Shantae: The Eternal Spirit Chronicles

by IllusoryNomad

Following Shantae's latest crusade against the forces of evil, a new Relic is revealed that has the power to LITERALLY change (or even DESTROY) the lives of all who come into contact with it! Added to the emergence of a rogue, vengeful half-genie, as well as the unwelcome return of a certain marauding Pirate Queen, the Half-Genie Hero and company must spring into action once again!

2. Rejuvenating Reconnection

Chapter 2: Rejuvenating Reconnection

Alright, we're back! Hope you got everything you needed for that break before we continued. Now, last we left off, we had just watched what seemed to be the tail end of a nightmarish assault on Scuttle Town by a duo of domineering, dastardly debutantes by the names of Admiral Nila (of Ammonian affiliation) and Hashanah, a rogue half-genie who, as we learned, had taken a path of darkness to achieve her goal of seeking retribution. As far as we knew, they were bent on the destruction of Scuttle Town and its heroes. Thankfully, they were thwarted by the brave and selfless acts of… NOT Shantae, but someone who, now that I think of it, had a name JUST LIKE hers… A mysterious magic-powered ghost man (or wraith, as he called himself) named Tayshan, and who we presumed to be his trusty partner Rottytops, the reanimated corpse of a girl we can only presume was also a half-genie…? I think? Not sure. Whatever the case, Tayshan and Rottytops saved the day and were met with uproarious applause from everyone… except Shantae herself, who'd recently returned from some sort of vacation to be 'welcomed' back into her home with the chaos that ensued in the modest port town. Seeming not to have had the full context of the situation, Shantae approached Tayshan as an enemy just after he'd finished dealing with rogue half-genie Hashanah, and she swiftly belted him across the face with a powerful kick. The surprise attack wound up stunning everyone in the area as they tried to make sense of the encounter. What followed after that startling turn of events, you may ask? Well, let's go ahead and see…

"Whoever you are, you're going to learn that when you mess with ONE half-genie, you're messing with ALL of us! Now, stand up and fight!" Shantae heroically challenged as she stood tall at the center of town, entering her battle pose with the full intention of protecting her kin from further harm. As far as she was concerned, anyone who could manage the feat of besting a half-genie in battle was automatically considered highly dangerous. Though it took a moment for the ghost man she'd kicked to recover, he eventually brought himself to a knee, clutching his aching cheek. Curiously, he didn't get up with any intent to fight…

"Grrrgh…! Oww…!" Tayshan grumbled, rubbing his face to relieve the searing pain in his face as he opened an eye to shoot a disapproving glare at the woman who'd just kicked the living daylights out of him… and wouldn't you know it? His eye… was GOLD again! Yet, that wasn't even the most shocking part… "I know my hair's changed, but don't you recognize YOUR OWN BOYFRIEND when ya see him, Shantae!? Jeez! I'm the ONLY person in this entire town with a HALO over his head! Come on, now!" he further griped, thus confirming it that he and Shantae… were a COUPLE!? What the heck!? Nobody ever told me she had a boyfriend! When the heck did THIS happen!? And how did he become a ghost!? Or rather… was he ALWAYS a ghost?

"Wait… Are… Are you SERIOUS!? TAY-TAY!? Is that REALLY YOU, honey!?" Shantae called in a mixture of surprise, endearment… and regret that INSTANTLY set in once she realized she apparently failed to recognize her boyfriend, jumped to an erroneous conclusion, and then KICKED HIM IN THE FACE over said conclusion. As such, she completely dropped her fighting stance and clasped a hand to her cheek.

"Aw, come on! Don't call me all that in public!" 'Tay-Tay' complained some more, his face contorting into… into… wow, the absolute most ADORABLE pout as his cheeks flushed red in complete embarrassment. Huh… "An' yes, it's me. Do I really look THAT different after just a week o' you bein' away?"

"No, no, I just thought you were someone else because of all the commotion! I'm sorry, babe! Come here, let me-!" Shantae was about to remark, racing toward Tayshan to make it up to him for ambushing him. However, two Palace Guards quickly intercepted her, towering over her with the obvious height difference between them. They wound up blocking her path as they held their spears toward her. "Wha? H-hey! What's the big idea?" she asked the guards in confusion.

"Yet again, you cause more trouble than necessary, half-genie!" the guard spat in what definitely appeared to be displeasure. "You are under arrest for assaulting an officer of the law and obstructing justice! Put your hands up where we can-!"

"Yo, yo, chill!" Tayshan pleaded, climbing to his feet and intercepting the guards before they could arrest Shantae. "Ain't no need for all that, fellas!"

"No need? She just assaulted you and compromised our investigation! She is therefore a heinous criminal, and-!"

"She's also Scuttle Town's REAL Guardian Genie," Tayshan firmly rebutted, reminding his apparent colleagues who they were dealing with. "What happened a second ago was just an accident. I promise. Besides, the criminals we should be worried about are over… uh-oh…" Tayshan trailed off as he pointed toward Nila and Hashanah. With a sudden *KAPWEEEERSH*, several Palace Guards were blown off their feet, hitting the ground with a series of hard, metallic *THUDs* and *THWANGs* as a shockwave coursed through the area. In the center of the commotion was an injured Hashanah, who'd had her arm slung over a weary Nila. "Darn it…!" Tayshan cursed, racing toward Hashanah and Nila alongside the two guards with the intent to stop them. Though alarmed, Shantae followed suit. "You two! Go on an' help secure the area! I'll detain the suspects!" he further ordered his armored comrades while pointing his fingers in opposing directions toward preoccupied guards and terrified citizens alike.

"Affirmative, sir," one of the guards acknowledged as both of them obeyed his command. Splitting off in opposite directions, the Palace Guards quickly took up their respective tasks in keeping the townsfolk and their fellow guards safe from further harm. Meanwhile, Tayshan halted his approach just a few yards away from the aforementioned suspects and prepared himself.

"Y'all still ain't learned your lesson yet!?" he shouted at them, a sudden *FWOOOSH* of a bluish-white magic aura enveloping him as he anticipated his enemies' next move.

"You…! You win THIS time, Tayshan the Tenacious, but mark my words…! You haven't seen the last of us! We WILL have our revenge!" Hashanah vowed, shocking Shantae beyond belief.

"Hey, hold on! Why did you attack Scu-!?" Shantae attempted to ask as Hashanah seemed to be building up power.

"And YOU, Shantae… Oh, I've got a whole DIFFERENT bone to pick with YOU!" Hashanah further threatened, shocking Scuttle Town's Guardian Genie once again.

"Till next time, ASSASSIN!" Nila further spat at Tayshan as a sudden, intense *VWOOOOOORSH* of an arcane dark purple energy surrounded the two girls. Taken aback by the sudden energy surge and accompanying, violent *WHOOOORSH* of sweltering, swirling gale force winds, Shantae and Tayshan shielded their faces with their arms. They attempted to advance upon the hostile genie and Ammonian affiliate, though it would serve little use as they found it incredibly difficult to brave the magic-borne maelstrom. Within few seconds, and with an instantaneous *TWEEEEERSCH*, Hashanah and Nila vanished in a cloud of black smoke, escaping the scene and leaving everyone to wonder just what the heck happened. Just as suddenly, the whirling cyclone came to a screeching halt, leaving the dust and debris to settle wherever it would land.

"Shoot…! They got away…" Tayshan lamented as he straightened himself up and powered down. Accordingly, the magic glow around him dissipated in an instant.

"…So, wait… I get it that that strawberry blonde-haired girl was another half-genie, but why did she attack Scuttle Town? And why was NILA of all people helping her?" Shantae asked for confirmation as she also straightened herself up, this time looking to her boyfriend for answers. "And… did we just see that half-genie use DARK MAGIC!?"

"Yeah, it's… kind of a mess," Tayshan confirmed with a sigh and nod, though he seemed not to be very happy about the development. "It's gonna take a lot of explainin', but the most important piece of it is that the other half-genie's name is Hashanah. She was apparently the Guardian Genie o' the Inseam Municipality," he further explained. "Apparently, she was relieved o' her duties after Risky Boots's an' Ammo Baron's attack on the city five months ago. There's more detail to it, but in short, she blames me for supposedly 'stealin' her thunder' in tryin' t' stop Risky that day, an' she hates you for reasons she wouldn't even give me. Nila, as you can imagine, has a massive grudge against me because o' the Baron Desert Disaster, an' she's been no stranger t' expressin' her desire t' get revenge since then. This was the first time I'd seen her get help from somebody else, though."

"Oh… Ohh, boy… Just when I thought I'd made ENOUGH enemies on Paradise Island…" Shantae mused in apparent exhaustion as Sky, Bolo, Rottytops, and Mimic approached them. They were accompanied by a different pair of guards who'd sought to ensure the safety of their apparent leader.

"I've got it covered from here, y'all," Tayshan advised his Palace Guard comrades. "Mind helpin' the others t' recover an' get the city back in order? We'll regroup for debriefing back at the headquarters."

"You have our word, sir," one of the guards respectfully obeyed, shocking Shantae and the others.

"Copy. Good work out there, by the way, Captain. We knew you were good, but MAN, did you handle yourself out there! That was impressive! Not every day where we see someone go toe-to-toe with one of those obnoxious, overpowered genies and actually hold their own, much less WIN. If only more of us had your kind of power and resolve…" the other guard remarked, simultaneously complimenting Tayshan and insulting Shantae. Speaking of whom…

"HEY! What exactly is THAT-!?" Shantae was about to go off, clearly unhappy with the Palace Guard's inconsiderate words.

"Like I've been sayin', Omar, CHILL with the genie comments," Tayshan sternly replied to avoid conflict as he glared at who I presume was his subordinate. "I thought I was clear when I said WILL NOT tolerate discrimination in my unit. ESPECIALLY not in front of Scuttle Town's Guardian Genie… who, might I remind you, is my girlfriend. Understood?"

"Ah… R-right, I forgot about that… Er, y-yes, sir," the guard, evidently named Omar, repentantly voiced his understanding as he glanced around for a moment.

"Good," the wraith accepted as he eased his facial expression. "Now, let's move on an' start gettin' this mess cleaned up as soon as we can. Who even knows how many other messes we've had t' clean up in this week alone… The more proactive we are, the better."

"You speak the truth," Omar agreed with a nod. "We'll catch you later, Captain," he further bade with a salute.

"Have a good evenin', fellas. Oh, an' tell little Marissa I said hello, O!" Tayshan warmly bade with a salute of his own.

"She'd be happy to know her hero took note of her!" Omar happily acknowledged as he and the other guard excused themselves to help the other guards up to their feet and begin assessing the town for damages. Soon after, Tayshan turned his attention to Shantae and the gang.

"Sooo… Welcome back, everybody!" he properly greeted with a grin and wave. "Uh… This wasn't exactly my idea o' how t' greet y'all… Sorry…"

"No sweat, dude," Bolo laughingly acknowledged as he and the wraith shook hands. "It seems like your hands were a little full, so we can understand you not necessarily being ready for our return."

"Yeah, and even if you DID prepare something, we'd be too bushed to fully appreciate it anyway," Sky additionally remarked with a grin as she moved to offer the dreadlocked man a warm and affectionate hug. "We're okay with just a regular ol' 'Welcome Home' this time around."

"The way you say that, I'm guessin' your vacation was busier than you expected it to be?" Tayshan curiously prodded as he and Sky separated, though Sky held on for a second or two longer after the ghost warrior loosened his grip.

