it at that," the undead serviceman assured with a nod before turning back toward Bolo and Aashiq a few yards away.

"…I'm… just gonna stop talking until it's our turn to say goodbye…" Twitch vowed with an embarrassed sigh.

"Ditto…" Vinegar agreed with an equally embarrassed scratch of her head as she momentarily shot her gaze elsewhere.

"I-I'm not sick, Aash. D-don't worry," Bolo did his best to assure as he patted the other young man on the shoulders to prompt him to release him. "I uh… I'm still just a little nervous about uh… a-about taking this field trip with Rottytops is all," he lied, evidently not wanting to spill the real reason he was so unsettled.

"Seriously? What have you got to be nervous about?" Rotty asked in wonder as she raised an eyebrow at him. "Just relax a little, Bo! I won't bite. Much…"

"I see," Aash remarked with an unassuming nod as he patted Bolo on the shoulder once more. "I suppose I cannot blame you for feeling a bit antsy about going on a trip to the wild blue yonder on such short notice. However, you will certainly be in good hands with Abner, Poe, and Rottytops. Despite their reputation, they are quite the amicable group!"

"Oh, really? Speaking from experience, I'm guessing?" Bolo questioned with a mild sense of incredulity.

"I am! Granted, I have not yet gotten the chance to hang out with Rottytops, but from what I have seen and heard of her, she is good company."

"And you'd better not forget it!" Rotty cheered at the praise thrown her way. "Everything he's saying is true, Bolo, so listen to him!"

"Alright, settle down, runt," Abner laughingly admonished as he lightly nudged her with his elbow before turning his attention to Bolo. "Hey! Scrawny! Wrap it up so's we can get outta here!"

"Scrawny?" Bolo questioned as he turned toward Abner and shot him a sour look.

"You heard what I said. Now, come on! Ali's out way past her curfew, so we've gotta get her home!"

"Hmph. Fine…" Bolo remarked with a sigh and shrug before turning back toward Aash and Bruce. He offered the burly cyclopean man a quick fist bump that was met with no hesitation. "See you guys around!" he bade the two once more as he turned and rushed toward Rotty and her group.

"I suppose that's my cue too, then…" Mimic acknowledged as he brought a load of trash bags over his shoulder and set them down near the departing troupe, prompting each of them to take a bag or two to help him dispose of them. Soon after, he turned and approached his one and only niece and her lover. "This has been the most exciting and eventful funeral I think I've ever attended," he remarked with a chuckle. "We were right to do this today. Everyone seems to be in such high spirits as compared to the rest of this past week."

"You can say that again, Uncle…" Shantae happily acknowledged as she hugged her surrogate father warmly and tightly. "Although, I'm not exactly opposed to finding a much more… uplifting reason to throw our next big party," she further joked as she and the old Relic Hunter shared a laugh.

"Duly noted. It's a good thing the holidays are rolling around, then… as well as your birthday," he quipped once more as he hugged the half-genie back. He finished his hug by brushing her hair aside with a hand and placing a light smooch on her forehead. "On that note, cupcake, you get yourself a decent night's rest, okay? Even after sleeping for a week, I imagine you to be quite tuckered out after such a busy day…"

"Trust me, Uncle. I will… I love you," she assured as she returned his affectionate gesture with a kiss on her legal guardian's cheek.

"Aw, I love you too, sweetie…" Mimic shared with a jolly chuckle as he patted her on the head once more. Right afterward, however, he turned his attention toward Tayshan. "And you, my boy…"

"G'night, Mr. Mimic," Tay bade as he offered a handshake… that went ignored as the elderly scientist brushed his hand aside and hugged him instead. "Oh! Heh, at this point, I guess handshakes are out o' the picture…" the serviceman joked as he returned the hug with gusto. It wasn't very long, however, as the two men separated within a few seconds.

"For what it's worth, Tayshan… Thank you for coming back to us, despite the circumstances," Mimic confessed, to which Tay nodded in acknowledgement as the smile left his face. "This celebration wouldn't have been half as successful as it had been had you not been here. More importantly, I hope that in the midst of us working to find a way to stabilize that Soul-Link over the next year, you truly do find some peace and tranquility in being with us."

"Yeah. I'll make the absolute best of it, fo' sho'," the wraith agreed with a nod. "An' if I haven't said it before, I'll say it now: Thank y'all for havin' this celebration in the first place. I… I can't put it int' words how much it means that we could all come together like this…"

"No need to thank us, lad!" Mimic assured with a grin. "It's the least we could do, considering your efforts in helping Shantae keep Sequin Land safe. And… well… it's not every day that a situation like yours arises…" he further stated, patting the soldier on the shoulder.

"I hear you, Pops…" Tay acknowledged with a nod as he took a deep, shaky breath.

"Indeed. That said…" the retired Relic Hunter paused, pointing his finger at the ghostly serviceman as his expression changed to one of total seriousness. Reading it loud and clear, Tay stood at attention, anticipating the warning he knew was coming his way. "You'd better not make a habit of getting frisky with my niece, you hear?" he sternly laid it out there for everyone to hear, much to everyone's amusement except for Tayshan's… and Shantae's as the two of them stiffened up in varying levels of blushing, wide-eyed embarrassment. "No matter the context, you're both still a pair of young, lovestruck teens. You'd better believe I'll be keeping an eye on you two. And I'd better not-!"

"Bye, Uncle!" Shantae immediately jumped in with a furious blush on her face as she lightly shoved Mimic away from Tayshan. "We can take care of ourselves, so no need for the VERY poorly timed lecture! Sweet dreams!" she continued to dismiss as she patted him with both hands a few more times to get him to stop trying to humiliate her in front of her friends. Of course, Mimic and everyone else let out collective giggles abound except for the serviceman in question.

"Alright, alright… I get the message loud and clear," Mimic softened his stance just a bit as he moved on his own to join Rottytops's group. Of course, that wasn't exactly where he wanted to leave it as he turned to face Shantae once more. "At the very least, I hope you two are being responsible," he just HAD to blurt out, seeming to pick up an idea that neither the half-genie nor the serviceman wanted him to ever, EVER pick up.

"OH, MY GOSH! BYE, UNCLE!" Shantae shouted at nearly the top of her lungs in unadulterated humiliation that was written all over her glowing red face, causing the rest of the group (Tay included this time) to erupt into a collective paroxysm of laughter.

"Nighty night, cupcake! Don't be afraid to stop by the workshop sometime tomorrow!" Mimic bade one last time as he and the rest of the group turned to leave. "Sky, Twitch, Vinegar, Bruce, and Aashiq! Thank you all for coming! I'll hopefully see you all soon! Stay safe and have a great night!" he addressed the remaining members of the party group as he, Bolo, Rottytops, Abner, Poe, and Aleaqarab collectively waved. The other party members waved back, seeing them off as they walked off into the distance leading into Scuttle Town. Only…

"Oh!" Rotty perked up before turning around. "Tayshan?"

"What's up, Rotty?" the serviceman asked. Rather than immediately reply, the zombie maiden shot him a bright, cheerful grinning wink, forming her hands into a heart and aiming the symbol at him.

"Sweet dreams, my Darkness-Swathed Hero~!" she bade just once more, catching Tayshan ALL the way off-guard as he exhaled in total disbelief while his eyes widened to the sizes of pizza pies.

"…Wha… You…?" was all Tayshan could hope to stammer as he gawked at a blushing, giggling Rottytops. It seemed that something she said resonated with him. Even I'm not sure what, to be honest…

"…Darkness-Swathed Hero?" Shantae asked in wonder as she raised an eyebrow at Rottytops. "What exactly do you mean by that, Rotty? And when did you come up for that nickname for him?"

"It's a secret… at least, for now. Until then, I'll catch you beautiful people on the flip side. Oh, and I promise to bring Bolo back in one un-zombified piece… if he can handle hanging out with us, that is. Laters~!" she delightfully remarked, after which she blew kisses toward her best friends and waved at them. To complete her grand exit, Rottytops strutted on in front of the group with unrivaled zeal and womanly appeal. Wordlessly, Bolo, Ali, Abner, Poe, and Mimic followed suit. Within seconds, the first half of the party group were out of sight…

"…That woman is full t' the brim with surprises…" Tayshan murmured, scratching his head in total bewilderment as he tried to figure out the ins and outs of Rottytops.

"I'll bet. Even I don't fully understand everything she does…" Shantae agreed as she joined him in staring into the distance, though it was safe to say she didn't exactly know what he was thinking about in that moment.

"We had better get going, too… Bruce and I have a long day ahead of us…" Aash volunteered to go next with a heavy yawn as he wiped his eye with one hand. Shaking off his growing weariness nevertheless, the young magician walked toward Shantae, at which point the former love partners happily opened their arms toward one another.

"It was awesome hanging out with you again, Aash… Friends or otherwise, it's always a blast when you're around… Thanks for coming on such short notice," Shantae let him know as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and gave him the strongest hug she could muster.

"As if I would miss such a fantastic extravaganza like this for the world, kanafeh," Aash laughingly assured as he nuzzled his face into hers and hugged her just as tight. "I am simply overjoyed to have been a part of the festivities, and I especially find myself over the moon with excitement to see that beautiful face of yours smiling as brightly as always…"

"Gosh, Aash…~" Shantae remarked with a giggle as the two separated their faces as they continued to hold one another. "You always did have a way with words…"

"Do not expect that to change anytime soon, my love," he remarked with a smiling wink before moving in to plant a heartfelt kiss on the half-genie's cheek. "I love you, Shantae…"

"D'aww… I-I love you too, Aashiq…" she barely found it in herself to respond as her heartbeat quickened to match the footsteps of five hundred sprinting buffalo. She found herself almost compelled to return his kiss with one of her own, though she hesitated as she turned her head toward Tay.

"Go for it, Shae-Shae," the serviceman gave his blessing with a nonchalant shrug, seeming to know what the look she gave him meant.

"O-oh! Are… are you sure, sweetie?" she asked, taken by mild surprise that he didn't voice any concerns with the embrace between her and her ex-boyfriend.

"Yep," he assured with a thumbs up. "No need t' sweat it."

"Wow, habibi… I am surprised to hear you give such an approval…" Aash remarked in equal surprise.

"It ain't like y'all need my permission," he coolly dismissed with a tilt of his head. "I trust y'all the same way she trusts me. That's all that really matters."

"Oh… I see…"

"…Thanks, Tay-Tay…" Shantae smilingly offered her gratitude before turning toward Aashiq and planting one small, quick peck on his cheek. Soon afterward, the half-genie and the gorgeous magician separated. Of course, Aash couldn't help but blush a bit as his favorite woman in the whole wide world gave him yet another invaluable gem in the form of her kiss. "G'night, Aashiq…"

"Sweet dreams, kanafeh…" Aash barely found it in himself to utter out of his sheer amazement as he pressed a hand to the cheek she kissed before turning toward the wraith and opening his arms once more. "Tayshan?"

"…Fine, but don't expect t' steal another kiss from me," he flatly remarked, though he was more than happy to oblige in hugging Aashiq with as much tender, loving warmth as he could summon up.

"…Wait… another kiss?" Twitch and Vinegar remarked in unified confusion as they glanced at one another before turning their gazes toward the serviceman hugging the magician in front of them.

"That is perfectly alright…" Aash vocalized his understanding as he ran his fingers through the soldier's hair with one hand while cupping one of his cheeks with the other. And before Tayshan could say or do anything else, the former Hypnotist apprentice craned his head and did the exact thing he was told not to expect to get away with. As such, he pressed his lips to the serviceman's cheek, much to his surprise as he exhaled in disbelief.

"Whoa! What in the world!?" Twitch and Vinegar remarked in unified surprise once again as Tayshan and Aashiq separated from their hug.

"Ooh, you're a sneaky one…" Tay complained, pouting as he pressed his hand to the cheek Aash kissed as his face heated up like a discharged flare, causing both the magician and Shantae to giggle in shared amusement.

"My apologies, habibi, but it was only fair!" Aash playfully defended. "I was not going to kiss Shantae if I did not get a chance to kiss you as well."

"Oh, is that what it is? You bein' considerate?" Tay sarcastically asked, chuckling a bit.

"Indeed! Of course, if you are feeling so inclined to keep that equality going…" the adorable young man hinted as he grinned at his friend, seeming to expect something in return for his tireless efforts to be all-inclusive.

"Nah, you got your 'equality' earlier this afternoon," Tay firmly denied with a shake of his head, at which point Shantae busted out laughing at her significant other's flustered facial expression. "I think you can go on with the memory o' that happy accident fresh in your mind."

"Aw, are you sure you don't want to make it even between you two? It's just one more tiny little peck…~" the half-genie teased as she poked the soldier with a finger, causing him to shoot her a deadpan expression… before he came up with a most sinister reply as he grinned at her.

"I mean, unless you want me t' refuse t' kiss you again for the next month, then yes, I'm sure," Tay sternly rebutted, much to the half-genie's shock.

"A whole month? Aw come on, that's a little harsh, isn't it?"

"By comparison t' the enthrallin' little 'show' you got out o' that mess earlier today, I think I'm bein' lenient."

"Well, it isn't like I arranged for that to happen or anything. Also, a month is not lenient, babe…"

"Neither is makin' me kiss your ex-boyfriend, but you go ahead an' act like I'm playin'. I don't think you wanna make that trade…" At that, Shantae took a moment to look him in the eye. It was then, of course, that she knew he was being completely serious.

"…Hmph. Fine… You don't have to do it…" she caved with a sigh, evidently not happy that she wouldn't get more shipping material out of Tayshan's interactions with Aashiq.

