Aftermath, Pt. 4: Healing

Yo! Welcome back once again! Alright, so I'll cut to the chase on this one. Before you ask about where the heck we are THIS time, I'll go on and acknowledge that, yes, I know we've been doing a lot of jumping around as our time together steadily winds down. I promise you, though, it isn't without reason. It's just that we've got a few loose ends to tie up before we draw this saga to its hopefully satisfying conclusion, so bear with me. I'm certain you've caught on by now that we don't like to skimp on many details here. And if you HAVEN'T caught on by this point, then that means at least one of these few things:

A. You've only been skimming through all these deliciously long, juicy chapters and missing key details up and down because you only want to observe the most interesting parts. And to that, I'll kindly ask you to go back, stop cheating, and read every syllable of every chapter like your life depended on it. Or not. I don't suppose it matters much at this point. Anyway…

B. You're way behind (or you just started) and you jumped ahead to see if you could pick out any key details and save yourself a chapter or two… or five. And to THAT, I say… Nice try, friend. The tumultuous tales of the adventures of Shantae and friends, even for how simplistic and zany their escapades generally are, can never truly be appreciated unless you experience them from a fully… dare I say, vicarious perspective. And you'd better believe that you will find NO luck skipping around here. There's too much going on, and you know you're only robbing yourself of a truly enlightening and TOTALLY culturally enriching experience. You will only discombobulate, frustrate, and disorientate yourself. My advice? Go back, STOP CHEATING, and read every syllable of every chapter like your life depended on it. Or not. It… matters a little more here if you don't fall into category 'A' or 'C.' That said, we reach my final guess…

C. You've simply forgotten some stuff, and you need a friendly reminder. And to THAT, I say… Wake up, darling! You've gotten this far, and there ain't much left. You can do this. We're on the home stretch. That said, I should probably stop looking for reasons to tease you and let you know we're landing in the devastated ruins of the Inseam Municipality this time. Why? You're about to find out.

So, as you may imagine, lots of diverse locations across Sequin Land had been badly damaged (if not outright destroyed) in Risky Boots's merciless campaign to take over the country and rule it with an iron fist. Those that survived the unspeakable wrath of the Queen of the Seven Seas and her pirate army (or in one case, the inconceivable unruly chaos and mayhem brought on by one Hypno Baron and his creepy creatures of the occult) quickly got set on rebuilding what they lost. And due to the scale of the destruction wrought across various landscapes, we won't get much time to explore EVERY SIGNLE ONE of the many places adversely affected by the ruthless antics of Risky Boots… or Hypno Baron, in the case of Genie's Hem. So, we will instead join a few of our less commonly seen friends as they each answered their own respective calls to assist in the reconstruction of the Inseam Municipality…

LOCATION: GROUND ZERO, INSEAM MUNICIPALITY, SEQUIN LAND

DATE: OCTOBER 7TH, 16 P.G.F.

TIME: 1522 HOURS

"Whew… with this, that makes… Approximately one third of this once-bustling city that we've managed to assist with cleaning up…" lamented a familiar scorpion man wearing a tacky Valentine's Day sweater just a TAD out of season. As it appeared, the scorpion man, in addition to a few other familiar faces and a host of armored guards and citizens from other areas of the war-torn city, were assisting with clearing up the roads and shoveling debris from the burnt-out, crumbling buildings surrounding them. The scorpion man had been working up a sweat through his periwinkle, topaz-encrusted turban and stuffy red-and-pink sweater as he hoisted a shovel full of bricks and gravel off to the side of the road being swept up. "Goodness, this is far from an encouraging sight, knowing what happened here…"

"You may say that again, Mr. Alladagha…" spoke an absolutely adorable young man with long, silky, wavy ebony hair as he summoned a luminous orange magic aura into his hand and levitated a sizable pile of burnt wood and fabrics to the roadside. This gorgeous individual, who had one arm was in a sling, had also been drenched in sweat as he reached into the pocket of his stylish plum harem pants and pulled out a headband that matched the color of his pants and adorned it to his forehead. Only thing, however, was that as he brushed his hand against the emerald-green vest he was wearing, one could clearly see… that he looked absolutely distraught.