"Yyyyeeeeaaah… A LOT busier," Shantae confirmed with a sigh as she approached him for her turn. Rather than a handshake or a hug, however, the half-genie propped herself up on her tippy toes (considering the astonishing height difference between them), lifting her head up as she puckered her lips. And in return, Tayshan leaned forward while puckering his own… And… and… Oh, my goodness, they KISSED! Like, on the lips! I-I mean, it was a quick little peck between them that ended with a quiet *pop*, but they kissed! Huh… So, it was really true? Shantae has a boyfriend… Wow… Well, so much for these crushes we had on her… Ah, who am I kidding? That hasn't changed at all! I'm still a huge fan! If anything, I'm happy for her for finding love! I'm also glad the guy she found love with was no slouch. I mean, I don't know about you, but that's how I feel. Granted… between you and me, I wouldn't mind having a… strong, burly, handsome boyfriend like hers to cavort with… I wonder how long they've been dating…? Ah! Getting distracted again! Forget you heard any of that! And don't judge me! I don't discriminate, okay? Love is blind for me! E-er, anyway…

"How busy? Like, 'the vacation was exhaustin' because all the fun we had' busy, or…?" Tayshan prodded in increased curiosity.

"'Busy' as in we had to save the world from Risky Boots, some OTHER sirens, and some other shenanigans," the ponytailed heroine confirmed, causing the halo-adorned guardian no small form of shock.

"Well, you're definitely gonna trade stories with Tay and me, right?" Rottytops humbly requested, beyond eager to hear her best friend's tales of her time away from Scuttle Town. "Because we've got at least a few good stories to share with you guys, too!"

"I'd bet we've all got stories to share with one another," Mimic confirmed, though he stretched and yawned as he did so. "These old bones are gonna need some rest after the cataclysmic events of that 'vacation,' though. It just does my heart well that we can now be protected on multiple fronts."

"No kidding," Shantae modestly agreed as she turned her attention to the wraith. "It's given me some MUCH-NEEDED breathing room, that's for sure… Thanks for all your hard work, Tay," she sincerely expressed. "It couldn't have been easy monitoring the town on your own, but you seem to have adapted really well. I just hope you weren't overwhelmed."

"Nah, it ain't no thang," Tayshan assured, though his phrasing caused Rottytops to giggle. It… definitely occurs to me by this point that our ghostly friend had something of an… urban dialect going on. Huh… "I'm just glad t' be a reliable asset t' the team," he added with a humble thumbs up and grin. "Gotta pull my weight somehow."

"Indeed, and believe me when I say we all appreciate you substituting for Shantae and allowing us some comfort in taking some time off," Mimic chimed in to extend his gratitude as well. "Nevertheless, I'll catch up with you all another time! Shantae, I will need you to swing by in the morning," he further bade as he offered Tayshan a quick handshake on the way. Though curious about why her surrogate father needed her, Shantae nodded without a word.

"Oh. Er, okay. See ya later, Pops," the wraith addressed the elderly man with a term of endearment, shaking his hand accordingly.

"You bet I will, my boy. Actually, before I go, I must say… I can see your Dual Magic Power is still increasing with every passing day," Mimic acknowledged with a sense of pride. Dual Magic Power, though? Hmm… "Of course, you've still got a long way to go to truly bring it under control. You're still overexerting yourself, which is causing you more strain than necessary and putting you at risk of being corrupted by the Dark side of it again. I could tell by the way you were wincing while you performed that astonishing new technique of yours that you were struggling to concentrate and keep yourself reined in. Additionally, Shantae's Soul-Link sense was going off like crazy, so we'd assumed the worst until we got here."

"Y-yeah, that's all true…" Tayshan humbly took in his apparent mentor's words as he bowed his head a bit. "Sorry… My bad, Shantae…"

"Hm? No need to apologize to me, sweetie," the half-genie casually forgave. "I'm just glad to know you're okay and that you were able to protect Scuttle Town from evil while I was gone."

"Right, an' I appreciate you for that, but I don't want it t' come at the cost o' hurtin' you with this Soul-Link thing…"

"We'll keep working on it. Don't worry," Mimic offered his consolation as he patted the younger man on the back. "My research continues to yield fruitful results, so there is hope yet. On that note, have a good evening, kids!" he bade as he excused himself to walk toward a giant red brick building that stood out from the rest of the town like a sore thumb. It looked… kinda like a laboratory… or a workshop. Not really sure, to be honest.

"G'night, Uncle!" Shantae bade with a wave.

"Catch ya later, Gramps!" Rottytops also bade.

"Later, Professor Mimic!" Bolo bade as well with a salute.

"Rest easy, sir!" Sky bade after all the others with a nod. Once Mimic disappeared from view, the five remaining heroes turned toward each other as some more of the town's residents began to clear the area and begin working on restarting the natural flow of things.

"Alrighty…" Shantae started off with a stretch of her arms up in the air and a heavy sigh. "So, you guys and gals wanna hang out and unwind for a bit?"

"Sorry, girl, but I've gotta get cracking on getting my birds in order for a few jobs I promised some clients they'd do," Sky respectfully declined, her duties as a falconer calling her. "Once you're done with your uncle, you and Tay can swing by tomorrow! Let's make a day out of it!"

"Understandable, though I suspect I might be a bit busy with Uncle," the half-genie reasoned with a bit of uncertainty. "Knowing him, he'll have me working on something all day long."

"Ahh, bummer… Well, we can plan something out next time our schedules match up. Of course, my fingers are crossed that Professor Mimic takes it easy on you," Sky offered her condolences.

"Trust me, so are mine…"

"I can swing on by tomorrow mornin' if you'd like, Sky," Tayshan volunteered. "I can't remember the last time we hung out."

"Sure thing, Tay! I'd love to know what you've been up to! Between you and me, it's been at least a couple months since we last had time to chat!" the falconer approved without a second thought, an especially cheerful grin forming on her face in an instant.

"Hmm… Well, I certainly hope you two have fun," Shantae offered her best vote of encouragement, though it didn't sit well with her that she'd be missing out. Nevertheless, she turned to her male best friend. "What about you, Bolo? You have time to hang out tonight?"

"I'd like to, but I've got a few preparations to make on a couple handiwork projects and… I've KINDA been procrastinating on them…" the young man glumly declined.

"An' by that, you mean…?" Tayshan prodded, raising an eyebrow at his friend.

"…That I've only got about 24 hours to get one of them ready, or else I'll lose out on at least 10,000 gems of pay…?" Bolo sheepishly admitted, causing everyone else to laugh except Tayshan (whose OTHER nickname we learned by now was 'Tay'), who sighed and shook his head.

"Bro… You been workin' on those projects for the last five weeks," he admonished, though he couldn't hide the humored grin on his face. "How is it you're still not done?"

"Because! L-like… I got distracted, y'know? With adventures here and there, and patrol duties, and making sure you're on the straight-and-narrow as my rival-slash-student. Even masters make mistakes sometimes…" the shorter man made a series of excuses with a shrug and bashful grin.

"Yyyyeah, I don't know about all that," Rotty teased, causing Bolo to flinch as he and the others turned to her. "The only 'patrols' and 'adventures' I've seen you go on without Shantae are trips to the Bathhouse and the new Dance Parlor to peep on girls, ya perv," she called him out, eliciting another round of laughter from everyone except Bolo, who'd instead grew flustered as he pouted at his zombified companion.

"And I'm pretty sure Tay of all people doesn't need your tutelage when he's already been appointed as the de facto captain of his own squad in the Sequin Land Palace Guard," Sky further pointed out, rubbing salt in Bolo's wound while also giving us a bit more detail into Tayshan's background. Huh…

"Alright, alright, let's just say Bolo-sensei is a busy man an' leave it at that," Tay humorously countered as a way to cushion the impacts of the girls' comments. "Anyway, I get it if you're gonna be up all night, but AT LEAST give yourself a break after you're done, homie," he further addressed Bolo directly. "If you're absolutely sure you want t' spar with me sometime in the next month or two, you're gonna need t' be in tip-top shape."

"You already know, bro!" Bolo cheered in a refreshed sense of invigoration as he pumped a fist in the air. "I've been training nonstop, so you better be ready!"

"Riiiight… because THAT'S gonna go real well for you…" Shantae muttered under her breath as she looked elsewhere, evidently not too convinced by Bolo's claims.

"You say something, sis?" Bolo asked Shantae, startling the half-genie into looking back at him.

"Hm? Oh, no, little bro! I was just saying I hope it goes well for you!" she lied, grinning with glee at him. Those who knew better (Tayshan) shot Shantae a bemused expression that didn't go unnoticed. In response, she stifled a chuckle and flashed her cutest, toothiest grin at him to feign innocence.

"You ain't right, Shae…" Tay remarked with a chuckle as he shook his head once more. "That aside, I'll happily take up your offer t' catch up tonight."

"Hah! We know you two will be doing a LOT MORE than just 'catching up.' The second you two are left alone together, you'll be going at it like RABBITS again! Especially after a week? Ooooh, forget about it!" Rottytops teased, causing both the wraith and the half-genie to flinch in collective surprise. Both their faces turned red like tomatoes as Rotty and Bolo guffawed at their reactions. Meanwhile, Sky shot something of a disapproving stare at Rotty. Uh… PRETTY BIG reveal there… that I don't think ANYBODY asked for, but uh… okay… there we go. S-sorry!

"Can't say I didn't see that coming… She never fails at completely humiliating people without warning, rhyme, or reason…" Sky murmured with an unamused sigh.

"OH, MY GOODNESS, ROTTY!" Tay shouted in complete mortification and ire, shooting his undead companion the absolute most disapproving glare he could muster. "Why don't you just go an' blurt that out louder, so the whole TOWN can hear it!?"

"Oh, trust us, we did~!" an ASTONISHINGLY large crowd of eavesdropping townsfolk all remarked in unison as they continued cleaning up the town. The statement shocked Tayshan into a most bothered silence, plastering his hand all over his face with a most emphatic *PLAP*. Meanwhile, Shantae could only gawk at everyone around her as her jaw nearly hit the floor.

"…Maaaaaan…" Tay groaned as Sky walked over and patted him on the back… while trying not to laugh herself. Seems she wasn't entirely immune to Rotty's crude sense of humor.

"…Oopsies…" Rotty sheepishly commented, cringing with the guiltiest smirk on her face as she looked directly at Shantae. The second the girls locked eyes, the heroine's facial expression went from embarrassment to comical rage as she glared at her best friend hard enough that Rotty should've roasted to cinders on the spot.

"I will NOT forget this, Rottytops…" Shantae warned, narrowing her eyes at Rotty to let her know she was holding a grudge. In response, Rotty pursed her lips and widened her eyes at Shantae because she KNEW she was in big trouble. "Anyway, let's just get out of here before you slip again and tell everyone what color your underwear is," she further urged… with ALL the urgency as she found herself mortified beyond belief.

"Oh, I'm not ashamed of that! If anything, maybe it'll help ease the awkwardness and make it up to you! My panties are-!" Rotty excitedly tried to stir the pot once again.

"ROTTY, STOP!" Bolo had to cut in, rushing over to clasp his hand over the loquacious zombie's mouth with another emphatic *PLAP*. Meanwhile, Shantae, Sky, and Tayshan all shot deadpan stares at her, shaking their heads in disbelief. Rather than be bothered or upset, Rottytops simply giggled through Bolo's hand as the flustered handyman cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Yyyyeah, YOU'RE trippin'," Tay remarked as he pointed squarely at Rotty, making her laugh even harder as Bolo let go of her face.

