Shantae and Triton race their way to the west end of the island. With Shantae's new seer powers, she would be able to conjure up hidden ledges, doors, and treasures on their adventure. And things would go smoothly with Triton by her side. With his newfound powers, he can make things appear for a brief second at the right vocal pitch of his voice.

They reach the far end of the island and find a huge gap in front of them. Triton and Shantae knew that this passage leads to the hidden village called Tree Town. Triton closes his eyes, concentrates and calls to the gap with a single vocal note, causing a soundwave to show a small hidden ledge in the middle of the gap.

Shantae used her seer dance powers to make the ledge appear and the two leap on it and jump to the other side.

"Still think it was a good idea for Plink to keep her powers?" Triton asked. He rushes into the bushes ahead of Shantae. "Cause I'm not regretting her decision."

"Hey! Wait up!" Shantae cried.

Triton raced into the bushes as fast as he could. Some of the dew on the leaves make contact with his skin causing a few scales to appear. "Come on, I thought you were fast," he said. By the time he reached the end of the thick layer of bushes, he slowed down.

Shantae came running after him, seeing him look what lies ahead. She looks too and sees a village huts standing on tree branches. "Wow," she said. "This place looks amazing."

"It sure does," said Triton, rubbing the water off his scales, reverting his skin to normal. "Let's go check it out."

The two approached the village and couldn't believe their eyes. Tree Town was filled with people dressed in floral attire. The huts were all crafted with leaves and branches. Behind them, were three waterfalls roaring in the background. The surroundings of the village were covered with thick layers of trees and bushes, leaving the village hidden from the island.

"Welcome to Tree Town," said one of the villagers. Shantae and Triton approach with curiosity.

"The hidden village?" Triton asked.

"That's right," replied the second villager. She had a lizard wrapped around her shoulders. "I like lizards. What of it?"

"So you keep to yourselves here," said Triton. "I respect that." He gives a clever smirk and Shantae huffs.

"Come on, Triton," she said. "We have work to do."

"Excuse me," said another villager. She approaches with a skirt as red as a tropical flower, a coconut bra, and a floral wreath on top of her head. "The chief would like to see you. He's waiting in his hut."

Shantae and Triton look at each other with concern. They were here for only one minute, and the chief wanted to speak to them. 'What could be so important that the chief would want to see outsiders?' Triton thought. They enter the hut in the center of the village to see a big man silently sobbing.

The chief took notice of the outsiders and stood up from his throne. "Who are you?" he asked. "How did you find our village?" He takes notice of Shantae and realizes something. "Oh, you're a half genie." He turns his attention to Triton. "Are you a half genie too?"

Triton puffed with arms crossed, "I wish."

Shantae elbowed him in his gut. "You'll have to excuse my friend," she said. "He doesn't go out much. So he doesn't know how to communicate with others properly."

"Then you're a half genie just like my daughter, Vera," said the chief. He started to weep. "My sweet Vera. She was taken by those things!"

Triton was most concerned when he said that. "Things?" he asked. "What things are you talking about?"

The chief remained silent, until he spoke up again. "For many years, my people have been forced to hide. From the things that live down below. Those monsters fear the sunlight. But when the sun sets, they come to the surface. They take refuge in the ghostly fog that magically appears. Those who are taken, are never seen again."

The chief started to choke up on his tears and Triton looked down on his hand. Knowing what lives down there made Triton assume that the chief's daughter was taken by the sirens. And by living down in the caves for years, made Triton a bit angry and hurt for unintentionally being called a monster.

"Please go," said the chief. "Enjoy the safety of the sunlight. Dance and have fun. My heart is with my daughter."

Triton and Shantae leave quietly as the chief wept. "That poor man," said Shantae. "He must really love his daughter." She looks at Triton, seeing him look at his hand. "Triton, are you okay?"

"He said the things that live down below are monsters," he said. "Shantae, I'm not a monster am I?"

Shantae gets in front of his face as he looks up to her blue eyes. "Of course not," she replied. "Triton, you may have lived in those caves, but that shouldn't make you a monster."

