Chapter 1: Dead On A Rival
Ahh, Sequin Land… A place of joy… a place of peace… a place of… Aw, who am I kidding? This place is a never-ending NIGHTMARE on wheels on a GOOD day. On a BAD one? Brink of the APOCALYPSE for sure. I'm NOT exaggerating either, because the Apocalypse really DID almost happen. Numerous times, I might add. I'm pretty sure there were a couple times where it actually DID happen, too… Um… Wait… Ah! S-so, ignoring all the unusual world-threatening goings on and unpredictable states of emergency and national crises, it's a wonderful place to live! Honest! Er… at least, honest as I can be! Trust me, I'm not crossing my invisible fingers at all! Ah, I'm already getting sidetracked… So anyway, eh… much as I'd like to tell you ALL ABOUT Sequin Land and its generally… 'magical' wonders, wildly sophisticated culture, and whimsical… whimsicalness (I think that's a word), we've got to start small. Don't want to bombard you with too much right off the bat, y'know? Got it? Good.
So, for starters, we'll find ourselves first paying a most tranquil and unassuming visit to this tiny, quaint, yet extremely danger-prone bad luck bastion of total chaos of a town… by the name of Scuttle Town, located at the very heart of this fine, fantastical country. Great place for tourism, despite its rather plain and ordinary appearance… and its ominous notoriety for being rather… well, susceptible to having all manner of supernatural disasters strike at any given moment. Today should be a good day, though! I've got a good feeling. The… uh… 'illustrious' city closest to the capitol of the fair country of Sequin Land, Scuttle Town has to be loved and appreciated for all the genie shenanigans, pirate monkeyshines, strong…ly questionable politics and lack of conventional resources, and all the other forms of supernatural silliness that took place pretty much every time you so much as blink… which is to say… HEY! STOP BLINKING, YOU FOOL, OR YOU'LL DOOM US ALL!
Just kidding! Or… maybe I'm not…? Anywho, you're probably wondering who I am, and why I'm spending all this time talking to you out of nowhere… or even, what to expect now that you've found yourself curious enough to stop by and check things out around here. So, I suppose I'll start with this. Welcome to Scuttle Town! I'll be your… 'tour guide,' in the loosest sense imaginable. I got word that you were looking to move into the neighborhood, and this wonderful little tour was set up without your knowledge—and possibly against your will—with the idea that you would be foolish enou—er, 'INSIGHTFUL' enough to buy a dilapidated onion-domed home so snugly hidden within the comfy… if not precarious confines of a war-torn, steadily rebuilding port town known for its numerous freak accidents, frequent shady visitors and freaky encounters with the occult. It makes for cheap rent, so you'd be crazy NOT to want to move here! Besides, Scuttle Town is most famous because of its reputation for being the hometown of the one, the only, the Legendary Half-Genie Hero, Shantae.
I'm sure you know who SHE is, so I won't waste time gushing over how astonishingly awesome and beautiful she is. You'll get your chance to develop your massive crush on her when you see her. Most people who move to Scuttle Town tend to do that, so don't worry if it happens to you, too. It definitely happened to me at one point. In fact, it's still happening… Hm. Actually, you know what? Maybe we'll get a chance to MEET HER if she's around! Don't get your hopes up, though. The girl is almost ALWAYS out on some adventure, modeling tour, or belly dance competition that makes it incredibly unlikely we'll encounter her. Disclaimer made, so now you can't complain to the manager or sue if we don't run into her like they always promise will happen on these tours… Of course, they don't realize that pretty much the ONLY reason anyone even wants to take these tours is SPECIFICALLY to see Shantae. Otherwise, no one would join them, and our housing market would crash and burn… Er, o-oh! Still here? Most people usually walk away by this point… AHEM! Er, I mean, most people are EAGER to begin sightseeing and shopping for souvenirs! Y-yeah, that's what I meant! Anyway, without further ado, let's begin our journey. Oh, and I just realized we haven't even introduced ourselves. So, my dear new friend, my name is-!
"TORYAAH!" a startlingly deep voice shouted as its owner, an astoundingly tall, dark-skinned, bearded man wearing an emerald-green… genie costume, I suppose? A green open vest, green harem pants with a silver sash, green sport sneakers… Interesting… The matching green turban on his head was a nice touch, though. And… those disfiguring scars raked over his face didn't look too welcoming, but MAN, did this guy look like he was in shape… hoo, boy, I think I'm getting a case of the weathers… Nobody said we'd be treated to a sizzling hot gun show… Mm-hmm…~
Ahem! S-sorry, I… should stay focused. I've… got something of an issue with getting distracted, so please don't mind me. Er, a-anyway, this strange, incredibly hot guy threw a vicious roundhouse kick at what looked like a young woman, who'd swiftly dodged the attack as she somersaulted through the empty cobblestone street. Keeping in line with his aggressive approach, the man chased the woman through the street as he threw punch after kick after punch in an attempt to stop her from running away?
"YAH! TOOH! HYAAH!" the woman also shouted, evidently in anger as she participated in this alarmingly heated exchange. Huh… This woman proved to be quite agile, as she'd either block or dodge the aggressive man's attacks while dishing out some of her own. She was also throwing a multitude of punches and kicks aimed at harming who I presume was some unfriendly acquaintance? The man proved just as formidable, as he also blocked and countered her attacks as rapidly as she doled them out. And… it didn't exactly look like they were doing any sort of scripted performance, as a litany of citizens ran screaming in all directions away from these two troublemakers as they doggedly and violently chased each other down. Ah jeez, they're fighting… I knew this tour wasn't gonna be so smooth… Must be some sort of domestic dispute gone horribly wrong. Not terribly uncommon around these parts, unfortunately. What a mess… So much for that good feeling I had… Whelp, buckle up, because there's no turning back now… They ain't payin' me to NOT give you a tour. Maybe we'll just try to ignore them while we-!
"Give it up! You've caused enough of a mess as it is!" the man shouted, the anger evident in his tone as he continued to engage in this ferocious confrontation. "HOORYAAH!" he further shouted, flinging a foot forward in another attempt to blast the woman with a spinning kick.
"Hah! Nice try, poser! As fun as this has been, you're gonna learn the hard way that you are NO match for a REAL genie!" the agitated woman yelled as she weaved under the man's wheel kick and charged up a swirling mass of… what looked like DARK PURPLE ENERGY!? Oh, boy… The plot ALREADY thickens… S-so, she charged up her energy and gave chase to the man who'd just tried to punt her like a football. Oooookay, now we CAN'T ignore any of this. Clearly, we've got something of a compromising situation going on here, so we MAY need to put this tour on pause to investigate this commotion. Care to join me? Of course you do! Now, come on!
The most immediate mystery, however, was the young woman. I'd never seen her before. By appearance, she was a rather short, voluptuous, tan-skinned young lady with a long strawberry blonde braided ponytail and pointed ears, dressed in a magenta dancer costume replete with platinum wristbands, a platinum headband, and even platinum earrings. Her attire at first glance was… not too dissimilar from the outfit Scuttle Town's Guardian Genie was often seen wearing. Only, this was definitely NOT Shantae. Not even close. I honestly don't have a clue who she was. Whoever she was, she claimed herself to be a genie… and she seemed to harbor nothing but truly macabre intent as she launched what I could only presume was a darkness-charged energy blast with a frightening, crackling *FRWEERSH* at the man with reckless abandon.
"GYAH!" the man shouted as he, summoning up a charge of his own brand of… MAGIC!? HE CAN USE MAGIC, TOO!? Oh, jeez… S-so anyway, the man charged up a supply of purple-hued energy into his arm with an equally disquieting *KERFRWEESH* as he, with seemingly all his might, swung his limb at the energy ball. With an echoing *KAPWIIRNG* that rung throughout the pandemonium-riddled streets of the port town, the yet-to-be-named man batted the blast up toward the sky, where it exploded with an ear-splitting *KABLAAANG* mere seconds later. It dissipated into a presumably harmless cloud of black and purple electricity-bathed smoke immediately after, though his attention was focused squarely on this wayward genie he was locked in combat with. "What kind o' 'Real' genie goes steppin' int' somebody else's territory an' tries t' destroy it when the guardian's out o' town!? That's straight-up set trippin'!" the man indignantly rebuffed as he struck a battle pose akin to a boxing stance while his body was surrounded by a strange mixture of bright blue and… dark purple light…? What the… WHO THE HECK WAS THIS GUY? I had no idea who HE was, either! From the sound of it, though, he was trying to protect Scuttle Town from this genie? That doesn't sound right… Yet… now that I notice it… Is… Is that a HALO hovering over his head!? Oh, my gosh, that is! This man might be a GHOST! Uh… I-I promise you, Scuttle Town, for all the trouble it's known for, is NOT known to be haunted… especially not in broad daylight… "Also, I thought every half-genie was supposed t' be invited t' that festival Shantae an' the rest o' them went to last week!"