"Aaaaaah~! Music to my ears~!" the zombie maiden joked, laughing up a storm at her friends' expense. Before too long, however… "Anyway, mind if I tag with you and stud muffin, snack cakes?" she politely requested, referring to Shantae and Tayshan as… sugary pastries? 'Snack Cakes' and 'Stud Muffin,' huh? Not gonna lie… That sounds interesting…

"Even t' this DAY, you won't stop callin' me that…!" Tayshan grumbled, his face heating up to the point that one could probably grill some meat on his cheeks as he brought his hands to his chest and clenched his fists in frustration. As it turns out, he wasn't too fond of his saccharine nickname.

"Sure, Rotty. But the first instant you try to suggest any 'funny business' between the three of us, I'm kicking you out. Got it?" Shantae STERNLY warned as she accepted Rotty's request to join her and Tayshan in hanging out.

"Oh, come on! You know I'm only joking when I suggest you, Tay, and I 'improve' on our relationships with each other~! …Mostly… partly… Actually, I'm not really joking…" Rottytops teased as she hugged and snuggled up against the unamused half-genie.

"…I'd say 'kill me now,' but it's already too late…" Tay murmured a most morbid joke, burying his face in BOTH his palms at this point. Jeez…

"Rottytops…!" Shantae grumbled in stark disapproval.

"Aaaaaand that's where I respectfully bow out," Bolo flatly remarked, having heard more than enough of Rotty's lurid suggestions. "I'll see you guys later!" he further bade in a hurry, power walking his way out of the conversation to be literally anywhere else.

"I'll see you tomorrow for our weekly stress-relief 'session,' my sweet little gumdrop~!" Rotty teased with a flirty wink aimed directly at the handyman, who only grew EXPONENTIALLY more flustered.

"Gaaah, I told you to STOP CALLING ME THAT!" Bolo complained, plugging his ears as he ran off. Turns out HE didn't like his sugary nickname, either. "AND STOP MAKING OUR HANGOUT SOUND WEIRD!" Before long, and while Rotty was laughing it up, Bolo was gone.

"…Boy, am I glad you DIDN'T go on that trip with us if THIS is what you'd be doing the entire time…" Sky flatly commented with a roll of her eyes and an exasperated sigh.

"Oh, boo to you, ya prude!" Rotty shot back at Sky in offense as she finally let go of Shantae. "Loosen up and live a little, why don'tcha?"

"I can 'live' just fine without the need to be lewd and inappropriate, thank you. Not every conversation we have needs to teeter in THAT direction, and it does a woman wonders to have some sense of sophistication in how she talks to people," Sky admonished with a shake of her head, agitating Rotty something fierce.

"Oh, and there you go again, always trying to take the high ground!" Rotty yelled, glaring at Sky while alarming Shantae and Tayshan. "Maybe it's because you're always being such a preachy know-it-all that you're still a v-!"

"STOP, STOP, STOP! STOP! For the love of ALL that is good an' holy, just STOP!" Tayshan QUICKLY intervened, pulling Rotty away before she said something truly regrettable. "I told you before t' cut that out, Rotty!" he further reprimanded her.

"Seriously, Rotty, chill out!" Shantae further admonished before going over to check on the bird tamer, who'd remained surprisingly calm as she shook her head and sighed. "H-hey, sorry about that… She's just excited that we're back is all. You know that… Right?"

"Ah, it's fine. I'm well aware by now how rambunctious she gets when she gets to hang with us. Besides, she's been saying the same thing over and over again since she and Bolo came back from that silly camping trip of theirs a few months back, so it's really no big deal. The joke loses its sting after the tenth time it's been made," Sky dismissed with a shrug. "THIS would've been the hundredth."

"A-are you sure? Because if you need me to set her straight, I definitely will. I've got your back, Sky."

"I know, girl, but that's something she and I are going to need to address privately. No need for you to get caught in the middle," the bird tamer assured. "Anyway, I'm gonna head home. I'll catch up with you when we get the chance, okay?"

"O-oh… uh… Sure. Good night, Sky. I love you," Shantae bade as she offered her best friend a hug.

"Love you too, Shantae," Sky returned the affectionate comment and gesture as the two young ladies hugged it out. After a moment, they separated, prompting Sky to take her leave. "See ya tomorrow, Tayshan! Rottytops, I still hope we can meet again sometime to hang out. It's up to you, but you know where to find me."

"Uh… Y-yeah, Sky. See you tomorrow," Tay acknowledged, though he didn't know what else to say.

"Er… S-sorry, Sky! I'll definitely hit a sister up. I… hope you're not mad at me?" Rotty did her best to apologize.

"No more than I usually am, Rotty," Sky forgave with a chuckle as she continued confidently sauntering off, swinging her bodacious hips with confidence. "But sure. Keep me posted!" And just like that, Sky made her way back home, leaving just the genie, the wraith, and the zombie to spend the rest of the day together.

"You really need t' watch what you say t' her, homegirl," Tay warned Rotty regarding her method of speaking to Sky. "Sky is still your friend, even if y'all don't always agree with each other."

"Yeah, we get it that you're still warming up to her, but you don't need to get that defensive with her every time she makes a joke at your expense," Shantae further advised. "And you especially don't need to air out certain details that are nobody's business but hers."

"I know, I know… I'm sorry, you guys…" Rotty acknowledged in regret. "I know she means well, and I know I've still got a lot to work on as far as my own personality goes, but I promise you, I'm trying to do better. It's just that sometimes, it feels like she's attacking me just to make me look bad."

"We get that, but sometimes, it just takes a moment of thinking about what you're gonna say and how it might affect someone before you say it. And… as far as how she talks to you, we've definitely talked to her about that, too. That's why I'm always reminding you to never take what she says as a flat-out insult unless you know for sure she's insulting you. Generally speaking, it's her way of letting you know she cares about you. Like Tay mentioned, though, Sky is still your friend at the end of the day. No one's expecting you two to get along like a house on fire… however appropriate it is to say that here, but I'd imagine you two to at least cut down some more on the bickering."

"Yeah… I hear ya, snack cakes. You too, stud muffin," Rotty accepted with another nod, though her eyes were boring holes in the ground. "I'll do better. Promise."

"That's all we ask, Princess," Tay acknowledged with a term of endearment that… curiously made Rotty flinch and blush as she found herself looking up at the wraith. In return, he flashed her a modest grin and nod. If anything, she seemed… lost in thought as she stared at her crimefighting teammate. Peculiar… Before she could say anything else, however…

"Whelp, where we going? My place or yours, Tay-Tay?" Shantae asked in wonder, seeming to let go of any animosity she may have had a moment ago.

"Hmm… Yours," Tay elected. "It's been a li'l while since we hung out at the lighthouse, an' I'm sure we could use the change o' pace. Of course, I'm gonna need t' follow up with the Palace Guards for debriefing first. That hopefully shouldn't take too long, though."

"I hope that's the case, too, though It seems like you'll have a lot to report on," she worriedly pointed out, looking around to see the shambled, frazzled state of the town. "I just can't believe how little of a break Scuttle Town's been getting this past year alone…"

"I know… But the more we build our defenses, the more of a break Scuttle Town will earn over time," he solemnly assured in confidence. "We responded t' Hashanah's attack within minutes, an' we did our best t' minimize the collateral damage. This debriefing will most likely be about how we can better prepare for surprise attacks in the future an' fortify our defenses around the town…"

"How do you know?"

"Because they've ALL been about that since I was appointed t' my position in the Guard…" Tay revealed with a rather droning tone, making evident that this wasn't his first rodeo.

"Hah… Makes sense," Shantae understandingly remarked with a nod. "That IS Scuttle Town's most common problem, oddly enough…"

"As we've seen again an' again. Buuut yeah, this meetin' probably won't be any different from the others before it. After that, though, I hope y'all don't mind if I go ahead an' take a trip t' the Bathhouse before we head on over t' your place, Shae. I need t' freshen up, an' I'm still a bit achy from that awful battle an' that vicious kick after the fact…" he further remarked, looking himself up and down to see that he was overdue for a clean-up… while rubbing his jaw.

"Heh, y-yeah… Sorry about that, hon…" the guilty half-genie apologized as she nibbled on her finger. "You aren't mad at me, are you?"

"Nah, you're okay. Gotta say, though… you've got one HECK of a leg. You've gotten a LOT stronger for sure. Any harder, an' you probably would've made my head spin a few times," he joked with a chuckle, though she didn't laugh with him. If anything, she seemed more worried as she began to inspect him for damage.

"R-right… I'll make it up to you, babe," she vowed, hugging him tightly as she never broke eye contact with him. "Does it hurt a lot? Is there anything you want me to do to make it feel better?"

"Don't worry, Shae-Shae. It's alright. Ain't nothin' a quick bath an' a bit o' rest won't resolve," he confidently assured, hugging her back with just as much eye contact. Not long after, they separated with Tay immediately turning toward their other companion. "Which reminds me… Rotty?"

"Yeah?" the zombie maiden perked up in response.

"Now that Shantae's back in town, did you wanna start sleepin' over at her place while you're here? Or do you still not mind crashin' at mine?"

"Yours," she quickly answered, much to the surprise of both the wraith and the half-genie. "Much as I'd love the idea of rooming with Shantae, and as much as I really enjoy my slumber parties with her, your house has become a second home to me," she explained with no form of joking in her tone. "Besides, you let me have my own room, AND you gave me your spare key. I basically live there, too. You're not getting rid of me THAT easily!" she added, throwing in another joke as she grinned at him.

"Heh, fair," Tay laughingly remarked. "Be careful in that case, because I might start chargin' you rent," he further joked. "That, or at least start makin' you clean up after yourself whenever you're around. Only so many times I'm gonna turn the other cheek after trippin' over the bras you leave on the floor an' cleanin' up all the take-out containers from when you order food. Sooner or later, I'mma start settin' some ground rules." At that, Shantae burst out laughing while Rotty blushed in comical embarrassment.

"Wow, way to put me on blast, stud muffin!" Rotty remarked with a scoff as she pouted, eliciting chuckles out of both Shantae and Tayshan.

"Yyyeah, you ain't got much room t' complain there after that triflin' 'rabbits' joke you made just a li'l while ago," Tay shot back, making Shantae laugh harder as Rottytops also found it in herself to giggle.

"Touché, Tay-Tay, but you still need to mind your manners around a lady!" Rotty humorously accused while trying not to laugh, pouting as she pointed an accusatory finger at him.

"Double standard aside, I'll take your word for it," the wraith teased his zombie sidekick with a chuckle as he raised his open hands up to pacify her.

"You'd better!" the undead maiden emphatically declared with a most unintimidating grin before turning to the giggling half-genie. "By the way, I'm an excellent roommate, Shantae! I swear!"

"I'm sure you are, Rotty. No need to explain yourself to me. Alright, you guys, let's start moving," Shantae politely suggested once she was done laughing it up, taking both of her friends by the hand to begin the trek. "We've got a LOT to talk about, and I'm still curious about what you two have been up to as substitute Guardian Genies."

"Just as much as we wanna know what it was like for you t' meet those other half-genies while you went on more adventures as a 'vacation,' I'm sure," Tay concurred.

"I won't miss a beat! Trust me," the excited heroine promised with an adorable smiling wink. "That said, shall we head to the Bathhouse together after your meeting? I could use a quick dip myself, to be honest."

"You won't hear me object to it," the wraith casually accepted the request.