"Hah. That's what I thought," he gloated with a chuckle, relishing in his latest victory. "I believe this marks the end o' the Shippin' Game for today. Finally…"

"…You suck, Tay…" she mumbled in a feigned sense of disappointment, pouting and turning her head away from him as she crossed her arms. At that, the serviceman reeled back in surprise for just a second or two… before he got something of an idea as a most… naughty grin crept onto his face.

"Oh, yeah? Well…" Tayshan began, pausing as he approached the half-genie, wrapped an arm around her shoulders, leaned into her ear, and… "Not with that attitude, I don't…" he slyly muttered into her ear in the lowest, deepest tone he could muster, shooting her a most… diabolical grin as she perked up in total surprise, her face turning redder than a 'Stop' sign as her eyes flew open with enough force to send them rocketing halfway across Sequin Land. Her heartbeat getting heavy enough to possibly break the sound barrier with each beat in that moment, Shantae slowly turned her totally flustered gaze toward the mischievous wraith. And wouldn't you know it? He had this smug, triumphant smirk on his face as he took in every second of the additional momentary victory.

"Why, you…!" the stunned half-genie tried to reply as she puffed her cheeks and cutely scowled at him, though she couldn't recover enough to think up a suitable comeback. At that, the undead soldier's grin grew just a bit wider.

"Whatcha gonna do, boo?" he dared, his face redder than bell peppers as he continued to grin at her.

"…Oh, so you wanna play it that way, huh? Okay, Tayshan… Just you wait… One way or another, I'm gonna get you back for that…" she warned, blushingly pointing a finger at him as she took the SHAKIEST of breaths to calm her rampaging nerves… and the oncoming tsunami of incredibly impure thoughts he'd just put into her head with just that one unbelievably lascivious comment.

"…WOW," Aash remarked in total shock, evidently overhearing the exchange himself.

"'Wow' is right," Vinegar agreed, equally as stunned.

"…I knew he had a naughty side…" Twitch grumbled, slightly agitated at the inappropriate exchange… though it may not have been for the reason you'd expect. "Yet, he chooses to hide it until he got all cuddly with the Princess of Purity over here… of all people… Hrrrmph…!"

"…And just when I thought I had you all figured out, Tay…" Sky shook herself out of her flabbergasted stupor just enough to also share her scattered thoughts. Flinching as the smile quickly vanished off his face, the sheepish phantom's eyes darted around to see that… well, that a whopping EVERYBODY had their eyes on him. It was at that moment that he knew… he was on the hot seat.

"…Uh… Heh… S-so what's goin' on? Is… there somethin' wrong…?"

"…Yeah, you two are on a WHOLE different level of flirty around each other… I'm honestly surprised to see this side out of either of you…" the bird tamer remarked, shaking her head as she continued trying to process the wildly romantically charged exchange she'd just witnessed.

"Wait, what!? Why am I being lumped into that category!?" Shantae complained, evidently finding herself innocent of any wrongdoing.

"You know why, girl, but I'll do us all a favor and keep from bringing it up in front of a crowd…"

"Oh, well when you put it that way, Squawks, it makes me EXTRA curious to know what other racy things these two have said to each other," Twitch urged Sky to share. "Knowing Tay-Tay, we both know he's got a real knack for saying some really naughty things when the chance arises…"

"Oh, most definitely…" Sky concurred.

"Twitch!" Tayshan yelled at the bespectacled blonde, flustered beyond belief.

"Much as I hate to say it, I am… inclined to agree," Aash added, much to everyone's surprise. "Knowing kanafeh, she can also get more than a bit… risqué with her words when she is in the right mindset."

"Absolutely, though I've only found that out myself recently," Sky continued to agree.

"Aashiq!" Shantae yelled at the hazel-eyed magician, flabbergasted beyond comprehension.

"And clearly, putting these two together creates a gigantic super tornado of palpable romantic tension that threatens to suffocate all of us as it whirls around, blowing everything in its path in all directions," Sky teasingly added as she giggled in amusement.

"Sky!" both Shantae and Tayshan yelled at Sky, each of them shocked beyond reason.

"Oh, this is too rich…" Vinegar commented, yukking it up at the expense of the apparently super flirtatious duo in question. "No wonder your uncle told you guys not to get carried away… Hah!"

"Hmph," the serviceman grunted, glaring at the taller Ammonian associate as she kept on laughing at them. It… didn't help that Aashiq, Sky, Twitch, and even Bruce joined in on the fun. Of course, it didn't take terribly long for Shantae, and even Tayshan, to begin finding humor in it as they let the moment run its course. "…I guess that's what I get…" he laughingly took responsibility. "I can't help myself around her. I'll admit it."

"D'aww… Well, I guess that makes two of us, huh?" Shantae empathically agreed, patting him on the back as they settled down for the moment. "I'll admit it, too."

"Trust us, we know," both Sky and Aashiq flatly remarked in unison.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" both Shantae and Tayshan demanded to know… also in unison, which only caused everyone to erupt into another fit of laughter.

"My gosh, you folks are a hoot!" Bruce cheered as he chuckled and wiped a tear from his eye. "This has been quite possibly the most fun I've had all year!"

"Heh. Well, I guess I should be glad you take such amusement in our shenanigans, Bruce," Tay remarked with a chuckle of his own.

"You bet I do," the burly cyclops assured. "Which reminds me… Aash, honey, did you get to pop the question?"

"Question?" the serviceman asked in wonder.

"Oh! I had nearly forgotten…" Aash perked up, seeming to be reminded of something as he turned toward the wraith. "Tayshan, I… um… I-I was wondering if… if m-maybe you would… like to… um… hang out with Bruce and me sometime…?" he very sheepishly posed to the soldier's surprise.

"Me? Really?"

"Er, y-yes indeed! I… would also like to propose a double date down the line if… if you are okay with that, but I um… I-I wanted a chance to borrow you for a day once I figured out my schedule… and… with kanafeh's permission, of course…"

"Tayshan's my boyfriend, Aash; not my pet. Like I said earlier, he doesn't need my permission to hang out with you," Shantae assured, reading the magician's overt nervousness.

"What she said," Tay agreed. "Also, sure thing! I'd like that, homie. You know where t' find me when you get your plans sorted out on your end."

"O-oh! Excellent!" Aash cheered, breathing a sigh of relief.

"See, I told you it wouldn't be so hard," Bruce encouragingly shared with a pat on Aash's back. "I don't know why you were so nervous about it…"

"You… you are right… it was silly of me to get so worked up, Bruce…"

"It's alright! The important thing is that it worked out!"

"Definitely…"

"Any chance we could borrow some time with you guys at some point as well, since we're all apparently making plans for the future?" Twitch drummed up a great deal of courage to ask.

"Oh? You… actually want to hang out with us, too?" Shantae asked back in complete surprise.

"I mean… We don't see why not at this point," Vinegar affirmed with a nervous shrug. "We may not always see eye-to-eye, but I figure we may as well give it a shot… That is, unless you've still got your hang-ups about us…"

"No, no, we don't," the half-genie assured. "Well… I can't exactly speak for Aashiq, but I know Sky, Tay, and I don't by this point…"

"I do not know if I was included in that equation, but I…" Aashiq spoke up before pausing to scan the Ammonian ladies up and down. "…I still have a difficult time removing my association of you and the Inseam Municipality incident…"

"As I figured you'd say," Twitch remarked. "We can't help it if you hate us or hate the Ammonian Army in general for that, Aashiq, but we've already told you again and again that our hands were forced every step of the way there. Vinegar and I also had no personal involvement in that aside from being there to be used as Risky Boots's pawns against Shantae and Tayshan. And even then, we did as much as we could to make up for it after we realized what we got duped into doing, as well as why Risky tricked us. I'll… be honest and say I can't speak for Ammo Baron as far as his standpoint on the whole situation goes, but the best we can give you is our word. Take it or leave it."

"…I do not suppose it will get any clearer than that, all things considered," Aash realized with a sigh. "Well… I can only say I hope you are telling the truth… and maybe if we cross paths again, we will get a chance to truly hash things out. I can only offer you that much as of now… as well as the kind suggestion to leave the Ammonian Army if you are serious about turning over a new leaf…"

"That's a better answer than I was expecting, so we'll take it," Vinegar acknowledged. "Also… I'm sure we could talk things over if that's where our paths lead. As for quitting the Ammonian Army, though? Not likely at this time; we still need a way to make a decent living, and our jobs treat us really well. Plus, it isn't like we're ALWAYS up to no good."

"Hm. If you say so, but you were warned. Heed my words as someone who saw Hypno Baron's true colors and took it as a sign to find a different path to good fortune," Aash offered a 'friendly' piece of advice.

"That's true, but Ammo Baron and Hypno Baron are totally different people. Granted, we'd be here all night if we opened that can of worms, and I definitely don't have the energy for it now…" Vinegar remarked with a yawn, prompting Aash to nod in marginal understanding. "Anyway… Tay-Tay, Hairball, Squawks. We're peacing out now," she further announced.

"Oh. Are y'all plannin' on flyin' off t' the place y'all were supposed t' be headed now?"

"Nah, it's too late to go right this minute. We're gonna take a quick trip to Bandit Town to crash at one of Barracuda Joe's secret pads until sunrise. After that, we'll officially start our vacation," Vinegar explained. "Why?"

"Just wonderin'. I figured y'all had a plan, but I thought I'd ask anyway…" he plainly replied.

"We're always minding our safety, but it's nice to know you were worried about us," Twitch affirmed as she approached the soldier for a hug that he, despite his mild surprise, accepted in full. "And… Thanks for having us at your kinda-sorta-but-not-really funeral, Tay-Tay…"

"Thanks for comin'," Tay shot back with a chuckle. "I'd invite you to the next one, but uh… I'm pretty sure a person is only allowed one funeral in their lifetime…" he darkly joked to everyone's surprise as they exchanged uncertain glances with one another… except Twitch and Vinegar, who giggled at the morbid joke. Shantae, thoroughly unamused by the quip, hit him with a *WHACK* of her hand against his back in disapproval. "Ow! What gives?" he dared to ask as though he had no idea what was happening.

"Seriously? Still too soon!" the half-genie complained, pouting at him.

"Oh, right… S-sorry…" he apologized, clearing his throat as he patted Twitch on the back before they separated.

"Don't worry, Tay. I thought it was funny," Twitch reassured him with a thumbs-up and a grin.

"As did I," Vinegar also vouched as she stepped up and offered the serviceman a hug. "Seems like some of us should lighten up a bit," she added as the Sequin Land's resident alien-ghost welcomed her embrace with open arms. At that, Twitch burst into another fit of giggling that no one else shared as Tayshan and Vinegar finished hugging. Suspicious of her friend, the taller Ammonian affiliate narrowed her eyes at her. "And what's so funny that it's got you grinning at me like that?"

"…You said 'lighten' up because of how 'dark' Tay-Tay's joke was…" Twitch fought through an impending laughing attack to explain, causing Vinegar to gasp as she found herself shocked and appalled.

"TWITCH! One more word out of you about that, and I'll send you to wherever Tayshan escaped from to get back here!" Vinegar threatened, at which point Twitch laughed even harder. Meanwhile, Tay burst into a separate fit of chuckling at Vinegar's expense. "And what are you laughing at all of a sudden!?" she demanded to know of the chortling ghost man.

"Just enjoyin' the two o' you squabble with each other over a joke, is all," he innocently replied with an additional chuckle as he saluted to her.

"Oh. Well, we only basically do this all the time. Also, I'm glad you find Twitch's awful sense of humor amusing. I suppose someone has to."

"Oh stop it, Vinni. You know you can't live without my sense of humor! No one can get you to crack a smile like I can."

"Yeah, right. You'd have a better chance cracking a pool cue over Techno Baron's head than you would actually getting me to laugh at any of your jokes."

"Jeez… I hope you know that this only gets more ironic with the darker your jokes become, Vinegar," Tay remarked, laughing a bit more at his own peril as Vinegar glared back at him. Meanwhile, Twitch started cracking up even harder.

"Zip it, Tay!" she demanded yet again, pointing directly at him and making him laugh even more.

"Heh… Good t' know some things don't change with you two…"

"Definitely not," Twitch affirmed as she finished laughing at her best friend. "O-on that note, we'd better get going before too long. Again, you guys, thanks for having us."

"Sure thing, girls," Shantae acknowledged with a smiling nod and wave. "If you're serious about hanging out with us in the near future, though, don't be afraid to drop by Scuttle Town sometime."

"And please make sure that when you do, it's not to hatch another harebrained scheme for your meathead boss," Sky candidly added. "It'd at least be nice if we could break the ice without the idea that you're going to pull another fast one on us."

"No promises, Squawks," Twitch nonchalantly countered with a shrug. "If we do, just know it's not personal… that is, unless you try to eye up the next man I wind up dating. At that point, it's war. And you'd better believe I won't pull ANY punches…!"

"Hmph. As if that'll ever happen," Sky dismissed with a flick of her hand. "And even if it does, I'm sure that guy would be mine, and you'd be the one trying to steal him away from me. You'd best watch your back in that case…!" she further warned, at which point the adversarial blondes glared at each other with such intensity that you could see the streams of lightning shooting between their eyes. And thus, it seems we have ourselves… I guess, this world's first anti-ship in the form of Sky vs. Twitch? Oh, boy… It seemed another fierce rivalry was born on this day.

"Whoa, whoa… Easy, girls…" Shantae stepped in to mediate. "We're all… well, most of us are friends here. Let's end this off on positive terms and save that energy for some other time, hm?"

"Fine," both Sky and Twitch remarked in unison, though they continued to glare at each other for another minute.