"Indeed, Mr. Aashiq," Mr. Alladagha (who we of course know as Al) acknowledged, though he stopped shoveling to see the visibly shaken young man staring at the ground as he clutched his trembling hand to his chest. "Er… Are you okay? You appear to be quite far from calm."

"…I… um…" was all Aash could mutter as his hand soon made its way to his face, where he covered his eyes while his head was bowed. No one could really tell what expression he wore, however, as his luscious hair draped over his head and hid his face from view.

"Hey, buck up, kiddo," a tall, gruff-looking zombie man encouraged, dropping his shovel to walk over and pat Aashiq on the back. "Look, it's uh… It's rough… knowin' what happened here," the zombie man continued trying to console as the young man began to mournfully weep without shifting his position. "But we can't let that knowledge mess us up to the point that we can't lend a hand like we agreed. We've got plenty o' work ta do, cleanin' up dat pirate broad's mess."

"I… I am aware, Abner, but… but…!" Aashiq tried to speak to the undead man, though his tears only grew more profuse. "All the lives lost during this senseless war… all the homes and businesses that were leveled… People suffered here…" he further lamented, turning and casting his saddened, hazel-eyed gaze toward his undead friend. "I had thought I had seen it all when I lent my assistance to those harmed in the Yarnball Heights Town disaster… and when I consider the rumors I had heard about an ambush perpetrated by Risky Boots and Ammo Baron in this very location that resulted in the brutal capture of… of a man matching the description of one of my dearest friends, who was said to have challenged the full might of their combined forces alone…"

"Yeah, I heard that rumor, too," Abner confirmed. "Or rather, I heard it was more than a rumor from when my little sister stopped by Genie's Hem yesterday ta tell us what we missed while she was out savin' the day with Shantae. Either way, ya shouldn't be lettin' some spooky story scare you outta helpin' clean up this mess."

"I see…" Aash pensively acknowledged, though he hardly knew how to respond to the assertion. Nevertheless, Aash and Abner separated, allowing a moment for the young magician to recompose himself and continue levitating debris and rubble off the main road. Accordingly, Abner resumed his task of shoveling gravel onto the sidewalk to clear the way. "Speaking of Genie's Hem, I wonder how long it will be until they have repaired the damage from the rampage of Hypno Baron's forces…"

"Eh, beats me," Abner nonchalantly rebutted with a shrug as he kept himself busy. "Ain't been around there often enough ta know. "

"How come?"

"Because your boss has gotten real crabby lately, and it started ta get on my nerves," Abner openly admitted, revealing that he and his de facto landlord had a falling out. "Plus, that college he had us livin' in is gettin' closer and closer ta bein' sunk, and I wasn't stickin' around ta find out what that looks like if it meant my family and I didn't have a home out of it. It… also doesn't help that Natasha and most of the girls left after they figured out how er… 'unkind' H.B.'s opinions on women were."

"So, I have heard," Aash affirmed. "That certainly does not help his case at all. Also, he is not necessarily my boss, either…" Aash further admitted, causing Abner to chuckle a bit.

"Really now? You of all people, flyin' the coop on Hypno Baron after he took you under his wing an' taught you all those fancy magic tricks?"

"Indeed. He and I have not necessarily been seeing eye-to-eye as far as the nature of our relationship to one another goes," the apparently former Hypnotist acolyte revealed as he carefully levitated another pile of bricks and rubble over to the sidewalk. As he did so, however, he noticed the tattered remains of what looked like a yellow shirt mixed into it. Curious, he set the floating pile down and approached it. Soon after, he yanked the torn-up fabric out of the pile and examined it. "In conjunction with his consistently agitated mood as of late, he made a statement that did not sit well with me the other day."

"What'd he say?"