"Ditto. I could use some freshening up myself, now that you guys mention it," Rotty added with a confirming thumbs-up. "Also… It's been a little while since the three of us got to spend quality time bathing together…~" she… VERY curiously revealed, causing both Shantae and Tayshan to flinch and sink into themselves. Wait… Was she not kidding?

"Rrriiiight…" Shantae sullenly droned, unappreciative of Rotty's 54th lewd comment. "You just better not try to tickle me again while we're in there," she… added…? Whoa, WHAT!? Rotty wasn't kidding!? And what is this about tickling in the bath!?

"Don't worry, don't worry, I won't!" Rotty promised with a toothy grin. "Besides…" she trailed off, shifting her mischievous gaze toward Tayshan. "…I think it'd be MORE fun to tickle someone else for a change…" Tay, as one would expect, shot her another deadpan glare that caused her to giggle with glee once again.

"Don't tickle HIM, either!" Shantae defended, shaking her head in disapproval.

"Thanks, Shantae. I knew you h-!" Tayshan was about to thank.

"At least, not in the Bathhouse. I'd say we wait until we get home to do that," Shae cut in with an equally mischievous grin, still addressing Rotty as casually as could be.

"Wait, wha-!?" Tay was about to object in complete befuddlement.

"I guess, but why wait?" Rotty casually cut him off again to ask with a shrug of genuine curiosity.

"You know how jumpy he gets when we ambush him. He's way too ticklish, so we'd wind up causing a scene. Also, he and I are still skating on thin ice from the little… unspeakable 'incident' we had in there last September with Sky," the half-genie added, causing her ghostly boyfriend no small form of frustration as he glared at both girls.

"True, true… Alright, that's a fair point. We'll wait till bedtime!" the zombie happily accepted the… compromise before turning her attention to Tayshan while menacingly grinning and flexing her fingers at him. "Hope you're prepared, stud muffin…!" she further 'threatened' with a most diabolical chuckle.

"Wow… You're both TERRIBLE…" Tay irritably grumbled as he cautiously wrapped his hands around his sides. Evidently, he really WAS ticklish… Heh.

"The worst!" both Shantae and Rottytops remarked in unison, laughing it up at Tayshan's expense immediately after. Realizing the egregious handicap levied against him, he opted to merely shrug the comment off with a sigh of defeat.

"Glad y'all accept that… I guess. Just means I can't let my guard down. Aaaanyway, y'all Ret-2-Go?" Tay asked, borrowing his girlfriend's iconic catchphrase in a way that lit up the fireworks in her eyes as she beamed at him.

"Yeah! Let's go!" Shantae excitedly affirmed as she and Rottytops took him by each hand and dragged him off at their leisure.

"Gagh! Whoa, what's the rush? Slow down just a bit!" he requested in surprise, though it fell on deaf ears as the girls whisked him away faster than I could manage to keep up. Shoot. Um… So, excuse me for bit while I try to find out an appropriate point to pick this back up…

One intimate three-person bath and tickling-challenged clothing change later…

So, I MAY have kinda-sorta lost track of our triumphant trio (an upgrade from Dynamic Duo), but I promise it wasn't for too long! It was just… for a few hours… and by the time I found them again, they may have already been in the middle of a conversation I don't have all the details on… while they were also already resting comfortably within the confines of Shantae's lighthouse on the westernmost outskirts of town as the sun had already just about gone down. I didn't get lost, alright!? Heh… A-anyway, I'll stop my oh-so convincing yammering and get on with it. So anyway…

"…Seven Sirens, only one of whom turned good an' that you didn't have t' fight, an' the evilest o' which tried t' steal the souls of everyone on the entire planet after dupin' Risky Boots int' thinkin' she could take some abandoned weapon of mass destruction aircraft hidden underneath a mysterious tropical island in exchange for the souls o' the genies she apparently lured over there in an elaborate ruse?" Tayshan curiously summarized a story he'd been told by Shantae as the two of them and Rottytops sat together in the half-genie's bedroom and sipped on cups of hot chocolate. Curiously enough, he had switched out of his previous outfit and had instead been wearing what looked like a pair of tan camouflage army pants? Or, were they pajamas? Because he wasn't wearing shoes… or a shirt, for that matter.

"And those four other half-genies were powerful in their own right, but not nearly as strong as you?" Rotty additionally asked, at this point having swapped out of her genie costume in favor of a pair of dark purple midriff-baring pajamas with cute little skull prints all over them. Hm. So… I guess they were having a slumber party. Neat. Anyway… "And your whole vacation actually wound up turning into a massive journey through another convoluted series of dungeons in a sunken city to rescue the other half-genies and stop each one of the sirens from terrorizing the island and the rest of the world?"

"That's… most of the key points in a couple of huge nutshells," Shantae confirmed with a nod and a yawn, having herself been dressed in a midriff-baring frilled white pajamas with her long, luxurious, wavy hair untied. "There's also the part where Risky pulled off said ruse by pretending to be the 'mayor' of Arena Town and luring everyone into a false sense of security. Once we were convinced that nothing would go wrong, she and the sirens worked together to capture the other half-genies. And yeah, Rotty, those other genies were powerful. I'm… not sure if I could say I was the absolute strongest of them all, but I would say I was the most prepared for the antics that ensued when Risky and the sirens sprung their trap, which is why I avoided being captured myself. But to answer your other question, it definitely DID turn into another huge series of search and rescue quests mixed in with plenty of Boss Battles and death-defying trips through dangerous dungeons."

"Wow… I mean, I can't say I'm surprised by Risky's boneheaded shenanigans or her ability to waste a boatload of time setting up such a ridiculous trap that fails as miserably as usual, but I'm definitely glad to know you handled business like you always do," Rotty offered her praise with a jovial grin. "What else went on over there?"

"Well, let's see… I learned a bunch of new animal dances and even earned new abilities using these neat new items called Fusion Coins, Fusion Stones, and Monster Cards. The Fusion Coins allowed me to combine my powers with the other half-genies to pull off unique transformations without needing to dance. The Fusion Stones gave me access to Fusion Dances that, by combining my magic with the other half-genies, granted me access to other transformations that were super powerful beyond comprehension! The Monster Cards were used to boost my natural abilities. The transformations weren't QUITE the same as my usual, but they were pretty special nonetheless. Of course, I still need the assistance of another half-genie's magic to use any of those specific forms, so I won't be able to demonstrate them now."

"Bummer… I can't even imagine what it would be like for you to transform without dancing, though, much less combining your magic with another half-genie's to access more spectacular forms," Rotty curiously pondered. "What gets me, though, is the diminished need for dancing. That's a huge part of your thing as a hero! I seriously can't imagine what it would be like if you went on an adventure where you didn't dance even once or barely danced at all! It would feel so out-of-place!"

"Yeah, but it was faster and more convenient to transform at will without needing to stop in my tracks and dance to make it happen," Shantae plainly explained. "Plus, I had access to new forms specialized for some of the wild, crazy landscapes I traveled through that I otherwise wouldn't have been able to explore. Those Fusion Dances were definitely NOT to be taken lightly, though. I could only hold those forms for a few seconds and they used up a ton of magic, but they were easily some of my biggest assets. That said, I DID develop a few dancing-related alternatives to keep myself connected to my own power…"

"Alternatives like what?"

"Mixing in belly dancing with my other fighting techniques and skills," she revealed, much to her friends' collective surprise. "I've been able to use my training with Tayshan as a basis to do a ton of cool combos where I can attack AND dance at the same time! Even better, I can now also transform DURING combos to maximize the use of my normal Animal transformations! I've learned a few other tricks too, but I'd rather wait until there's a chance to show you two rather than tell you."

"That sounds AWESOME!" Rotty cheered, undoubtedly eager to observe her best friend's fancy new moves. "I was actually gonna ask if your training with stud muffin helped you at all on your trip."

"Ooh, most DEFINITELY! Trust me, you won't be disappointed by what I have to show you, Rotty!" Shantae assured before perking up in realization. "Oh! And before I forget to tell you both, Sky and I also found out Ammo Baron has a BROTHER! His name is Armor Baron. You can imagine the meeting wasn't all that pleasant, all things considered. Squid Baron was there, too, but I'm sure just the mention of his name can give you an idea of the usual shenanigans that follow with him…"

"Huh… Wow," Tay remarked in wonder, seeming absolutely curious about what he missed out on. "This is a lot t' take in, but goodness… Sounds like you barely had any time t' relax! I mean, even for most of, if not the WHOLE trip bein' another one o' Risky's bogus traps that predictably backfired on her, I would at least imagine that you an' those other girls enjoyed what you could once you saved the world again? An' I would hope that this 'Armor Baron,' as well as that giant, loudmouthed, eight-legged pimple you call a casual frenemy, learned their lessons an' got it through their heads not t' mess with you again after you an' Sky dealt with them." At that crude statement, Rottytops nearly spat out her hot chocolate as she clasped her hand to her mouth and guffawed while trying not to make a mess.

"Oh, you'd better believe it, Tay-Tay," Shantae confirmed with a highly amused giggle and a nod. "Harmony, Zapple, Plink, Vera, and I all made the absolute best of the limited time we had left before we came back. We more or less had to redo the festival from scratch right after the big battle was finished, but it still turned out to be an excellent way of getting us all together for the first time! I was honestly expecting there to be a lot more than the five of us there, but we had our fun regardless. We even had this big, spectacular luau where we all put on an awesome hula dance show that you'd never forget! We were even dressed in these adorable hula costumes to match the theme!"

"Heh, now that's a sight I'd wanna see…" he murmured with an innocuous grin. "I can definitely see you hula dancin' with the best of 'em."

"Aw, stop it, Tay! I know what you're really thinking over there…~" the half-genie gleefully teased, causing the ghost man to scratch his cheek with an index finger and smilingly look away.

"I don't have a clue what you mean…" he coyly replied, doing a rather poor job of hiding some form of impurity in his head.

"I'm SO sure, hon. I'm… not opposed to modeling that outfit for you if you're that curious, y'know…" she suggested with a wink, seeming to know how to push his buttons.

"Hm. If you REALLY want to, then sure. I won't stop you…" he accepted the offer with a nonchalant shrug, attempting to put on a show of stoicism through his furious blushing as he chuckled.

"Goodness, stud muffin, you're REALLY worked up right now… It's so cute that you're trying to play it cool, but I can sense the 'desire' in you from all the way over here!" Rottytops laughingly interjected, making Shantae bust out laughing. Meanwhile, Tayshan glared at Rotty with this… adorably disgruntled pout that only made both girls laugh harder at him. After a moment, though, the wraith relented and let out a humored sigh as he calmed down.

"…Fine, y'all got me," he flat-out conceded. "Ain't much I can hide from either o' y'all, is there?"

"Short answer: Nope!" Rotty confidently assured Tayshan that no matter how hard he tried to 'hide' his attraction to Shantae, he would never be able to get away with it. "It's part of why we love you so much! It's so easy to mess with you for the fact that Shantae can get you all flustered like this!"

"You know what, Rottytops? You ain't got no chill," Tay blushingly remarked as he crossed his arms in feigned offense, only causing the zombie maiden to erupt into another paroxysm of giggling.

"Hah! Ain't got no chill, eh? I don't know what that means just yet, but I'll take it!" she proudly declared despite not understanding his phrase.

"Okay, Rotty, leave him be for now. We've put him through enough today," Shantae laughingly requested as she prepared to change the subject, though she got no shortage of humor out of the interaction. "And in case you were wondering, Armor Baron wasn't THAT much of a problem. He initially came across like a nice guy, but he turned out to be just as conniving as Ammo Baron is."