"I don't even know what I am," said Triton. "How can you be so sure I'm not one of those things down there?"

Shantae takes her hand and places it on his shoulder. "Because you would have never joined me on this adventure," she replied.

The two lock eyes at wonder and concern. Triton felt his heart skip a beat at the kindness Shantae is giving him. Something he denied for so long. He takes his hand and places it on hers. He smiles warmly at Shantae, and she smiles back.

Then, their moment was ruined by a call from one of the villagers. "Hey down there!" They look up at one of the branches and find two villagers up there. "You two seem like the kind of people who like to dance."

The two climbed up to the villager and he continued talking. "As tree villagers, we take great pride in our dancing skills. You two should participate in the dance hall."

Shantae and Triton enter the dance hall and find the attendant there. "Excuse me," said Triton. "The villager outside said that this is where people dance, right?"

"That's correct," said the attendant. "The dance parlor is open to all. Show us what you got."

Triton grew very nervous. He never danced before, so he wasn't sure he could even do it. He didn't know how to tell Shantae.

And then, she came out in a floral attire. She wore a red grass skirt with a floral belt, attached with a gold buckle. She wore a coconut bra with floral wristbands. And wore a floral wreath with tropical leaves sticking out.

"What do you think?" Shantae asked.

Triton didn't know what to say. This was the first time he saw a girl dressed in floral attire. Standing with pride, beauty, and wonder. But something in his head told him that this was another example of being nice. But this time, he didn't feel the need to be nice. He wanted to be nice.

"You look amazing," he said. "Just like all the other villagers here."

Shantae blushed, "Thanks Triton." She pulls out another grass skirt in his size. "I picked out this one for you too."

Triton's eyes of wonder shifted to fear. "Uh no- no thanks," he said. "I don't dance."

"Oh come on," said Shantae. She grabbed his hands and pulled him to the dance floor. "It's fun."

But Triton pulled his hands back to him and he jumped back. "I've never danced," he said. His arms were crossed and his face buried in his chest.

Shantae could see that he wasn't comfortable with dancing yet. So she decided to give him his space. "Alright," she said. "You don't have to if you don't want to. You can just watch."

Triton turned back to Shantae and gave her a smile. "Thanks Shantae. I appreciate that."

So Shantae struck a starting pose. As the music began, she began to sway her hips back and forth. The music's pace quickened, and so did her dancing. Triton was most impressed to see her dance for fun instead of magic.

Shantae was quick on her feet, and focused hard on the postures. Every pose she made brought in another villager to watch her performance. Soon after, the whole village was watching the half genie dance. Everyone, except for the chief of course.

Triton looked around to see no sign of him. So he took it upon himself to hopefully cheer him up. He leaves the dance hall and returns to the chief's hut.

The chief is standing with his hands behind his back. He looked out the window to see the sunlight beaming on him with tearlines drying up on his face. Triton could see that the chief was distraught. "It's hopeless," he said. "I'll never see my daughter, Vera, again."

It reminded him of his days in his cove. When he's not feeling angry, he feels sad when he's all alone. He thought of the first thing he could say.

"You know," he began. "I never knew who my parents were." He walked inside to get a better look. "I spent my first memories wondering if they were still out there, or if I'm ever going to see them again." The chief turns his attention to Triton.

"But after a while," he continued. "I came to terms with the fact that they weren't coming at all, or if I had parents." The chief looks down in sadness. Knowing he is starting to lose him with his story, Triton keeps his spirit sounding high.

"But there's only one thing that keeps me going," said Triton. "The only thing that links me to my past is this melody." He gets in the center of the hut, warms up his throat, and closes his eyes. Focusing on nothing, but his voice.

He started to sing softly, bringing the attention of the chief. Triton's hymns had a pint of hope within his voice. The song he sang made the chief smile with tears of joy dripping out of his eyes. Triton sang louder and louder, attracting the attention of the entire village. Shantae was among the crowd when she heard him singing.

"Hear the Words of this powerful Song/ And remember them all day long.

Lose your sorrows, lose your tears/ Remain hopeful all your years.

Hope for wonder, hope's in sight/ Hope for happiness with all your might.

