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I only own the cover art for this fanfic. Everything else belongs to their proper owners.
Chapter 7: Mud Bog Island, and the Oubliette of Suffering
"So, do you need any help with anything?" Bolo asked, looking at Shantae with a smile after she walked out of her Uncle's lab. Shantae thought for a brief moment before she remembered the fossil she was given.
"Do you think you can do anything with this Fossil?" Shantae asked as she handed Bolo the fossil.
"Nope, according to your uncle I'm nearsighted." Bolo sighed. "That's why I broke his glass capsule and leg his whatever escape." He shrugged. "Because I'm a clumsy and a forgetful oaf."
"You're welcome to try these glasses on." Shantae said, handing him the X-ray specs.
"Wow! I can't see any better, but I feel super smart!" Bolo said with a laugh as he then took the fossil. After a moment of thinking he handed it back to her after chipping some stuff off of it.
"It's a ritual death mask, approximately 15,000 years old." He began. "It's been heavily pyritized, and contains high levels of sulfur."
"I've removed most of the sediment, but left a bit of matrix for stability." He said with a smile.
"Still, not something you should wear on your face." He warned. "There you go." Shantae looking slightly dumbfounded by how much Bolo seemed to know about this stuff.
"Wow Bolo, that was amazing!" She said, not knowing how good of a relic hunter Bolo could possibly be.
"It was nothing, really." Bolo chuckled.
"You should look into relic hunting as a profession, maybe it'll work out." Shantae suggested before she left, heading back to Risky's ship, ready for the next isle.
"Are you ready to shove off?" Risky asked, looking at Shantae with a smile.
"Yep, turns out those monsters really are called Heartless, also I have a bit of a theory regarding that Ven guy I told you about." Shantae said with a giggle as she walked on board.
"You can tell me these theories on our way to Mudbog isle, let's hope that notebook of your uncle's is helpful though." Risky said as she pulled the ship from the Scuttle Town port. Half way to Mud bog Island, the sun set, and Risky weighed the anchor so the ship wouldn't rock too much.
"So, Now that we have the time, tell me about the so called "theory" why don't you." Risky said, interested.
"Well, to be honest it does sound a little far fetched but Mimic told me something that a friend of his, Named Yen Sid, told him." Shantae began.
"That 10 years ago a keyblade wielder around my age fell into a comatose state, his heart having been damaged and falling asleep as well." She continued, Risky nodding the more she did.
"My theory is the same as Uncle Mimic's. Maybe Ventus' heart connected to mine somehow, and in why my memories of "talking" to him he always looked so tired despite being so nice." She finished, shrugging.
"Hm. Maybe that is the case. I'm not an expert on hearts so maybe it is truly possible." Risky huffed after a while. "Nevertheless, we have a job to worry about so stopping the pirate master comes first." She added.
"Of course!" Shantae said, nodding in agreement before she was sent off to bed. In the morning, Shantae and Risky made it to Mud Bog Island, and they parked the boat at a dock.
"Land Ho!" The purpleish grey skinned woman said. "Welcome to Mud Bog Island!" She announced with a laugh.
"It smells kind of bad..." Shantae complained, noticing the odor.
"We've cut off three fifths of the Pirate Master's power." Risky said, ignoring Shantae. "He's sure to have noticed it by now." She huffed.
"Even from the grave, he'll attempt to impede our progress somehow." She added, cursing under her breath.
"But enough of that. We have something more to discuss." Risky said in a serious tone.
"Oh?" Shantae asked.
"I think I've figured out the Origin of the dark magic." The pirate woman declared.
"How?" Shantae asked.
"Process of Elimination!" Risky announced. "When the Genies defeated the Pirate Master, they had to drain themselves completely to get the job done. They reduced him to mere ash and bone." She began explaining.
"Without magic to sustain them, the Genies faded from this world. No more Genies with their light magic. No more pirate master with his dark magic." She continued, sitting on the plank leading up to her ship.
"Just. You." She said, pointing to Shantae. When I borrowed your magic to suit my purposes... I made a wish, remember?" Risky asked.
"Yeah. You took over my magical half..." Shantae said. "And used it for evil. So you turned it.. into dark magic!" She exclaimed, finally figuring it out herself.
"That's right." Risky answered.
"But I destroyed it after that!" Shantae tried to deny it.
"Perhaps, perhaps not. It's more likely that you scattered the magic." Risky suggested.
"Why would you say that?" The former half-genie asked.
"Because... Magic can never truly be destroyed, can it?" Risky asked in return.
"I... don't know." Shantae sighed.