"He told me that he did not want an apprentice who was soft on individuals that gave him problems… by which he meant Shantae, who is one of my closest friends. He also disapproved of my relationship with my boyfriend, stating that my pursuit of love had become a liability and a distraction from my responsibilities as his student. I told him that such assertions were unkind, and that they had nothing to do with my ability to study under his wing, in addition to informing him that it may not be a good idea to take his frustrations out on those who were working for him. He eventually said that I should either devote myself to serving under him, or relinquish my position if I was so concerned about balancing my personal life with my time working for him. So, I told him to have a good day, wished him luck on staying afloat in the wake of Genie's Hem University potentially shutting down, and I left," Aash explained in full, though he had been seriously studying the texture of the yellow fabric he picked up. "Odd… This shirt looks exactly like one Tayshan would wear…"

"Wow, way ta stick it to 'im!" Abner praised with another chuckle, paying little heed to Aashiq's bout of staring at the tattered yellow tank top he picked up. Before anyone could question it, Aash wrapped the tank top remains up and placed them in his pocket.

"Indeed, though it was only necessary for me to stick up for myself," the former apprentice acknowledged as he turned and watched Abner shoveling rocks away and wiping sweat off his brow. "It was not my first choice, but it just seemed like with the longer we kept ourselves around Hypno Baron, the more toxic our conversations with him got. At the rate he is going, he will eventually lose everyone except Squid Baron as his friends."

"Shoot, you ain't tellin' me nothin' new," Abner agreed with a hearty guffaw. "An' after our whole crew gave that giant, squishy punchin' bag on tentacles a luxury no-expense paid trip to the hospital, I doubt he's gonna go anywhere NEAR H.B. from this point on. I'm already hearin' rumors that he bailed outta the Red Thread Hospital and skipped town just to avoid bein' stuck with the bill! Hah!" Abner continued to reveal, cracking up as he did so. Of course, he was the only one to find any humor in the unfortunate predicaments the two Barons found themselves as he found himself laughing alone. "If he's actually smart, though, he'll stay away from Genie's Hem, too!"

"Er… Y-yes, I… could not possibly forget about poor Squid Baron…" Aash murmured with a notable hint of concern as his thoughts went out to the unfortunate dim-witted cephalopod. "Indeed, it appeared he had completely vanished when I attempted to visit him the other day. Wherever he has run off to, I certainly hope he is safe. Anyway, Abner, that reminds me of something…" he added, changing the subject to avoid Abner kicking Squid Baron while he was down.

"What's up, kiddo?"

"Are you certain about parting ways with Hypno Baron?" he asked with utmost curiosity. "I mean, I am not questioning your decision. I was just wondering if you would be okay not having a home until you found somewhere else to stay…"

"Ah, it ain't nothin'," the zombie man assured with a nonchalant, smirking shrug. "My siblings and I are known fer bein' able ta live off the land and make our way around. Plus, it ain't like us ta stay in one place for long, considerin' we're all on a journey of… well, let's just say we're lookin' ta rediscover ourselves, if ya catch my drift," he further vaguely informed Aash, who was none the wiser to the implications behind Abner's statement.

"Oh… I see. Well, I certainly hope your journey is smooth and that you find what you are looking for," the magician offered his most generous well-wishes.

"Much appreciated, Aash. Seriously, it is. And in case you were wonderin', my brother an' I were eventually gonna skedaddle anyway once my little sister came back from her field trip ta who-knows-where, but H.B.'s rotten attitude made the decision ta leave much easier. Of course, Rottytops did the predictable thing and got our Zombie Caravan destroyed, so traveling's gonna be a pain in the butt until we get another one…" he griped, causing Aash to perk up with another question.

"…Er, speaking of… How is your sister doing?" Aashiq asked, suddenly changing the subject once again. "I did not get to see her the entire time we were in Genie's Hem, though I had heard that she had stopped by for a breath of time as you mentioned…" Abner reeled back upon hearing the question, rubbing his chin soon after while going silent. It appeared that he didn't have a concise answer to his non-zombie friend's inquiry.

"Ah… Er…. Well… R-Rotty's… er…"

"She's not doing well at all, I'm afraid…" a shorter, stockier zombie man, who had previously been wheelbarrowing a hefty load of debris off to the side, interjected as he emptied the wheelbarrow. Soon after, he approached the Abner and Aashiq to join their conversation while taking a short break.