"Yeah, well, let's just say I 'lost' my invitation when I conveniently found out she'd be there, leaving her poor, precious little Scuttle Town entirely defenseless and waiting for me to completely wipe it off the map!" the agitated woman, evidently a DIFFERENT and… apparently EVIL half-genie threatened as she dashed through the street toward the man, both hands chock full of evil energy ready to burn someone alive. "I thought you, as her oh-so-beloved ghostly boyfriend, would be there with her! HRRRRAH!"
"Ghraaah!" the man, who was apparently ACTUALLY A GHOST (and also Shantae's boyfriend? Didn't get that memo… unless she was just teasing him?), grunted as he, with a startling *KARPLACK*, blocked the evil half-genie's incoming magic-fueled jumping fist with the silver vambraces on his wrists. "Sorry t' disappoint you, but…!" he trailed off as he quickly grabbed his enemy's wrist with one hand while charging up a supply of… of LIGHT MAGIC into his other one before he aimed the palm of that hand at the girl's exposed abdomen. And, with an astounding and explosive *PRAPRAARSHGH*, he seemed to fire off a forceful blast of energy into her torso, sending her hurtling backward through the air as dozens of the humble city's frightened bystanders looked on in a varying mixture of shock and awe. The girl's trip wouldn't be long, however, as she somersaulted through the air and landed adeptly on her feet. "This is the EXACT reason I chose t' hang around here," he proclaimed as he made sure never to let his guard down. "As far as you're concerned, I'm the sheriff… or, 'Guardian Genie' in town while she's away. What's your problem with her, anyway? What reason would you, another half-genie, have to do the exact OPPOSITE of protectin' Sequin Land like y'all are supposed to? An' for that matter, who are you!?"
"Who am I? WHO AM I!? ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?" the unfamiliar half-genie indignantly shouted, evidently highly offended that this genie-adjacent halo man didn't know who she was. "I am Hashanah! I am the Guardian Genie of the Inseam Municipality! Or at least, I USED to be before YOU screwed that up for me!" she identified herself, much to the collective surprise and horror of all the townsfolk within earshot. "And my 'problem' with her is none of your business! You have NO right to show me such rampant disrespect! I'll bring your HEAD to Shantae before I exact my revenge on her, too!"
"Hm," the man nodded in seeming acknowledgement of her anger-fueled statement. "Much as I'd like t' dig int' you about how true that is when you weren't there t' protect the Inseam Municipality when it needed you most, Hashanah, that'll have t' come after I stop you from doin' t' Scuttle Town what SOMEBODY ELSE did t' Inseam while you was out o' town," he further asserted, never backing down. "Nobody here is t' blame for that! You should quit while you're behind an' come quietly! We can talk peacefully on our way t' the detention center."
"You seriously think you can pin ME down and 'arrest' me? HAH! You're a riot! You couldn't even HOPE to contend with ANY half-genie, much less one who has command of Dark Magic! Let's get THAT straight, so you understand the trouble you're in right now," Hashanah brashly proclaimed as she also struck a battle pose of her own, her hands charged to the brim with Dark Magic. Likewise, her blazing orange eyes flickered and glimmered as she glared hot death at the ethereal young man she found herself up against. "I don't know OR care HOW you, a lowly full-blooded HUMAN, were able to gain access to the kind of magic that only genies should possess! You could NEVER defeat me!"
"Oh, so you picked up on that?" the ghost coyly remarked, seeming not to be aware of Hashanah's knowledge of his abilities. "An' here, I thought I was bein' slick…"
"Joke all you want, but you won't be laughing when I BURY YOU ALIVE!" she rather morbidly threatened as she raced toward him again. Rather than charge right back, the man waited patiently for her to strike. And when she did, he allowed her fist to go flying past his face with a crackling *WROOOSH*. This was soon followed by yet another crackling *WROOSH* of a second missed haymaker. Before long, Hashanah went on a rampage, chasing the man all around the crowded street of the town, some of whose buildings were smoking heavily as *KABOOM* after *KABLAM* of two or three explosions could be heard in the distance and a sizable collection of Scuttle Town's residents went scurrying off in every which way in aggregate terror.
"Joke's on you; I'm already dead," the man quipped once again, perhaps equally as morbidly as he committed himself solely to either dodging, blocking, or tanking various attacks from Hashanah's relentless hatred-fueled barrage. Suffice to say, his comment only infuriated her further as she REALLY ramped up the pressure to try and knock him out. Nice to have that confirmation that he really was a ghost, though, I guess… E-er, anyway, *FWOOSH* after, *PLOCK* after crackling *KAPROCK*, the spirit warrior seemed to put up his best defense as he endured the seemingly endless, brutal hurricane of Dark Magic-charged punches, knees, kicks, elbows, and hand swipes coming from his half-genie adversary.
"What's the matter!? Can't you do any better than this!? You're supposed to be Tayshan the Tenacious, right!? That's what those MISERABLE ingrates in Inseam are saying about you, even though you had NO business trying to do MY job! That's what these hopeless peons have been saying here, too! I've heard over and over again that you were supposed to be strong, even for a pathetic full-blooded human! You supposedly even 'single-handedly annihilated the Ammonian Army' and went toe-to-toe with the Great Risky Boots and her Tinkerbats multiple times alongside Shantae, and even by yourself! They're even spreading the RIDICULOUS rumor that you even BEAT Risky in the final battle in her lair!" Hashanah barked at him, continuously trying to hammer away at him while he remained on the defensive. "So, if all that is supposed to be true, then why aren't you showing that strength here!? Were all the rumors just THAT!?"
"Heh, so you know who…! Grrgh…! You know who I am, too? I suppose I should be flattered…!" the mysterious green-garbed ghost who we may now henceforth identify as Tayshan, remarked as he and Hashanah clashed like two longtime enemies. Their tumultuous brawl ripped through the vicinity of Scuttle Town's main street to the point where one could even see the magic-charged shockwaves emanating off each and every crashing blow Hashanah attempted to land on Tayshan. "Didn't think I'd gain any sort o' reputation like that since I came here. 'The Tenacious,' though? Gah…! Gotta admit, you lost me on that part…!"
"Grrraaaah, SHUT UP AND TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY!" Hashanah demanded, ramping up the intensity of her merciless assault as she only grew more frustrated. "If you're REALLY as strong as they say, then PROVE IT TO ME! I want to humiliate and destroy you at your absolute best! I'll prove to EVERYONE that you're nothing but a FRAUD! No human could EVER match up to the true power of a genie!"
"Don't get it twisted! I ain't got a THING t' prove t' the likes o' you! Half-genie or not, your actions here have made you a criminal! My only focus is takin' you down! You've caused enough of a mess as it is, an' this needs t' stop!"
"Oh, I don't think so…!" Hashanah angrily rebutted, suddenly pausing her attack and hopping back a few yards.
"Huh…? Why did she suddenly pull back…?" Tayshan wondered as he took the moment to catch his breath and carefully watch his opponent's every move. His wait appeared not to be very long, however, as Hashanah suddenly extended an arm toward the sky and began rapidly gyrating her bodacious hips. And as she did so, more of that malevolent power of hers began surge through her body from her feet to her extended limb. "Ah, no…! Whatever it is you're about to do, you-!" he warned, racing toward her with all the speed he could muster. However…
"You want to treat this like some dumb little game!? Like we're just 'having fun!?' FINE! Let's see how much 'fun' Scuttle Town's precious citizens think THIS is, then!" Hashanah threatened as she, within a moment, aimed her magic energy ball at a group of innocent bystanders (many of whom, I may let you know were defenseless CHILDREN) hiding under the veranda of a smoked-out two-story onion-domed house.
"WAIT, NO! DON'T YOU-!"
"TYRANNY BLAZER! KRRAAAH!" Hashanah shouted as she, with an eardrum-ripping *KAPWOOOOORSH*, fired her energy blast directly at the bystanders.
"Darn it…! HRRRRRRAAAH!" Tayshan roared at the top of his lungs as a sudden, windy *PWOOORSH* of a rush of Light and Dark Magic came bursting forth from his body and the gleam of his golden eyes shined almost as bright as the afternoon sun above fair city of Scuttle Town. In an almost instantaneous *FROOOOOOSH* of a dash, the ghostly warrior dashed in the direction his enemy's underhanded attack was headed, though he almost seemed to become a total blur in an instant… Holy cow… Uh… E-er, so, in literally the next moment, he found himself standing directly in front of the blast JUST before it hit its mark. And, with an absolutely BOMBASTIC *KARPLOWWWWGHGHGH*, the 'Tyranny Blazer' attack slammed into Tayshan and exploded on impact, sending him barreling through the wall of the building behind him with an utterly dumbfounding *KRAPLAKRARKASHK*. The bystanders in the vicinity wasted no time clearing out of the way, knowing for absolutely certain that remaining in place would only bring them further harm.