"Anyway, we're off. But before we go…" Twitch trailed off as she took off the ruck sack she was wearing, dug into her bag, and pulled out two Ammonian Transceivers. "Here you two go," she added, tossing the devices to Shantae and Tayshan before putting the bag back on.

"Nice!" Tay remarked as he caught his radio. "This'll be a perfect way t' stay in touch."

"Oh! W-wow, you're giving one of these to me, too?" Shae asked in surprise as she also caught her radio.

"Yep. Granted, we're not supposed to be giving those out like candy, but we'll make an exception this time. Either way, it's as Tayshan said; you can reach out to us if and whenever you want to chill or collaborate on an adventure or something. Gotta admit that working together with you on the front lines wasn't nearly as terrible as we thought it'd be. Most of it was actually a really exciting change of pace, and we're open to seeing more cooperation between us. Just like we're helping you, I'm fairly certain there's gonna be a few different things you could help us with."

"That's the name of the cooperation game," Shantae acknowledged with a smiling nod. "As long as our goals line up and no one's looking to pull the wool over everyone else's eyes, I'm sure we'd make great partners."

"You said it, Shantae," Twitch agreed. "And… well, considering that Tayshan's only got about a year to be around… Well, I'd personally like it if we got to spend some time making the most of that, too."

"Wow, Twitch…" Tay acknowledged, though he found himself stricken with appreciation of the Ammonian affiliate for her sentiments. "We'll definitely talk about the next time we get t' hang out soon. Presumably after you ladies are finished with your vacation."

"Yeah, and as long as you're offering, I'm sure we could definitely team up for quests from time to time if our schedules match up. It'd be great if you girls eventually became full-on members of our expanding hero crew, but I know that's probably not one of the reasons you're handing us these walkie-talkies," Shantae added, gushing a bit about the possibilities that came with acquiring new situational allies.

"Nothing's impossible, genie girl, but don't get your hopes up that we'll become goody-goodies like you've always been," Vinegar clarified. "Regardless, we've still got a lot of making up to do, and I'd like to think this is a decent start for the two of us."

"I hear you loud and clear, girls," Shantae assured, at which point Twitch and Vinegar nodded before turning and walking toward their plane. "Safe travels!"

"Make the most out o' that vacation o' yours, however long it lasts!" Tayshan added.

"We certainly will! And again, don't be strangers! Till next time, guys and gals! G'night!" Twitch bade one final time as she and Vinegar waved while trotting off toward their plane. They were swift in getting themselves set up, climbing aboard as Twitch took the pilot seat and Vinegar took the passenger one. With a mighty *VROOOM*, the plane's engine fired up. Its rumbling roar, in conjunction with the propeller's rapid beat against the wind, cut through the otherwise peaceful atmosphere. Within the next couple of minutes, however, the Ammonian duo made their grand exit for the final time of this story as their plane wheeled across the peninsula at an increasing speed as everyone else in the vicinity cleared out of the way. Soon after that, Twitch and Vinegar achieved liftoff as their vessel soared through the late-night Sequin Land skies. The girls could be seen flashing peace signs at the rest of the group on the ground as they zipped through the air, prompting their grounded allies to wave back at them. Before too long, the girls were out of sight and far out of earshot as the roars of their plane grew increasingly distant until they could be heard no more.

"Alright, I suppose we're next…" Bruce was quick to announce before sticking two fingers into his mouth and whistling as hard as he could. Within seconds, his giant, unnamed pet bat came racing in before it slowed its aerial descent to perch on the former Overlord of the Galaxy's shoulders. "Ready, Aash?"

"In a moment. I must say just one more goodbye before we depart," Aash politely informed before turning toward Sky.

"Hm? You mean me?" the bird tamer asked in surprise, pointing at herself.

"Of course I do! You are the only person I have not bid a proper farewell to!" the magician cheerfully informed her as he extended a hand toward her for a handshake. "Until the next time we meet."

"No hug?" Sky humorously pointed out, though Aash almost lost his nerve as he felt he was being impolite to her.

"O-oh! I was not certain you would have wanted one because we are not that personally familiar with one another, though I am aware I had hugged you once before… W-we can-!" he was about to reconsider as he almost withdrew his hand to offer the hug.

"Nah, it's fine, Aash," Sky laughingly cut in to reassure him as she took his hand and shook it. "I was just messin' with ya. Maybe next time we meet, we'll get familiar enough with each other to officially upgrade to hugs." At that, Aash found it in himself to chuckle as his nervousness quickly washed away.

"That sounds like an excellent idea," he accepted the offer, beaming at the buxom blonde standing before him as they finished their handshake. "With any luck, next time will be fairly soon!"

"Count on it, friend. Have a good night!" Sky bade, waving at him as he approached Bruce.

"You as well, Sky! Kanafeh, habibi, thank you for inviting us to this wondrous gathering! We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!" Aash bade as he allowed Bruce to scoop him up into a bridal carry.

"We were glad to have you!" Shantae assured as she waved at him.

"Without a doubt," Tay agreed. "Oh, an' next time you see Giga Mermaid, tell her that an old friend is 'wading' to see her," he punned with a wink. "An' make sure you say it just like that, or else she won't get the idea o' who might be here lookin' for her."

"Aha! I KNEW you were making all those water puns to her on purpose! I finally caught you admitting it!" Shantae pointed out, striking a most dramatic pose as she pointed an accusing finger at her boyfriend for his 'inadvertent' wordplay that may not have been so inadvertent after all.

"Not necessarily. I only made this one on purpose. The rest really were accidental," Tay denied with a chuckle and a shrug of his shoulders. Shae, ever the watchful one, comically scanned the wraith up and down as though she didn't believe him for some reason. Getting a kick out of their interactions, Sky, Aash, and Bruce let out collective chuckles of their own.

"I will be absolutely certain to let her know. She would be as overjoyed as I was to see you again," Aash assured, much to the serviceman's amusement.

"I'm sure she would be," Tayshan acknowledged. "On that note, though, y'all be easy now. Stay safe, alright?"

"You know it, sweetie!" Bruce affectionately affirmed with a smiling nod as his living, breathing transport vehicle took flight with its passengers in tow. "Can't wait for us to finally get the chance to hang out! We'll let you know as soon as we find an opening in our schedules."

"Can't wait, homie. Till next time," the soldier affirmed with a nod of his own and a salute to his newest hang-out buddies as they, much like the Ammonian affiliates before them, took to the starry midnight skies above to make their trek home.

"Goodnight, all! I love you!" Aashiq affectionately confessed as he waved toward Shantae, Tayshan, and Sky as they watched him soar off with Bruce and his bat.

"We love you, too!" the three of them simultaneously and courteously returned his sentiments as they waved at him while he was being air-lifted away. Within the next minute or so afterward, Aash and Bruce practically vanished over the horizon, leaving just three more people to be accounted for.

"Well, now… I suppose I should feel honored to be the last one of our group to say goodnight to you two," Sky joked as she approached the genie/wraith duo with open arms. Reading her message loud and clear, Shae and Tay opened their arms at the same time, allowing for a most touching group hug between the three of them.

"I love you, Sky," the half-genie was quick to share with her best friend as she nuzzled her head into the bird tamer's shoulder.

"I also love you, Sky," the undead serviceman added with a humored chortle as he also strengthened his hold on his friends' shoulders.

"D'aww, you two are gonna make my heart explode like dynamite from all these feelings being shared," the bird trainer remarked as she hugged her friends just a bit tighter. "That said, I love you two as well… More than any of us could ever hope to put into words…"

"…Well, actions do speak louder than words…" Tayshan remarked as he momentarily looked toward Shantae as she looked back at him. The minute they made made eye-contact, he winked at her, puckered his lips for a literal half-second, and flicked his eyes toward Sky for yet another half-second. Though it took her a second or two to decipher the code he had been communicating to her, Shantae eventually figured out what Tayshan was trying to get across. As such, she smiled brightly and silently nodded to communicate that she approved of the idea.

"Hm? What are you two saying to each other…?" Sky curiously asked, watching the nonverbal conversation happening between her friends as she suddenly felt left out. "Are you trying to tell each other silly secret I'm not supposed to-?" she was about to suspiciously ask, though she was quickly cut off when she saw her best friends shift their positions… after which she suddenly felt two sets of lips planting themselves on each of her cheeks, sending an absolute atomic BOMB of an electrifying rush shoot through her from head to toe, back to head, and back to toe yet again. "Whoo! W-wow, you two…! I-I… Huh…" she stammered, completely stunned beyond all comprehension that both Shantae and Tayshan had kissed her on both sides of her face… at the same time. The dual kiss lasted for just a second before the duo finished up and everyone separated from the group hug, though it felt like it lasted an exhilarating eternity for Sky. "Gosh… I… I'm honestly speechless…" she continued to stammer, her inextinguishable surprise evident on her intensely blushing face as she pressed both hands to each of her cheeks and exchanged glances with the equally blushing Shantae and Tayshan… though her gaze was soon drawn to Tayshan's glowing halo. Her heart was pounding like a thousand fists on a bass drum, her breath had caught in her throat as a knot formed, and… her eyes began to water as she instinctively frowned.

"Oh, no… Sky, are you okay?" Shantae took the initiative to ask as she approached Sky for another comforting hug. Sky held out a hand to stop her, however, as she pressed her other hand to her beating heart and took a moment to regain her composure.

"I-I'm fine, girl. More than fine, even…" the weeping bird tamer assured as she sniffled and wiped the tears from her eyes. "You both just… caught me by surprise, is all… but believe me, these are tears of joy, not sadness…" she further clarified as she took another deep breath before gathering the strength to look toward her friends and offer them the warmest smile she could muster.

"Thank goodness…" Tayshan remarked with a sigh of relief. "Here I was, thinkin' we messed up an' hurt you…"

"Not at all, hon," Sky humorously informed him as she laughed. "It's just that this was… such a beautifully touching moment that it kinda got to me for a second. It adds to it that we all get to spend some extra time hanging out together in the wake of… well, y'know… Sorry if I startled you, but I promise you I'm okay. And thank you both for that… I needed that more than I realized…"

"It's all gonna be okay, Sky. Don't worry," Shantae assured once again as she approached and rubbed her best friend's back, to which Sky accepted by wrapping an arm around the genie maiden's shoulders. "We'll keep pushing forward together like we always have been, and we'll make the best of the time we have together."

"I know that for sure, but thanks for reminding me, Shantae…" Sky acknowledged as she wrapped the half-genie into yet another hug between just the two of them. At that moment, Sky felt all too compelled to express her gratitude as she craned her head and planted a kiss on Shantae's cheek before the girls strengthened their embrace.

"I'll always be here for you…"

"Likewise. And I'd never let you forget that," the bird tamer reciprocated, after which she and the young heroine she called her best friend eventually separated from their poignant embrace. "And as for you there…" she continued, turning her attention toward Tayshan, who'd merely been watching.

"Hm?"

"I seriously can't express enough how glad I am that you came into our lives, however tumultuous our experiences were, and however unusual the circumstances of your arrival were," the avian aficionado confessed as she quickly closed the distance between herself and the halo-adorned ghost and wrapped him up in a hug between just the two of them. "And I'm even happier to see that, despite the impossible odds, you came back to us from the Village of Lost Souls just for the sake of making us smile… after you gave up everything just to protect us…"

"Oh! H-heh…Wow, Sky… That sentiment is returned a hundred-fold," Tayshan made sure to let her know, though he knew deep down inside how much it meant to him that each of his friends found utmost joy in his company. He'd scarcely known such a feeling previously, but he absolutely welcomed the enrapturing warmth it provided as his heart pounded in his chest.

"I know it is, and your actions alone have proven it time and time again…" Sky assured as she reached her hands up and gently clasped his face between her hands, pulled him downward, and placed a most affectionate smooch on the serviceman's forehead.

"Ooh…! Goodness…" he murmured in total shock, his face heating up as he processed the sensation of the bird trainer's lips on his face. Before too long, however, Sky finished her kiss and wrapped him up in one final, incredibly love-fueled hug before letting him go. Stunned, the soldier grazed a finger over his forehead where his friend had kissed him as they locked eyes once more.

"Now, you know to some degree how pleasantly surprised I was when you kissed me on the forehead the other day…" Sky teased with a giggle as she wiped more tears from her eyes. "That aside… I honestly can't wait to see what exciting new experiences await all of us in the coming days, and I'm especially excited to see how your relationship with Shantae evolves from this point on…"

"O-oh! Really…?"

"Absolutely. I can tell that each one of you is entirely committed to the other. I can also plainly see that, just based on how incredibly well you two generally seem to get along, that you'll take excellent care of her like she deserves…"

"..Jeez, Sky, I'm right here…" Shantae blushingly complained, her heart racing as she engaged in a characteristic bout of nervously nibbling on her knuckles.

"That's what I aim t' do," Tayshan affirmed with a nervous chuckle as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Of course. And in return, I'm positive she'll take wonderful care of you," Sky continued to lay it on. "But hey… if either of you needs my help with anything, you just let me know, okay? I want you to know that I support you."

"Trust me, I've known that since the day we met," Tay affirmed with a smiling nod. "The same could be said t' you, of course. Anything you need, an' I'll do anything in my power t' get it to you, homegirl."

"I don't have a reason in the world to doubt that, Tayshan. Again, thank you so much…"

"Don't mention it," he assured with a thumbs-up, prompting Sky to nod once more as she prepared to head back to Scuttle Town. She slipped on her handling glove and whistled loudly for just a second, prompting Wrench to come sweeping in to perch on the glove as she held her arm up.

"Good. On that note, you have a great night… Oh, and don't be shy about coming around to hang out every now and again, alright? I still owe you that aerial tour of the local landscapes once Wrench is healed up enough! Until then, maybe we can do lunch!" she hinted with a wink before turning to begin walking along the path leading toward Scuttle Town.