"Is that so, Poe?" Aash asked, identifying the second zombie man by name while expressing his concern.

"Yeah… She came to Genie's Hem yesterday to check on us as Abner said, but she didn't stay long before she headed back to Scuttle Town to be with her friends. Weirdly enough, Shantae wasn't with her when she came."

"She wasn't?" Aash asked, perking up at the mention of Shantae.

"No, and the two of them are usually inseparable when they're hanging out. I had a feeling something was wrong when she showed up riding on a giant bird with different friend of hers that she never speaks of," he explained, very likely referring to Sky and Wrench as Rotty's method of transport to and from Genie's Hem. "Worse yet, she was crying her eyes out the whole time she was checking in on us. She was inconsolable… It was like someone had broken her heart…"

"I see… I am aware she had gotten quite tangled up in the affairs of helping Shantae defeat Risky Boots once again, but I was not aware she had been affected so adversely. I am sorry for her troubles…"

"I'm sure she'd appreciate that, Aash. But… she wasn't just shaken up by the battle itself."

"Oh? Then… if you do not mind my asking, what had made her so upset when she visited you?"

"Eh… I'm… not sure how I should put this but… Apparently, one of her friends died while they were stopping Risky Boots from destroying Scuttle Town…" Poe gravely informed, shocking both Aashiq and Alsumu in the process. Alsumu, having little to add to the discussion at that point, silently listened. "She also mentioned she's been having a really strange series of vivid nightmares about the friend in question ever since… Poor girl hasn't been sleeping too well because of her dreams, and it drives me crazy to think of how much she's going through… Abner and I can only hope her other friends are helping her cope, since she chose to be with them for the time being…"

"What!?" Aash practically hollered in total astonishment, his heart sinking like an anvil in quicksand upon hearing the news. "My word…! That is awful! Wh-who died!? Last I had heard, they had succeeded in thwarting Risky Boots in her latest attempt to conquer Sequin Land! Giga Mermaid did not mention to me that someone had died in the process…" he further asserted, harking back to an apparent conversation he'd had with Giga Mermaid in which she debriefed him on their efforts. "…She… did appear rather dejected when she informed me of the battle the other day, but… she did not mention someone lost their life…"

"Um… I'm… not sure if I remember his name…" Poe pondered, scratching his head as he peered up at the sky for a moment.

"'His' name?" Al chimed in with a question, immediately put on high alert by the grim implication of the statement. "Oh, dear…"

"Yeah. Er…" Poe continued to ponder for an additional minute, trying his hardest to remember the name of the deceased individual. "Umm…"

"Who was it, Poe? Excuse my terseness, but I must know…!" Aashiq pleaded, worrying immensely about the name of the person in question.

"Give him a second, would ya?" Abner advised, holding a hand out toward Aash to keep him calm. "He's gonna tell us when he's ready." After a few more seconds that felt like hours, however...

"Ah… Well, I can't remember his name," Poe concluded with a sigh, turning his attention back to Aashiq to read the disappointment in his face. "But, I remember Rottytops describing him as a guy she'd gotten really, really close to in record time, and who had a name just like Shantae's, but with a different spelling. Funny, because I remember being introduced to someone matching that description. And… I believe Rottytops said that the man was in a relationship with Shantae at the time of his death…"

"Hm. Sounds like that guy Shantae was hangin' around when she came ta Genie's Hem the other week. The one with the tank top and the splotchy-lookin' pants, right?" Abner queried after being tipped off by a key detail.

"I believe so," Poe confirmed, which all but sealed it for Aashiq. "Granted, if memory serves to recall, this man and Shantae had switched bodies due to H.B.'s body transfer spell when they came to Genie's Hem."

"Ah, yep. That sounds just like who Rotty might've been talkin' about. Huh… Well, that's a bummer that he's dead… Jeez…" Abner murmured, feeling for his sister. And despite the very few details given by the zombie brothers, Aashiq knew right away who they were talking about…

"You… You mean… Tayshan…?" he guessed, his face going pale with horror as his hand began to tremble.