"Wow, I see you're a lot faster than I initially thought…! I guess I'll give an impostor like you SOME credit! Ha!" Hashanah coldly remarked with a derisive cackle as she patiently waited for her opponent to recover from her dirty sneak attack. "You'd be lucky not to…? Huh…?" she was about to taunt before she noticed something that almost immediately wiped the grin off her face. Within just a few seconds, Tayshan picked himself up, climbing over the rubble of the badly damaged wall he was sent crashing through. Seeming to be calm at first glance, he emerged from the compromised home with his clothes matted in dirt, and with his fists balled up and surging with energy. His turban had taken the brunt of the damage, however, as it lay on the ground, burning to cinders in a bath of purple flames. With his turban removed, he was revealed to have… what I could only describe as a massive compendium of ebony dreadlocks that reached past his shoulders and down toward his chest while they also draped over his face. What really caught the eye, however, was the… utterly ominous aura of swirling dark purple that came pouring off him like steam as he kept his head bowed and his eyes closed.
"That was a dirty trick…!" the mysterious ghost fighter reprimanded, though something seemed… off about the sound of his voice… almost… like there was an echo… or like there was two of him speaking at once… What in the…? "It's one thing for you t' show up here an' cause as much chaos an' destruction as you did, but then t' threaten the lives o' people who did NOTHIN' wrong t' you? Especially CHILDREN!? I won't tolerate that, no matter WHO you are. I thought you'd at least be reasonable, but if THAT'S how desperate you are t' see what I can do, then I guess I don't got a choice…!"
"That supposed to scare me, Tayshan? Because it isn't working in the slightest," Hashanah defied, though she charged up magic in both her hands and prepared for whatever her enemy had in store for her. Rather than be offended by her lack of fear, however, Tayshan… grinned as he finally lifted his head up and opened his eyes to reveal… that they suddenly turned from gold to SILVER…? And man… that… that MURDEROUS stare he was shooting Hashanah… it was enough to send chills up MY spine…
"Hmph. I ain't worried about scarin' you," he rebuffed, his glare intensifying as he bared his teeth and reentered his battle pose. "Considerin' what's about t' happen next, you're gonna WISH I was just aimin' t' do that! You want me t' be serious? Fine, then… Your 'wish' is as good as GRANTED! HRRRRRAAAAAAAH!" he further shouted, tensing up every muscle in his body to the point that you could see veins popping out all over his arms. And just as he did so, these SUFFOCATING gale force winds suddenly started swirling all over the vicinity with a terrifyingly loud, asphyxiating *FWOOOOOOOORSSHHH*, whirling up debris, tatters of clothing, and dust and flinging it all in every direction as… as this mysterious 'protector' of Scuttle Town summoned up another frightening rush of mixed energy that, at this point, looked mostly purple with flickers of light blue in it. Before too long, and with a sudden, thunderous *KAPWAAARRSH*, the… 'hero(?)' seemed to power up enough that it left anyone still watching the battle to be left stunned and rightfully afraid of the increasingly dangerous battle.
"…What…? You've got to be KIDDING…! The rumors were…?" Hashanah was about to ask herself before she noticed Tayshan ready himself up for a counterattack. "Sh-shoot…! I'd better-!" she was about to urge herself before, with a sudden *FWEEERSH*, Tayshan dashed toward her and closed the distance in the time it took her to raise an arm to fire another energy attack at him. "No! HRRYAH!" Hashanah shouted as she hopped backward and attempted a jumping wheel kick aimed at the man's head. Instantly, the man weaved under the kick, forcing the malevolent half-genie to retreat while firing a barrage of violet-hued fireballs at him with *PWEESH* after *PWEERSH* after *PWOFF* after *PWAASH*. This did not seem to deter him, however, as he crossed his arms over his face and rushed through the barrage like a rhino ready to maul someone senseless. *KAPLOCK* after *KLAPLICK* after *KAPLACK*, the relentless 'substitute Guardian Genie' pressed on as he chased his opponent all around Scuttle Town's turbulent streets.
"Shorrrrrraaaagh!" the wraith roared as he continued closing the distance while Hashanah tried to create some. However, it seemed like every time she took two steps back while distracting him with magic bolts and blasts, he took three steps forward. It wouldn't be long before he caught her, and unless she could figure something out, she wouldn't be able to get away. It was then that the renegade half-genie got the idea to aim an attack right in the eyes of her adversary as she, while charging a concentration of magic into two fingers on one hand, suddenly shook her hips to teleport in a *PWOOF* of smoke. She instantaneously reappeared behind the angry guardian, still focusing her energy into her fingers as she panted in fatigue.
"You're too slow! Hah… What made you think you could-!?" she tried to taunt as Tayshan whirled around and blasted off full force toward her before she could finish her comment.
"HuuaaaaaRRRAAH!" he shouted once more, bulleting toward her once again without a shred of hesitation. The patter of his footsteps on the stony ground beneath him almost sounded like a galloping steed, he charged at her so fast! It seemed to be exactly what she wanted him to do, though, because she didn't flinch. Instead…
"SHYAH!" Hashanah bellowed as she, with all her might and speed, jabbed her hand forward with those two magic-charged fingers extended with the idea that she'd… rather viciously disable her enemy's sight in one cold, calculated sneak attack. Yet, with a sudden *KERPLAP*, she found herself coming up JUST short as she felt a sudden, burning ache in her hand. As it turned out, Tayshan stopped himself just in time to catch her by the wrist before she could gouge his eyes out in one foul strike. "WHAT!? HOW IN THE WORLD DID YOU-!?"
"HAH!" Tayshan hollered as he yanked Hashanah forward while pulling one of his knees back. Within an instant, one could practically FEEL the utterly THUNDEROUS *KATHRAAAASH* of the ghost man's knee crashing into the exposed abdomen of his opponent with the force of a speeding locomotive. Before she could even register what happened, she was immediately blasted with another startling *KATHROCK* of her enemy's fist against her face that sent her stumbling to the side. Just when that seemed to be enough to cause some serious damage, the wraith finished up by swiftly delivering a spinning thrust kick that landed with just about the most DEVASTATING, magic-fueled *KARPLOSHK* like he had an explosive hidden in his foot.
"GWAAAGH…!" Hashanah barely managed to groan in a sudden burst of nauseating agony as she was flung backward. She surprisingly found it in herself to land on her feet, though she remained hunched over like she was about to lose her lunch. "Grrrgh…! Why, you…!" she groaned as she glared at her enemy, seeming to be in a horrifying mixture of disorientation and excruciating pain as she wrapped one arm around her stomach while she pressed her other hand to her hotly aching cheek.
"If fightin' dirty is your best hope for beatin' me, then you're gonna be SORELY disappointed t' find out it ain't gonna work!" Tayshan barked, that ominous energy still swirling around his form as he prepared to take advantage of the momentum shift.
"Oh, you REALLY think you're some kind of a hotshot!" Hashanah barked back in unmistakable agitation, taking a deep breath and, with another graceful belly dance, readying herself for another round of this deadly confrontation. With another startling, crackling *KERFWOOOOORSH*, the energy came TOWERING out of her curvy form as she focused her enmity-laden glare on the man she'd evidently set out to destroy. "That's alright, though… because it's only gonna make it THAT much sweeter when I take you down and drag your unconscious body to your haughty, goody two-shoes little girlfriend! Now, get ready, because I'M DONE HOLDING BACK! HYAAAAAARRRAAAAH!" she further spat in absolute contempt, sending another horrifying, windy shockwave through the vicinity that ripped through and toppled some of the nearby buildings.
"Darn it…! I have t' put a stop t' this before she destroys another chunk o' the town…! Or worse…" Tayshan urged himself as he, with utmost desire to apprehend the apparent criminal half-genie, steeled his focus and prepared himself for whatever Hashanah had in store. Just then, another combatant went hurtling through the air, momentarily taking the warrior's attention off his enemy.