"True. You'll be hearin' from me real soon, then," Tay remarked to confirm his interest in spending quality time with the bird tamer.

"Goodnight, Sky!" Shantae bade, waving at her best friend as she went on her way. "I can't wait for our trip in the next couple days!" she further called, prompting Sky to stop in her tracks and turn around as though she'd realized something.

"Oh! That reminds me…" the falconer began as she pointed a finger in the air before turning her attention back toward Tayshan. "So hey, Shantae and I were gonna spend a day in Embroidery City to spend some time relaxing and catching up. Do you maybe want to join us for that, Tay-Tay?"

"Oh, yeah! I can't believe I forgot to ask you! Wanna come with us?" Shantae also remarked, seeming to be in agreement with the idea of bringing the serviceman along for what was supposed to be a girls' day out. Yet, as much as Tayshan wanted to confirm that his interest in joining them as he exchanged glances with Shantae and Sky…

"…Nah, that's alright," he respectfully declined with a shake of his head, much to the surprise of both girls as they gawked at him. "Maybe some other time in the near future."

"What? W-why not?" Sky asked in worry, unsure of why he was refusing to join them.

"Yeah, Tay, what gives?" Shae further asked as she raised an eyebrow at him.

"It might sound odd t' say this, but you two planned that day t' hang out with each other," he explained. "I'd rather not interfere with the quality time y'all would get t' spend together."

"Interfere? No way! We'd love for you to come along with us! Besides, don't you want to get more of those delicious Beef Wellingtons you seem to be so fond of?" Shantae prodded.

"And wouldn't you want to spend a day where we were just chilling out, enjoying each other's company, and getting to know each other more?" Sky also prodded.

"Trust an' believe that I'd want nothin' more than t' enjoy spendin' time with y'all at every appropriate opportunity," Tay calmly acknowledged. "But if I'm gonna be completely honest, there are things I know I've gotta start workin' on as soon as possible around here. On top o' that, you ladies should go on an' enjoy yourselves for a day like y'all initially agreed t' do. I'm not sayin' I just plain don't wanna go, if that's the idea you're gettin'. It's more that I… well, I think it's important that we all got our fair shares o' time hangin' out with each other individually AND as a group. An' from the sound of it, girls, this hang-out o' yours is exclusively for y'all."

"Ohh, I see…" Sky remarked in realization while Shantae remained mildly confused. "That's your way of saying that you don't want us to feel like you NEED to be included every time we make plans. Isn't it?"

"Hit the nail on the head, Sky," Tay affirmed with a smiling nod.

"Wait, what!?" Shantae remarked in continued confusion.

"Huh… Y'know, the more I figure out about you, the more I realize that Shantae's a really lucky girl…" the bird tamer smilingly complimented with another wink in his direction.

"Heh… w-well, I'm glad that you're gettin' that kind o' vibe from me."

"That 'vibe' has been a constant thing since we've known each other, Tay, and I wouldn't ask you to change it for the world. In any case, we'll bring you back a souvenir when Shantae and I come back from Embroidery City. That, or at least one of those fancy Beef Wellingtons if we can get our hands on it. Until then, I'm sure we'll bump into each other in town as soon as tomorrow. And again, do not be a stranger if you want to stop by or make other plans when you get the chance. That goes for the both of you."

"Heard loud an' clear, homegirl," Tay agreed with a salute.

"Sure thing, Sky. We'll be in touch. Uh… G'night!" Shae also agreed with another wave.

"Sweet dreams, you two… G'night!" Sky bade just once more before turning and sauntering off toward town. Our main dynamic duo watched on in silence as their mutual friend confidently strolled into the wilderness with her trusty pet bird (and a flashlight that she took out soon after making her exit) in tow. They kept an eye on her until her curvaceous form faded into the shadows cast by the foliage in the distance and the gleam from her flashlight grew too dim for them to see. And with that, every single one of the party guests had made their exit, leaving just Shantae and Tayshan to wrap things up. Soon after Sky left, Tayshan was hit with a powerful urge to yawn as he stretched out many of the kinks in his body left from the exhaustively active day they had.

"Whew… I'm beat…" he remarked as he turned and strolled toward the edge of the peninsula, took out the tie in his hair and shook his head to let his puffy ebony locks flow free in the nighttime breeze, and took a seat. "I'm… gonna take a minute or so t' think an' stargaze before I clock out, though. You about ready for bed yourself, baby?" he asked Shantae, who'd been shooting him a look of concern before he popped his question.

"Hm? Oh, no, not yet… I'll join you…" she offered, prompting him to scoot over to give her space as she approached. However, rather than sit next to him, Shantae opted to take her seat on her boyfriend's lap, mildly surprising him as his heartbeat picked up yet again. Surprising as it was that she sat on his lap, however, Tayshan was not at all opposed to it. As such, he gently wrapped his arms around the half-genie's waist and nuzzled his face into hers. In return, Shantae scooted back to further secure her seat as she rested one arm on his. Once she got cozy, she turned and craned her head as she hooked her other arm around her boyfriend's head and planted a light, innocent peck on his lips. The sheer intimacy of the gesture alone was enough to nearly make the girl's heart explode with enough force that it could be heard in the neighboring galaxy with every time it pounded in her heaving chest. Nevertheless, Shantae and Tayshan took a moment to marvel at the star-spangled sky above as the moon gleamed a brilliant alabaster onto the sparkling, crashing waves beneath them.

"…What a wild day this has been, eh?" Tay took the opportunity to break the ambient silence as he continued to hold the woman he simply adored without a shadow of a doubt in his mind.

"Day? Tay, this entire MONTH has been wild…" Shae laughingly remarked, thoroughly indulging herself in the ghostly soldier's warm, amorous embrace as she pressed her back to his chest and continued to affectionately stroke his cheek and neck with one hand.

"Fair point t' make," he agreed with a chuckle. "You probably couldn't come up with half the stuff we went through in even our most vivid fever dreams. Shoot, I know I couldn't…"

"Yeah, you're telling me," Shantae concurred with a delighted giggle. "But still… I can't believe how much we went through, no matter how many times we relived the experiences through all the stories we told… I mean, just the fact that we're together like this is enough of a mind-blowing concept in itself that it threatens to make my head spin. What we had to go through to get here? Gosh… I've seen and experienced a lot of different things throughout my adventures in my time as guardian genie, but aside from me losing my powers at one point and regaining them later on, I don't think I've felt quite this changed in a long time…"

"Changed? How so?"

"Well… Even with chaotic as our escapades were, I've learned a lot of valuable lessons about life, simply put," she explained. "About love… about loss… about strength and empowerment… about womanhood, however odd it may sound for me to throw that in there… and especially about what it really means to be a hero… and I've even learned a bunch on how reliable our friends are when I lean on them for support. I guess you could say that our journeys have done a bunch to open my mind in ways I never could've expected before you came along…"

"Goodness, I didn't realize you picked up so much along the way…"

"I absolutely did, honey, and I feel stronger than ever because of everything we went through. I… I also feel a lot more grown-up because of how much I learned about myself throughout our adventures. Even better, I know for a fact that all of our friends learned those lessons as well."

"I wouldn't doubt that for even a fraction of a second," Tay agreed. "An' in case it needs t' be said, I feel the exact same way. Life has had some interestin' things t' throw at us all, an' it seems we're all walkin' away from these experiences a lot stronger, wiser, an' more prepared than we ever were before."

"Exactly!"

"Heh, glad t' know we share the same sentiment, as usual. What do you think the others got out of all this, though?"

"Well… aside from the same lessons you and I learned, I think that above all else, they developed a deeper sense of appreciation for each other," Shae confidently answered to Tay's mild surprise. "I mean, you saw how close Rottytops and Bolo were to each other this entire party, as well as how much more open and talkative everyone was toward each other."

"Sure, but between you, Bolo, Rotty, an' Sky, weren't the four o' y'all already a tight-knit group?" he curiously inquired. "That's the impression I got, even with that argument Bolo an' Rotty got into earlier…"

"It may surprise you, and no one's really called attention to it until recently, but… Bolo, Rotty, and Sky didn't get along all that well with each other before this latest series of adventures kicked off."

"Ah, I see…" Tay remarked in realization, though he was just a tad caught off-guard. "I had a hunch that was the case, an' I feel I might've been told about it, but I was never really sure… well, except for the part where Sky an' Rottytops used t' hate each other an' Bolo seemed t' feel like he was always bein' left out as the youngest member o' the group, on top o' bein' the only guy until I showed up. Still… wow."

"Yep, those were two of the biggest dynamics about our group," Shantae clarified. "The other big thing was that the three of them never really seemed to want to hang out with each other, even after they went inside my mind to undo the effects of Risky's Magic Reverser. They're all my best friends, but none of them really considered each other friends… at least, not anywhere as strongly as they considered me. So, imagine my pleasant surprise to see Rottytops and Sky having civil conversations and even hugging each other, or Rottytops hanging out with Bolo for most of this party and then taking him along with her on their own adventure, or Sky and Bolo finally being able to tell each other that they loved each other as friends… Oh, and I can't possibly forget that Sky apparently let both Bolo and Rottytops sleep over at her house while you were gone and I was passed out from exhaustion over this past week!"

"Whoa… was that seriously the first time you'd ever seen them interact with each other on such good terms?"

"Yeah! They've finally started to open up to each other, and I couldn't be prouder that they could finally start hanging out with each other on the same level as they hang out with me… If all goes well from here, then I'm sure we'll feel more like a close-knit group than we ever had before…" she gushed, hopeful that her best friends' newfound mutual connections to each other would last.

"Heh. I see…" Tay acknowledged as he took it in for himself what it meant for their mutual friends to open up to each other. "That's… actually really relievin' t' hear…"

"Yeah?"

"Yep. It's just as you said; they learned to appreciate each other. At the very least, while they're all still able t' do so," he asserted. "If all the tearful goodbyes an' hang-out invites were any indication, it seems like this situation brought all of us closer together than we could've expected."

"Yeah, it did… Although, I'm curious about something…"

"What's on your mind, honey?"

"How come you turned down the offer to hang out with me and Sky in Embroidery City later this week?" Shantae asked, remaining puzzled on his refusal.

"Ah, I knew you'd still be wonderin' about that," Tayshan remarked with a chuckle. "An'… well, I felt like it was more important for you t' continue t' hang out with the others like you were already doin' before I came along," he further asserted to her surprise.

"What? Why?" she asked, only growing more curious as she turned her full attention to him.

"Because as much as I know we both are really excited about bein' together, I wouldn't want that t' get in the way o' the friendships you already had," he reasoned. "As in, I don't want it t' feel like you need to include me every time you wanna go ahead an' chill with somebody."

"Sure, but why wouldn't I want to include you whenever our friends and I get to hang out? I definitely wouldn't want to just leave you behind! Especially when we consider you've only got but so much time left..."

"Yeah, but I don't want it t' feel like an obligation t' you," he countered. "As excitin' as it is for us t' be in a relationship, that doesn't change the fact that the rest o' the group would still want t' hang out with us. Sometimes, it might be us together. Other times, it might be just you they want t' see. An' as evidenced by Rottytops takin' Bolo along for a field trip, they sometimes might just hang out with each other. And, weird as it is t' say, there might even be points where at least one of 'em seeks me out alone. Of course, this doesn't go to say that we won't also have times where you an' I might want t' be alone together, because we definitely will…"

"Ah, I see what you're getting at now…" the half-genie realized with a giggle. "You don't want to make it seem like you're hogging me all to yourself. Is that what you're getting at~? Hm~?" she teasingly asked, causing the serviceman to bust out laughing.

"Oh, boy. You figured me out," he flatly retorted, nuzzling her as he did so. "And here I was, thinkin' I was bein' slick…"

"Can't get much past me at this point, Tay-Tay~!" she teased some more as she tickled his face with her fingers. "I suppose you do have a point, though…"

"Do I?"

"Yeah. We probably don't want to overindulge ourselves in each other's company, because we wouldn't be giving ourselves enough time to hang out with the others, or even to be alone when we want to be. On top of that, you're right to say that we shouldn't let our relationship be a cause to isolate ourselves from everyone else or be so attached at the hip that we'd either make them tired of seeing us together… or worse, make us tired of each other. There's gotta be a healthy balance of some sort, and the best way to keep it is by giving ourselves appropriate amounts of time to be individuals and appropriate amounts of time to be a couple."

"Ah, there you go! That was my exact point," he praised with an additional chortle.

"Of course, it was. I know you by now," she confidently asserted with the brightest of grins on her face. "That doesn't mean I'm always gonna treat you like just another friend in the group at this point, though, Tayshan," Shantae made herself clear.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that when we do get to spend time together in the middle of our busy schedules, I think we should spend a great deal of it as boyfriend and girlfriend… Y'know… like, going on dates, and celebrating certain holidays together, and enjoying the time we have together in ways that we probably couldn't if we were in a group with the others, and… well… even…"

"Doin' a lot o' the same stuff we've been doin', such as readin' comics, teachin' each other how t' either belly dance or breakdance, an' trainin' together?"

"Um… Well sure, that stuff too, but I also meant… well… y'know…" she suggested, though she lost her nerve midway through. "…the romantic stuff…" she murmured, barely audible enough to be heard as she bowed her head.

"Ah, that stuff," he nonchalantly remarked as he patted her abdomen to ease her nerves a bit. "Well, you won't hear me say no t' that."

"Good! Glad to hear it, sweetie…" she cheered, though she had to take a minute to recompose herself as her chest and ears grew warm with anticipation for all the fun relationship things they'd get to do together in the future.

"Most def. That said, it seems like we're still on the same page as always."