"Ah! Yes, that was it," Poe remarked with a confirming nod, though he remained calm as he could be. "Tayshan was his name indeed… Um… Apparently, he uh… He didn't make it…"

"…No…! Habibi…!" Aash pleaded in a pained, hushed whisper, dropping to his knees as the news hit him in the gut like a thousand cannonballs. "N-No, that cannot be…!"

"Ohh… Oh, my goodness, no…!" Al also remarked, the air ripped out of his lungs as he heard it for himself. "No, no, that is… that is the farthest thing from believable… That young man has…?"

"Yeah," Poe confirmed, sensing the overwhelming sadness filling the atmosphere resulting from the news he broke. "Er… As far as I was told, he uh… he was badly injured while protecting Shantae from a sneak attack perpetrated by Risky Boots at the end of the fight… and he succumbed to the wounds he suffered shortly thereafter, with everyone—including Rottytops—right there to watch him go…" he further explained, though no one immediately responded. The air went deathly silent as a breeze rolled through the battle-damaged city. None of the clean-up crew could think of anything to say. Al was in disbelief. Abner had been silently shifting his gaze between the scorpion man and Poe. Poe had been worriedly staring at Aashiq. And… well, Aashiq… the poor guy… he'd begun trembling with a rapidly burgeoning well of grief as he remained on his knees, trying to process what he'd just heard. Before too long, however…

"NO-HO-HOH!" Aash suddenly and sorrowfully wailed loud enough for every citizen in the vicinity to hear, startling Abner, Poe, and Al alike. To him, hearing that Tayshan died in the battle against Risky Boots felt like someone driving a spear through his heart. It was a pain he couldn't have hoped to bear… "No, no…! No…! How could this be…!? How could this be!?" he continued to sob, at this point having lost control of himself. "Tayshan…! No…!"

"Jeez, Aashiq, pull yourself together, will ya!? Come on, don't make a scene!" Abner yelled, running over to pull Aashiq up to his feet, though he was met with resistance in the form of Aash not immediately rising when the zombie man pulled on his uninjured arm.

"I've got him, Abner…" Poe volunteered, approaching Aashiq and lending him a hand. Abner, trusting his brother to tend to the situation, relented and uncertainly backed up a few steps. "Aashiq, let's… let's take a moment to decompress. Shall we?"

"…Poe… Tell me it is not true… Tell me that Tayshan is not dead…! He cannot be…!" Aash begged, remaining on his knees as he looked up at Poe with tears streaking from his eyes.

"…You and I both know I wish I could, but my sister wouldn't lie about such a thing," Poe sadly countered. "And considering how distraught she was when she told me, I have no reason to believe otherwise… Unfortunately, it appears he can no longer be counted among the living… You have my sincerest condolences. Now, come. I'll help you the best way I can."

"…Tayshan…! Shantae…!" Aash murmured once more, taking nearly a full minute to gather the strength just to reach up and grab Poe's hand as he contemplated the event… and how the half-genie in question must've been feeling. The distressed magician was slow to get up, though he managed to do so with the shorter zombie man's help. Within seconds of rising back to his feet, however, Aash wrapped Poe in the tightest hug he could conceivably give. Resting his head on his undead friend's shoulder, Aashiq continued to sob with such heart-wrenching misery in every exhale that many of the nearby civilians stopped what they were doing and watched on in collective wonder and sympathy.

"It'll be okay. Come on. Let's go over there and take a moment to process…" Poe empathically offered, hugging Aashiq back as the two of them walked off toward an emptied-out coffee shop across the street. Abner and Al, who were left to silently ponder about Aashiq's emotional breakdown, merely watched as Aashiq and Poe disappeared around the corner of the dilapidated stone building.

"…Jeez, you'd think he lost his dog or somethin'…" Abner rather bluntly murmured, not really getting why the young magician was hit so hard by the news. "I get that it's rough, but it shouldn't be that big a deal. Shoot, I can't even understand why Rotty was cryin' so hard over this guy… Add that on top of Aash gettin' so worked up over the fact that this city got bombed out, and you've got a walkin' whirlwind of emotional upheaval." Hearing and disagreeing with Abner's complaints, a certain scorpion man felt all but compelled to object.