"WAAHAHAAGH!" the third combatant, a… green-skinned teenage girl wearing yet another genie costume consisting of purple, pink, and gold, shouted as she went soaring over the street as though someone had attacked her. Speaking of which, another woman with cracked sunglasses that partially revealed her green eyes, frazzled red hair, and a badly tattered-up military outfit that looked like it belonged to this one particular personal Baron Army I don't have time to explain right this second, went racing after the green girl with the use of a jetpack… and a gun of some sort? Oh, man…
"Gah…! Just hang on, Rotty…! We've almost go-!" Tayshan tried to murmur, naming the girl in question before being hammered with a terrifying *KATHRAAASH* of Hashanah's fist ramming into his face with the force of a rocket. Knocked off his balance, Tayshan stumbled back. "GAHAGH!" Tayshan howled in pain. Hashanah was only getting started, though. She followed up with a *KABLANG* of an uppercut to his abdomen, forcing him to double over. Immediately following, she delivered the NASTIEST punt to his chin with a jaw-shattering *KATHROCK*. And while the endangered spirit man was recoiling from the impact of the attack…
"I'm gonna make you regret the day you EVER set foot in Sequin Land…! Now, TAKE THIS! GENOCIDE SPEAR!" she announced, clasping her hands together and rapidly rocking her hips for just a couple seconds. Afterward, she separated her hands to reveal… what the…? A GIANT SPEAR MADE OF PURE EVIL ENERGY!? Oh, man, this just got intense…! So, in the time it would take someone to blink, Hashanah lunged forward, barreling with the speed of a bullet at her stunned opponent before blasting him in the chest with the monstrous *KAPLOCK* of a flying kick. And as he was sent hurtling backward… "VANISH!" she shouted as she launched the spear with all the force she could muster. With a high-pitched *FWEEEESH*, the energy-borne weapon ripped through the air faster than the eye could see. But then, with an utterly gut-wrenching *KWISCH*, the spear hit its mark as it found itself lodged into the substitute guardian's stomach as he was sent flying further back.
"HAWAAGH!" Tayshan yelled in unspeakable agony. The spear vanished in a *FWOOSH* of purple smoke within an instant, though it ignited the man's shirt and vest as he went crashing to the ground with a truly frightening *THUD*. Startled and immensely concerned, onlookers around the area observed from the safety of the smoking buildings they took refuge in as they seemed to wonder if their resident ghost would be alright.
"Hah…! Hah…! H-how do you like THAT!? Huh!? Now, you know the true punishment for EVER thinking you could stand against a genie!" Hashanah breathlessly taunted as Tayshan lay motionless on the ground, his energy seeming to stop radiating entirely. Wanting to inspect to see that he was truly done for, the corrupt half-genie confidently approached her downed enemy. "I don't know what Shantae ever saw in… you…?" she trailed off, her certainty melting away almost immediately as Tayshan suddenly, though gingerly rose to a sitting position with hardly a grunt. Grimacing as he clutched a hand to his abdomen where he was struck by the 'Genocide Spear,' he seemed to be… in a surprisingly decent condition for someone who had just been IMPALED. "What…? But, that was one of my most lethal attacks… How…?"
"Grrgh…!" Tayshan growled, looking at his vest and undershirt to see that they had been charred and ripped to ribbons. Sliding off his vest and ripping his undershirt off with a *TSSEERSCH* of its fabrics in his hand, the supernatural fighter rose to a stand as he glared EVEN HARDER at his enemy. And just as he returned to a ready battle position, the mystifying aura surrounding him grew more pronounced to the point where it seemed like one could roast marshmallows off him. "Hah…!" he breathed a tension-riddled sigh as he showed no signs of slowing down. But then… just the look of his bare torso… I mean, he was a total HUNK under all those layers, sure, but… there were so many scars littered all across his sweat-bathed, glistening chest… and even his back… But then, there was just this one scar on the right side of his abdomen that I just couldn't take my eyes off… it was so disfiguring… it was all… long and ripply… like he'd been stabbed before… and I SWEAR I could see it glowing…
"…What… WHAT ARE YOU!?" Hashanah demanded to know shocked and appalled at the sight of the man shrugging off what she (and even I) thought should have been a fatal injury. "How could you POSSIBLY get up after that!? You… you CAN'T be human! No human should be able to take a hit like that and survive! You should be FINISHED!"
"In case the halo an' that comment I made earlier wasn't big enough clues, genius, I'm already dead! I'm a WRAITH!" Tayshan let her know without a moment's hesitation.
"Wh-WHAT!? A WRAITH!?" Hashanah remarked in complete shock, seeming not to have expected such a befuddling reveal to happen. Could you blame the girl, though? I wasn't expecting it, either. A WRAITH, huh? That's… like, ten times SCARIER than a simple ghost…
"Yes. Not that it matters now… Painful as it was, that attack wouldn't have killed me, even if I WAS still alive. Not after what I'd been through, at least. Speakin' o' which… 'I should be finished,' you said? That's funny…" Tayshan remarked with a really scary sneer as he refused to take his eyes off Hashanah. "…because I was about t' say the same thing t' YOU!" he roared once more as he tightened his fists and struck another fighting pose, the sudden *KAFWEEEERRSH* of whirling energy ripping through the atmosphere. Curiously enough, however, the halo-adorned warrior winced in what looked like a substantial amount of pain as he powered up again. "I ain't got a whole lot o' patience left for this, so you'd better hope you can handle what's comin' t' you from this point on! HRRRRAAAAAAAAAAH!" he further declared, wasting no time dashing forward with an explosive *PWEERSH* of pure speed toward his enemy. Within an instant, Tayshan and Hashanah clashed fists with a truly spectacular *KAPLARSCHK* of their powers smashing against each other.
"YAH!" Hashanah grunted as she quickly tried to throw a counter haymaker at the wraith's face, only for him to block and attempt to counter with a roundhouse kick aimed at her side. Hashanah blocked the kick with her forearm and grabbed his ankle by wrapping her arm around it. She tried charging magic into her free hand as she raised it with the intent to do some serious harm. "Hope you enjoy not being able to walk after I BREAK YOUR LEG!" Tayshan would have none of it, however.
"Break THIS!" he announced as he hopped off his free leg, tucking it for just a split-second before launching it forth. With an absolutely gut-smashing *KARTHWACK*, he dropkicked Hashanah in the chest, causing her to go barreling backward as she let go of his leg. The ghost man himself landed on his back with another *PLOP* of his body against the ground, though he was quick to do a fancy windmill maneuver to swing himself back to his feet.
"GHUWHAACK!" Hashanah shouted in agony as she went crashing to the ground with a separate *THUD*, though she was quick to roll backward onto her feet. Rubbing her aching stomach as she glared at Tayshan, she absolutely meant business at this point. "That's it…! I'M DONE PLAYING THIS GAME WITH YOU! I'M GONNA VAPORIZE YOU! YAAAAAAH!" she further boisterously proclaimed as the two went charging into each other once again. This time, however, and with a rapid flurry of *KATHWOCKs*, *WHACKs*, and *PLOCKs*, the two adversarial supernatural beings went to TOTAL WAR against each other in the middle of this supposedly peaceful port town, bouncing all over the place as they tried to rip each other apart. Blow for earth-shattering blow, these powered-up pugilists were duking it out like wild animals! With SUPERPOWERS! Punches, kicks, elbows, knees, energy blasts, the kitchen sink… I-I'd never seen anything like it! Yet, even with THIS, I STILL haven't given you a big enough picture…
Meanwhile…
Oh, yeah. We REALLY stepped into it today by the look of it, because there was yet ANOTHER tumultuous brawl taking place just a couple streets over. And this one seemed to be equally as chaotic.
"What the heck are you doing, Nila!?" the voluptuous ponytailed, ruby-eyed green genie girl (with greener hair), evidently named Rotty, demanded to know of her opponent as she stood off against her in her incredibly stylish… albeit dirt-matted, tattered dancer costume. The outfit consisting of purple sleeves with gold cuffs, a pink brassiere with golden frills, purple harem pants with a pink centerpiece and golden cuffs, and purple slippers. By all accounts, she at least looked like a genie to me. "I thought the Ammonian Army had a truce with us! Why are you helping that maniac destroy Scuttle Town!?" she demanded to know, signifying that she and the other woman had history with one another.
"That 'truce' was ONLY for the sake of stopping Risky Boots from taking over Sequin Land! Once that war ended, that agreement did, too! And now, you, your genie friend, and that rotten, dastardly ASSASSIN will finally PAY for what you've done to the Ammonian Army!" the other woman, evidently named Nila of the Ammonian Army, barked in absolute aggression as she aimed what looked like… a GRENADE LAUNCHER at the unarmed genie that… upon closer inspection of the stitches around her neck and one of her arms… actually turned out to be a ZOMBIE!? Goodness, how is this tour becoming so derailed so quickly!? And SINCE WHEN WERE THERE ZOMBIE GENIES!?