"Not long after that encounter, the Curse placed upon my men began to take effect. Indicating that a new source of Dark Magic had been found." Risky explained, causing Shantae to Gasp.
"Whatever the magic's origin, we can worry about it later. You've got another Den of Evil to find." Risky said, Leaving Shantae with some more knowledge to unpack as she then let her head off.
Shantae trekked through the island, which was covered in muck, fossils, and even old spider eggs that seemed to have been fossilized as well. It was also teeming with monstrous bugs, and much monsters that seemed to sink into the ground.
It was full of heartless as well, but Shantae made quick work of them with her keyblade, even running into a single cacklebat on her way to what looked like an entrance to something big.
Which was guarded by a floating skull, ribcage and half of a spine. The skull was pinkish purple in color, had red mandibles, a single eye, and two antenae poking out of the purple hood it wore.
"What.. Who are you?" Shantae asked in shock.
"... hhhhhhhh..." the being said before answering. "I am a Hexer..." he answered.
"Beyond this gate... hhhhhhhh... is the village of lost souls..." he said with a stunted voice.
"Lost souls?" Shantae asked.
"It's a place... hhhhhhh.. separate from those who are living... and those who have moved on.. hhhhh... you may not enter this place..." the hexer said, before he noticed the mask Shantae took out, it was the death mask.
She hovered it over her face, not actually wearing it.
"What's this...?" Hexer asked as he studied the mask.
...ssss... stop... I sense something new... hhhhhhhhh... I did not detect it before. You suffered much... in life." He said, removing the mask from Shantae's hand via some form of telepathy, it dropped to the ground quickly, breaking it as Hexer stared deeply into her eyes.
"You have been tortured in ways unconceivable... your heart was torn in two, darkness and light sifted apart... you did not ask for this... hhhhhhh... you were tricked by the darkness that stained your heart... innocent blood was spilled but you were blamed for it.. but you were innocent yourself... hhhhhh..." The Hexer continued, staring into the heart that resides inside of Shantae's.
"Memories lost... painful to regain... hh.. yet your body still sleeps.. hhhhh... hidden away, so far away... a pure light... innocent and damaged... your burden is heavy... as is the one who bears your heart..." the floating skull backed away, standing still for a brief moment as if he heard a voice.
"Girl.. you may enter this place... hhhhhh... but know this... that boy's heart... his heart speaks highly of you... finish.. Hhh... your business and leave so that your memories are not lost... hhhh.. like his were long ago..." he said.. seemingly unable to deny a request that he had been given somehow.
A large fossilized mouth opened, revealing a large cave system inside that Shantae entered into quickly, wondering what Ventus had to go through as she figured it was his heart Hexer was looking at.
Shantae trekked through the village of lost souls, finding two more cacklebats, and several heartless, destroying them as they were hunting some of the lost souls, whilst also finding three different colored coins.
She would find herself in a strange Pavillion of sorts, several lost souls around her, many of them looking behind her for some reason.
She found three different lost souls, souls of people who competed at a sort of gambling competition, each of them lost their coins which Shantae found earlier and gave to them. She played against them each in a guessing game, winning a locket of sorts.
She then talked to a girl that kind of reminded her of Rottytops. She had the same hairstyle, however it was black and she was wearing what looked to be a school uniform, her signature red eyes were there too. But she wore red rimmed glasses though.
"Welcome friends, to the Village of Lost Souls!" The girl said with a smile.
"Friends? But I'm the only one talking to you." Shantae said in confusion.
"Really? But why is that guy following you?" The girl asked, pointing behind Shantae, she looked around and saw him.. it was Ventus, or rather a near see through image of him, he was asleep, but he was standing up.
"Ventus.. he's... he's a sleeping heart that's... that's connected to mine some how.. but.. he never showed up like this, so visible to others." The half genie said, trying to touch the image of Ventus, however her hand just passed through him.
"You must be something special, to have a pure looking heart such as him connected to you!" The girl giggled, Making Shantae blush slightly.
"It's not like that! I don't even know why our hearts are connected.. anyways.. what's your name?" Shantae asked. "You do look familiar, somehow." She added.
"I have no Idea who I am." The girl answered. "But thank you ever so much for asking!" She said happily.
"Oh my gosh you're..." she finally realized who she was, she really was Rottytops' soul. "H-how did you come to be in this village, friend?" Shantae asked quickly.
"I don't know.." the soul of Rottytops sighed. "Nobody knows how they got here." She added with a pout. "We're all just here. All I know is that I'm alone." She said sadly.
"That's so sad." Shantae agreed.