"Go figure," Tay flatly remarked, not at all surprised by such an 'astonishing' twist.

"I know, right? Interestingly enough, he said he was looking to steer clear of me because he was told about a certain 'disaster' in the Baron Desert involving Ammo Baron and some 'raging, Dark Magic-corrupted, bloodthirsty maniac' closely associated with me."

"I see…" he pensively acknowledged, genuinely surprised this time. "Word about that sure has spread far…"

"Yeah, it definitely has. You basically made history that day, babe."

"I… think I can acknowledge that at THIS point. Especially if another half-genie comes over here half a year after the fact, callin' me some weird name an' demandin' that I show her my true power an' such while tryin' t' destroy Scuttle Town…"

"Oh, yeah… Tayshan the Tenacious, was it?" Rotty asked with a humored giggle.

"Yep, that's the name. Makes me sound like some ruthless conqueror…"

"Y'know, we didn't really get much time to talk about Hashanah in the Bathhouse, much less about how exactly you managed to defeat her on your own," Shantae pointed out with a raised eyebrow. "I… already know for myself how you earned that awesome nickname, so that's a given."

"Well, gee, thanks for the reassurance, Shantae the Legendary Super Genie," Tay shot back with a chuckle of his own that the ladies shared.

"Ah, right, THAT name… Gosh, I haven't heard that one since the last time Bran-Son's former squad came around town for autographs last month!" Shantae humorously remarked before refocusing. "Still, what do you suppose is up with Hashanah and Nila teaming up to invade Scuttle Town the way they did? Do you maybe think Ammo Baron and his goons are up to no good again?"

"Hmm… I wouldn't think so," Tay denied after a moment of thought. "If Ammo Baron WAS foolish enough t' try an' strike while you were gone, I imagine he'd have sent a whole battalion. On top o' that, I hear he's been layin' REAL low since Giga Mermaid's been on his case about rebuildin' Naga Mountain. Only thing I can certainly chalk Hashanah an' Nila's visit to is them lookin' for revenge," he further theorized.

"That, and they probably thought they'd have a MUCH easier time totally wasting Scuttle Town without you here, snack cakes," Rotty added. "As far as I got from Nila while I was pounding her face into pudding, she came here on her own free will with Hashanah. Chances are, Ammo Baron doesn't even know she paid us a visit. I can't imagine Twitch and Vinegar would order her to attack, either. They've been palling it up with Bolo every now and again, so I would HOPE they weren't trying anything funny…"

"All that's true, too," Shantae acknowledged with a nod as she contemplated the unexpected visit from this mysterious rogue half-genie herself. "I can't imagine any reason Ammo Baron, Twitch, or Vinegar would want to try and ambush us out of nowhere. At least, not by this point. I… can make enough sense of why Nila would act on her own, though. Hashanah, I would guess is probably looking to redeem herself in the worst way imaginable by trying to defeat you in battle, Tay. But then, there's the fact that Hashanah apparently hates me, too… I don't even know what I did."

"I don't think any of us knows what you did, but that ain't never stopped any o' the villains we been dealin' with," Tayshan concurred with a shrug. "That said, it seems we got ourselves a brand new problem t' solve in the form of a WILLINGLY EVIL half-genie."

"And her apparently equally deranged Ammonian partner," Rotty added once again.

"Right…" Shantae acknowledged again, though her curiosity remained piqued. "Of course, that brings me to the question of how you two handled them so well without me here."

"And what's that supposed to mean, babe?" Rottytops asked in feigned offense. "You thought Tay-Tay and I were gonna crack under pressure or that we wouldn't be able to handle our business around here?" she further prodded, proudly flexing a bicep to show how super-duper strong she was. "You really shouldn't underestimate us~!"

"No, no, I was totally confident you and Tay could keep Scuttle Town safe!" Shantae hastily corrected. "It's just… it was another HALF-GENIE you two defeated… And I know I didn't see much of the battle, but it didn't exactly look like Hashanah was weak by any means…"

"What can we say, Shae-Shae?" Tay-Tay remarked with a grinning shrug. "If we weren't able t' hold our own against even the toughest o' threats in your place by now, then would we REALLY be worthy t' be considered your teammates? You ain't dealin' with a couple o' rookies here," he further vouched, making Rottytops giggle once more in a mixture of triumph and excitement.

"You said it, honey buns!" the zombie maiden cheered as she offered a fist bump to the wraith.

"Thanks, but… You call me that again, an' I'll make you run twenty laps around the town on our next trainin' session," Tay humorously warned as he happily returned Rotty's fist bump.

"Ooh, wouldn't want that… Sir, your ominous words have been acknowledged, sir!" the rambunctious zombie maiden heeded the warning with a dutiful salute, though her exuberant grin never left her face. Meanwhile, Shantae chuckled at the continued banter between her two closest friends.

"Hmm… I suppose I really should give credit where credit is due," the half-genie acknowledged in full. "That said, what sort of training have you two been doing without me? I have NEVER before seen you two pull off the moves you used today!"

"Ah, so you liked what you saw of us, eh?" Rotty rhetorically asked, beaming with joy.

"Yes! That 'Zombie Zoom' technique you pulled off was incredible, Rotty! Even if only for a second or two, you were running faster than an ostrich! A CHEETAH, even! I've never seen you move so fast! It honestly makes me wonder if I can still beat you in a footrace…"

"You may, or you may not, Shae-Shae~," Rotty teased, relishing the challenge. "Of course, when you've got lightning bolts for legs like me, you tend to learn sooner or later how to use 'em…" the undead maiden further pridefully boasted, stretching her legs up in the air and wiggling her toes to emphasize her point. "Plus, a certain WRAITH spent the last few months torturing me with squats, sprints, long-distance jogs, bear crawls, and LOADS of lunges, among a smorgasbord of other grueling boot camp-styled exercises to get me to this point," she added, shooting a comical glare at the guilty exercise-obsessed wraith in question. In return, Tay chuckled and shrugged.

"Welcome to the club," Shantae remarked, evidently relating to her best friend's plight.

"Yeah, no kidding. Still, I'm glad to be in better shape. All that hard work's got this booty looking tight and right~!" Rotty further… inappropriately commented as she stood, turned around, struck a most… provocative pose as she bent over and arched her back, and gave herself a most emphatic *SLAP* on her rear end. "Mm-hmm~! I'm thicker than a bowl of potstickers! Just as delicious, too~! Wouldn't you two agree~?" she further inappropriately added with a coquettish giggle and wink at Shantae and Tayshan as she… er… 'shook what her mama gave her,' so to speak. You can imagine that her friends were just ENTHRALLED to see her parading herself in such a lascivious manner.

"Aw, jeez…" Tay muttered after a moment of total slack-jawed surprise as he blushingly averted his gaze and plastered his hand over his face.

"ROTTYTOPS!" Shantae irritably shouted, also blushing as she scowled at her bootylicious bestie. "I'm glad to know you're proud of your physique, but could you seriously NOT right now!?"

"Hah! Sorry! I'm still getting used to being physically fit, but you already know for yourself how great it is!" Rotty laughingly 'apologized' as she took it upon herself to turn back around and sit back down. "Also, my exercise routine combined with Tay-Tay teaching me the basics of how to harness the magic inside me led to me creating that new technique! He's full of surprises!" she added, catching the half-genie by surprise once more. So, it was TRUE, then! She WAS using magic to run fast enough to potentially break the sound barrier…

"Oh, REALLY?" Shantae dared to question, though her gaze shifted toward her ghostly boyfriend as he recovered just enough to catch the lavender-haired heroine narrowing her eyes at him.

"What?" he asked, raising his hands in the air as though he was being held hostage.

"…While you were training Rotty, I'll bet you've also been developing a bunch of new tricks and techniques that you were hoping to completely catch me off-guard with… Haven't you?"

"Heh… Maybe I have…" he slyly retorted with a grinning wink as he lowered his arms, knowing he'd only arouse more of Shantae's curiosity. "What brings you t' that conclusion?"

"The fact that those fancy new moves of yours were definitely NOT in your repertoire last I checked," the inquisitive half-genie pointed out. "I only WONDER what else you've been keeping under wraps…"

"Just as much as I wonder if you'd be prepared for the new tricks I picked up, I'm sure," the willfully reticent wraith teased some more with a sense of a most enticing secretiveness.

"Ooh, you're so sneaky…" Shantae teased right back, chuckling a bit as her curiosity grew deeper. "So, you gonna explain to me exactly what you've been learning, since you're apparently now introducing friends to new powers and developing new techniques of your own? Hmmmm, Tay-Tay?"

"Ahh… Y'see, I'd like t' tell you more, but I think a sparrin' match might answer more than me simply tellin' you what I picked up would…" Tayshan remarked, throwing in a friendly challenge as he kept his grinning gaze locked on his half-genie lover.

"Hmm… I suppose," she remarked with a casual shrug, smiling just as excitedly. "It's been a little while, and I've got something of a score to settle with you on that, anyway. You improved your record against me a little too much, and I've been wondering what the issue was. Now, it makes sense. I'm still pretty salty that you've been getting so much more difficult to deal with in our sparring matches. I shouldn't be surprised that you kept training even after our last match."

"Wait… You even defeated SHANTAE at one point, Tayshan!?" Rotty practically shouted in complete astonishment.

"Not quite, but I HAVE been gettin' closer," he humbly corrected with a chuckle. "She's still got a pretty massive edge over me, but more of our last dozen matches have ended in draws than me flat-out losin', so that's a plus. Granted, I feel like that's more so because neither of us has truly gone all-out on the other than anything else…"

"True," Shantae acknowledged with a smiling nudge of her head. "Kinda hard to do that when your sparring partner is also your significant other. Much as I like testing my skills against you, I personally prefer it that we spend more time loving each other."

"A truer point could not have been made," Tayshan agreed with a nod. "All in all, there was a reason I was so prepared for Hashanah, Rotty," he further hinted, which I could only presume meant he may have spent some time under the tutelage of the Half-Genie Hero. Wow… the fact that he could apparently go toe-to-toe with Sequin Land's strongest fighter… and live to tell the tale. "Shantae's whipped me int' shape, an' I make sure I STAY in shape, as well as get stronger on my own. Those two techniques you saw me use against Hashanah were a part o' the… 'arsenal' of new moves I developed over time since I came back as a wraith. But even then, I still need a lot of improvement before I consider myself a decent challenge to our Legendary Super Friend here. I wasn't too sure I could take Hashanah at first, but I thankfully found my edge in the middle o' the battle."

"Okay, you're DEFINITELY calling me to watch the next match you two have, then. I can suspend my disbelief until then, but you'd better not disappoint me, Tayshan!" Rotty challenged, wanting to see the proof for herself. "And Shantae, you'd better not lose! You're supposed to be the strongest there is! There's no room for you to even POSSIBLY lose to anyone!"

"Oh, trust me, Rotty… I think I've got all I need to show our ghostly friend here that he still shouldn't underestimate me," Shantae wholeheartedly acknowledged, pumping a fist in determination. "And Tay, you ought to give yourself more credit. You're a tougher contender than you might believe, even after all the time we spent together."

"Ya think so?" Tay remarked with a raised eyebrow.

"I know so. Trust and believe!"

"Heh… I gotcha, babe…"

"I'm glad you understand! Also, thanks to all the extra training we've all been doing, I totally MOWED through that Sunken City, beat Risky the first time without breaking a sweat, AND defeated Empress Siren along with Risky a second time… WITHOUT having to rely on the powers of the other genies," Shantae boasted, no small form of pride evident in her tone.