"Oh, jeez! Watch where you point that thing! You already completely leveled like four houses AND caused a massive fire at my favorite restaurant in town!" Rotty complained as her enemy took aim again. "Not to mention you totally trashed my Guardian Genie costume! I paid a heaping TON of gems for this, you know! I was doing such a great job as Shantae's part-time substitute, but then you and your crazy friend came along and SPOILED everything! Look, the sleeves are in tatters, for crying out loud!" she continued to rant, evidently NOT very happy that her super cute, super expensive costume was compromised.
"And soon enough, the REST of you will be, too! Now do me a favor and stand still, zombie! You've been LONG overdue for your appointment in the Great Beyond! No genie ALIVE is gonna fix what I do to you!"
"Oh, you're SO clever! NOT! Where'd you get that cheap comeback? The comic book store?" Rotty taunted as she stuck her tongue out at Nila… which seemed only to infuriate the apparent Ammonian affiliate even more than she already was.
"Enough of your jokes! DIE!" Nila demanded of Rotty as she, with hardly a moment of hesitation, fired her grenade launcher with a *THOOM* of the round from its barrel, causing Rotty to panic.
"Ack! Better find a way to get ahead!" she urged herself as she… uh… What…? As she REMOVED HER OWN HEAD AND FLUNG IT TOWARD NILA BEFORE HER HEADLESS BODY WENT DIVING OUT OF THE WAY!? Oooookay… So, that definitely proves that Rotty wasn't technically alive… which means that Scuttle Town had apparently started employing the dead as some sort of security force around here… that, or I've gone crazy. But then, how else can we explain the fact that a WRAITH and a ZOMBIE were defending the city from an EVIL HALF-GENIE and a GUN-TOTING MADWOMAN? Er, a-anyway, Nila ducked and rolled out of the way just as Rotty's disembodied head landed. Within an instant, however, some strange purple vortex emerged from beneath Rotty's disembodied… er, body, where a bunch of skeletal hands sprang up from it and grabbed her. Just after that, the grenade launcher round struck a nearby building with an astonishing *KRABOOOOOOM*, blasting fabrics and chunks of stone all over the immediate area.
"What in the…?" Nila murmured as she fumbled with her grenade launcher to load another round. In that moment, however, another portal formed under Rotty's head… and out of it came the rest of her body! Holy COW, this is getting weirder and weirder by the minute… Nevertheless, this 'tour' continues! So, Rotty reconnected her head to her body through the portal in the ground and wasted no time charging after Nila with every intent to stop the deranged criminal from bringing further harm to the humble city.
"I think we've seen more than enough of that little toy of yours! Hand it over!" Rotty commanded as she TORE HER RIGHT ARM OFF, BENT IT AT AN ANGLE, AND FLUNG IT AS HARD AS SHE COULD!? Oh, jeez, she's detachable there, too!?
"Whahow!" Nila bellowed in understandable fright as she dove out of the way of the unruly projectile while finding just enough time to reload her weapon. Hurriedly climbing back to her feet, Nila tried to take aim once again. However, Rotty got there just in time to grab the barrel of the weapon and aim it away from her as she made her next move.
"Drop it, ya whack job!" she insulted as she tried to rip the firearm out of Nila's hands. Nila proved exceptionally resilient, however, as she gripped the weapon tight, stood her ground, and thrust kicked Rotty in the stomach with a brutal *KAPWOOMPH* while pulling the weapon out of the zombie maiden's remaining hand.
"Gwaagh…! Oww!" Rotty groaned in a mix of pain and extreme agitation as she stumbled back a few steps before hunching over and massaging her aching abdomen.
"Now then…! TIME TO MEET YOUR-!" Nila was about to threaten as she took aim once again with the grenade launcher. Unfortunately for her, she wouldn't get the chance to take her shot as she intended. With a sudden, fleshy *KERSCHLAP!* of a cold, clammy, green-tinted hand swiping her across the face from behind, the deranged grenadier went staggering off to the side. "GAAHAGH!" she yelped, accidentally dropping the weapon. Before either combatant could do anything about it, the grenade launcher went off as it hit the ground with a hefty *PLONK*, its round rocketing from the chamber with another *THOOM*.
"Uh-oh…! Thaaaaat's not good…!" Rotty cursed in worry as she, with a most frantic expression on her face, watched the live grenade go soaring toward a municipal building… which JUST so happened to be the office of the town's oh-so-fair Mayor Scuttlebutt. Within seconds, and with another mortifying *KRABOOOOOOOOM* that made the (ironically) lively young zombie cringe in fright, the round collided with the municipal building's roof. Upon impact, the round wound up blasting off a huge chunk of the roof and sending colorful chips and smoking chunks of stone all over the place. It… probably went without saying that a fire almost immediately started, causing those inside to panic and run screaming out of the office in collective terror. "Gosh, keeping this place safe is a taller order than I thought it'd be… I don't know how Shantae's been doing it all these years! Tayshan and I have only been doing it for the past week, and I already feel like I need a vacation. That, or put in my two weeks' notice…" Rotty further murmured with a vexed sigh before turning and running to pick up her disembodied arm after it landed. As she went to do so, she noticed that Nila (with a huge hand-shaped mark on her cheek), quickly got back up and charged for her weapon.
"That tears it…! I'm gonna blow you apart, and then INCINERATE the remains!" Nila threatened as she closed the distance on her firearm.
"Over my dead body!" Rotty morbidly quipped as she, in a massive rush, reattached her arm and dove for the grenade launcher just as her adversary got there. With an impactful *KERPLOUGH*, Rotty tackled Nila to the ground, where the two young ladies began to squabble and wrestle with each other on the ground with the grenade launcher somewhere in the middle of the kerfuffle.
"Get OFF me, you rotten brain-munching degenerate! Nyaaagh!" Nila shouted as she and Rotty rolled and rumbled all over the ground, scratching, clawing, and punching one another.
"You first, you ignorant, goose-stepping Ammonian lunatic! Gaarrgh!" Rotty shot right back, firing off as many punches and slaps as she could while she made many attempts to grab hold of the grenade launcher. It wouldn't be too long, however, before the tool of destruction was flung away from the combatants in the middle of their brawl. It landed at least a few yards away with another hard, metallic *THUNK* on the ground near an empty, yet intact convenience store. Both girls realizing the development, they clamored over each other to race for it. Nila initially got the advantage when she, with a nasty *KATHUMP*, drove her boot into Rotty's bare abdomen while they were getting up. "UHAGH…! Hey!" Rotty complained as she fought through the tidal wave of agony to get back up on her feet.
"I will blow you to smithereens!" Nila vowed as she hightailed it toward her gun.
"Hmph… Not if I can help it…! YaaaaaAAAAH! ZOMBIE ZOOM!" Rotty challenged as she readied herself and… with this absolutely BLISTERING speed the likes of which I couldn't imagine anyone to expect… as well as with this mystifying *KATWEEERSH*, the zombie genie dashed ahead like a cheetah hopped up on caffeine! Seriously, you could practically SEE the smoke billowing off her genie slippers with every step she took. Or… was that actually smoke, or MAGIC like we'd seen of a certain other pair of combatants? Because I'm certain smoke is NOT supposed to be blue and glittery… Nevertheless, she ran at what looked like the speed of sound right past Nila before the Ammonian war criminal could process what was happening. In the next instant, and with an ear-piercing *SKRRRRRREEEECH*, Rotty stopped herself just in time to grab the weapon while her adversary was just a couple yards away.
"WH-WHAT!? HOW DID YOU-!"
"Now to get rid of this thing once and for all! SHYAAAAAAH!" the undead heroine hollered out as she raised the grenade launcher above her head before bringing it down with all her might while thrusting her knee upward. And, with a most flabbergasting *KRATWACKK*, Rotty broke through the dense metal barrel of the weapon with just her brute strength! Oh, my goodness…! "Hah… Wow, that stung a bit…!" she complained, tossing the broken chunks of the weapon away before massaging the knee she used to snap the firearm in two. After a moment, however, she took a deep breath before readying herself for battle once more by striking a sassy battle pose. "Now then, 'Admiral' Nila… I believe we were at the part where I kick your sorry butt back to what's left of the Baron Desert where you belong. Get ready, because I'm DONE messing around!"
"…These people are FREAKS OF NATURE…!" Nila surmised in a mixture of surprise and alarming fatigue as she panted, evidently beyond shocked to see just what she was dealing with. "Darn it…! I was hoping that Shantae's absence would've made this easier. Regardless, I'm not backing down until my revenge has been exacted!" she urged herself to continue despite being unarmed. Just as the girls were about to get themselves entangled in yet another chaotic round of their explosive one-on-one brawl, however, a ground-shaking *KRABLOOOOOM* rang out just a couple streets over in the distance.