"I'm only truly happy when I'm asleep. When I sleep, it's like I'm transported to another world where I live with my family!" The girl said happily.
"But when I wake up, I can't remember them anymore. If only I could remember..." she sighed.
Shantae knew she needed help, when she suddenly remembered the locket, she took it out of her pocket and the girl lit up.
"A locket? Is it mine?" The girl asked.
"I don't know, but possibly! Open it up." Shantae said, handing the girl the locket.
"So.. does it look familiar?" Shantae asked after the girl opened it up.
"Yes... oh! Look at this! It's my brothers!" She said, showing Shantae the picture inside the locket. It was of what seemed to be a human looking Abner and Poe. "I have two brothers!" The girl exclaimed.
"I can remember them so clearly now." She smiled happily. "This one on the right, he's so tall and handsome." She said pointing to the human version of Abner, who was admittedly rather handsome. "He's my big brother."
"And this guy on the left, he's such a goofball." She said while laughing, pointing to the human poe. "He's older too, just not by much." She added.
"They always looked after me." Rottytops' soul said. "But... hmm. There should be one more..."
"No problem, just describe what you remember!" Shantae said, urging her to continue.
"Well, in my dreams... she comes and goes. She's brilliant and smart, and I want to be just like her!" The girl continued. "She is my very best friend in all the world. But whenever I reach out, I always manage to..."
"To what?" Shantae asked, looking concerned.
"I don't know... something always goes wrong. I upset her somehow." The girl said, Shantae thinking that it must be her that she's talking about. "I just want to tell her how important yer friendship is... and I try to grab on... but she runs away." The girl said, tears in her eyes.
"Then I wake up, and I'm right back here." The girl added, tears falling onto the ground from her cheeks. But, something happens, Ventus, though asleep, walks to the girl's side to help her sit down.
He sits next to her, and his eyes force themselves open.
"I believe your friend knows how important your friendship with her is.. bonds are not so easily broken." Ventus says wiping her tears away.
"Yeah! I promise to make sure to tell her, wherever she is that you truly want to be friends!" Shantae promised.
"Really?" Rotty's soul asked.
"Trust me... Shantae here will come through... I.. I'm not able to stay awake for long.. not while my heart is away from my body.. but even so.. I'll make sure she remembers to find your friend." Ventus said, smiling as his eyes shut and he falls back asleep, just like he said, he was unable to stay awake for long.
"Thank you, thank you so much." The girl said, helping Ventus up and giving the image of him a hug, before she gives Shantae a hug as well.
"Oh wait! There's someone else here that could use your help!" Rotty's soul said, before pointing her in a direction.
"He'll appear if you use this light to summon him." She said, a hopeful flame appearing in her hand, giving it to Shantae, it didn't hurt, or burn out once she touched it.
"Don't be afraid when you see him, okay?" She asked, Shantae nodding before she went ahead, finding a fire pit she could light using the hopeful flame, the image of Ventus fading away, seeming having done his part for now.
Shantae lit the fire pit using the hopeful flame and soon a large shadow covered man, who was rather muscular and dressed like a sort of warrior walked close out of nowhere.
"Who start fire?" The man asked, noticing Shantae, and that she wasn't just a soul. "You should no be here." He said.
"What they call you, young lady?" He asked.
"Shantae, sir." The former half-genie answered.
"Shantae. Hmm. Strange name." He said before he remembered something. "Oh, right. I have daughter myself once. Ashamed to say that I forgot all about." The man said, sighing a bit.
"It look like I forgot everything. Joker at door... he says this is Village of Lost Souls. I come to this island to find someone I lost. I shoot gremlin and cross log to reach here." He explained his journey.
"Now what was her name?" He asked. "Ho ho. Joke is on me. I cannot recall. I have been here much too long. Could be many years and I need to visit joker at door." He said with a sort of a huff of anger.
"Show him my fist, maybe smash him with ladder." He added. "You should go too, before you forget why came here." He told Shantae.
"Oh... I can't leave just yet. I need to destroy the evil in this place!" Shantae said with a determined look.
"H-H-H- HO HO HO! GUTSY!" The warrior said with a laugh. "I would be proud to have you as daughter. Here, this get you inside no problem." He said handing her a rag that stunk of his warrior sweat. It was disgusting, but maybe it was like the gigga lummox.
"I go deal with joker." The warrior said, heading off to the entrance. Shantae forced back the urge to barf and she made her way to another cave entrance.
She held the sweat damped rag into the somewhat blocked hole to the den's entrance and she heard sniffing.