End the fire, end the dire,/ Sing with strength, our perfect light."

Never before had she heard such beautiful singing. And she even sang a few songs of her own. She dug through the crowd and reached Triton's spotlight. She slowly walked up to Triton, who was still singing. Triton sees Shantae and the two lock eyes. Triton kept on singing, and Shantae gave a small light blush.

"The world was young, the ocean's clean/ No stain yet on the reef once seen

No words were laid on stream or stone/ When our sun woke, and walked alone.

Rays shine the shine-less hills and delves/ They find creatures from shadowed wells

They set and watched with no fear/ as a crown of stars appeared

The gems upon the midnight thread/ above the shadows of their head."

Triton started to sing softly again, bringing an end to his symphony.

"Hear the Words of this powerful Song/ And remember it all day long.

Lose the sorrows, lose the tears/ And remain hopeful all your years.

Hope for wonder, hope's in sight/ Hope for happiness with all your might.

End the fire, end the dire,/ Sing with strength, our perfect light."

The crowd burst into applause and tears. Shantae swooned at the end of his song. The chief had another tear run down his face. But it wasn't a tear of despair. It was a tear of hope. Triton's symphony made his heart as strong as a rock. He looked out his hut window, this time with determination.

"My chief," said the villager. "These outsiders have proven that they carry true hope in their hearts. There is a special joy to be found in his vocal chords, and her strange wiggly movements. Joy that gives us hope for tomorrow, that transcends even strict content rating thresholds. But most of all, it gives us courage to face our fears!"

The villagers chant, "Smile chief. Smile for your daughter."

Before long, the chief turned to them slowly. "She… Is…" and in an instant, the chief smiled at his subjects, Triton, and Shantae. "RIGHT!" The villagers cheered at their chief, smiling again.

"I must not mourn my daughter," he said. "She is still alive! I can feel it deep in my heart." He turns to Triton and Shantae. "Outsiders, thank you for this gift of hope. Take this as a token of my gratitude."

The chief gives them an old key, which the chief labeled a useless object. "Oh thank you," said Triton.

"That is a useless object," said the chief. "It was a gift to me from my own father. I do not like it, it serves no purpose. But I believe that you will give it one."

Triton smiled at the key, "Perhaps we'll give it one sooner than you think," he said. "And don't worry. We will find your daughter. I promise."

"See you later chief," said Shantae.

The two exit the chief's hut and make their way out of the village. Shantae couldn't help but smile at Triton even more. Especially since she heard him singing.

"That was incredible singing," she said. "How come you never told me?"

"I just assumed everyone was good at singing," replied Triton. "Back in my cave, when a pod of whales are nearby, I sing hello to them. And they sing back to me. I may not be a good dancer, but that doesn't mean I'm not good at other things."

"You know, you don't have to give up on dancing," said Shantae. "I could teach you the basics."

Triton smiled, thinking how exciting it would be to dance. "I would like that," he replied. "But first, we need to find the other half genies, and quickly."

The two come across another hatch. Like the one Risky blew up before. But it was unharmed, and it was locked. Triton looked at the key the chief gave them and smiled.

"I think we know how to put this key to good use," he said.

"Here goes nothing," said Shantae.

Triton and Shantae climb on top of the hatch, use the key to unlock it, and the door suddenly swings open.

"Last one in is a rotten barnacle," said Triton as he jumped in the hatch. Shantae followed him shortly after.


Meanwhile, back in the dark depths. The mysterious creatures gathered together again for another meeting. They all looked to the tall leader, who growled under her breath. The dark figures trembled in fear.

"What do you mean they're happy?" She asked. "I gave you a basic spell to make the tree villagers feel hopeless!" She throws a rock at the scared group. They duck out of the way, and the rock hits a loose stalactite.

"I don't know," said one of the shadowed creatures. They spot a crab that comes in from a secret hole and clips in morse code. The creatures watched and listened. Then, they realize what the crab said. "They're in the tree village," said the creature.

The crab makes more morse code, following up what it saw. "What is it saying now?" asked the leader.