"Without a doubt," Shantae agreed. "Y'know, it's actually really reassuring that we can talk about things like this so openly, and so early on…"

"You ain't lyin' about that…"

"I would hope I'm not. Granted, I know we've still got a lot to look forward to, so who knows what to expect in the coming days? I mean… Right out the gate, we're all gonna be pretty busy helping the town rebuild, and you're gonna be doing your thing with getting yourself registered as a Sequin Land resident if possible, and getting yourself a regular job or possibly going on your own separate adventures across the country to learn more about the world around you, and I'm gonna either be participating in some upcoming dance shows and holiday photo shoots for the next couple months before my birthday, and the others are gonna be tackling their own schedules… and that doesn't even take into account the times where we might have to spring into action on more adventures, though I'm actually excited to see how well we can continue to work together to protect Sequin Land…"

"Yeah…" Tay voiced his acknowledgement. "Time's gonna be pretty tight, but we'll use it as best as we can. An' I most definitely agree that whatever it is we'll be dippin' our hands in as far as schedulin' goes, I'm beyond pumped to see what we can accomplish…"

"Truer words could never have been spoken, and I'm so excited to find out what's in store for us…" she confessed, filled to the brim with anticipation about the future. "And even better, I'm even happier to take these next steps together…"

"That feeling, believe me, is a thousand percent mutual…"

"Most definitely…" she agreed once more as she felt all but compelled to make her next confession. As such, she took a deep breath after they went silent for a moment, gazing at the constellations above them as they absorbed the fact that they were blissfully relaxing together. "Thank you so much for being in my life, Tayshan… I promise you I'll never take that for granted again…" she shared with him, much to his surprise as his heart skipped a beat.

"Aww, Shantae…" Tayshan bashfully cooed as he nuzzled his face into hers once again and planted a tender kiss on her cheek. "I'm glad t' be a part o' your life, but I feel like I should be thankin' you for bein' in mine… which, I'll say it until I'm blue in the face: Thank you for bein' an important part o' my life, babe… If there's one thing I'd never underestimate as far as impact goes, it's the fact that you an' I got t' even meet each other."

"You don't need to thank me for that!" she happily assured him as he snuggled up to him. "The fact that we're here together is proof enough that we really appreciate each other inside and out, and that's all I could ever think to ask for…"

"Absolutely," he agreed. "I wouldn't have it any other way…"

"Neither would I… well, except for one thing…" she remarked, momentarily reaching up above his head to tap on the halo that had been gleaming as brightly as the stars above as it levitated over Tayshan's head.

"Right…" he murmured, his heart sinking a bit as he realized the unsettling implication that came with the context of his status as a wraith. "Well… No matter what happens from here on, we'll make the absolute best o' the time we have. An' if we're lucky, maybe we'll eventually come across somethin' that'll help us out in that department."

"You'd better believe I'll never stop trying until we do, sweetie," Shantae vowed, her heart also sinking at the possibility that Tayshan wouldn't be around for all that long like they wanted.

"I couldn't agree more," he acknowledged and concurred as he hugged her tighter in his lap. "Still… I… I feel like we should still be prepared for what we'll do if it turns out we can't figure out a way t' at least extend my time here," he further suggested, which did her no favors in terms of calming her nerves around the sore subject. Nevertheless, she listened. "Much as I'd absolutely love t' stick around or be revived, so that we can continue spendin' time together the regular way, hon… I still want us all t' be ready for if the day ever comes that I have t' disappear."

"Tay…" she called to him, barely above a whisper as a knot formed in her throat.

"I know that must sting you as much t' hear as it stings for me t' say it, but listen…" he acknowledged, choking up a bit himself as he continued hugging her. "No matter what, it's important for us t' be able t' move forward as appropriately as we can, in as many different ways as we can. Sure, I'm open to us figurin' somethin' out about how t' stabilize the Soul-Link or revive me, but I'd still like it if we enjoyed our time together like normal instead of it always feelin' like we're racin' against the clock… if you catch my drift."

"Yeah, I… I understand," Shae hesitantly voiced her understanding. "I'd like nothing more than for us to be able to relax, enjoy each other's company, and… well, love each other like we have been all along… but it's almost impossible for it to not feel any other way than like we're running on borrowed time, considering that we basically are…"

"True… Very true…"

"It's… certainly not gonna be easy for any of us to really let that sink in," she continued, tearing up a bit as she contemplated the situation once more. "I'm the first one you told about the one-year time limit, and I'm still struggling to accept it because you're here with me right now as though you never even died… Tayshan, I don't know if I've really been clear on how much I really, really love you…"

"…uh… I mean, considerin' how passionate we were last night, I thought you were pretty clear…" he uncertainly remarked, causing her to giggle away some of her nervousness as she patted his blushing face with a hand.

"You're silly…" she laughingly informed him before taking a deep breath to refocus. "Still, even that, I don't think could communicate how deeply these… hot, melty, pulse-pounding feelings run when I so much as think about you…"

"I see…" he realized, his heartbeat quickening as he began to run his fingers along her sides as he kissed the back of her neck through her hair. "An' I might have an idea o' how you feel… considerin' I feel the exact same way…"

"I know… Your heart pumping as hard and as fast as it is, tells me all I need to know," she teased as she leaned into him, causing him to exhale in mild shock as he blushed. "It sounds like a hundred horses galloping through the streets of Scuttle Town."

"Heh. Guilty as charged, though I ain't complainin' at this point… It only ever happens when I'm around you," he teased back with a chuckle as he took a deep, heavy breath and readjusted his position to try and keep himself under control… with limited success, as Shantae suddenly perked up in surprise as she turned her head toward him. "Ah… S-sorry about…" he was about to apologize before the young woman made her next move. Before he could say anything, Shantae turned her upper body and pressed her hand into Tay's chest, nudging him. "Hm…?" he hummed as he received her nonverbal message, leaning back as she seemed to suggest. As he was doing so, however, the lovely half-genie swiftly switched her position to where she was straddling him as they pressed themselves together. In another surprisingly forward show of affection, she reached toward him, prompting him to sit up. As soon as the soldier was close enough, Shantae cupped his face with her hands and planted quite possibly the most intense, soul-bonding, sopping wet smooch on her beloved that she could have mustered.

"Hmm…~" she hummed into him, separating for a fraction of a second before engulfing him in another, far more intimate smooch as her entire body began to tingle with an arcane, tantalizing warmth she'd only scarcely been familiar with. That said, she had become almost entirely hypnotized by this powerful, mesmerizing sensation as she instinctively began rocking her hips back and forth as she kissed the wraith she proudly called her boyfriend again and again.

"Hmm~!" Tayshan barely found it in himself to utter as he found himself easily swept up in the cyclone of undying passion that was his girlfriend's tender embrace as he laid his hands on her hips and kissed her right back with equally enrapturing intensity. With every smooch he and Shantae shared, Tayshan found it increasingly difficult to keep himself oriented as his hands slowly, but surely inched closer and closer toward her backside as she kept rubbing up against him. Just as his fingers reached their destination, however, the half-genie finally relented, pressing her lips to his one more time to give him another one of the most powerful smooches of all time. Soon after, and with a sleek, soaking wet *pop*, she finished the kiss and beamed at him with half-lidded eyes accompanied by a blush intense enough that it seemed like someone turned a light on inside her head… and speaking of 'light,' Shantae's entire body was coated in Light Magic that outshined the moon as she sat, marveling at Tayshan. Meanwhile, Tayshan had been panting as though he'd just finished doing laps around Scuttle Town, his face just as red as Shantae's was as he blinked to try and get the world around him to stop spinning. He, too, had been glowing intensely with Light Magic as he absorbed that irresistible, passion-fueled grin on the half-genie's face. "Ooh… W-wow, Shantae…"

"…Something tells me… that we might be sleeping in tomorrow…" she sheepishly informed him, her blush deepening as she kept her eyes locked squarely on her partner.

"Yeah, I'll bet…" he agreed, keeping his hands firmly planted where they were as he resisted the urge to kiss her again with everything he had in him in that moment. "That was so sudden, though…"

"I know, and I'm sorry for just springing on you like that…" she apologized, keeping her hands practically glued to his cheeks as she drew deep, heavy breaths to keep herself oriented. "But I… I wanted to show you how much I love you, like we were talking about just a second ago…"

"Oh, is that right?" he remarked with a grin. "In that case, your message was received loud an' clear…"

"I would hope it was…" she nervously replied, though her smile soon faded. "But I also want you to know that I can't accept the idea that you could be gone in a year," she added, causing him to perk up a bit as he listened. "I won't accept it. As much as I know you like to plan ahead and account for all possibilities, Tay, there's no way I'm taking this time limit thing lying down. I absolutely mean it with every fiber of my being that I cannot, and WILL not let you go…"

"…Shantae…"

"I already lost you once, and I REFUSE to lose you again. I can't bear even the thought of it…" she fervently confessed to him as she hugged him. Shocked as he was, Tayshan realized where she was coming from as he slowly moved his hands from her backside to the back of her head and her upper back to return the hug.

"…I see," he realized, gulping down the massive knot in his throat as he hugged Shae tighter. In that moment, he flashed back through various conversations he'd had earlier with just about everyone else in the group… about how much they wanted him to stick around… and about how much they wanted to spend time with him, however much he had left… and it was then that he realized… that maybe he shouldn't take such a passive approach to utilizing the second chance he was given to live in Sequin Land. If not for his sake… then for Shantae's… and for the sake of everyone who wanted him to stay. "In that case, I… I ain't goin' nowhere if I can help it, Shantae… Like you said earlier today, when there's a will, there's a way…" he vowed, finding an entirely renewed sense of faith in their ability to find a solution to their situation… somehow…

"Good," Shae acknowledged as she pulled her head up and pressed her lips to Tay's again. Afterward, she kissed him two… or three… or maybe, like… eight to ten more times, each successive smooch being progressively more sensual than the last before she felt satisfied enough to relax herself on his lap… while still naughtily grinding her hips into him, which caused him to involuntarily wince and shiver as he drew in a sharp breath and clasped his hands to her hips. Despite having little to no idea what had just happened to him, Shantae could only guess that he was… 'reacting' to her again. As such, she found herself absolutely amused by his unusual reaction as she affectionately giggled at him.

"What was that?" she asked him, grinning in absolute ecstasy at the fact that his reactions to her were always so endearingly strong.

"Heh... I uh... I'm not sure... O-oh, man... That's new..." he admitted, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment as he tried to readjust himself to no avail. This only caused the half-genie's grin to widen as she scooted herself a little closer to him, causing him to stop in his tracks.

"I… don't suppose that cute little shiver you just did means that you're cold… right?" she dared to ask, though she seemed to already have an 'answer' to her own question...

"Gahh… Whoo… Hah… N-no, that shiver wasn't because I was cold…" he blushingly affirmed, opening his eyes and pouting at her as she continued to draw amusement out of driving him nuts. "That 'shiver' was because o' you…"

"Oh? W-was it now?" she asked in moderate surprise, though her grin only grew wider as her blush deepened some more (I'm honestly surprised she didn't get a nosebleed at this point), her heart pounded heavier in her chest, and she grew pleasantly warm all over. "I had no idea I could do that to you until now… I'm glad to learn that, no less… Among all the other things I picked up about how you react when we cuddle together... S-so does that mean that you really, really like me, Tayshan~? Hm~?" she dared to question him more, leaning forward and planting one smooch on his cheek as she hooked her hands around the back of his neck. At that, he comically frowned at her as he blushed even harder, knowing that she was getting a kick out of teasing him in more ways than one.

"…I hope you know just what you're doin' t' me right now, woman…" the exhilarated young man dared to warn, seeming unusually tense as he brushed his fingers up and down the half-genie's back. Indulging himself in her infectiously alluring energy, he then proceeded to comb his fingers through her long, luxurious lavender locks with one hand while the other found itself creeping downward toward her butt. It… was painfully obvious that Shantae had been having an 'effect' on him once again. His hot, heavy breaths, thumping heart, blushing face, and prominent Light Magic glow only compounded the titillating image of a flustered young man in love as his mind went wild with thoughts about the lovely lady sitting on his lap and not-so-innocently grinning at him.

"Yeah. Getting some much-deserved payback for that sneaky comment you made a little while ago…" she prodded with an excited giggle, causing him to exhale in shock. "'Not with that attitude I don't,' you say… Some nerve you've got there."

"Ah, so you're playin' like that, are you?"

"And if I am~?"

"Then you'd better be prepared, kitten, because two can play at that game…"

"I hear you, babe, but you know from experience that I play to win," she taunted, thoroughly enjoying the fact that she could get him so riled up for her.

"Even now, that competitive spirit o' yours never fades…" Tay pointed out with a thoroughly elated grin. "I love that energy. Keep that up, though, an' we'll be up all night…"

"I'm not necessarily opposed to that…~" she remarked with a wink, seeming to know exactly where he was going with his comment.

"Oh, really? Heh… You never cease t' surprise me…" he teased as he caressed her backside with one hand as he brought the other one up to cup her cheek. Wordlessly, the enamored young woman scooted herself closer as she seemed ready to indulge in her overwhelmingly amorous urges. "Of course, I shouldn't necessarily be surprised that you're so 'competitive' right now, when we consider you finally lost against me in our latest sparrin' match…" At that, she exhaled in disbelief, though she didn't move from her spot.

"Lost? Tay, I don't have a clue what you mean by that. Rottytops and I clearly won that match," she defied. "You threw in the towel after Rotty Head Warped out of your stomach. It was super unsettling and I'm sorry you had to go through that, but the fact of the matter is that you forfeit."