"Ghaaaahaaaaagh!" a female voice could be heard shouting in what sounded like significant pain.
"Hwaaagh! Ahaaagh…!" a male voice could also be heard hollering in equal strain as a massive mushroom cloud of dark purple smoke surging with electricity shot up in the air near the area of interest. As one might imagine, Rotty and Nila both immediately turned their attention to the noise in seemingly shared concern.
"Hashanah! Shoot, I'm coming!" Nila urgently shouted, turning on her jetpack to race over to help her accomplice. With a sudden *KERFWOOOOOSH* of fire from the bottom of the device affixed to her back, the Ammonian admiral took off.
"Oh, no you don't! GET BACK HERE! I'm not finished with you yet!" Rotty yelled, dashing and lunging toward Nila as she achieved liftoff. Rotty managed to grab hold of the other woman's jacket, causing her to lose her balance as she was suddenly jerked in another direction.
"Ack…! Get your slimy corpse hands OFF me, you shambling, haunted monstrosity!" Nila VERY angrily demanded, immediately attempting to kick Rotty off her in time to attempt to save her partner in crime. With *THWACK* after *THWOCK* after dense, heavy *THRACK* of her boots against various parts of Rotty's face and body, the desperate and extremely irritated bespectacled woman made it ABUNDANTLY clear she wished to be free. Yet, after a particularly loud *THWACK* of Nila's foot against Rotty's cheek…
"OW! Arrgh, THAT DOES IT! I'M GONNA POUND YOU SO HARD, MY OWN BROTHERS ARE GONNA THINK YOU LOOK CUTE WHEN I'M DONE!" the highly agitated zombie maiden… rather questionably threatened, presumably also poking fun at her siblings' bad taste in women…? Honestly, I'm more surprised to hear that there were MORE of her lurking somewhere within Sequin Land's vast confines than how unattractive they would likely have found a pre-pounding Nila… but, I digress. Anyway, Rotty quickly clawed and scratched her way up to where she was latched tightly onto the collar of Nila's jacket with one hand while she cocked her other fist all the way back. Meanwhile, the two ladies were spinning, twirling, tumbling, zipping, and zooming all over the place in midair with nothing but total disaster in their sights with the way they were going. With *THROCK* after *KAPRACK* after heavy-handed, rage-fueled *THROCK*, Rotty punched Nila repeatedly in the face as hard as she could, paying very little mind to the fact that they were both in grave danger. It really ramped up, however, when one of Rotty's numerous attempts to cave Nila's face in resulted in the *KRUNCH* of the Ammonian agent's aviator sunglasses. The sunglasses fell to pieces as they slipped off Nila's face and rained all over various parts of the besieged port town.
"Gagh! THOSE WERE 500-GEM SUNGLASSES, YOU BOTTOM-FEEDING WENCH!" Nila shouted, at this point EVEN MORE INFURIATED by the sudden and tragic loss of her stylish eyewear. And at this point, the gloves were off for both girls. As such, she grabbed Rotty by the hair and started delivering her own brand of corporeal punishment by punching the zombie genie in the face. *THWACK* after immensely brutal *KRACK*, Nila wanted to make sure she messed her enemy's face up as thoroughly as she could. However, Rotty eventually managed to stop the belligerent assault by catching the other girl's fist in her hand.
"Let go of my HAIR!" she furiously demanded as she pulled Nila's hand toward her mouth and, with a monumental *CHOMP*, bit her as hard as she could.
"YEOWWWCH!" Nila shouted at the top of her lungs while trying as hard as she could to rip her forearm out of the iron grip of Rotty's jaws. "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FLESH-CRAVING MIND!? YOU'RE GONNA TURN ME INTO ONE OF YOUR HIDEOUS KIND! OW, OW, OW! STOP EATING ME!"
"YHER TERSHT TERRIBLR ERNYWHEY!" Rotty insulted right back as she continued to try gnawing off Nila's hand. Mind you, the two of them were STILL flipping, flying, and zipping through the air like a pair of fighting birds that had no form of coordination whatsoever. And down below, one could clearly see Tayshan and Hashanah collectively wreaking TOTAL HAVOC as their frenetic, magic-fueled brawl raged on. Gosh, they were ALL OVER the place, trading blows and magic blasts left and right as they seemed ready to completely OBLITERATE each other! Citizens were still either panicking and running all over the place, or watching the disastrous double battle of TAYSHAN & ROTTY VS. NILA & HASHANAH: PANIC IN THE PORT TOWN! from the safest places that they could.
Scuttle Town looked… well, like it USUALLY does on an average day in the middle of an unprecedented assault on its fair grounds by some form of domestic terrorist. Y'know, smoking, burning buildings, people big and small screaming and running around, the cavalcade of Sequin Land Palace Guards that were trying to keep the peace while also NOT intervening in the four-person WAR that erupted in the middle of an otherwise peaceful springtime afternoon in Sequin Land's most infamous city… Yeah, it was a complete cavalcade of carnage and chaos wherever you looked… However, NONE would be more shocked and appalled at the sight of such a mess than…
Just on the outskirts of town…
"You've GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! We can't even enjoy a WEEK off without Scuttle Town being plunged halfway into a DOOMSDAY scenario!?" complained a certain lavender-haired, red-garbed, bodacious, jewelry-laden, blue-eyed half-genie as she bolted toward the source of all the commotion. Rushing through crowds of fleeing citizens and entire neighborhoods of burning, smoking, or otherwise damaged buildings with company in tow, Scuttle Town's Guardian Genie was already determined to put a righteous stop to anything and anyone that dared disturb the peace of her hometown. "I JUST GOT DONE SAVING THE WORLD, LIKE, SIX HOURS AGO, DARN IT!" she further complained, evidently NOT too happy with having to leap into action after a fresh vacation of… leaping into action. Also, meet Shantae! Autographs and unwarranted love confessions MAY have to wait, though, all things considered.
"You know what they say, Shantae; evil never rests!" advised one of her followers, an elderly bearded man wearing a green lab coat, goggles, and a full ensemble that made him look like a cross between a scientist and a retired sea captain.
"Yeah, but evil could at least learn when to-! Gaagh…! T-to take lunch breaks or SOMETHING!" everybody's favorite iconic heroine quipped, though she flinched and clutched her stomach in the middle of her statement like she was dealing with a bad case of indigestion or stomach cramps.
"That Soul-Link sense still bothering you, girl? You've been grabbing at your stomach since before we left Paradise Island!" questioned another friend, a curvy young, tan-skinned blonde-haired, brown-eyed woman wearing turquoise and purple headwraps, a turquoise and purple egg-themed bustier (with an emphasis on BUST… though, you didn't hear that from me), white capri pants, and brown boots.
"Yeah, and it's almost KILLING me, the feeling's been so intense…!" Shantae confirmed as she flinched again, though none of Scuttle Town's saviors lightened up the pace. I… wasn't sure about whatever this 'Soul-Link' thing was that they were talking about, though… "We've still gotta be ready for anything, Sky, so keep your birds on high alert just in case!"
"Roger!" the buxom blonde known as Sky agreed as she followed the half-genie's lead.
"You think Tayshan's okay, Shantae?" questioned a young tan-skinned man with spiky blue hair with a yellow headband around his forehead, a sleeveless t-shirt with a blue vest, blue shorts, and sandals wielding a chained flail. Huh… So, they knew him? Interesting… "I know you said you were sure he could handle guarding Scuttle Town by himself while we were dealing with all the craziness with Risky, the other half-genies, and those seven sirens, but what if your sense is because he got overwhelmed or seriously hurt… or worse?"
"We won't know until we get where we need to be, Bolo, but I hope he's alright…!" Shantae addressed her other friend as they reached the heart of the city, where they were met with more pandemonium in the form of a blurry image of a long-haired, shirtless ghost man blitzing through the area, clashing with an entirely unfamiliar pink-garbed, strawberry blonde-haired young woman almost too fast for the naked eye to see. They both seemed to be shrouded in some form of aura or… Magic, but it was too difficult to tell at a glance. "Who are THEY!? And what are they doing fighting here? I don't recognize either of them…" she murmured in wonder as she witnessed the combatants vanish into an alleyway, though their explosive battle could still be heard from miles away. "I could've sworn I'd seen a halo on whoever that was wearing the green, but that can't be Tayshan… right? It didn't look anything like him. And for that matter, where in the world is he…?" the befuddled and immensely worried heroine remarked as she searched the area with her eyes, unable to identify either of the combatants on looks alone. Huh. So, she knew who Tayshan was, but she didn't know what he looked like? Oh, I get a feeling that THIS is going to end poorly… Yet, before any of the group could intervene or gather any additional insight…
"Shantae! Up above! Look out!" Sky called as she yanked the half-genie and the young man known as Bolo out of the way.