"The hybrid counteracted the spell," said the second shadowed creature. "He was singing in the village and unknowingly broke the spell."

The leader started to calm down. "Where is he now?" She asked.

The crab kept clattering away, giving them the location of the two hybrids. "He says that they're entering the mossy biome," said the first shadowed creature. "I can cut them off from there."

The leader slowly walks up to the creature and shadows over them. "Failure is not an option," she said. "Capture the half genie. Lock her up with the others. Then, bring me the second hybrid. He is vital to our plan. Fail me, and you're on the menu for tonight." She smacks her lips showing them how hungry she is.

The creature gulps and leaves the dark cave. The rest of the creatures look at one another with concerns. 'Let's hope she has more luck than Water Lily,' they thought.


Back in the caves, Shantae and Triton tread the mossy terrain with caution. One false step, and they could slip and hit their heads. Triton took off his flip flops to get a much better grip on the terrain. As Shantae took a leap over a chasm, she almost slipped and fell. Luckily, Triton grabbed her hand just in time. He pulled her up and she slipped into his arms.

Shantae and Triton blush as they look at each other, then they let go. "Uh, thanks Triton," she said.

"You're welcome," said Triton. "Just watch your step from now on, Tailwhip."

The two share a quick laugh, then Triton catches a scent in the wind. "Hmm," said Triton. "I smell something, Shantae. And it's close by." Triton takes the lead and Shantae follows close by.

The duo climb high and low, encountering difficult obstacles and passing out of reach pathways. Shantae looks to Triton, seeing how much he has done to help her get her friends back. Triton looks to Shantae, seeing how much the half genie has changed him for the better. But their adventure was far from over.

The two reach a dead end, and Shantae is worried that they're now lost in the tunnels. "Oh great," she said. "Now where do we go?"

Triton sniffed a bit more, then placed his face on the wall. "The smell is coming from the other side," he said. "It smells human."

"Eh? Is there someone on the other side of the wall?" asked a familiar voice.

"Uncle?" Shantae asked. Yep, the voice behind the wall is Shantae's Uncle Mimic

"Shantae? Is that you? What are you doing behind the wall?" Mimic asked.

"Wait, that's your uncle?" Triton asked.

Mimic was shocked to hear an unfamiliar voice next to Shantae's. "Who is that? Shantae, is he friend or foe?"

"He's a friend Uncle," said Shantae. "The voice is my new friend, Triton. He helped me find a way out of the caverns."

"Oh thank goodness," said Mimic. "I've been looking for you since you fell from sight."

"Don't worry," said Triton. "I broke her fall when she fell in my home."

"Good," said Mimic. "Anyway, I have something for you Shantae. It may help you find those other girls." He takes out what looks like a valve and spots an opening at the bottom of the wall. He struggles to get it through all the way, but Triton helped him by pulling it out from the other end.

Triton and Shantae observe the valve given to them. "What's this thing?" Shantae asked.

"It looks like a valve," replied Triton.

That's because it is a valve handle," said Mimic. "Folks have been using them to solve water-themes puzzles for years. It's tradition in these parts."

"If you say so," said Shantae.

"Don't worry Mimic," said Triton. "We'll find the other half genies as fast as we can. And then, we can properly introduce ourselves." The two take the valve and make their way deeper into the mossy biome.

They come across a water filled room, and find a passage up to another area of the tunnels. But the way up is impossible to reach, even with Shantae's newt dash. And there were no hidden platforms to use to get up there. But at the far end of the room, they find a device that changes the water levels.

They climb up the wall leading to the device and use the valve handle to raise the water level. The water rises to the point where they can reach the platform leading to the next passageway of tunnels, leading to the coal mine.

As they continue through the tunnels, Triton gets another whiff of another familiar stench. He follows the stench to a vent not far from where he stood. "I'm picking up another scent," he said.

"What is it?" Shantae asked.

"It smells like it's coming from over there," replied Triton. "I can climb in the vents. It might even be the shortcut we'll need to find the next half genie."

"I'm not so sure about that," said Shantae. "I don't like crawling through tight spaces all the time."

"Do you have a case of claustrophobia?" Triton asked.