"Absolutely not. Thanks for the sympathy, but I called the match there because you used magic before that point. There was no purpose continuin' after that. Rotty's horror movie stunt wouldn't have been enough t' make me forfeit… though I can say it came dangerously close."

"Yeah, I'm totally buying that one," she sarcastically remarked. "You can admit defeat yet again, babe. It's okay. Your pride will remain intact."

"Not a chance! You cheated in so many ways, I could've sworn Bolo an' I were playin' a rigged casino game," he joked with a chuckle that she shared. "I could let you slide with gettin' Sky roped in on the fun, an' I could even forgive y'all for the tickle attacks y'all subjected me to." At that, Shae giggled in amusement.

"Sure, but none of us knew you were that ticklish, Tay," she teased. "If that's all I ever need to do to take you down, then you're in for a lot of trouble in future matches…"

"Try it, Shae, an' I'll make sure you get it back tenfold," he warned as he momentarily stuck his tongue out at her. "Anyway, none o' that negates the fact that you were made t' use magic when we agreed not to way beforehand."

"It isn't like I did that on purpose, though!" she defended. "It just happened! I'm… still not exactly a hundred percent sure why or how, though I'm sure it had something to do with you..."

"R-right... I... vaguely remember you makin' a request for me not t' keep talkin' while we were in a certain position... at least, that's what I think was the cause of it... no?"

"...Y-yeah..." she bashfully admitted as she cleared her throat. "I uh... may have... well, you kind of... er..."

"No need t' explain it, Shae-Shae," Tay-Tay mercifully interrupted. "I got the gist of it. Granted, I'm still surprised t' hear you confirm that..."

"I know, and I feel totally silly for it..." she further admitted, her face growing hot enough to possibly set the bonfire ablaze all over again if she so desired.

"Eh, it happens," he nonchalantly dismissed to her surprise. "Besides, when we're in the heat o' the moment in a sparrin' match, an' we wind up gettin' that close to each other while we're already feelin' frisky, it... seems that instances like that are almost inevitable between us."

"I guess, but like... I didn't mean to do that, nor did I think I could get so... well, y'know... I didn't think my body would react to it that way..." she admitted again as she bowed her head while keeping her eyes locked on his. At that, however, Tay almost sprang up with enough force to jump three planets into the next galaxy. He tightly contained himself in the wake of comforting Shantae, however.

"And just like that, we realize for the 800th time... that we both have an... 'effect' on each other..." he quipped, hugging the half-genie as she giggled and hugged him back. "To be fair, if you'd have caught me in a situation of a similar kind at that time, I'd have probably 'reacted' to it, too..."

"Oh, yeah?" she perked up and asked, grinning all the way as she did so. "Then in that case, I shouldn't be held accountable for something I didn't have any control over, and you'll admit that us girls won that match! You certainly wouldn't like it if I tried the same logic if our roles were reversed in that situation!"

"Nice try, but you ain't slidin' away that easily. No excuses," he sternly, yet laughingly rebutted. "Accident or not, you still broke the rule. I suggested the draw t' be nice an' t' give our tag partners a break, but you know what it is by now, Shae-Shae…"

"Aw come on, Tay-Tay! That's not fair!" she complained.

"Hah! Right, 'fair,' which none o' that three-on-two wrestlin' match was, where the referee was on your side, an' the three o' y'all pulled out all the stops despite havin' the advantage already," he humorously shot back. "Yet, you wanna tell me what's fair an' what's not."

"Yeah, well… Fine, but we still would've won even if Sky didn't agree to jump in and you didn't get me to turn my magic on," she barely found it in herself to begrudgingly concede as she pouted.

"You wouldn't have, an' you know that. An' you know what else? Your 'perfect' record against me is no longer perfect," he declared with a grin.

"Sure, as far as tag matches go, but you still can't beat me one-on-one!" she challenged, feeling more competitive than ever.

"An' it's that type o' hubris that got a lot of our enemies knocked off their pedestals, includin' Risky Boots herself," he teased yet again. "Now that I think of it, you've been havin' an increasingly tough time gettin' the edge on me with every match we have against each other. If you don't change somethin' up soon, or if you get complacent an' think you'll always be ahead o' me, then you're gonna find yourself losin' t' me a lot more often…"

"Hardly, Tay!" she defiantly retorted. "Every time you think you've got me, I always find a way to slip ahead and take the win. I know all your moves by now, and I've got moves for days that I don't think you're quite that prepared for. I even have a bunch of your moves added to my repertoire, too! So, maybe you're the one who should change something up and not get too comfortable thinking your best bet is catching me by surprise…"

"An' there you go, thinkin' I really showed you everything I can do; even now. Trust me, Shae, I've got LOADS o' tricks up my sleeve you still haven't even seen yet… on top of all the stuff I learned after I came here. Catchin' you by surprise is just the tip o' that iceberg," Tay warned again, shooting her a most mischievous grin as he locked his eyes with hers. "An' I think it's about time I started pullin' more o' my secret techniques out just t' see how prepared you really are t' handle me. At this point, you can throw all the fireballs, lightning bolts, animal transformations, Light Magic, an' sonic-speed hair whips you want at me. I've got ways o' handlin' myself against it all now. An' considerin' I know most o' your moves as well as you know most o' the moves I showed you, I can guarantee you that it ain't gonna be no walk in the park."

"You talk as though you really have a chance at getting one over on me," she remarked, scoffing at the idea that she could EVER lose to Tayshan in a sparring match. "You haven't figured enough out about me to score a decisive win, and you've never fought me in Full Power mode, so what makes you think that's gonna change anytime soon?"

"It ain't all about how much power you can throw at your enemy, Shantae. All the strength in the world won't help you if you don't got the technique, discipline, an' adaptability t' use it appropriately. You should've picked that up from when I defeated Risky durin' our last fight against her, despite me not bein' as strong as she is," he pointed out. "That wasn't just luck; I had t' dig deep an' give it everything I had in both the strength and brains departments just t' get the one shot I needed t' take her down."

"Hm. True…" she agreed with a pensive nod. "I'll give you that. Between her and that Igor monster you encountered in the Village of Lost Souls, I suppose you have a really good point. Buuut then again, I'm not Risky Boots. Risky only tries one or two new things, but never really learns her lesson anytime I beat her. You know already that I can think and adapt faster than most people can anticipate. It's that same adaptability that's always kept me on top in every Boss Battle, and even on every adventure. So, you'd better believe I'm especially always adapting to you, because I know for a fact by now that you are NOT to be underestimated."

"Thank you! Also, you have a point," Tay agreed as he also nodded. "You do have that special skill o' yours where you can see somethin' once, an' then immediately figure out how t' counter it or incorporate what you saw into your own fightin' style. That fact can't be ignored, an' that much alone makes you that much tougher t' contend with than anybody else I've ever sparred with. Possibly the toughest fighter on this entire planet, if I had t' say so myself. That kind o' talent can't be ignored, either. Of course, if you're ONLY learnin' to adapt as you fight rather than learnin' t' be prepared AND learnin' as you fight, then you still leave yourself open t' bein' completely overwhelmed when you least expect it…"

"Oh? And how do you figure that?"

"You tell me. In the twenty or so times we sparred, two o' the last four ended in draws, not countin' the other two draws earlier on," he countered. "An' even then, every stalemate that happened was because we both wore each other out at the same time. Mind you, that's because I've been workin' on conservin' my magic an' puttin' you in situations where you have t' use a lot more o' yours than you want to. Oh, an' need I even mention that, even with the last couple times you won, you BARELY squeaked those victories out on me?"

"Well, I won't deny that you've been increasingly difficult to figure out as we both get stronger, but you've still got a long way to go if you ever hope to best me, honey. All the strategic planning and dazzling tricks you can possibly think of won't be enough to take me down unless you REALLY get creative."

"If you say so, but all I'm gonna say t' that is that you'd best be ready for the next time we go at it one-on-one. I also hope you ain't sayin' that like these magic power boosts we got won't make a difference," he warned once more. "Speakin' o' which, I'm gonna be spendin' a lot o' time gettin' the hang o' this Magic Flux thing as we continue t' train, an' you'd better believe I'm already thinkin' up ways t' catch you slippin'."

"Now, THAT sounds like a challenge if I've ever heard one," she remarked with a daring grin, beyond excited to get a chance to test the thresholds of her massively increased power.

"Glad you caught that," he remarked with a smirk. "On the other hand, I imagine you're gonna be figurin' out how t' access your Full Power mode more consistently too… right?"

"Heck yeah, I am! There's no way I'm letting you get ahead of me in terms of overall power, and there's no way I'm ever losing to you! You might be the better tactician of the two of us, but I'm no slouch in the way of mixing things up. Watch yourself," she excitedly declared, thoroughly enjoying the idea that she had something of a rival in her significant other. "Plus… the more we keep training together, the more powerful we seem to become, and at such an alarming rate that I can hardly fathom… I'll admit, I wouldn't dare overlook that."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Definitely! If you can go to the Village of Lost Souls of all places and topple hammer-swinging beasts ten times your size and go on super dangerous, extremely perilous adventures to haunted dungeons filled to the brim with Sequin Land's most vile and most vicious monsters on your own, then I know for a fact that you've come a long, long way since the day we met…"

"Heh… Well, what can I say? I learned from the best of 'em, Master…" he took her praise and offered some of his own as he winked at her. At that, Shantae let out another hearty chuckle as she hugged Tayshan out of sheer appreciation for his company.

"And you've learned well!" she praised right back, her heart fluttering with delight as she breathed a heavy sigh to calm herself down… which barely worked, of course, as she'd still been excited enough that she was still illuminated with Light Magic. "I do kinda wonder, though..."

"Yeah?"

"...You think I could maybe still get those massages and free dinners? Maybe every once in a while if not every week?" she innocuously asked, causing the serviceman to chuckle in amusement.

"Hah! No way, Shantae," he humorously denied the request, grinning along the way as he shook his head.

"What!? Aww, why not?" the comically disgruntled half-genie asked as she shot him a disappointed frown.

"Because we don't reward people for losin' their bets around here," the wraith was quick to remind her. "You were only gonna get that special treatment if you won."

"Hmph. Okay, fine. I've got ways of persuading you..." she suggested, lifting a hand and raising a finger to point it to the sky as she winked and grinned. At that, he knew exactly what she had in mind.

"...Oh, I know where you're goin' with that. Don't you do i-!" he tried to deny her the chance, though he was too late.

"I wish you would give me occasional massages and cook me dinner every once in a while," Shantae humbly requested of her 'genie' as she pointed at him, thwarting any attempt he made at trying to get out of pampering her.

"...Fine, then. Your wish is my command," he acquiesced with a sigh, though he hardly had any complaints at this point. "But don't expect me t' be spoilin' you every time you ask for either one o' those things. Next, you'll be askin' me t' wash your hair on a routine basis..."

"I mean... I certainly wouldn't be opposed to that. You've done that at least once before, and it felt really nice to have someone else help me out there. Trust me, though, I'll ask sparingly," she mercifully informed him, leaning forward and nuzzling her forehead into his for a moment. "Plus, I've been curious about your cooking since the day you mentioned it to me. You've made such excellent snack dishes when we were hanging out in the Crown Jewel Inn, but I still wonder what it would be like for you to make a full-course meal."

"In that case, I suppose we'll find out the next time you get hungry," he suggested with a shrug. "In the meantime, when you get a chance, name a couple o' your favorite dishes. I'll do my best t' make 'em for ya."

"Awesome!" Shantae cheered, full to the brim with happiness in that moment. "And there's no doubt your massages are gonna feel great, too... all things considered..."

"The same could be said o' you, I'm sure," Tayshan teased right back as they shared yet another laugh together. "I don't suppose we could make that a mutual thing between us... could we?"

"Of course, we can!" she readily accepted the proposition. "I wouldn't mind making you something nice every once in a blue moon, or rubbing out any kinks or cricks you may feel whenever you need me to. I've got magic hands, y'know..."

"Hah, I see what you did there... Still, that sounds good t' me, baby," Tay agreed, chuckling a bit more as he and Shantae continued to hold each other.

"Gosh… I'm so glad that we're able to have these conversations, Tayshan… It takes such a huge load off my mind…" the half-genie affectionately admitted.

"I agree," the wraith openly admitted as he also took a deep breath. "It's… so surreal t' think about how much we'd been through, an' how much we have t' look forward to…"

"You said it," she wholeheartedly concurred. "I'm sure we could be out here for the next five or six days talking about it all, we've got so much rumbling around in our heads…"

"Definitely, an' I'm sure we probably would with the way we keep jumpin' from topic t' topic…" he remarked with a small chortle.

"Absolutely, which reminds me… Random question."

"What's up?"

"I know you said it didn't matter as much to you because you're no longer technically alive, but… Do you think we'll ever find out what world or timeline or universe you originally came from?"

"Oh! Wow, that's a heavy one... Hm… I can't honestly say for sure," he replied with a pensive shrug. "The possibilities are so vast that I'm not even sure we could ever account for 'em all. An' without that machine Risky used t' jump t' my old world, there's no tellin' what could be true o' that. Not even that fortune-tellin' jackal lady had much of a clue, an' she seemed t' know so much more than I figured any of us ever could about the concept in general…"

"Really?"

"Yeah… but of course, if for nothin' else, I'm always open t' the idea o' findin' out for the sake o' general knowledge. I'm sure that whatever research could be done, would be groundbreakin', t' say the least. Until then, an' unless somebody else decides t' build a dimension-hoppin' portal like Risky's, all we really have is our imaginations t' rely on…"

"I couldn't agree more, though I'm tempted to get into another time travel-related debate with you because of it…" Shantae half-joked, though she soon found herself pondering for a second. Not long after, another question crept into her mind.