"WHOOOOOH NELLY!" A voice yelled out excitedly. "You smell like some kinda mutant buffalo!" It added, grossing out Shantae from the description.
"Get in here fellah, and let's torture you good! I'll prepare Dagron for some live entertainment!" The voice said before the den opened up completely.
The trek through the den was.. annoying to say the least, there weren't as many doors that needed opening, but there was a single puzzle that made Shantae feel like she needed to punch someone in the face for designing such an annoying trap of a puzzle.
But she got through it all, fighting through monsters of rock and muck to get through the main portions of the damned oubliette of suffering. She at least found Risky's.. Risky's boots. Her trademark boots. Shantae must've seen her wear older boots earlier then, that or she didn't notice that Risky was barefooted.
Either way the final stretch of the den of evil was up, and she had to face up against the Dagron, a massively misspelled monstrosity of a creature, covered in bronze and iron armor with a large pike ball attached to it's tail. But.. just like the squid baron, something was off about it, there was a heartless attaching itself to it's head.
Luckily it looked loosely attached thanks to the armor but it was still trying to get a better hold, it called out to it's comrades trying to distract Shantae as it worked on controlling Dagron.
It summoned flying heartless, which attacked Shantae, they dive bombed and swiped down at her as she tried to dodge them and the pike ball tail of the dagron.
She took hit after hit, but she got in plenty of hits on her own, even freezing the heartless trying to attach themselves to dagron. The battle lasted for half an hour, Shantae managing to defeat the heartless.
However, it wasn't completely over, Dagron was still in a rage and so she had to face him. Dodging the fire breathing beast's attacks was even more difficult now that it was back in full control. She had to hit switches, sending rocks falling onto the beast to knock him down so she could slash away his armor, dealing damage to the beast, and slowly tiring it out.
Once the beast yielded it faded away, dying as it sunk into some lava nearby. As Shantae exited the oubliette she found the map for Frostbite Island. The next and final island that could contain a den of evil.
Once she got out of the Oubliette however, she found the warrior waiting for her.
"Hello. I wait for you." He said with a smile on his shadow covered face.
"Oh, hello sir." She greeted him.
"I make good friend with joker at door. He know left fist and right fist by name." He said happily. "Village of lost souls, all free to go." He added with a laugh.
"That's wonderful!" Shantae exclaimed.
"But not all want to go I think. Some, they wait for someone important to come back. Like I did." He said, before turning away. "Ok, I leave to find my little girl." He said, about to walk off. "I remember more and more each time!" He chuckled.
"Oh! I have gift for you." He said, giving a lost soul that had no body. "One soul. I find him in lost village. New arrival maybe. He's sleeping now. Maybe you get wake up! Find a way, ok?" The man asked.
Shantae nodding as suddenly she felt something tug inside her heart, she felt Ventus trying to talk again. "Maybe bring him to Rottytops, she might be of some help, that and you can tell her about how your friendship with her is important." She heard his voice tell her, which she would agree with.
"Good luck to you." The man said, before leaving.
Shantaemade her way back to Risky's ship, bidding farewell to the lost souls of the village, giving the soul of Rotty one last hug before she left.
Once she made it to the ship, She was greeted by Risky, who looked slightly miffed to see Shantae wearing her boots, but she wasn't going to bicker about it.
"I take it you made it through?" Risky asked.
"By the skin of my teeth! I even found your boots, Risky Boots." Shantae joked.
"Hilarious. I also take it you destroyed the den of evil. Come on board, we need to continue our journey." Risky sighed as she lead the former half-genie on board her ship before they left the island.
"I need to stop by spiderweb island again... I have to tell something to Rottytops.. I think I found her soul in the village of lost souls. I need to keep a promise I made." Shantae said.
"Hm.. very well." Risky huffed.
"Oh and.. you wouldn't believe it but.. I saw Ventus again.. his heart must've reacted to some form of magic in the village... but I couldn't talk to him for long at all." The keyblade wielding former half-genie added with a giggle.
"But.. something was strange.. the hexer at the entrance of the village.. he told me I had his heart inside mine.. at least. That is what I believed it to mean... he could see Ventus' suffering.. what he been through before he fell asleep..." Shantae added, looking troubled.
"Is that so. Well then, I guess you proved a theory correct." Risky said as she steered the ship, noticing Shantae's distress.
"Before you go to bed.. tell me what is worrying you about that Ventus' fate." She huffs before she goes back to focusing on her task.
"This is getting complicated, very quickly." She thought to herself as she started en route to spiderweb island.
Chapter end.
I hope you all enjoyed.
