A splash echoed as Shantae leapt from the water, flipping in the air as she discarded her mermaid form to resume her normal one just before landing on the rocky outcrop. "An entire sunken city..." she murmured in awe as she stared around at the runes inscribed in the walls, runes that glowed with the magic embedded in them, waiting to be activated. "I don't know what's going on this time, but Uncle Mimic says magic has been off kilter across Sequin Land, and this seems to be the epicenter based on where I've looked. Time to figure out what's going on." She grinned as she caught sight of the well lit path leading in as she set her battle bangles to jingling as she flexed, shimmying her hips to make sure she didn't have any cramps. "And it looks like I'm on the right path. I'm Ret-2-go!" With that battle cry, she charged inward.

As she rushed, she saw unusual designs on the walls to either side. Some seemed to be blueprints of some sort, though she wasn't able to read the writings. Some seemed to be maps of the world, but no world she'd ever seen before. The most disquieting ones seemed to be the internals of various creatures, whether monster, animal, or sapient. The ones of that sort that showed signs of modification were especially distressing, especially as they all incorporated some sort of double-helix ladder with parts being swapped out. This would have been more difficult to interpret if not for the fact some of the pictures moved of their own accord.

"I don't know what kind of place this is, but I don't think it activating is good for anyone..." Shantae murmured as she continued her dash...only to come to a large central chamber with a familiar figure working on a large machine in the center. "I should have known..." she growled under her breath. "Risky Boots!" she called out angrily.

The pirate spun at the sound of that call, the light in the chamber glistening off her pale skin, the skull-surmounted hat she wore not shading it at all due to the angles. Her skull-shaped top barely contained her curves while her purple pants clung to her hips and legs despite her belt being far too large. A gun was holstered at her hip and a sword strapped to her back as her shadow-minion Tinkerbats swarmed around her. On catching sight of Shantae, an almost lascivious grin crossed her face-

"Uh, Shantae? How come you're going into so much detail about what Risky looks like? I've fought her too, I know what she looks like..."

"S-sorry, Rotty. Got caught up in story-telling mode."

"Yeah, I noticed. You're really good at setting the scene when you do that, it's why I push for ghost stories every time we have a girls night with Sky. But that doesn't explain why you put so much detail on Risky's figure and wardrobe. ...you don't...like her or something, do you?"

"GOD no! It's nothing like that! I can barely stand being around her when she's not actively trying to conquer the kingdom or ruin my day specifically."

"Oh, okay. But then why?"

"..."

"...what? You're not jealous of her, are you?"

"...maybe a little...I mean...I kinda am the smallest around, ya know? Doesn't really help she shows them off so much..."

"You're also the youngest and have the most active lifestyle. My bro did some research, apparently staying super fit leads to being smaller like that."

"So...what? If I wanna get bigger I need to be less active?"

"Doubt that'd work. Besides, I don't think you need it. You're scrumptious just the way you are."

"ROTTY!"

"Now that's more like it, girl! Now back to the story, already!"

"Right..."

"I see you tracked me down here like usual, Shantae!" Risky snapped out with a confident grin. "But you're too late to stop me. Again, as usual. You probably don't even know what I'm up to!"

"Given what's happening all around Sequin Land, it's not hard to guess," Shantae pointed out as she prepared for battle. "You've got another machine you're using to steal magic for your latest crazy plan, not caring about the consequences of setting it off, and it's probably going to blow up in your face when you try, but I'm still going to stop you anyway because the consequences aren't worth just letting you fail!"

Risky chuckled darkly. "Okay, maybe I am a bit predictable at this point...but you're wrong about a few points. For one, I'm not going to fail this time. For another, you won't stop me."

"You say the second every time, Risky!" Shantae pointed out brightly as she got into her combat stance, her hair whipping back and forth. "And this is no different than when you stole the machine Uncle Mimic was building!"

"Oh, it's a little different," Risky pointed out with a wide grin. "Every other time, I've had to rely on machines I didn't understand built based on principles, built by someone who barely grasped the purpose and with sub-par parts. Not so this time." She gestured to the machine her Tinkerbats continued to work on. "This time, the machine is still intact when those who originally designed it built it, thousands of years ago! Behold-"

"Hang on a minute!"

"What?"

"Why are you even telling me all of this? What does this have to do with you and Gojira? That's what I asked, after all."

"It's a long story, Rotty, and I'm trying to tell it-"

"Wait, are you saying that RISKY BOOTS is responsible for you getting a suitor?!"

"Umm...technically?"

"DAMMIT! I owe Mimic 50 gems..."

"Wait, you were betting on my love life? With my UNCLE?!"

"Oh, not just me. Sky and my brothers owe the same amount, and so does Bolo!"

"You were ALL betting on...ugh, do I even want to know what you bet on?"

"..."

"...Rotty?"

"You were saying about Risky and the machine?"

"...right..."

"Behold," Risky declared dramatically, "the magitek brilliance of the Ancients of Atlantis!" Turning, she seized the lever the Tinkerbats had finally cleared and yanked down, the machine whirring to life. "Face your doom as the full might of their brilliance obeys my will!"

The machine promptly began to shake as lightning arched from one component to another, incinerating Tinkerbats as it passed through them and blasting Risky away from it.

"What the hell?" Risky demanded angrily.

"Like I said, Risky," Shantae groaned as she rushed forward. "Blow up in your face, just like always! Now how do I-"

A part of the wall suddenly blazed with light, a display of what looked like an endless corridor of mirrors with lights appearing in three of them, flashing to the same beat as lines drew between them. The words 'DIMENSIONAL RESONANCE REACTION' raced across the top of the screen.

"What the heck-" Shantae began, only for the entire world around her to go white.

"So then what happened?"

"Seriously, Rotty? Do you have no patience for proper dramatic tension?"

"Oh, I'm fine with dramatic tension. I just hate cliffhangers. So what next?"

"Fine..."