"No," replied Shantae. "It's just that vents can get really dirty. And these are good clothes."

Triton shrugged it off. "It's okay," he said. "I'm not asking you to go through the vents with me. I'll go through these vents and I'll see you on the other side." He climbs up to the vents and gives Shantae the okay signal, indicating he'll be alright. Shantae nodded and went on her way.

As Triton crawled through the vents, he kept sniffing like a hungry shark hunting for food. The farther he went, the hotter it got. He could see through slats of a vent and could see the boilers. 'That explains the heat,' he thought. And so he kept on crawling.

Eventually, he climbed out of the vent, which led him to an open area. As he climbed down, he could feel in his hidden scales that he was not alone. He took a deep breath and looked around slowly. He changes directions in a swift manner, then hears a bit of chuckling from above.

"You're not that hard to detect," he said. "Your scent of gunpowder is a clear giveaway." He looks behind him to see a human figure looming over him like a snake. "Ain't that right? Pirate?"

The pirate jumps down, revealing herself to be Risky Boots. Once again, the pirate and the sea creature stood toe to toe with one another.

"You've got quite the talent for a runt," she said.

Triton started to circle the pirate captain. "Guess Shantae was wrong," said Triton. "You weren't behind the half genie abductions this whole time. It turns out, there are creatures called sirens, living beneath this island."

"Ooh," grinned Risky. "Someone's been doing his homework." She draws her sword and casually drags it on the ground making small sparks. "But you still have much to learn, little guppy. That's why I'd like to evoke this little parley."

Triton stood his ground circling her as she explained her findings. "The true rulers of this island are not the landlubbers up above. These sirens were the first inhabitants to rule these parts. The books from topside say there are seven sirens in total. But history in the markings I've found tell a different story."

A tinkerbat gives Risky a lit torch and shows him the wall behind them. The wall shows a large siren encircled by seven more. "There are actually eight sirens. Five reign over their domains. One of whom they never speak. One runaway, and the eighth: A traitor. Sailors say the eighth siren was hunted down by pirates before my time." Risky marvels at the tale of how ruthless pirates were. "Such great treasure hunters."

"I may know more about these sirens than you ever will," said Risky, now pointing her sword at Triton. "But you. You are special."

"You don't know anything about me," said Triton.

"You don't know where you came from?" asked Risky "How you came to be? And you smell very fishy…"

Triton stood his ground, "But if you want to save your half genie friends," mocked Risky. "You'll have to destroy all the sirens."

"I don't even want to fight all the sirens," said Triton. "What they do is of no concern to me." He locks his arms into a fighting stance, glaring down at the pirate. "But if you want to stand in my way, I'll gladly oblige you."

Risky just laughed. "I told you I wanted a parley," she said. She sheathes her sword and prepares to leave. "I have no intention of fighting you, yet. Those sirens can do what they want to the half genies. I have no intention of capturing them. I'm after the real treasure. " She and her tinkerbats prepare to leave the cave. But she turned around and said, "But, remember what I said, kid. I believe you are more valuable than you know. Tah-ta."

Risky jumps high in the air, leaving Triton all alone in the cave. He turns to see the illustration of the eight sirens. Gazing at the mighty beasts, and remembering what Risky said, Triton started to wonder. "Why was the eighth siren not mentioned?" He then thought about what Risky said about the real treasure being on the island. But he shook his head, "That treasure is none of my business either."

Then, a locked door could be heard from behind Triton. It was Shantae opening up the door. Triton turned around with a smile on his face. "So glad you could accompany me again, Shantae," he said.

"My pleasure," she replied. "So did you find out where that smell was coming from?"

"I did," said Triton. "It turns out, I found Risky exploring the caves. The smell of gunpowder was a dead giveaway for pirates. Anyway, she found this mural here."

He points to the mural behind him, making Shantae gaze in magnificence. "Wow, what are those creatures?" she asked.

"They're the sirens that live on this island," replied Triton. "And it turns out, these murals hold more history than the books topside. In fact, there's a total of eight sirens on this island. And one of them was slain by pirates years ago."