"You look like you're lost in thought," Tayshan pointed out with a tilt of his head. "What are you thinkin' about?" At that, Shantae remained silent for just a second or two longer before she formulated her question in her head. Once she had it ready, though, she let the inquiry loose…

"Well… sorry if this is a little sore for me to ask, but… do you miss your old world?"

"Ain't nothin' wrong with askin' that, babe," he assured, though he had to admit to himself that the question did sort of… sting for him to hear. Nevertheless, he replied. "An'… of course I do. I could never forget where I came from, even if it turned out I can't ever go back. I can only imagine all the things that have happened over there since my disappearance, an' I know that a lot o' people are askin' tons o' questions about where I'm at, or if I'm alive, or if anyone had any clues about my last whereabouts before I vanished int' thin air along with that entire armory's worth of weapons… Trust me, Shae, those thoughts have constantly been crossin' my mind since I got here, an' I can't stop wonderin' about it. I don't know if I ever will stop wonderin' about it."

"I figured as much, though I can't say I don't understand…"

"I'm glad you do, in that case. I only spent my entire life livin' in my own dimension, so it comes natural that I'd at least occasionally be thinkin' about it…"

"I totally get where you're coming from. In that case, do you think you'd ever… well… that you'd ever go back if you had the chance?"

"Ah, another good question… an'… I mean, at this point, I'm dead, so there'd be no purpose even if another portal leadin' back there opened up somewhere…"

"Right, but like… I mean like, what if we didn't destroy Risky's Tinker-Portal, and we managed to save the day and get it to work again, and you stayed alive… Would you go back to your original world then?" At that, Tayshan paused as he looked Shantae in the eye while thinking about his reply. It certainly was a very difficult question to be hit with at a time like this, and he hardly knew if the answer he barely found it in himself to think up was appropriate. However, he wanted to answer her as candidly as possible to keep her from wracking her brain… as well as making sure she understood his position on the hypothetical question.

"…T' be honest? If everything that happened before that point played out exactly the same, and us sparing an' fixin' the portal was the result… well, I'd be terribly split on it, but… No. The most I'd probably do in that case would be t' toss whatever weapons we could through the portal."

"What!? R-really!?" she remarked with such absolute surprise that she could've woken up half of Scuttle Town with the sheer volume of her voice. "E-er, I mean… h-how come?"

"Because I'd lose you forever, first an' foremost," he confidently replied, though he knew she'd be expecting to hear that. "The others, too. That aside, I… I know I'd be sacrificin' EVERYTHING I ever knew as opposed t' simply losin' it, but… I dunno. I mean, I know the 'smarter' choice would be t' go back an' live my life as I did before I came t' Sequin Land, but the knowledge that this world existed at all would drive me insane, because I could never come back. At least, that's what I presume in that scenario. Plus, I'd still be loaded t' the brim with magic from this world that I still don't fully understand, an' I'd feel like a complete outcast because of it an' the fact that you an' I fell in love with each other, only for me t' abandon it all for a chance t' go back to the way things were… which would be the most painfully ironic thing in the world by that point, because even at that point, there'd be NO way t' go back t' the way things were."

"Oh…! Wow…"

"Yeah. On top o' that, if we wound up Soul-Linked in that scenario like we are in this one, that would make things a thousand times worse on both of us. We'd be literal worlds, if not timelines or universes apart, with presumably no way t' reunite with each other while ALWAYS bein' able t' sense each other's distress or magic-related pain. That is, presumin' that the Tinker-Portal would only work for a one-way trip before it exploded like it originally did. An' even if it didn't explode an' it continued t' work, there's no doubt that somebody would set out t' destroy it because o' how dangerous it'd be t' keep it functionin'. Or maybe Risky Boots would try t' reclaim it an' use it t' invade my dimension of origin t' steal more weapons… or worse... The possibilities there are pretty wide open, too…"

"Goodness, I hadn't even considered all of that…"

"Neither did I until I met with the jackal lady in the Grotto o' Judgment," Tayshan shared, catching Shantae by surprise yet again. "That said, an' before I go on a tangent about that contraption, my main point is that… well, by that point, I feel like I'd have gotten myself too wrapped up in life in Sequin Land t' be able t' return t' my dimension. Not necessarily because I felt like Sequin Land is better than my original world, because there's certainly LOTS o' pros an' cons t' livin' in each world, but because… well, because I met somebody really important t' me, who also helped me change so much about myself, that I'd be crazier t' leave her than I would be t' leave everything I had in my old world behind… of course, that doesn't make it any less painful, knowin' all the people that are probably worried sick about me and assumin' the worst... If there's anything I could do in my power there, it'd be t' somehow let them know that I'm... well, that I'm not sufferin', so their minds can be put at ease..."

"…Whoa…"

"That's the truest answer I can give you, Shantae, though I know it's full t' the brim with uncertainty… Mind you, this doesn't even account for the fact that all my dearly departed friends I made peace with in the Grotto o' Judgment motivated me t' keep my promise t' cherish an' protect you t' the very end. I couldn't do that if I wound up goin' back t' my old world an' never seein' you again. An' in case you're wonderin', my death did NOTHING to change my desire t' keep those promises."

"...Gosh..."

"I was the last survivin' member o' my old friend group, an' I lost every single one o' them because I couldn't protect them at the times that they died," he further revealed, throwing Shantae for another monumental loop as her eyes widened. "An' after everything we went through since the Grotto o' Judgment... I couldn't ever think t' look back except t' reflect an' accept where my path took me. However sadly ironic it is that my death marked the end o' my entire original friend group... it also marked a huge turnin' point in my journey that resulted in me bein' able t' give my own life t' protect this friend group, so that none o' y'all have t' know the sufferin' that I or any o' my old friends did... I lived my life basically as though I was ready to die... but I could never have hoped t' get a chance t' have any sort o' life after death. I couldn't be more thankful for that, of course, because just your beautiful smile, an' the smiles of all our friends, makes it all worthwhile. Sorry if that sounds sorta bleak, but... you get what I mean, no?"

"...Oh, my gosh… Tayshan…" she called to him in a pained whisper, stricken with a pang of sadness in her heart as she pulled the dissonant soldier toward her and kissed him once more to reassure him that she wasn't judging him. "I… I didn't realize how complicated that question was, and I'm sorry for being insensitive… Wow..."

"Insensitive? Nah, you all good," he countered, kissing her back to reassure her that he understood. "It was a good question, an' I'm glad you asked it. Certainly gives us a lot t' think about, as far as 'What-if' scenarios go, as well as why things played out the way they did in this continuity. Besides… Just like with our conversations with time travel, I love discussions about the 'What-ifs!'"

"You do?" she was compelled to ask, sharing in his excitement.

"Yep," he laughingly affirmed. "It's generally really interestin' t' try an' figure out what would happen if things played out differently. An' all things considered about that jackal woman an' her premonitions about potential scenarios and how close things came t' playin' out way differently than they did, I can't help but find myself more than curious about all the possibilities."

"Y'know what? I couldn't agree more!" Shantae happily exclaimed. "And here I was, thinking I was totally alone on wracking my brain on theories about different sequences of events based on if certain things happened a certain way," she further shared, though her enthusiasm was short-lived. She soon found herself compelled to ask him another question, but she wasn't entirely sure of how to go about it. Her change in demeanor didn't go unnoticed, of course, as Tay grew curious.

"…Somethin' else ringin' in your mind?"

"Yes, actually… Sorry for the topic change, but… Speaking of that mystery jackal lady… You said she was the one who brought you back here, no?" Shae questioned, catching him by surprise as his eyes widened.

"Indeed," he confirmed, though he wasn't sure what she expected him to tell her.

"Right. So, did she ever tell you her real identity? Or why she was so invested in our lives that she tried to save you from dying? Or… or even how she knew me or why she went out of her way to bring you back to me?" the half-genie quizzed, beyond eager to find out more about this unnamed woman who'd sporadically made her supernatural presence known throughout the duo's many recent journeys throughout Sequin Land.

"Unfortunately, she kept her lips sealed on just about everything related t' her identity aside from the fact that she was a full-fledged genie," he replied, looking elsewhere for a moment as he sighed in wonder. Picking up on his sudden shift, Shantae curiously raised an eyebrow at him before he continued. "As for why she got so involved in our lives out o' seemingly nowhere? Well, all I can say is that she foresaw some very catastrophic events that she needed us t' work on circumventin'… Namely, Risky's Tinker-Portal bein' used t' invade other dimensions, the weapons from my original plane of existence bein' used by Risky t' bring this world to its knees at her mercy, an' the apparent possibility that I'd have been turned into a whole different enemy for you t' deal with, had I not gotten my act together when I did with your help… As far as I got from her, though, my assistance t' you was almost certainly gonna boost our chances at winnin' without you or the others gettin' hurt, but at the cost o' my life. We've been over that already, of course…"

"Wow…"

"'Wow' is right," he concurred, sharing in her bewilderment. "And… well, she felt like we should've come out o' this situation with a better result than what we got. Plus, this whole Soul-Link thing, but we talked about that, too."

"Sure, and I can understand her intervening to help guide us along the right path to saving Sequin Land again when Risky Boots was at her most dangerous… but, much as I hate to say it, it still doesn't seem like she had to even lift a finger to help you come back to me…"

"What do you mean?"

"Well… I figured that if her plan all along was to help us stop Risky from using that portal or those guns to accomplish her goal of world domination, then… well, unless she has some sort of special attachment to either one of us, then she'd… well, she'd have no reason to stick around after the deed was done. I'm just… surprised that she went out of her way to help us out by giving you a way to come back from the Village of Lost Souls after you died… even as a wraith…"

"Ah, I see what you're gettin' at…" Tay murmured in realization as he nodded. "An' I can't exactly wrap my head all the way around it, either. All she really let me know, as far as that goes, is… well…"

"What is it? What did she let you know?" she pressed, eager to receive the revelation.

"…She said she wanted us t' be happy together…" he bashfully revealed, causing the half-genie's heart to skip a beat as she drew in a slight gasp. "…which is why she was tryin' as hard as she did t' lead us on a path where we'd defeat Risky an' destroy that portal without any of us dyin'. Unfortunately for all of us, that ending had very, VERY little chance o' happenin'. One way or another, somebody was dyin' by the end o' this series of adventures, an'… well, you know the rest. The only piece I can add from there is that she felt really bad about the way things played out toward the end, an' she wanted t' make up for it. As such, here we are…"

"…R-really? Wow… um… I-I can't say I'm not appreciative, and I'm beyond happy to know that she'd lend us such a huge helping hand to us… but… huh…"

"Believe me, it sounds crazy t' me, too…" Tayshan assured. "But, all we can do at this point is take it for what it is an' appreciate that she helped us out like this… on top o' her sayin' that she'd also do her part t' help us figure out this Soul-Link deal."

"Whoa, really!?"

"Yep. Granted, she hardly knew anything more than you, me, or even Mimic as far as where t' begin, but… she said she'd help wherever she could."

"…Gosh… I-I can't even imagine…" Shantae murmured as she let her thoughts wander around in her mind for a moment. "I… I wonder if that means we'll have a better shot at figuring this out… on top of it meaning we'll see her again soon… I kinda want to meet her myself now…"

"Anything can happen, Shae," Tay assured with a nod as he sighed out some of the mounting pressure that stemmed from them remaining on this conversation topic. "I'm sure she'd like to meet you someday, too…"

"You think so?"

"I'm positive on that, though that's all I'm gonna say there…" he answered with a knowing smirk that Shantae… shared in as she found herself even more curious about this mysterious genie lady who'd been so helpful to them, but who'd scarcely been available for conversation.

"Well, I'll be waiting for when that day comes…" the half-genie vowed, finding herself unusually excited to get a chance to meet the fabled genie jackal woman. "On yet another note, though, I'm starting to wonder…"

"Oh man, your mind's really runnin'. What's got you thinkin' now?"

"Well… You think that, maybe if we found another Miracle Lima Bean like the one you found in the Siren's Requiem Labyrinth, that might be able to revive you?"

"Ah! Now that's another good question…" Tay remarked, reeling back in mild shock. "I almost completely forgot about that… Although, if I recall, Radiyah said that the Miracle Lima Bean you ate was the last one in existence… right?"

"She did, but she also said she was the last Siren Queen in existence, too," Shae pointed out. "I'm not sure how long she's been down there, but I don't know if we could really trust her words there."

"Why not?"

"Just from what I remember of our conversations with her, it seemed to me like Radiyah was nowhere near as aware of the rest of the world as she thought she was. I mean, she had no idea that all genies and their offspring were female, she had apparently been stuck down there in the Siren's Requiem Labyrinth since the early days of the Pirate Master's reign of terror that, as far as I know, lasted a VERY long time… and… this is just a hunch, but I'm pretty sure I've heard other stories about other prominent sirens existing in other places at some point…"

"Huh… Alright, then…" Tay pensively replied as he listened close while avoiding getting his hopes up.

"Yeah. And just based on that… I've got a hunch that maybe… just MAYBE… if we're super, duper, incredibly, absolutely, irrevocably lucky… then MAYBE we could find another Miracle Lima Bean somewhere out there in the world…"

"…I see…" he acknowledged as he contemplated the very slim possibility himself. After a moment of silence, however… "Well, I ain't too sure on how strong that chance is, but it certainly is an avenue to explore. You think Mimic might have any ideas about that?"

"I'm not sure, but it certainly doesn't hurt to ask!" the young heroine brightly suggested, getting her own hopes up that there may have been a feasible chance to restore her lover's life.