"Whoa… Seriously?" both Tayshan and Rottytops simultaneously asked in joint surprise.

"Seriously! Most of the adventure was a total cakewalk until the last couple boss fights… especially Empress Siren when she AND Risky actually put aside their differences to try and take me down together! THAT was a close one because when Empress Siren absorbed all the life force on the island, she also tried to take mine… only for me to use absolute sheer willpower to keep my magic and my soul exactly where they belong. It… also may have helped that my life force is anchored to me by a certain Soul-Link that made it that much harder for her to try stealing it from me. It was rough overall, but I pulled through. Empress Siren's gone, but Risky is still around, of course."

"Hm…" Tay hummed and frowned, clenching his fists in what appeared to be reflective disdain at just the mention of Risky Boots's name… almost like he had some sort of grudge against her. Curiously enough, one of his eyes even lit up and flickered between gold and silver for a second before dimming and returning to its regular golden hue. Not a single one of our three partygoers noticed it, though. I wonder what that is…

"That aside, it still took up most of the week because of the distractions along the way, but I was way more prepared this time than I used to be. It's… probably also because I never lost any of the upgrades I earned during the weapons crisis we dealt with a few months ago and because I never stopped training," Shantae further shared, making it abundantly apparent that she hadn't lost her step. "I'm still way stronger than I've ever been, and I'm gonna keep getting stronger!"

"I'd expect nothin' less," Tay interjected with a knowing tilt of his head as he relaxed. "Of course, I'd also expect you not t' let the massive power boosts you got since our last big adventure get t' your head, Shae." At that, Shae defiantly scoffed.

"Oh, please, Tay. You don't have to worry about me!" she defied, finishing off her mug of hot chocolate and sighing in satisfaction before sitting it down on the nearby nightstand. "You should be more worried about yourself when we spar."

"Hm. Oooookay, then. Challenge accepted," the wraith confidently took on his girlfriend's request to a friendly competition.

"You bet!" the half-genie agreed with a confident nod.

"Right," he acknowledged before changing the subject. "Hey, just out o' curiosity… What did you wind up tellin' that Armor Baron dude when he brought up the Baron Desert thing t' you?"

"Oh, that? Well… I told him that the 'bloodthirsty maniac' he was talking about is my boyfriend and that if you ever found out he messed with me, then he'd have a LOT of trouble coming his way," Shae matter-of-factly revealed, making Rotty laugh while Tay frowned in reflective discomfort. "He got the message pretty quickly and vowed never to repeat the same mistake Ammo Baron did… while also rudely questioning my taste in men."

"Well, then. I… don't know if I necessarily want t' be used as a threat like that, but at the very least, you got your message across…"

"Ah, don't be ashamed of it, stud muffin!" Rotty gleefully reassured. "I mean, I know from experience how… crazy that day was, but if your name strikes fear into the hearts of villains near and far, then there's no reason not to take pride in it!"

"Exactly, though we still want to be careful to avoid having another 'Baron Desert Disaster' happen," Shantae agreed while making one more mention of this mysterious historical event. "Also, I'm… gonna play it safe and NOT tell you where Squid Baron is, Tay… for HIS safety. Funnily enough, he asked about you!" she further remarked, changing the subject to avoid making Tayshan uncomfortable.

"Oh, really?" Tay remarked in moderate surprise, though it was tempered by his apparent disdain for everyone's favorite obnoxious cephalopod. "I'm sure it was nothin' but trash talk, right?"

"No, actually. He told me he heard that you died, and he offered his condolences to me," she shared, alarming her significant other once more.

"Oh. Huh… That's a surprise," he acknowledged, letting his guard down.

"Buuuut, then he mentioned how it might have been better if you were gone because you were apparently a 'bad influence' on me, and that I was gonna become a 'total NOOB' if you stuck around for too long… THAT was his 'attempt' at making me feel better."

"Ah, there it is. Okay, so that's how he feels," Tay mused with a most vexed and displeased expression on his face. "Cool. So, now I KNOW I don't gotta feel bad when I make him eat his words AND his own tentacles next time I see him." At that, both girls shared a hearty laugh.

"Good luck finding him in that case, because right after he said that, I told him you came back as a wraith and that you were 'haunting' Scuttle Town. Poor guy freaked out, begged me not to tell you what he said, and then promised he would NEVER come anywhere near Scuttle Town as long as it meant possibly being beaten up by you again."

"That's what I thought," Tayshan pridefully remarked with a triumphant chuckle as his friends laughed alongside him.

"Nice to know your hate-crush on 'Count Octopus' is still holding strong there, sweetheart," Rotty addressed Tay through her boisterous laughter.

"Call it what you want, but I will NOT let him live down the fact that he tricked Hypno Baron int' makin' me an' Shantae swap bodies for a day," he revealed the reason for his eternal grudge against Squid Baron, which… OH, MY GOSH, WHAT!? They SWITCHED BODIES!?

"Ah, right, that DID happen… Y'know, neither of you gave me the full details on that story to this day, and I'm still ITCHING to hear more!"

"Maybe another time, Rotty. I don't know if we'll have enough time tonight," Shantae rather hurriedly dismissed. Based on how quick she was to deflect it, it sounded like she didn't want to relive the nightmare…

"Oookay, but don't think I'll forget, honey~!" Rotty teased, knowing that she was going to hear what she wanted to hear sooner or later.

"I'll make a note to tell you. Promise," Shantae assured with a nod before switching gears. "Anyway, yeah… Paradise Island was a blast! I… don't know if I'd repeat ALL of the experiences there, but it was still a nice break from Scuttle Town… Yet, it also felt oddly nostalgic. Between Bolo, Sky, Uncle Mimic, and myself, we all still had a ton of fun!"

"Hm. And to think I was THIS close to sneaking into your luggage with the idea to disguise myself as another half-genie and partake of the festivities…" Rotty admitted with an emphatic pinching gesture to the surprise of only Shantae. Tay, on the other hand, merely chuckled.

"Wait, what? Why would you need to sneak into my luggage? If I knew where you were before we took off, I'd have totally invited you, Rotty!" Shantae assured with another laugh. "We were running late, and we REALLY couldn't afford any additional delays. I didn't have enough time to go searching for you."

"Well, thanks for telling me that NOW, snack cakes," the undead maiden teased as she smilingly stuck out her tongue for a second. "Buuuut, when I found out Tayshan had chosen not to go, I decided to stick with him instead, so he and I could bond. I… also wanted to indulge myself on the bonus of spending a week walking in your shoes as a Guardian Genie. While we're on the topic, though, Tay…" she trailed off, turning toward him as she took another sip of her sweet, toasty beverage. "Was it really only because you wanted to protect Scuttle Town that you didn't go with Shantae and the others?"

"Affirmative," the halo-adorned wraith confirmed with a nod as he, too, took another sip of his hot chocolate. "It… was also because I had a couple of… 'assignments' directly from the Sultana to complete aside from the ones you an' I worked on, but yeah, this place is too much of a mess regardin' its lack o' security t' not be watched over by SOMEBODY while Shantae was away. I'm glad you chose t' join me, of course," Tay further affirmed, eliciting the brightest of smiles on the zombie girl's face. "The help was much appreciated, an' your trainin' has really been payin' off!"

"Heck yeah, it has!" Rotty jubilantly cheered. "I'm so glad you found enough time in your schedule over these past few months to be my personal trainer, stud muffin! And I'm especially glad we got to spend so much time together this past week! Living together, saving the town from evil almost every day, going on adventures, and even getting to know each other on a level only we could understand each other because we're both undead! We totally became, like, the most epic post-death POWER COUPLE Sequin Land has ever known!" she continued to gush, causing Tay no shortage of laughter. Shantae, however didn't seem to find it that humorous. If anything, she looked like her heart skipped a beat as she clutched her chest.

"…Power couple…?" she murmured in wonder, raising an eyebrow as a feeling of unease welled up inside her.

"You ain't lyin' about that," the ghostly guardian agreed as he finished his last sip of hot chocolate before setting the cup aside. "The way we coordinated on a lot o' the trips we went on, an' even how we handled business today was nothin' t' take for granted. When you put your mind to it, Rotty, you really are a truly reliable ally. Your Head Warp an' that new Zombie Zoom technique, in addition t' that Concealer Ring an' the other new moves you learned over time have really pulled through for us both. I also didn't imagine that you'd become so much physically stronger after the power boost you got durin' our time dealin' with Risky a few months back."

"Yeah, I'm convinced that it's permanent now," Rotty affirmed as she happily flexed her bicep for a moment. "I of course have YOU to thank for that. And your grueling training routines have definitely helped me to get much better control over it on top of making me stronger… as well as hotter overall~!" she further teased, gliding her hands up and down her curvaceous form to emphasize her point once again. Girl knows what she's got, and she's rockin' with it. Can't say I blame her… "Of course, my favorite quest between the two of us was the one where we got to infiltrate that secret base hidden in the Waistline Crags using stealth, my Concealer Ring, and your resourcefulness to take down that insane cult leader without so much as raising a hair of suspicion. We were like super spies from start to finish! Those Belt Grinder kooks never knew what hit 'em!"

"Sure, but don't forget that that's one o' the jobs we're not supposed t' discuss, Rotty," Tay curtly warned as he momentarily placed a finger over his mouth, causing Shantae to become even more curious. "To anyone other than you an' me, that mission NEVER happened."

"Ooh! Right, right, sorry. Mum's the word on that," she agreed with a quick nod. "Anyway, let's not forget about the AWESOME new moves YOU learned since you started living here! Dude, the way you pulled off that one move earlier today where you attacked that evil half-genie without even TOUCHING her? That 'Phantom Blitz' attack? THAT was INCREDIBLE! And then the way you finished it off! You were all like, 'FIST OF THE CONDEMNED'! And before anyone knew it, BOOM! It was over!" she gushed some more, mimicking his voice and mannerisms for the purpose of reminiscing. "Such awesome names, too! I could've sworn I was watching a scene out of one of my favorite action movies! You looked so hot, too! I could have fallen head-over-heels in love with you right then and there if you weren't already with Shantae~! I hope you wouldn't mind having an obsessive fangirl in that case~!"

"Ah! Er… H-hot, huh? That's the word you wanna use?" he nervously asked with widened eyes and a titter of slight discombobulation as his skin grew warm enough to melt crayons. "Also, you're layin' it on WAY thicker than you need to. I appreciate that you were impressed, an' I aim' t' please… an' I wouldn't mind you becomin' a fan o' mine, but come on… You would fall in love with me over that?"

"Oh, most definitely! You know I don't hold back on my feelings toward you, Tay-Tay~!" she flirtatiously teased the wraith once again, unknowingly making Shantae pout and cock an eyebrow at them for a moment. Meanwhile, Tay-Tay blushed and scratched his head in embarrassment, which only made Rotty giggle even more before she continued. "That said, I was BLOWN AWAY with how well you handled yourself during that vicious battle! We totally won against an actual HALF-GENIE! You and me! Together! And I even got to show that awful Nila chick who the boss was all by myself! We can't possibly ignore that! And come to think of it, I'm even MORE amazed at how much of a unit you and I have been this past week! Team Rotty-Tay for the WIN!"

"Hah, fa sho! Rotty-Tay for the win," Tayshan wholeheartedly agreed as he lightened up and grinned, offering another fist bump that Rottytops accepted with gusto.

"Huh… Seems like you two really hit it off while I was away," Shantae observed with a smile as she scratched her chin with a finger.

