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!

3. Vital Inquiries

Chapter 3: Vital Inquiries

Yo, yo! Welcome back! Glad to see you came back for more of… whatever it is we're getting into! Funny thing, I once heard that there was this gig called 'narrating,' and there used to be someone who would follow Shantae and company around, telling their stories to all who would hear them. I'm… not sure where that person is or how they're doing, though. Or even… WHO they were, for that matter. Rumor has it that they retired from the practice once they were done telling the last bits of a story about some series of outlandish catastrophes that transpired sometime not all that long ago. I didn't have any luck finding anything out about them, either. They vanished as suddenly as they came in, never to be seen or heard from again. Nevertheless, I saw that this position was open! It… had been for quite some time. Had to dust at least a year's worth of cobwebs and dust bunnies off the seat… Good thing my allergy medicine is always handy. Anyway… if you don't mind, I'll be your 'narrator' from here on out rather than just your tour guide. You'll have to find someone else to net you a sweet deal on a house in dandy ol' danger-prone Scuttle Town in case you were ACTUALLY thinking about moving there.

Also, I'd highly recommend looking up that other narrator's work if ever you get the chance! In fact, I heard that a novel they published was a bestseller in some of Sequin Land's major markets. I believe it was called… 'Clash of Arms,' or something to that effect? I… haven't partaken of it myself, to be honest, but I heard they did a pretty decent job documenting the events of a major saga past! Something about aliens, and military weapons, and time travel… Wacky stuff beyond comprehension! All things considered, maybe it'll answer some of the questions you might have at this point regarding our heroes and their backgrounds up to this point. If you don't want to do that, and you'd rather hang with me to get your insight, then that's okay, too! I'll do my best to keep you as informed as you are entertained! On that note, we should probably get going. Oh! But before I do, I should introduce myself. My name is-!

"Hmmmm~! Ahh, now THAT was a great night's sleep," a certain green-skinned zombie maiden could be heard happily proclaiming from within the Scuttle Town Lighthouse as the early morning sun had just risen over the horizon. Not long afterward, this undead young lady emerged from the building dressed in a mauve tank top, dark fog gray short shorts, and a cute pair of brown shoes with frilly socks that matched her top. "Best I've gotten in ages! Thank you both again for letting me sleep with you!" she further offered her gratitude to the two other individuals that stepped out into the breezy palm tree-laden peninsula with her while the tides of the ocean ubiquitously crashed against its stony shores.

"Sure thing, Rotty," everyone's favorite half-genie acknowledged with a contented yawn and stretch as she stepped out. Decked out in her usual red-and-gold dancing ensemble complete with that iconic lavender ponytail of hers, Shantae seemed ready to tackle the day as per usual. "It was a lot more soothing than I thought it would be! Seems like we both needed it after the day we had!" she further shared with a beaming grin as she was also followed out by Scuttle Town's newest addition to the hero team.

"I'm glad y'all both slept well, but if there's ever a 'next time' t' that arrangement, remind me t' bring a life vest… or at least a towel…" the third person, the mysterious ghost man known as Tayshan, comically complained as he emerged from the lighthouse wearing a freshened-up rendition of the emerald-green genie-esque warrior costume he'd worn just the day before. I… suppose this would be his default outfit, from the look of it? "You both drooled ALL OVER me. I swore I was bein' woken up in the middle o' the ocean, you two slobbered so much. We're lucky the house ain't flooded," At that, both heroines giggled in collective amusement.

"Sorry about that, Tay," Shantae apologized first as she laughed. "I thought I got over that habit by now, but… you already know how it is when I get REALLY good sleep. I can't help it!"

"Same here," Rottytops added in an equal level of apologetic humor. "You really do make for a super comfy pillow! The second I rested my head on your chest, I was K.O. like a I lost a huge boxing match! You should be flattered that Shantae and I drooled all over you! In more ways than one, I might add…~ It's not every day that a guy gets to hold the honor of having two of Sequin Land's most beautiful AND most powerful women cuddling up to and LITERALLY drooling all over him at the same time, stud muffin. All romantic and such… I bet it was a dream come true for you~!" she gushed as she slyly nudged him with an elbow while winking at him. At that, Shantae's immediately took on a sour facial expression as she scowled at her best friend.

"Oh, an' here you go already…" Tay protested, though he couldn't help but chuckle a bit at her crude joke. "That was NEVER on my bucket list OR any 'dream' o' mine, first of all. Second, don't you think it's a bit early t' start bein' triflin'?" he further scolded, causing Rotty to bust out laughing with nothing but sheer joy from head to toe.