"Whohahow!" Shantae yelped as she found herself flung back, though she and Bolo remained on their feet. Within just a second, however, they were greeted with the sudden, voluminous *KAPLARRSSHKSH* of two other women crashing to the ground after a lengthy, turbulent flight that raged through Scuttle Town's skies. One of them dressed in a particularly stylish genie costume with green skin while the other was dressed in cobalt blue Ammonian fatigues, they hit the ground rolling all over each other. Before too long, however, the green woman wound up on top of the other one. She wasted ZERO time pounding away at her enemy with *THWACK* after *THUMP* after startling, vicious *THROCK* of her fist against the red-haired woman's face.
"TAKE THIS! AND THAT! AND THAT! AND SOME OF THESE!" the extremely angry green-skinned woman shouted as she wailed on her adversary while said adversary did her best to defend herself.
"Gah! Gohhagh! Okay! St-Stop! You wi-! AHAGH! I SURRENDER! STOP! STOP!" the other woman pleaded, resorting to covering her face with her arms as best as she could.
"What the…? ROTTYTOPS!? Is that YOU!?" Shantae called, baffled by the sight of someone she knew. Her friends were equally as stunned as they all gawked in collective surprise at the scene unfolding before them. Stopping her merciless assault at the sound of her name being called, the green-skinned zombie perked up and turned around.
"OH! Hi, snack cakes! Glad to see you're back from your trip!" Rotty (whose full name was apparently 'Rottytops') happily greeted, her previous aggression toward that other woman suddenly vanishing as she climbed off her and ran over to hug Shantae with all her heart. "I missed you, babe! You, and Bolo, and Sky, and even grandpa Mimic!"
"Ack…! Y-yeah, we missed you, too…!" Shantae choked out, returning the hug as best as she could before she gestured for her friend to let go. "We would've invited you if we knew where you were. What the heck is going on out here?"
"Yeah, and why are you dressed in that genie costume?" Sky additionally asked.
"Don't you start with me, Sky," Rotty warned, seeming none too fond of the fact that Sky was suspiciously eyeing her up and down.
"No need to be defensive. I was gonna say the outfit was really cute!" she remarked, much to Rotty's pleasant surprise.
"Oh. Well, thanks!"
"Yeah, sure, Rotty looks totally hot in the genie costume. Moving on," Bolo blurted out, wanting to push the conversation along. Of course, his choice of words alarmed both Shantae and Sky as they shared astonished gazes with each other. Meanwhile, the comment wound up nearly sending Rotty's body temperature through the roof as she widened her eyes and blushingly gawked at him. "That lady you were just beating up… She looked familiar…"
"Oh! R-right! That's Nila! She and this other-!"
"I thought that's who she was. She's also getting away," Bolo pointed out, nudging his head toward the woman in question as she clamored to her feet and rushed toward the magic-charged tornado of blows happening between the 'mysterious' halo-adorned man in green and the also mysterious woman in pink.
"Oh! Shoot, shoot, shoot…! You're not slinking out of my sight THAT easily! ZOMBIE ZOOM!" Rotty shouted as she, with another flash of glittering smoke I SWORE was magic, zipped off at the speed of sound after Nila. Within a few seconds, she tackled Nila to the ground and entered yet another tussle with her that ended with Rotty pinning her to the stony road beneath them. Meanwhile, she left her comrades shocked beyond belief.
"…WHAT…" Sky started…
"…THE…" Bolo continued…
"…HECK WAS THAT!? Rotty got a NEW POWER while we were away!?" Shantae finished the question, though neither she nor her friends had any time to ponder it further. Why? Because, with another frightening *KRAPWAARRSH* of an explosion, the other two combatants made their presence known once more. As such, Shantae raced ahead to get an eye on the situation. "These people are making a complete mess of the town! I've GOT to find out what going on here, and then put a stop to it myself…!"
A fair distance across vicinity…
Tayshan and Hashanah were deadlocked in combat, still looking to tear each other to pieces. Or rather, Tayshan was still trying to capture Hashanah while Hashanah was attempting to pull off the amazing feat of killing what was apparently already dead. The evil half-genie launched another magic-charged energy attack at her adversary as she tried to create some distance between them. Unfortunately for her, he swatted it out of the way with a *KATWEEERSH* of his hand against it. As the blast went careening up into the air, the wraith sped up as he cocked a fist. Meanwhile, the magic attack exploded with a *KRAPWAARRSH* in the air, after which it disintegrated into another cloud of purple smoke.
"DO ME A FAVOR AND DISAPPEAR!" Hashanah roared as she fired another magic blast of flames at him with a burning *FWOOORSH*.
"NO CAN DO! TYAAAH!" Tayshan roared with equal intensity as he charged through the next blast as it exploded on him with a deafening *KABWOOORSH*. This hardly slowed his approach, however, as he immediately lunged forth and, with a monstrous electricity-charged *KAPROCKAZKAZAP*, landed quite possibly the MEANEST hook I'd ever seen someone throw.
"GHWAAAGH!" the rogue genie hollered out as she found herself flung a good ten to fifteen YARDS away, jolts of electricity surging through her form for a second as she hit the ground with a painful *PLOSHK*. Tayshan halted his approach soon after landing his attack, though he kept his focus squarely locked on her. His dreadlocks draped over his face, hiding most of its features from view as he stood his ground. Despite being stunned and winded by the shattering impact she took directly in her sizzling stomach, Hashanah somehow found it in herself to wearily climb back to her feet. Glaring hot death at her ghostly adversary, she only grew angrier and angrier at just the sight of him as his body surged with waves of Light and Dark power she believed shouldn't belong to him. "This… This is IMPOSSIBLE…! How in the HECK am I LOSING to him…!? Ghaaaah…!"
"Hah… Hah…" Tayshan panted, a bit winded himself as he stood before Hashanah, striking another battle pose. He was far from done, however, as his energy continued to swirl around him. "Give up yet? Or do you wanna drag this out even LONGER before your own arrogance does you in?"
"Hah… Hahh… Grrgh…! You…! If it's the last thing I do, Nila and I WILL DESTROY you…! I'll destroy you, I'll destroy Shantae, and I'll DESTROY THIS ENTIRE TOWN!" Hashanah venomously threatened, charging both her hands up with copious amounts of Dark Magic, though she appeared worse for wear. As she and her opponent stood against each other in the middle of the ragged town, it became increasingly apparent that both of them had been running each other through the wringer. Both of them were frazzled, their clothes ripped in various spots, and their respective energies flickering as they panted and gasped for air. Neither would submit to the other, and as it appeared, only one of them would be walking out of this fight conscious enough to tell the tale.
"Gah…! Hrrgh…! Even now, you won't just give up on this pointless invasion an' turn yourself in? Fine, then… I was savin' this next move for a certain somebody else, but you ain't leavin' me with another option. Don't say I didn't give you an easier way out after I'm done with you…! HrrrrrrrraaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Tayshan (as we knew him) warned one more time, his voice still emitting that creepy double effect as he entered a wide-legged, grounded stance and began to charge up as much energy as he could. With a sudden, tempestuous *FRWOOOOOSH*, windy, crackling surges of magic emanated off his body like a raging purple-and-blue inferno. Curiously, he tucked one hand at his side and balled it into a fist, chambering it while he extended his other hand, fully flexed, out toward Hashanah like he was taking aim at her. His entire body began to tremble as the stormy winds whipped his hair all over the place and sent debris flying in every direction.
"You must be a COMPLETE MORON if you think I'm really just gonna stand here and let you-!" Hashanah tried to taunt as she raced toward him with the intent to fire a Dark Magic blast at him to knock her enemy out of his focus. Yet, just as she was set to lunge and throw the fireball…
"FROM THE VOID OF DEATH, AN' FOR ALL THE PAIN AN' SUFFERIN' YOU CAUSED… I WILL PUNISH YOU! PHANTOM BLITZ!" he shouted the name of what I presume is some secret forbidden fighting technique…? Whatever it was, it sounded terrifying if it had to do with 'condemnation.' But then, how it looked? That was a whole different story entirely. With a sudden, startling *FWEEEERSH*, Tayshan threw a single punch as hard as he could with his previously chambered fist without being anywhere near Hashanah to actually land it. Initially, I couldn't see anything… It looked like some form of disturbance in the wind as a nearly invisible, fast-traveling shockwave bolted toward Hashanah. In defense of herself, Hashanah flung an energy blast at her opponent's projectile to try and stop it. Yet, with an explosive *KAPWEEERPH*, the shockwave sliced right through her attack.