"'Hit it off' is an understatement!" Rotty assured, lunging onto their mutual male friend with hardly a warning and tackling him to the floor. The half-genie's eyes widened in surprise at the suddenness of her best friend's impulsive move, though she made no immediate move to interfere.

"Whoaho!" Tay yelped in surprise as he suddenly found himself flat on his back. Rotty excitedly planted herself on top of him as she helped herself to a round of surprise tickling and laughed it up in total bliss. "Gah! H-heh-heh-hey! N-no, sto-ha-ha-hah-hop!" he attempted to protest though a sudden fit of tickling-induced laughter. The unsuspecting ghost flinched, wriggled, and squirmed with every time his teammate's fingers glided or poked his sides or his neck. Not too long after the tickle attack began, however, Tayshan managed to grab Rottytops's hands with his own, locking a firm grip on them as she continued to sit on top of him and laugh like she was being tickled herself. "Y-you play too much!" he protested through fatigued breaths as he took his opportunity to recover.

"Hah, it's still so amusing how a guy as big and burly as you are could be so adorably ticklish," the undead maiden teased, though she relented enough that Tay safely let go of her hands. He, of course, did not take too kindly to this most egregious assault on his masculinity, as his face contorted into another disgruntled pout.

"This is how you earn yourself extra hard drills, Rottytops," Tay threatened as he narrowed his eyes at his trainee.

"Oh, is that right…?" she rather mischievously asked, a blush forming on her face as she settled herself into her position on his lap, planted her hands on his bare chest, and grinned at him… while provocatively arching her back and slowly rocking her hips back and forth. At that, the disadvantaged wraith's eyes widened.

"…Whatever it is you're about t' say, don't s-!" he tried to admonish, suspecting her to be up to something.

"In that case, I can't wait, stud muffin~! You know I love it when you drill m-!" she was about to flirtatiously… 'joke,' I guess, before Tayshan swiftly launched a hand forward to plaster it over the zombie's dirty mouth with an emphatic *PLAP* to prevent her from uttering her lecherous statement.

"Ooh! Oh, boy, it seems like something really weird was about to come out of her mouth…" Shantae murmured, still watching intently as her best friends interacted with one another. She wasn't sure what to make of it, but it seemed they were having fun.

"See, there you go. On that triflin' mess again," he admonished as Rotty guffawed through his hand. Meanwhile, the wraith hurriedly slipped out from under his assailant before letting go of her blushing face. "You never miss a chance t' start bein' fresh with somebody."

"What? 'Being fresh?'" Rotty questioned, seeming not to know what he meant. "That's another new one… What's that mean?"

"It means bein' a pervert," Tay boldly accused, causing Rotty… and even Shae no shortage of laughter as both girls cracked up at his slang-enhanced statement.

"How rude, Tay-Tay! It's true that I'm as 'fresh' as they come, but that's still rude!" the undead young woman goofily accepted the non-compliment as she and Shantae laughed some more. Tay merely shook his head and sighed.

"I calls it as I sees it," he flatly remarked as he regrouped, resisting the urge to chuckle himself. In turn, both girls giggled some more.

"I don't know how proud you should be of that, Rotty," Shantae chimed in, shaking her head as she settled down. "You're gonna get yourself in serious trouble at some point."

"Ah, it's fine, Shae-Shae!" Rotty dismissed with a grinning flick of her hand as she also settled down… for a moment. "I know my limits! Mostly… Besides, you know from personal experience with me how… exciting it is to let loose and have a little fun. You want me to come over there and tickle you, too? I wouldn't want you to feel left out…~"

"Don't you dare!" Shantae warned as she put her hands out in front of herself. "You try it, and I'll use my Spider form to web your hands to the wall!"

"Oooh, kinky~! I like the way you think, babe… Always coming up with such… 'fresh' and exciting ideas for us on how to fool around with each other…" Rottytops teased with a flirty smiling wink aimed at her favorite half-genie. At that, Tayshan shook his head in complete disbelief. Shantae sighed, blushing a bit once again as she deadpanned at her best friend.

"…Of course, you'd find some way to make that sound super dirty…" the bemused young heroine remarked.

"You know it~!"

"Mind you, you're doing all of this in full acknowledgement of the warning I gave you earlier," Shantae attempted to admonish. "And you're really pushing it at this point."

"Nuh-uh," Rottytops boldly denied. "You only said you'd kick me out if I made any suggestions about all three of us having some 'fun' with each other. So far, I've only teased you and Tay separately." At that, the lavender-haired young lady found herself stunned for a moment. Tay… was also caught off-guard by the befuddling technicality.

"…Really?" Shantae barely found it in herself to flatly ask after climbing over a mountain of incredulity.

"Yes, really! I'm being a good girl and following the rules!" the jubilant zombie maiden gleefully declared, though another notable blush crept onto her face. "Granted, it's up to you two on if you want to eventually break those rules with me…~" she further teased with one more suggestive wink aimed directly at her genie best friend. Goodness, she did NOT stop once she got started. At that, Shantae let out a defeated sigh, knowing she'd be fighting the steepest of uphill battles from that point if she tried to counter.

"Ahh… What am I gonna do with you, Rotty?" the half-genie flatly asked in bewilderment, shaking her head as her own cheeks grew hot enough to fry eggs off of them. Just as Rotty was about to offer another lustful reply, however…

"An' whatever you do, Rotty, PLEASE answer that question in a way that wouldn't get you arrested if you said it in public," Tayshan… also blushingly urged, making the girls laugh out loud once again. Goodness, this is… one ODD sleepover… but we're here, so hey.

"Thank you for laying down the law in a way that gets the point across, Tay," Shae happily praised her boyfriend as she breathed a sigh of relief.

"I gotcha, Shae," the ghost man acknowledged with a confident nod to her.

"Okay, okay, I'll chill… for now," Rotty finally relented, grinning in satisfaction at her success in getting her friends all hot and bothered.

"Yeah, we'll see how long that lasts," the incredulous ghost flatly shot back.

"Agreed," Shantae added in equal incredulity. "You've gotten so much bolder with those kinds of jokes lately! I didn't think it was even possible…"

"I know, but I can't help it! You two are always so much fun to be around! And especially to tease!"

"Glad ya think so," the half-genie partially accepted the compliment as she got the idea to change the subject. "Switching gears, though, it seems like you and Tay are a lot closer now than before I went on vacation. Was your time as substitute Guardian Genies that special?"

"Heck yeah, it was! Like we were saying earlier, Tay and I became a dynamic superhero duo of our own! We ate together, trained together, lived together, completed missions together, talked together, and… we even SLEPT together once or twice~!" she scandalously revealed as she reached over and slung an arm around Tay's.

"WHAT!?" Shantae understandably shouted in a sudden burst of surprise and dismay. At that, Tayshan scowled at Rottytops, who knew full well how… incendiary her statement was to Shantae.

"Jeez, Rotty, be careful! You're playin' with fire, sayin' stuff like that!" the disgruntled wraith protested before shifting his attention to Shantae and fixing his face. Meanwhile, Rotty let loose a most mischievous grin. "She means that we had a couple late nights where we had long conversations about our experiences since we each got t' know you, an' even before. Both times, we fell asleep SEPARATELY ON THE COUCH while we were talkin'. Nobody did anything weird, an' most o' the time we spent together was geared toward hangin' out as friends an' crimefightin' partners," he further assured.

"Yeah, basically," Rotty confirmed, mostly loosening her grip on the ghost man's arm. "It was still like a dream come true, though, with the two of us becoming basically the main characters in our own story for a while!"

"Oh, okay…" Shantae acknowledged with a sigh of relief, though she still seemed not to be able to shake off this burgeoning feeling of discomfort that made her stomach sink. "W-Well, it certainly sounds like you both had a lot of fun, and I'm glad you bonded," she further asserted. "I'd…" she was about to add, though she paused to let loose a particularly long yawn. "…Whew… I'd like to hear more, but I'm honestly bushed. Before I wind up dozing off, though, I should let you know one more thing, Tay…"

"What's up?"

"I asked each of the Sirens about Lady Radiyah and the Miracle Lima Bean," she revealed, catching the full attention of both her guests.

"Oh? Did you happen t' find anything useful regardin' how t' get another Lima Bean?"

"N-no, unfortunately…" she somberly denied, bringing about what appeared to be a tidal wave of disappointment as all three of them sulked a bit.

"Dang…" the wraith cursed. "We've been searchin' for a way t' either stabilize this Soul-Link or revive me for the last five months now, an' we still ain't come close t' discoverin' anything. None o' the trips I've been on have brought up any useful info, either… Just tiny clues I can't make sense of…"

"Well, we still have seven more months before you potentially disappear forever, stud muffin!" Rotty did her best to cheer him up, though I find myself surprised to hear that… apparently, Tayshan wouldn't be around forever? And there they go with this Soul-Link thing again… "We'll find a way to keep you here with us!"

"I hope so, but the longer it takes for us t' find somethin' significant, the more worried I get that there may not be a way t' stop this from happenin'," he countered. "You're right, no less. Gotta keep our hopes up. That said, what did the sirens out that way have t' say?"

"They mentioned that they all knew Radiyah, but that she wasn't exactly on friendly terms with them. They exiled her because she was too erratic and fanatical, even for Empress Siren's tastes. And while Empress Siren wanted to break a curse placed on her by Harmony's mother that limited her life force-draining ability to the point that she could only siphon any from genies before the big Genie Flight, Radiyah wanted to enslave humanity and genies alike, creating a utopia that would see her as its supreme ruler for all eternity… as we know from when you, Aashiq, and I fought her."

"I see. Didn't imagine Radiyah t' not even be popular with other sirens…"

"Yyyyep. Lobster Siren especially disliked Radiyah and her extremist ideas. Also, Radiyah used to be known as Symphony Siren for her hypnotic singing voice, even though it only worked on males."

"As I painfully remember…" Tay acknowledged, shaking his head as though he had ringing in his ears.

"Heh, right," Shantae agreed with a slight chuckle. "Still, Radiyah's exile was the result of a huge fight between her and Empress Siren that led to Empress Siren banishing her to the temple that would eventually become the Siren's Requiem Labyrinth. The rest is history there…"

"History? What else happened?" Rotty asked, evidently not in the loop on the lore of the Seven… or Eight Sirens of Sequin Land.

"In a nutshell, Radiyah started up her own followin' of smaller sirens an' other monsters within the Siren's Requiem Labyrinth t' try an' establish her rule. At some point after the fact, she was encountered an' challenged by the Pirate Master. A huge war broke out, but Radiyah's forces couldn't hold up. Radiyah herself was killed in the battle, an' the Pirate Master eventually sunk the Siren's Requiem Labyrinth with all o' her followers inside," Tayshan explained to the best of his memory. "By the time Shantae, Aashiq, an' I went down there, her followers were in the process o' resurrectin' her with the use of a magic life-restorin' legume called a Miracle Lima Bean."

"Ooooohhh, right, I remember being told about THAT part," Rotty recalled, though she found herself mystified nevertheless. "You three fought Radiyah over it, but Shantae wound up eating it herself to keep Radiyah from getting it, right?"

"Right," Shantae confirmed with a regretful nod. "If we'd have saved it, though, we probably wouldn't be in this mess… The other sirens had no idea a Miracle Lima Bean even existed. Well, except Empress Siren, who mentioned that the bean was stolen from her by Radiyah out of spite. I can only imagine why… The main point, though, is that as far as we know, there is no extra Miracle Lima Bean that we know of."