"…If I may, sir…?" Al hesitantly spoke up as he wiped a tear from his eye, causing Abner to turn to him with an especially agitated look on his face.

"What? You gonna tell me that it's insensitive not ta cry because I heard my little sister's friend died or somethin'? Newsflash: My siblings and I have been dead for as long as we can remember. We've also seen people die before. On top o' dat, people die all the time. There ain't nothin' you're gonna say ta me that'll change my stance," he defiantly and preemptively remarked in defense of himself.

"No, I was not going to say that…" Al clarified as he breathed a deep sigh. After collecting his thoughts, he continued. "…However, not everyone has the er… the experience of being raised from the dead like you and your kin were. And… well, I am far from capable of knowing how you see it, but many people lost their lives in the conflict against that malevolent pirate woman. And unless some miracle were to occur, NONE of those people are going to be coming back from beyond the grave. No acknowledgement of the inevitability of death is going to lessen the impact of this terrible situation. Lives were lost in ways that should NEVER have happened due to Risky Boots's malicious escapades, and no one has the power to change that."

"Yeah, and?"

"And… well… Many of those who perished in the war had families who will now be forced to continue living without them," Al reasoned, causing Abner to flinch a bit as he gave the scorpion man his full attention. "I… am treading carefully because I do not know the struggles of being a zombie, nor do I know the path you or your siblings walked. However, as the devoted, loving father of an adorable little girl I nearly lost in the conflict with Risky Boots, I must object to the callousness of your comments."

"Yeah, well who do you think youare ta tell me how I should feel, eh!? Nobody asked you, ya mook!" Abner shot back, wanting to hear nothing of Al's perceived guilt trip. "If you ain't ever been a zombie, then you got NO right ta tell me what ta say or what ta do!" Al, while none too fond of Abner's abrasive statement, remained calm as he sighed away some of the tension he was feeling.

"I assure you, I am not at all trying to make you feel as though you need to grieve over the demise of someone you are not personally familiar with. That is far from my point. However, your sister… I… I had a chance to meet her when she, Shantae, and Tayshan came to my house in the Kitschy Quilt Desert shortly before they set off to challenge Risky Boots…"

"…Wait, wha…?" Abner remarked in astonishment. "You did?"

"Indeed. And when they came, they appeared to be quite excited to be teaming up to save the day. More importantly, however, was that your sister held her friends near to her like they were family. At least, that was my impression from what little time they spent at my house."

"Well, you ain't exactly tellin' me anything surprising. Rottytops sticks ta Shantae like fleas on a horse," he rather morbidly replied. "I ain't got a clue on how close she was to that Tayshan guy, though, so forgive me for not really seein' your point."

"She was close enough to him that her heart aches heavily as a result of his death, from the sound of it," Al confidently stated, making his next point while trying to keep in the sadness welling up inside him. "That leads me to believe that even zombies can experience the pain of loss. And from what I knew of him, that man did NOTdeserve to die. He left a positive impact on many people, Mr. Aashiq and myself included. And he evidently left a lasting impact on your sister, considering what we were told about her grief over his demise. I need not even mention the impact he left on Shantae…"

"…Hmph. Well, Rotty'll get over it. She's a tough cookie," the zombie man stubbornly rebutted, refusing to concede as he crossed his arms and turned his scowling gaze elsewhere. "And Aashiq probably will, too, once he learns ta stop wearin' his heart on his sleeve. I don't know about that genie squirt, though, so don't go bringin' her up ta me…"

"Yes, time heals all wounds," Al informed, hoping that he'd gotten through to Abner. "However, we must still take into account that healing does not come quite as easily without support. And while you may not experience the feeling of grief yourself, you would do wonders by at least acknowledging when others are in pain. As I said, many of Sequin Land's citizens need support in this time of crisis. Aashiq happens to be one of those people, as he has just learned that he… well, that he lost someone very near and dear to him on top of him being upset about what so many others had lost in these trying times as well."

"I get it already, old timer," Abner remarked with a roll of his eyes before turning his attention back to Al. "Lots o' people are in rough shape right now over what happened, and your lesson ta me is that I should be more sensitive to those who lost somebody, right?"