"I don't suppose it would," he agreed, smiling at her as they let the moment pass. "Hm. Looks like we've got more t' consider than we thought. Shoot, for all we know, the Miracle Lima Bean you ate could very well have given you the power t' revive one person o' your choosin,' an' the secret is figurin' out how an' when t' use that power…" he joked with a chuckle.

"Hah! Now, THAT would be way too good to be true," Shantae remarked, laughing alongside him. "If it ever turned out I could do that, then you'd better believe that your halo would be out of here faster than you can say the word 'wish!'"

"Heh, you certainly got a point there. I don't suppose you can have ALL the superpowers in the world," Tayshan agreed as they shared yet another of many delightful laughs together. After a moment, however, they settled down and refocused. "Man... these conversations of ours can take us just about anywhere, on any topic, at any time... It's crazy how long and how far we can go..."

"Yeah, but…" the half-genie began her next statement, though she paused to yawn as she stretched while remaining seated on the serviceman's lap. "Hah… It's… always a pleasure. I could never get tired of being able to speak freely with someone I feel entirely comfortable with…"

"Same here…" he shared in the sentiment… and in the fatigue as he was compelled to stretch and yawn as though it was contagious. "…It really is a great thing, an' I won't ever stop appreciatin' it…"

"Yep… but all things considered, this is probably where we should call it a night, babe," Shantae suggested, though she didn't make much of an effort to move from her spot.

"I guess you're right… Okay, let's get ready for bed," he acknowledged. Figuring it was time to wrap things up, Tay opted to try and scoot out from under her before he realized that she didn't move with him. "Hm? Somethin' up?" he asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"…So… um… I didn't exactly mean that we should go to bed when I said we should call it a night… i-if you catch my drift…" she sheepishly hinted as a most… eager smile crept onto her face as her blush returned with a vengeance. At that, Tay's face heated up with such astonishment that one could see the steam hissing out of his reddened ears. Nevertheless, he remained as calm as he could.

"…I see," he remarked with utmost hesitation, fighting the urge to smirk himself as he relaxed his stance. "An' here, I thought you'd be too tired t' be in that kind o' mood."

"Believe me, I'm plenty wiped out… but I know I'm not gonna be able to sleep like this… I'm still totally riled up, if I'm gonna be blunt about it…"

"…Y-yeah, I see your point… an' t' be honest… so am I…" Tay cautiously agreed as he momentarily shot his gaze elsewhere. "But you know that your uncle's gonna destroy me if he finds out we—!"

"Trust me, Tay… as much as I hate to have to tell you this… He knows… just like the rest of our friend group…" she reluctantly shared with a flustered frown, frightening him beyond belief as his eyes almost shot out of his face with enough force to travel around the globe twice.

"…Wh-wh-what?"

"Yeah… Why do you think he was trying so hard to have the 'Birds and Bees' talk with me earlier today? Or why he refused to let me sit next to you when we were telling our stories around the bonfire? Or… well, why he specifically made that joke to you about how you shouldn't make a habit of getting 'frisky' with me, after which he told us to 'be responsible?'"

"…Ohhh…" he droned in a mixture of realization… and soul-shaking dread as he threw his head back and cast his gaze to the stars. "…Shoot…" At that, Shantae let out a most elated guffaw despite feeling just as embarrassed as he did.

"It's okay, Tay! At least, it will be," she assured, cupping his face again and planting another light kiss on his lips to bring his full attention back to her.

"Are you sure? Because I really don't wanna become melted sherbet…" he nervously asked, at which point the half-genie laughed even harder.

"You're so cute! I promise you, it's okay! Well, minus the fact that we're totally grounded…" she assured, using the magic word to shake him out of his flustered stupor… at which point he grumpily pouted at her yet again.

"I really wish you'd find another word t' describe me with," he complained, making it evident that he would NEVER in his existence get used to the idea of anyone (not even his own girlfriend) calling him that incredibly unmanly word.

"Oh, yeah? Well, sorry to disappoint you, but I'm afraid that wish is beyond my genie powers," she teased as she cutely poked his nose with a finger. "Speaking of wishes, though…"

"You got one for me instead, Master?" he knowingly asked as his expression softened up into a warm and inviting smile. Nevertheless, he braced himself for whatever was on her mind.

"I do! Ready to hear it?"

"Go for it, kitten."

"Alrighty! So… Tayshan, my faithful genie… My next wish is this…" Shantae began before craning her head to where her mouth was in a direct line to his ear. And once she got herself into position, she spoke her wish to her 'genie' at so low a volume that I couldn't even begin to tell you what it was she wished for. But, judging by the fact that Tay's eyebrows shot up hard enough that they could've flown off his face as he exhaled in total shock, it must've been quite a doozy. His face got redder than scarlet beetles, he was so flustered… and evidently, so did Shantae's as she sat back down on his lap and smiled at him.

"…Shantae…"

"I know, it's a liiiittle on the unusual side for me to suggest it, but… well… I figure that if we're really gonna make the most of our time together like we've been saying, then we may as well do it in style…" she innocently shared as the two of them went silent for a moment, staring into each other's eyes. It wasn't long, however, before Tayshan grinned the brightest he'd ever had as he shared his boundless love with the adorable half-genie he knew as his… well, 'soulmate' in more ways than one.

"You… you really are somethin' else… an' I agree a hundred percent. That said, my love… Your wish is my command…" he affectionately complied with Shantae's mystery wish, prompting her to beam at him in absolute, unadulterated glee as she scooted closer and wrapped her legs around his waist. In return, the serviceman leaned forward and gave his lover perhaps the most tender, most energy-infused, and certainly the spiciest flurry of kisses he could muster. Fully accepting of the heart-melting embrace, Shantae returned the favor by grasping his face and pressing her lips harder onto his as they did next to nothing to resist their mutual desire for one another. After what had to be about the 40th sopping wet *pop* of their lips separating (sorry, lost count at this point), Tayshan finally climbed to his feet… with Shantae in tow as he cupped his hands under her while she was clinging to him with absolutely no intent to let him go.

"You can be honest with me, Tay… That wish wasn't too much… was it?" she nervously asked, though her lovely smile never faded.

"Of course not," he assured, grinning just as brightly as he walked toward the lighthouse. "It's perfectly reasonable, an' you'd better believe I'll do everything in my power t' grant it. No matter how long it takes, an' no matter how many loops we have t' jump through, an' no matter if it's through wind, rain, snow, sleet, or shine, Shantae… That wish will NEVER leave my mind until the day it's granted in full. As far as I'm concerned, it'll be the ultimate test t' prove my worth as your faithful genie."

"Awesome… Mind you, you've got nothing to 'prove' to me. Of course, I know you're still gonna give it your best anyway, but I hope you know I'm not holding you to some unrealistically high standard as far as being my 'genie' goes."

"Sure, but you still deserve the best. I wouldn't dare give you anything less…"

"D'aww, Tay… In that case, I'll give you my absolute best, too! And I hope you know that that wish isn't one you'll have to work on granting alone," she assured him with a wink. "We'll work on granting it together…"

"Ah, I see! In that case, I'm more excited than ever. I wouldn't have it any other way…" he acknowledged with a grinning nod as they finally reached the front door of the lighthouse. "I love you more than anything on this entire planet, Shantae… an' that love will never go away… I promise you…"

"I love you just as much, Tayshan… and I promise you that I always will," she unabashedly shared, her smile somehow growing even brighter as her heart pounded loud enough in her chest that someone all the way over in Genie's Hem could probably hear it. "Now, let's go on in. We've been out here long enough, and I think we've got quite a lot of… 'bonding' to catch up on before we start living for the future…"

"Ain't no time like the present t' get started, then…" he suggested as he reached a hand toward the door and opened it. "Shall we?"

"You read my mind," she agreed, kissing him just one more time as they slid inside the lighthouse. "Let's make every second of our time together count from this moment on…" And with that, Shantae and Tayshan entered the lighthouse and closed the door to begin preparing for their future…

---

And with that… well… after all this time, and after all the adventures, and after all the trials and tribulations, and highs and lows, and traumas and triumphs, and after all the fun times were had… we've finally, truly reached the end. It's… odd to realize that, after so long. But without any form of joking or jesting, reader… this is our last meeting. I don't exactly know how you feel about it, but I can tell you right now that I'm gonna miss you bunches… If only you could see my face right now, because I'm on the verge of bawling my overly emotional narrator eyes out. My tears are coming down like a torrential downpour, I tells ya! But hey… Thank you so much for sticking it through to the end, listening to me gossip about the adventures of the Legendary Half-Genie Hero Shantae, her friends, her enemies, and even her extraterrestrial lover from a world that, now that it comes to mind, we STILL have no clue where… or even when it was. Not gonna lie; I was kinda hoping we'd have found SOMETHING out about where Tayshan came from. But then, maybe I'll leave that one, as well as the other loose ends, up to you to decipher, interpret, and tie up. After all, the power of the imagination is one NEVER to be underestimated. And much as I'd love to answer those questions of yours myself... I'm afraid I just can't. My brain is beyond fried, and one more thought about any of these existential mysteries could make my head explode. I still can't even get over the fact that this is where we part ways…

Now, I know what you're probably gonna say: 'Well, it doesn't have to be the end! It could be a new beginning! We can still totally hang out! I'll get a ton more of those horrendously unhealthy snacks, plop myself in my favorite seat, and eagerly soak up more of your wacky, zany tales about my favorite half-genie superhero and her fascinating new alien-ghost warrior boyfriend from another timeline/world/planet/what-have-you! There's so much more to tell! I want to know how Shantae and her friends continue to grow and what other awesome adventures they embark on! I want to know if Tayshan eventually has his life restored, or if he and Shantae at least figure out some way to stabilize the Soul-Link, so he doesn't disappear forever!'

And then you're gonna be all like: 'What was that wish Shantae made to Tayshan at the end there? Does that mean I'm gonna hear wedding bells in Shantae and Tayshan's future? I hope that's the case! They make each other happy, and they've got lots of goals I want to see them accomplish together! I'm also dying to know the true inner workings and boundless potential of that spectacular Magic Flux mode Tayshan tapped into, or even Shantae's Full Power mode! And… does she still have Dark Magic inside her? Heck, what's Risky Boots gonna do next to try and make a comeback!? Will there be new enemies? Will Risky TEAM UP with these new enemies? Matter of fact, what's gonna happen the next time Shantae and Risky Boots encounter each other!? Also, what's gonna happen the next time Tayshan and Risky Boots encounter each other!? I'm ITCHING to know who that mysterious jackal lady was and why she kept showing up at seemingly random times to try and help the spoonerific duo out! And I want to see more of Bolo, Sky, Rottytops, Twitch, Vinegar, Aashiq, Giga Mermaid, the Barons of Sequin Land, and even Alsumu and Aleaqarab and all the other colorful characters I grew to love after all this time! This isn't goodbye! This CAN'T be goodbye! You haven't answered all these questions, and you've GOTTA stick around long enough to give me some insight, darn it! You can't go away forever! This is just us going our separate ways until we meet again! R-Right...?'

And… well, while I'd LOVE to continue regaling you on an abundant array of wild, exotic, and totally bombastic tales of our Sequinean companions… I'm afraid that this has to be my last hurrah. Yeah, that's right. I, your humble, beautiful, totally illustrious narrator that you nearly fell in love with, and that grew plenty attached to you in return… am retiring. That's right. You read that absolutely right. I'm retiring. It… may sting you to know that, but I think I've hogged the spotlight long enough. I know you may not like to hear that, but it is what it is. I'd… rather not wear out my welcome, y'know? I'm sure that deep down inside, you and I both know you've heard far more than enough of me incessantly chattering at you until your ears fell off... or, technically until your eyes fell out of your face. And believe me, I'm massaging my jaw (and my fingers) right now. Gonna need ice for weeks... MONTHS, even!

Plus, I... I'm also thinking it's about time I allowed someone else to take on that role, should they be up to the challenge. Who's gonna replace someone as wonderful, incomparable, and totally fantastic as me, you may ask? Well… first of all, thanks for the flattery. Second… uh, well… I'm not sure who's gonna take on the mantle. Just about anyone can fulfill that role… perhaps even YOU, if you think it isn't too daunting a task, and you're truly THAT curious about what possibly happens next. It's all a matter of interpretation from this point on anyway, so if you're willing to take the driver's seat, I'd happily welcome you to do so. Just make sure you do a good job of keeping the flow consistent, the characters wonderfully endearing, and the plot airtight (unless Squid Baron comes along and tries to ruin it, in which case you give him a nice, hard *THUMP* of your fist against his smug, gelatinous cephalopod face... and remember me fondly when you do it).

Of course, if continuing where I left off here is not in your scope, then that's okay, too. I'm just glad you stuck around to the very end to spend all this time with me. I hope you had fun, I hope you learned lots of valuable lessons, I hope you weren't sobbing up a storm when things got super serious… and I hope you busted a gut every single time you saw something funny! Overall, I hope this tall, tumultuous tale was something to remember for ages to come, no matter what you got out of it. Again, thank you so much for being here with me, and… well, if nothing else, I hope you have a wonderful day. I'll miss you, and I'll always remember our time together without even the slightest inkling of regret! And, if I could speak for Shantae, Tayshan, and the colorful cast of characters you went on these unpredictable, unbelievable journeys with, then I can guarantee you that they'll always remember your time together with them, too! …Alright… I think I've rambled on long enough, and I'm sure you've got other things to do. So, this is it. Catch ya on the flip side! Grow up strong, drink your milk, kiss your romantic partner (if they're available), hug your parents, do your homework, tell your friends they're awesome, and… overall, have an excellent life, reader. Here's to... well, as the last three chapter titles would imply... Moving On Toward a Brighter Future And Beyond. Narrator, signing out for the final time. Peace!