"You think this has anything to do with why Risky Boots is down here?" Shantae asked.

"Nope," replied Triton. "She said something about finding the real treasure on this island."

"Did she tell you what the real treasure is?" asked Shantae.

"She didn't even talk to me," he lied. He didn't want her to know that she interacted with him and didn't fight. "But she's not after the half genies, so that's a plus." The two leave the cavern leaving the mural where it stands.


In the next room, the two were in more luck than they realized. They find another half genie locked up in the same cage like the one Plink was in. And this half genie was none other than the Tree village's chief's daughter, Vera.

"Vera!" Shantae called out. "Are you alright?"

Vera wasn't in her state of mind, and grunted instead of giving a straight answer.

"Hey, snap out of it!" called Triton.

Vera then instantly snapped out of her trance. "Huh? Wh-where am I? Was I asleep?"

"Possibly," replied Triton. "But long story short, you were captured during a festival."

"Hang on," said Shantae. "We'll get you out." Shantae and Triton used their strength and teamwork to open Vera's cell. They open the bars long enough for Vera to escape. "Seems like this prison was designed to put you under."

"Most likely," replied Triton. "It smells fishy around here, so I'm thinking a siren was here trying to keep Vera under a spell."

"It's weird," said Vera. "I don't feel that tired anymore. It's like it's magic or something."

"Maybe," said Shantae. "But let's not be sure until we actually know what's going on.

"Well thank you two anyway," said Vera. "For saving me." She then notices Triton. "Hey Shantae, who is this dude?"

"My name is Triton," he said. "And we're here to get you out."

"Cool," said Vera. "Hey Shantae, take this as a token of appreciation."

Shantae takes from Vera what looks like another fusion coin like the one Plink gave her. It shows a conch headed creature that has the inscription, 'Gastro Drill'

"Huh," said Triton. "Another fusion coin. What does that do Vera?"

"It will allow Shantae to transform into the Gastro Drill," she replied. "These creatures burrow from the dirt below our feet. Using these abilities could locate the source of evil in this place."

"Right," said Triton. "Just like what Plink said to us. Come on, Shantae. We've got a lot of digging to do."

"I promise to do my very best," replied Shantae.

"You don't have to tell me twice," said Triton looking away to the hidden audience. "Let's just go. Vera, you can find the exit by following the unlocked doors from here. We'll catch up with you when this is over."

"You got it," saluted Vera. Then, she teleports away using her genie magic.

Close by, Shantae and Triton find a patch of sand that looks safe to dig. Shantae transforms into a gastro drill and Triton follows close by, digging a bit wider for him to crawl through.

"Dig a hole, dig a hole," he muttered. "Dig a hole, dig a hole."

As they dig far from where they found Vera, they soon find themselves standing in front of another large door. Just like the one where they faced the Water Lily Siren. The two face one another with determination and nod. They open the door and slowly walk in.

As the doors closed behind them, the room grew a bit darker. The two hybrids were having trouble trying to find their way through. "Triton," said Shantae. "Where are you? It's dark here, I can barely see anything."

"I'm over here," said Triton. "Just follow my voice, and stay close to me." He blinks his eyes adjusting to the darkness. Another thing he is capable of doing in caves is seeing in the dark. "I can see a bit better in the dark than you can."

"You only can do that because you're used to the dark." Shantae tripped over what felt like a large vine and was about to fall. Only for her to fall on Triton's chest, and be caught in his arms. Triton could feel her breathing, and Shantae blushed when she looked up at his dim lit face..

"When I said stay close to me, I didn't mean fall into my arms," he said with a chuckle.

"Oh ha ha, very funny." said Shantae. "I just fell on another vine."

Triton looks down at the vine, and using his nocturnal vision, he sees something out of the ordinary. "That's not a vine," he said. "It looks like a wire."

"You bet your sandy soles it is," said a looming voice.

Then, the room instantly lit up, showing Shantae and Triton a giant contraption in front of them. Above them was another siren. She looked more human and small in size. But she is highly intelligent given how highly advanced the machine looks. She wore glasses, and a coral helmet that shows one eye to cover the top half of her face.