"Er… Well, in a nutshell… Yes."

"Well gee, thanks for that reminder, then. I've definitely NEVER heard it before," Abner remarked with a bitter sarcasm that Al couldn't help but pick up on.

"I see… We do not necessarily have to agree, but I hope you at least understand where I am coming from."

"Yeah, sure," Abner dismissively replied with a shrug. "Whatever… I'm gonna go back ta shovelin' up all this gravel ta make myself useful. Come back and join me when you're done coddlin' everybody else." And with that abrasive comment, Abner got right back to work without another word. Al couldn't help but notice the frustration on the zombie man's face… which is kind of a surprise, considering Abner ALWAYS looked angry, but still. Sighing out some more of the tension, Al opted to leave Abner alone as he turned his gaze to the other zombie man and the magician across the street. As it appeared, Poe was doing his best to console Aashiq, who'd taken out what looked like a yellow rag and hugged it to his chest as he continued to mourn over the loss. Opting to leave them be as well, Al took one last, long look at the numerous piles of stone, glass, and wood that used to be buildings. His gaze soon shifted over to the collection of tents in the distance that housed emergency supply stands with water bottles and food rations on them. He also took in the sight of the disheveled, displaced citizens of the Inseam Municipality that were taking refuge in the nearby shelter, which had also had a huge chunk missing out of it… likely as a result of some kind of bomb smashing into it, from the sight alone. Left on his own in the moment, Al began to ponder the circumstances for what they were.

"Hmm… What a truly harrowing series of events this has been… So many wonderful places across this country were ravaged and tarnished by those unscrupulous pirates…" he observed, bowing his head as he turned walked toward the shovel he was using. "…and so many lives were ruined for no good reason… I should be so lucky Risky Boots did not outright flatten the Kitschy Quilt Desert as she had this place and the others of those that her disgraceful hands touched. Hm…" he further pondered as he bowed his head in silence for a moment. It was then that Alsumu began running through a haphazard train of thoughts about his recent experiences with Risky Boots, in addition to how even he had been affected by her duplicity and outright cruelty… as well as how it very nearly cost him his relationship with his daughter, Aleaqarab. Sighing deeply once again, he perished the thought of losing his pride and joy to the relentless antics of the self-proclaimed Pirate Queen as his thoughts drifted toward those he felt were hit much harder than he was. He did not know how many others fell victim to the pirate-induced carnage, but his heart went out to them, nevertheless. However, his heart especially ached at the thought of one heroic half-genie, whom he understood just lost the love of her life in the conflict. He couldn't even begin to fathom how poor Shantae must've been feeling or what she must've been going through. Heck, he couldn't even believe it for himself that… that Tayshan of all people… was dead as a result of the war with Risky's forces. His stomach sinking as he snapped himself out of his daze, Al kept his head bowed as he crouched to the ground with his hands clasped together in front of his face. Afterward he closed his eyes and mouthed a mostly silent prayer…

"…May the spirits above protect and heal that exuberant young genie and her allies in their time of need… and may the spirits guide that brave young man to a prosperous afterlife… Rest in peace, Tayshan…" was all I could hear him saying as he remained in this position, meditating as his heart beat heavy in his chest.

"…Mr. Alladagha?" a voice called from nearby, prompting Al to lift his head and open his eyes to see Aashiq standing before him. He'd also noticed that Poe had returned to his task of loading up his wheelbarrow with debris picked up from the road.

"Are you feeling okay, young man?" Al asked as he shifted from his praying position to a full stand. He noticed, however, that Aashiq's eyes were reddened, glassy, and filled to the brim with distress.

"…No… I… I am not okay…" Aash somberly admitted as he continued to cling to the yellow clothing fabric he'd found earlier. "My heart feels as though it has been torn asunder. I cannot fathom the idea that Tayshan is no longer with us…" he confessed, though he trailed off to keep himself from choking up again. "But then, I am not too worried about myself right now, so much as I am worried about Shantae…"

"As am I…" Al agreed. "Her pain is a kind that is far from conceivable…"

"Yes… I desire to see her again as soon as possible to make certain that she is okay, but… I do not know whether I am ready to face the cruel reality that visiting her would behold…"

"I understand, lad. It is wise to give yourself time to process it before you attempt to console her. Seeing Shantae as you are now would do neither of you any good. She… probably needs the time to process it for herself as well. I am certain that she is not alone, of course. She's known to have a strong support system in Scuttle Town."