"What the-! GHAAHAAGH!" Hashanah shouted in evident agony as she, with a sudden *WHOOOOOORSH*, stopped dead in her tracks as the seemingly unstoppable force hit its mark. Suddenly, she found herself completely immobile as the magic surrounding her seemed to vanish completely. "Ghaah… Ahagh… Oooh…" she groaned, staggering about as though she'd lost her senses. This wouldn't last long, however, before a sudden, disembodied *THRACK* sounded out, causing the evil half-genie to jerk backward as though she was hit in the face. This came followed by another dense and equally disembodied *THROCK* that sent her doubling over like she'd been hammered in the stomach. Then another *PLOCK* that sent her stumbling to the side like someone struck her across the face. Then another *PRACK* and *KATHUNK* that caused her to stumble around some more like she was being attacked by some invisible force. Then came another *THOCK*, *PROCK*, and shocking *KATHRASH* that nearly brought her to her knees as she was struck from three other unknown directions. Then another *KRACK*, *PLOCK*, *KATHARCK*, and *PRAPROCK*, each blow seeming to become progressively harder and faster. Soon enough, a sudden CYCLONE of blows from unseen sources came raining all over the hapless half-genie as she was sent stumbling, staggering, and reeling all over the place. Meanwhile, Tayshan had hardly moved from his spot. He returned to his previous stance of aiming his open hand at Hashanah, never breaking his focus from her as he somehow delivered his punishment without even TOUCHING her…
"Ghahgh…! Gotta hold on…!" he urged himself, wincing in what looked like excruciating pain as he began to sweat profusely. His breaths were steady, though they were labored. His energy was still surging, but it seemed like it hurt him to keep it up. Nevertheless, Hashanah continued to suffer the effects of Tayshan's secret technique by way of being attacked by some formless, invisible entity that had a personal grudge against her. After a few seconds that passed by like minutes, however, and with one final *KATHRASH* that locked the weary invader in place, that same invisible force could barely be seen lobbing itself through the air, returning to its source. And the instant it did, Tayshan seemingly vanished with a *FWOOOOSH* in an instant… only to appear RIGHT IN FRONT OF HASHANAH, who was at least TWENTY YARDS AWAY… while NEVER leaving that stance he held while he was powering up. At this point, however, his fingertips were pressed right into the disoriented Hashanah's stomach. Seeming too out of sorts to defend herself further, the half-genie did next to nothing except unwittingly wait for the final blow.
"NO! DON'T YOU DARE! STOP IT!" yelled Nila while she was still struggling to break free of Rottytops's grasp.
"What's happening…?" Shantae could be heard murmuring in shock, though that didn't stop her from getting ready to spring into action as she sifted through the crowd of onlookers and the Palace Guards blockading the immediate area to keep any civilians from getting hurt. Her stomach tightening up, she was all but compelled to approach the combatants to gain enough insight to see how she would intervene. Once she got close enough, however… "That… That's another half-genie…! I have to save her!" she realized and urged herself in the heat of the moment after getting a good look at the weary Hashanah. She could only see Tayshan (who, might I remind you, she DID NOT think was Tayshan) from the back as she entered the scene behind him. Regardless, Shantae drew a conclusion right then and there once she saw Hashanah in trouble and motioned to lend a helping hand to her fellow half-genie. Just as she figured out a way to get past the guards and try to stop the halo-adorned ghost man's attack, however…
"YOU'RE FINISHED! FIST OF THE CONDEMNED! DORYAAAAH!" the wraith shouted as he charged just a bit more energy into his open hand and performed this quick, yet IMMENSELY powerful one-inch punch that hit its mark with a conclusive, energy-fueled, explosive *KAPRAAASH*.
"GHWAAAAHAAAAAAGH!" Hashanah shouted as he was flung back. Before she could hit the ground, however, she froze in midair, an expression of complete pain and despair on her face as an explosion rang out with a *KABOOM* from nowhere. This was followed by another *BOOM* somewhere else on her body. Then another *BLAM*. Then another *KABLANG*. Then another few *BOOMs*. And soon enough, Hashanah's entire body became engulfed in miniature disembodied explosions until one final *KABOOOOOOOM* rocked the vicinity with a momentary flash of white that blinded all who witnessed it. After all was said and done, however, a defeated Hashanah was flung even further back, hitting the stony ground beneath her with a thick *PLOP* on her back.
"NO! HASHANAAAAAH!" Nila shouted, redoubling her efforts to break free from Rotty's grasp. She wouldn't find it so hard this time, however, as Rotty (in addition to literally everyone else) was entirely distracted by the truly bewildering sight in front of them. Shoving Rotty off of her with all her might, Nila picked herself up and rushed over to her injured partner through the crowd. As soon as she got there, she fell to her knees, cradling her in her arms.
At first, the vicinity of the titanic battle was deathly silent, save for the gentle breeze rolling through the humid landscape and Tayshan's fatigue-riddled panting. As moments passed and it became steadily clearer to everyone in the area that the terrific battle was over, citizens began to whisper toward one another as Sequin Land Palace Guards entered the battlefield to bring additional order wherever possible. The whispers soon became open conversation regarding the feat Scuttle Town's residents had just witnessed. And within just a moment or two of that, the people began to cheer profusely.
Boisterous shouts and calls of relief and excitement accompanied by rounds applause abound, it seemed that Scuttle Town's people found themselves grateful that their town had been saved. Palace Guards, however, would be stern in refusing to let citizens approach their ghostly hero in order to keep the compromised area under control. There were few outside of the guards who hadn't been cheering or clapping, of course, two of whom were the distressed Nila and the dazed and defeated Hashanah. They were about to be apprehended by some of the guards, though a sudden shift in attention prevented this from happening right away. That shift in attention came from the sudden development of a certain Half-Genie Hero angrily sprinting past some of the Palace Guards with no form of friendly intent whatsoever.
"Hah… Hah… F-finally… It's ov-!" Tayshan was about to murmur in relief as the energy surrounding him dissipated. He had noticed the changes in the atmosphere, though he would not get much time to immediately enjoy the newly earned peace.
"Shantae, wait! No, that's-!" Rottytops could be heard screaming as she stood a few yards away, warning the half-genie hero of a mistake she was about to make. Her call fell on deaf ears, unfortunately.
"YOU!" Shantae shouted in inconceivable anger as she rushed toward her target, startling the man into turning around to face her. The second he did, however, he immediately took note of Scuttle Town's Guardian Genie blitzing toward him. "You're going to PAY for hurting that poor genie!"
"Huh!? Sh-Shantae!? When did you-!?" Tayshan attempted to address before being met with a sudden, furious *KATHRAASHK* of a jumping wheel kick from Shantae connecting right with his jaw. "GWAAAHAGH!" Tayshan hollered out in unbelievable agony as he was sent hurtling toward the ground. After the initial *THUD* of his body against the stones beneath him, he rolled and slid further along the bumpy terrain. And at that moment, the ENTIRETY of the crowd drew in a collective gasp of complete shock, falling silent once again. Their celebration cut short as abruptly and as… violently as it was, no one knew what to say… or what to do. Even Rotty, who'd a moment ago attempted to tell Shantae not to engage, fell silent as she clasped her hands over her mouth… The only ones not to react with shock were the Palace Guards. Well, most of them WERE shocked, but it seemed like some of them raised their shields and spears in case the imbroglio took another ugly turn…
Okay, that's probably our cue to clear out of here! Whew… That was one HECK of a tour, huh? I'd bet it was, so you don't have to say anything. It looks like we've got to get going. The authorities are gonna handle the situation, and it wouldn't make sense for us to linger here, potentially getting in the way. I hope you enjoy the tour, of course! I know things didn't exactly pan out like they should've, but I hope you got enough info to decide whether or not you'd want to move here! I imagine you're gonna need to wait a while, though because of the town's condition… Huh? What's that? You want to hang around and see just what the heck this mess was all about? And that this was NEVER about you wanting to move here, so much as it was you being curious about the rumors of all the strange happenings around these parts? Okay…? S-sure. I… don't think I'll be paid for that, but… Ah, what the heck? Experience is the BEST reward, anyway! Now, I don't have to feel bad when I tell you I'm not actually a realtor! I just needed someone to talk to about the craziness and confounding calamities that befall this fair and unfortunate port town and its cavalcade of courageous crusaders! Hope you're not mad. Anyway, let's take a short break! When we come back, we'll pick right up where we left off. Sound good? Great! See ya in a few!