It was shaping up to be a day like any other over the grassy knolls of Rhyboflaven. Grup was out sweeping, Vambre was reading the newest sequel in her dear Veronica Victorious novel, and Prohyas was laying about, poking a rock with a stick, as one does.

A knock sounded at the door. Grup put down his broom and skittered over to the door. Upon opening he saw a mildly unamused Princess Zange, looking at her magimobile and flicking a stray strand of hair out of her face.

"Hi, Grup. Totes good to see you." She sounded as uninterested as ever. "Like, are the Warriors home?"

"Busy!" called Prohyas as he grabbed a different, slightly bigger rock. "Aw, yeah! Level two!"

Vambre perked up one eyebrow and put her book down. "Zange, dear heart, didn't you see the sign? We're on our break-"

Then, the unthinkable happened. The princess put down her magimobile. Grup gasped dramatically.

"Like, we've got a bit of a problem at the castle, and it's driving us all batty." She shook her hands and made a suitable face. "I know you're my besties, and all that - but I'm, like, willing to pay y'all for it..."

"Do elaborate," said Vambre and pondered, gazing over at Prohyas, who now was joined by Grup in the exciting game of Rock-and-Stick. However, quickly after that, he dropped it and left the dragon on his own accord, never one to miss out on adventure talk. He made a cheesy action pose as he landed on his feet. "Yah-tah! What might we assist you with today, my fairest queen?"

"Like, I'm not a queen yet, you big dummy."

"I mean, queen as in, you know.." He trailed off. "When people call you a queen, and also that you say "yasss" a lot and "yeet" and various four-lettered words I'm not using? And also-"

Vambre tugged him in on his orange scarf-thingy to get him back on topic and chuckled. "Why, of course, dear - we're here for you for whatever task might be at hand. What is the trouble?"

The princess rolled her eyes. "Like, there's a ghost hauntin' the place, and Reginald has been hiding in the cupboards all day, and I can't, like, get him out... it's, like, totally lame, or whatever."

"Ha! Ghost-busting! We'll come, we'll see, we'll kick its-"

"Very well!" Vambre interrupted the naughty word, grinned and clapped her hands together excitedly. "I do so enjoy a good amount of busting ghosts! Any excuse to try that new Magisword we got, and I've got the best partner for the job!"

"...Vambre. I was gonna say booticus. What kind of heathen do you take me for. Also, thank you." He puffed his chest out and flicked through his fringe, smiling.

She stared at him. "...ZP. I mean, ZP."

"Oh. Of course." With a bit of a frown, Prohyas conjured the ZOMBIE PUMPKIN MAGISWORD! "Hi," said Zombie Pumpkin, big black eyes darting around. "Ooh, hello, Princess."

She raised an eyebrow and looked back at her magimobile. "Hi, sentient gourd dude."

Vambre held back a giggle. "With the power of my doopy brother and this lovely lad here, we will surely vanquish your evil spectral man!"

"Like... that's well and good, but like... this ain't a man."

Vambre gulped. And for that matter, so did Prohyas, but for a different reason. "Penny Plasm," he hissed, and was immediately caught by multiple confusing and concerning feelings. He leaned into Vambre with a hushed voice. "How'd she get out of the haunted shack?"

"You sure there's not more lady ghosts out here haunting places?" She rolled her eyes. "Rather shallow of you to assume that she's the only one... if it's her, would it not be inhumane to suck her up into a machine? I mean, because we're actually on speaking terms with her? Somewhat?"

"Like, whatevs, just get her out of my castle. Laters, bee-eff-effsies."

With that deadpan delivery, Zange left the house and the warriors were left to their Warrior Huddle.

"Prohyas, think - hypocritical cognitive dissionance aside, last time we saw her she possessed you. You were head over heels and did not know what to do. She almost killed you! We need to get rid of her somehow!"

"But Vambreeee," whined Prohyas and looked to the side. "I feel bad if we just... lock her up. How'd you like if you were locked up with nobody to talk to?"

"You're only being like this because you think you fell in love with her." She prodded at her forehead. "She POSSESSED YOU. You would've been dead and stuck with her if I didn't come in and saved your posterior."

Zombie Pumpkin Magisword popped up. "And me."

"Yes, yes, and you, ZP."

"It's a complicated emotion, Vambre," said Prohyas. "Like, she might want to kill me, believe me, I'm well aware of that... but maybe she just wants someone to hang out with. It gets lonely in an abandoned shack."

"Prohyas, look," Vambre said and sighed. "I am good at masking any sort of emotion because people abuse it when you show a weak side to yourself. You do not, and people... people can take advantage of it in the most dire ways. Like she did."

He lightly brushed his cheek where the spectral lady had kissed him, all that time ago. A cold sensation, yet also.. pleasant. Was it truly a curse? He did plunge himself in the dating game recently, and went through many men and women already. What is true love? He just did not know.

His voice went small. Uncharacteristically small. "Vambre, I'm scared."

She cocked a brow, then sighed. She pulled her taller brother into a hug. "No need to be. I'm here to be your shield. Your, er, emotional support sister, as it were."

"Heh... thanks, sis."

"Think nothing of it, brother."

"Shall we..." he gulped, brushing a hand through his hair. "Shall we go?"

"We shall."

Vambre gave Prohyas a reassuring squeeze to his shoulder and joined him to leave the house. When the door opened, Prohyas looked at Grup and waved, before they headed for the castle.