"Yes… Yes, she does…" Aash concurred, though his saddened gaze began to fall toward the shirt he had clasped in his uninjured hand. "…And her friends are the most loyal and supportive bunch in all the known land."

"Hm… What… what is that cloth you're holding there?" Al was compelled to ask, prompting Aash to look up at him once more.

"This… I believe this is the tattered remains of the shirt Tayshan was wearing when he was attacked by the forces of Risky Boots and Ammo Baron here," he shared, much to Al's surprise.

"What? Are you certain? And if you are, how do you know?"

"The quality of the fabric is unmistakable," Aash explained. "I have grown familiar enough with his style of dress that I have no doubts about this fabric belonging to him…"

"Hm…" Al contemplated for a moment. "I suppose I should trust your hunch. You have a keen eye there."

"Indeed…"

"So… What might you plan to do with it?"

"I am not certain as of right now. I… I would like to keep it for now," Aash answered as confidently as he could. "…to remember him by…"

"I see… In that case, cherish it," Al advised, gently laying a hand on the magician's shoulder. "Never let that man's memory fade for as long as you live."

"Certainly. Thank you for your sage advice, Mr. Alladagha," Aash expressed his gratitude.

"No thanks are necessary. I am merely here to assist. Also, you may call me 'Al.'"

"I shall do so, Al. Your words… they have given me just the enlightenment I needed to begin properly coping with… with this… And it certainly helps that Poe allowed me the time I needed to let out some of my sorrow…"

"I am glad to have helped," Al assured him, patting him on the shoulder once more. "If you feel as though you would like to have another word, just let me know while we are here. And in case you require further counsel, you may visit my daughter and me in the deep reaches of the Kitschy Quilt Desert. We can talk over a nice, hot cup of tea."

"That sounds delightful! Perhaps I shall-!"

"Jeez, will you two mooks quit beatin' yer gums and WRAP IT UP ALREADY!?" Abner could be heard shouting at them after he finished flinging a heap of rubble onto the sidewalk near a smoked-out hotel. "We ain't got all day ta talk about our feelings! There's innocent people we gotta help over here! Save yer pow-wow for AFTER we're finished lendin' a hand, will ya!?"

"Oh! Er, S-sorry! We will snap back to it, Abner!" Aash readily obliged, turning and scurrying along toward a nearby collection of stones, broken boards, and glass. Summoning a magic orange glow in his hand, he hurriedly began levitating some of the gigantic piles off the road. Al, while picking up his shovel, took one quick glance at Abner to see him sweating up a storm as he put some pep in his step and kept shoveling away.

"…Perhaps you were listening after all," Al quietly acknowledged with a smiling nod as he also cast his gaze toward Poe and Aash to see them engaging in separate tasks to contribute to the post-war effort to clean up the Inseam Municipality. "In that event, it appears nothing more needs to be said. It would be far from appropriate to dilly-dally any longer as we assist Sequin Land in healing her wounds…" Al further concluded, digging in and plowing away alongside his friends at mountains of residue left in the wake of the Inseam Municipality's conquering.

And there you have it… well, sort of. In, like, the absolute smallest modicum of a view as I could manage. Suffice to say, the ripples of Risky's attempted conquering of the fair country of Sequin Land were felt far and wide. And as I mentioned previously, while we won't exactly get to see EVERY place she and her Tinkerbats sullied with their presence (considering that some of them were wiped completely out of existence), I would hope that the gist was received. We're not quite done yet, though, because there's still just a LITTLE bit more to cover before we actually draw the curtain on this grand presentation. And while we can't help but acknowledge the overall bittersweet tone of what we're witnessing, I'll take the moment to assure you that it won't be all doom and gloom from here on. As always, stay tuned!