"You two were lucky to make it this far," said the siren. "But now it's time to stop you where you stand." She puts on her coral helmet and closes the latch on her machine. She enters the center of the robot, revealing a glass hatch that only reveals the coral helmet's eye. The robot gets into a fighting stance. "Like I always say, if you want something done right, use a giant robot."

"And like I always say," said Triton. "The bigger they are, the harder they fall." He gets into a fighting stance along with Shantae and the two prepare for another fight.

The two hybrids dash ahead to make a direct attack on the robot. But before they could lay a punch on them, the siren pushes them back with its mighty robot fist. Then, the siren started launching live bombs at them.

They dodged as fast as they could, but couldn't get out of the blast radius. The blast takes them to the wall, and the siren starts revving up to charge at one of the hybrids. She targets Triton first, and the robot bursts its way across the room.

Triton regains consciousness just in time before the robot could flatten him against the wall. He dodges at the last second then starts punching and kicking the machine. Shantae regains consciousness and attacks the robot on the opposite side. The siren breaks free from her impact zone and retreats to the other end of the room.

"What are we going to do, Triton?" Shantae asked. "That robot is really strong."

"It looks as tough as a crab," said Triton. And that's when he got an idea. "That's it."

"I like that look you got," said Shantae. "What's the plan?"

"Crabs molt easily out of their shells if they crack in the right place," said Triton "So if we focus on the weak spot on the robot, we can defeat the siren much faster than we are right now."

"Okay," said Shantae. "So where's the weak spot?"

Triton points to the heart of the robot, at the glass hatch. "If you could spin me around with your ponytail, shoot me straight at the robot's glass hatch, I can make a high pitch scream to break it open."

Shantae nodded, then looked down at where Triton was standing. A patch of sand like the patch they dug through. "I may have an idea of my own," she said. "Distract her."

Triton nodded and started waving his arms at the siren. "You know," he said. "You're pretty smart. But also weak!"

The siren stopped in her tracks when Triton started speaking. "What did you say?"

"A real warrior would use their raw strength to face their enemies," said Triton. "I'd say I fit the description."

"You think you're so tough," said the siren. "Well I'm the smartest out of all of the sirens!"

"You may be smart," said Triton. "But deep down, you know you're puny and weak to fight."

Triton's last statement made the robot boil, then lunged at him. "I am not PUNY!" the siren shouted.

"Looks like I struck a nerve," he said. "Your robot may be all big, bulky, and well equipped…" He slowly reaches the recently dug up spot, thanks to Shantae. "But inside that hulk of a bot, you're just a small pathetic seahorse."

That insult really got to the siren. Inside her robot, she started to steam up. Then she started fighting Triton, blindly throwing punches and bombs at the young lad. Then, she launches the robot in the air to dive and attack him where he stands. But as he dodged out of the way, she got stuck in a small ditch.

As the sirens struggle to get out, Shantae starts to whip her ponytail in the air. Triton grabs onto the tip and swings along with it. At her highest momentum, she launches Triton into the air and at the Siren's glass hatch. He makes a high pitched screech, breaking the glass and he darts into the robot.

Triton tears the robot apart from the inside, causing minor explosions. Then in a chain reaction, the robot started making bigger explosions and he had to escape the robot. But just as he was about to leave, the weakened siren removed her helmet and said, "You are the key…"

Before he could ask any more, the siren's robot blew up, and Triton was clear from the blast. Shantae cheered in celebration of their second victory, but Triton was left puzzled.

What did that siren mean when she said he was the key? And was this what Risky meant when she believed him to be valuable? He had so many questions, and so little time.

"All clear Triton," said Shantae. "That was incredible!"

"Yeah," said Triton. "It was. Let's get out of here." Shantae nodded and the two made their way out of the siren's lair.


Meanwhile, back in the dark lair, the leader of the mysterious creatures was looming over another mural. The mural was too dark to see, but the creature just grinned with delight. It showed the nocturnal glow in her eyes, like the ones Triton has. "It's only a matter of time," she said. "Soon, he will be mine. And our plan will succeed."