"Hm. So if nothin' else, we're back t' sniffin' around different parts o' Sequin Land an' pressin' people for info on how t' fix this?" Tay asked, no small form of worry in his tone.

"Basically…" Shantae somberly affirmed. "Any chance you ran into Hypno Baron recently to press him for more info on the Soul-Link? I haven't seen him around since the last time we went to Genie's Hem."

"Nah, he's basically been imaginary since that college out that way was shut down. Last I heard from Aashiq, Hypno Baron's been tryin' t' dodge the system because he knows that when they catch him, they'll lock him up for the next thousand years for all the fraud, discrimination, an' embezzlement scandals he racked up. Dude's in HOT water right now for sure for demolishin' Genie's Hem's reputation."

"Serves him right for buying out that college and making it such an awful experience for anyone who enrolled," Rotty unmercifully shared, harboring no sympathy for Sequin Land's most infamous magician/former college dean. "Those poor students STILL haven't gotten their tuitions refunded yet…"

"Couldn't agree more," Tay confirmed with a shake of his head, though he also found himself yawning out of fatigue as he grew tired. "Ah, man… the day's finally caught up with me. Oogh…"

"Guess that means it's bedtime for us," Rotty suggested, letting go of Tayshan to get ready to leave. "Shall we return home, stud muffin?"

"Nonsense, Rotty," Shantae interjected, confirming that it WASN'T a slumber party… at first… "You're both already in your pajamas, and it's late. Why don't you two stay here for the night?"

"I will not argue with that," Tay concurred, leaning himself up against the wall near the bedroom window. "I will also not be movin' from this spot, because I'm two seconds away from conkin' right out." At that, the half-genie let loose another heart-melting giggle.

"Mind if I join you over there, then? Nice as my hammock may be, you've always made for a really comfy pillow…~" the lavender-haired lady flirted as she approached. "And after a whole week, you wouldn't believe how much I missed cuddling with you, Tay-Tay…"

"Heh… Sure thing, kitten. I'll admit that I missed cuddlin' with you, too…" Tay-Tay flirted right back, opening an arm for her while addressing her with a most adorable pet name. Her face igniting with a furious blush and a smile bright enough to rival the sun, Shantae happily pulled her blanket from her hammock and sauntered over to her boyfriend. Soon after, she got herself nice and cozy as she snuggled up to him while draping herself and him with the blanket. Rather than go to sleep immediately, however, the half-genie and the wraith began a most racy bout of smooching it up with one another. *Pop* after *Pwick* after soul-bonding *Twick*, Shantae and Tayshan wasted ZERO time indulging themselves in one another's physical affection with every increasingly heavy kiss shared between them. Oh, MY…

"…Huh… Um… O-okay…" Rotty murmured, her own heart thumping just a bit harder (for a zombie's standards, anyway) as she stood near the middle of the bedroom, watching the lovely couple suddenly getting all romantic with each other. Instinctively gulping, she found herself unsure of what to do. She didn't really want to sit and watch, but she didn't want to be rude and interrupt them, either. She also didn't want to make it awkward by simply leaving the room, but she found herself… none too fond of this idea of… dare she say, being left out. As her eyes darted around the room, Rotty anxiously searched for an easy way out of the situation. She could find none, however, as she soon found her gaze returning to her best friends while they shared what had to have ALREADY been their 83rd consecutive romance-riddled, sopping wet kiss. Oddly enough, however, it seemed Tayshan could sense the elephant in the room as he perked up and noticed Rotty staring from his peripheral vision. Not wanting to be rude, he turned his attention to her as his heart also began to beat heavier in his chest.

"Hm?" Shantae hummed, wondering for a moment why Tayshan stopped kissing her so suddenly. Following his gaze, she would also be met with the disquieted stare of their undead mutual friend. Immediately, the half-genie found herself awash with embarrassment and a guilt over making her best friend uncomfortable. "O-oh! Sorry, Rotty… I… uh… I should've…" she tried to further explain, but she soon after found herself drawing a most uncomfortable blank as all three of them went quiet. Seconds went by like hours as the three friends contemplated ways to address the elephant in the room. For a short while, it would seem no one would come to a reasonable conclusion on how to rid the room of the tension… until eventually…

"…Come here," Tay offered with a sigh and gesture of his hand for Rottytops to approach them as he broke the uncomfortable silence. Shocked beyond words, Shantae took one look at him to see what he was thinking. As expected, he momentarily turned his gaze back to her. He gave her a wordless shrug and head nudge to communicate that he had… SOME kind of idea on how to make things slightly less awkward. Meanwhile, Rotty perked up in complete surprise as her cheeks turned a deep sea algae green.

"Wh-what? You want me to come over there and SNUGGLE with you two?" Rotty asked as a joke to try and test the waters.

"Yes. No jokes, no gimmicks, no awkwardness," Tay boldly claimed with a most solemn expression aimed at the zombie maiden, though one could tell by the subtle heaviness of his breaths that he was ALL THE WAY nervous about the arrangement he was proposing. Naturally, both girls found themselves shocked on varying levels. Rotty found herself pleasantly surprised. Shantae? NOT so pleasantly surprised. "Of course, I'm not gonna kiss you goodnight or get frisky or nothin'. If we're all goin' t' sleep here, we may as well do so with everybody on the same page, no?"

"Jeez, Tayshan, that's a little odd… Don't you think?" a mildly perturbed Shantae asked with a raised eyebrow, evidently not a fan of the idea as she sat up. Can't say I'm surprised. "If it's that much of an issue, we could all just go back to sleeping separately."

"True, but I figure we may as well all be comfortable," he countered to the best of his ability, though he knew already that he was stepping into highly dangerous territory with his girlfriend. "Besides, the last thing I'd ever want t' do is make either one o' y'all uncomfortable at a last-minute sleepover. Especially if all we'll be doin' is sleepin'. She tries anything funny, of course, an' I'll pull myself out o' the arrangement in a heartbeat. Sound fair enough?"

"I get what you're trying to do, but that still doesn't address the fact that-!"

"I'll behave myself! I promise!" Rottytops cut in as she wasted little time sliding into the covers and claiming her spot on Tayshan's other side. Pulling his arm over her, she laid her sleepy head on his warm chest and made herself extra comfortable, extra quick. "Hmm…~ This is nice…" Though shocked to see just how quickly the undead maiden warmed up to the idea (as well as the clamminess of her frigid skin on his), Tay obliged as best as he could by resting his hand on Rotty's waist.

"…Aaaaand I guess we're doing THIS now…" Shantae acquiesced with some noticeable sense of irritation, though she didn't move from her spot on Tayshan's other side. Though concerned that Shantae wouldn't be happy with him in the moment, he gathered up the courage to sling his other arm around her, thus completing their… rather intimate sleeping arrangement. Awfully close for a trio of friends, that's for sure… but who am I to judge the closeness of any friendly bond?

"Like I said, snack cakes, I…" Rotty began to assure before she paused to let out a yawn of her own and scoot closer to the ghostly pillow they found themselves sharing. "Whew… I'll be good. If you really have an issue with this, I'll get up. I don't want to impose…" As much as Shantae wanted to kindly tell Rottytops to move, she… couldn't find it in herself to take such a position when her best friend already cozied herself up and got settled in. It wasn't necessarily in the half-genie's nature to deny others their comfort when it didn't seem entirely necessary to do so. Granted, this was… KINDA pushing it, but… then again, she had little reason to believe that either Tayshan or Rottytops would do anything to deliberately make her upset. Well, at least not Tayshan. Rottytops, as she was already painfully aware, often liked to get under her skin whenever she thought it was funny. That aside, Shantae found that she was too tired to press the issue further. So, with a heavy sigh…

"No, it's alright," the drowsy heroine permitted as she laid her head back down on the other side of Tayshan's chest. "You look comfy, and I'd feel bad if I messed that up for you. But we're only doing this ONCE. After that, you'll have to get your own ghost boyfriend-slash-pillow to cuddle with. Got it?" she further joked, managing to find some humor in the arrangement.

"Once is more than enough for me, sugar brains! I'll… try to keep my eyes peeled on the ghost boyfriend market, but the pickings have been KINDA slim," Rotty joked back as both ladies laughed it up. "I appreciate that you're sharing just this once, though. I know how much of a sacrifice this is for you, but thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing Tay-Tay with me!" she further exuberantly expressed her gratitude as she reached a hand over to stroke her best friend's hair for a moment. "I also know this is a bit out of the ordinary, but if the three of us can bathe together, then I think we can handle sleeping together, too."

"Hm. Some logic ya got there, Rotty…" Tay murmured, though it only made the affectionate zombie girl grin harder as she chuckled some more.

"The way that deep, sultry voice of yours rumbles in your chest tickles my ear, Tay-Tay… It's also really soothing to listen to when we're together like this…~" Rotty teased, pressing her head a little heavier on the young man as she grew steadily wearier.

"…Gee, thanks…" he murmured in a mixture of humor and concern as he turned his head toward the half-genie to see that she'd also been struggling to stay awake. "I see you're not too far behind her, Shae-Shae."

"Yeah, I…" the half-genie began before letting out another yawn. "…I'm totally wiped out… But I sure hope neither of you two thinks that this is some sort of gateway to me sharing on a regular basis…"

"Shoot, you ain't gotta tell me twice," he remarked with a chuckle. "You an' you alone are all I will EVER want or need in my li—er, existence," he oddly corrected himself, causing Rottytops to laugh while Shantae cutely growled in disapproval at him.

"Tay…!" the half-genie warned, pouting at him.

"Sorry, sorry… I still gotta work on the puns," Tay apologized to her with a nervous titter. "Trust an' believe, though. There is no UNIVERSE where I could see myself with anyone other than you. Especially not THIS one. I am NOT takin' you for granted at all, ever. I love you, Shantae…"

"You're lucky you have such a way with words…" the lavender-haired lady teased with another disarming grin as she nuzzled her face into his chest and picked up that his heart was thumping a thousand miles a minute. At that, she grinned wider as she snuggled up closer to him. It seemed she got all the confirmation she needed right then and there that he was telling the truth. "Also, the feeling is mutual. I have no doubts that it'll stay that way. I love you, too, Tayshan…"

"Hey…!" Rotty comically complained, once again feeling left out as she pouted. "Where do I fit into all that?"

"We love you as well, Rottytops," both Shantae and Tayshan made sure to include their mutual companion, at which point all three of them shared one more laugh together.

"And trust me, neither of us could imagine life without you, either," Shantae added with a warm grin. Tayshan merely nodded in agreement as he reassuringly rubbed Rottytops along her side.

"D'aww, you two are the best. I love you both, too…" Rotty vocalized her equally reciprocated affection as all three of them finally got themselves nice and ready for a trip to dreamland. And before long, all three of them were out like lights, snoozing away as their fatigue from such an arduous day washed over them…

Huh… Well, wasn't that the sweetest? Wow… I don't think I've seen a friendship quite this close in a while… It almost brings a tear to my eye… Or maybe it's this bowl of freshly sliced onions someone left near me. Dang onions… Either way, I suppose that's where we wrap things up for now. Thanks for coming on this house tour that wasn't actually a house tour! I hope we can do it again sometime. Chances are, if you're sticking around, we probably will. Only, with less house touring and more following the lives of Scuttle Town's most intriguing troupe of super friends and the adventures that may come in tandem. Whelp… I suppose that's it for now. See ya in the morning! Or afternoon, or night or… y'know what? I'll catch ya later. Bye for now!