"Never! Being trifling has always been one of my favorite things to do! I'm just glad you gave it such a funny-sounding term!" Rotty gushed her appreciation of… being 'trifling?' Doesn't exactly sound like something one SHOULD be proud of, but I guess…

"Great, but can you maybe tone it down just a tad, Rotty?" Shantae humbly requested, seeing nowhere near as much of the humor at the moment. "And could you also PLEASE not tell anyone we did this? Last thing we need is yet ANOTHER weird shipping rumor floating around town about you and me doing weird things behind closed doors… much less a rumor about you, me, AND Tayshan."

"…Jeez…" Tay groaned, shaking his head in dismay. Evidently, Scuttle Town was a ceaseless rumor mill full of scandalous romance stories regarding our heroes. "It never stops with those folks. You'd figure they'd have somethin' better t' talk about, considerin' what normally happens around these parts."

"Little late to THAT train, snack cakes," Rotty replied with a grinning shrug. "Those rumors have been floating around ever since I first visited you in Scuttle Town. They were even more rampant after our first adventure in Spider Web Island and that other trip to Tan Line Island. I can't say I've ever appreciated the rumors at all, but I've come to learn that people really seem to think you and I would make the perfect couple! I'm not sure if I'd personally agree, but that's kinda how it's been."

"Believe me, I know…" the half-genie remarked with a sigh and roll of her eyes. As it seemed, she did not think the same.

"Buuuut then again, by day two of your vacation, people were suddenly SERIOUSLY into shipping me with Tayshan because of us taking on the task of filling in for you as Guardian Genies… on top of the fact that we're both undead," Rotty continued to ramble, catching all of her best friend's attention in an instant as the half-genie shot her a wide-eyed look of shock.

"What!? You've gotta be-!" Shantae was about to complain, none too enthused to hear such a spicy rumor about her boyfriend and her best friend hooking up.

"They were calling the ship between him and me the 'Post-Mortem Paramours' by day three," Rotty further shared with another giggle, making Tayshan wince in displeasure while Shantae pouted. "They still are, as a matter of fact! I don't mind it so much, all things considered. It's such a catchy name! And he and I definitely proved we've got a LOT of chemistry with each other both professionally and personally. If it wasn't for you already claiming him, then I could totally see-!"

"Be careful what you say, Rotty," Tayshan thankfully (and sternly) intervened through clenched teeth and with a side-eyed glare before the undead young lady put her foot in her mouth.

"Oh! I-I mean uh… T-those people and their crazy rumors!" she barely managed to save herself, earning another disapproving scowl from her best friend. At that, the wraith chuckled while letting loose a heavy, nervous breath. Meanwhile, Rotty raised her hands and gulped, hoping she didn't offend Shantae too badly.

"…Rrrrright," Shantae irritably acknowledged, eyeing Rotty up and down.

"Of course, there's ALSO the rumor going around that Tayshan and I are your… uh… something with a 'C,' but I can't remember the word… Commissaries? Constituents…?" the rambunctious zombie rattled on, hastily changing the subject.

"CONCUBINES," Tayshan corrected with a most unamused frown on his face as he momentarily stared off into the horizon. "An' THAT rumor started off way back when I first got here, an' has only picked up steam since then…" he further grumbled, not too happy to be considered as Shantae's concubine. I mean, it was technically true that he could be considered that to her, but… ah, never mind…

"Yeah, that's it! They think Tayshan and I are your concubines!" Rotty boisterously confirmed with no form of objection or shame whatsoever.

"Oh, gosh, they think I HAVE A HAREM NOW, TOO!?" Shantae hollered out in shock, slapping a hand to her cheek. "Ugh, WHAT IS IT with this place!? Do they SERIOUSLY have NOTHING better to do than to constantly try to pry into my love life!?"

"Who knows?" the undead maiden replied with another nonchalant shrug. "Humorous as they may be, these rumors are exactly why I don't come to Scuttle Town all that often. Too many people wanting to know too much about stuff that isn't their business in the slightest," she further dismissed before changing the subject. "It's alright, though. They'll run their course, and then people will eventually find something else to talk about. It really doesn't matter to me anymore. That said, I should probably get going. Bolo and I have a date today, and I don't want to keep him waiting."

"…DATE!?" both Shantae and Tayshan questioned in complete befuddlement, exchanging glances with one another before simultaneously turning back to their mutual friend.

"Not like THAT, you sillies!" Rottytops teased, sticking her tongue out at both of them for falling for her trick. "He and I are gonna brainstorm ideas about our own adventure to see if we can help you solve this 'Soul-Link' and 'One-Year Time Limit' problem. Crazy how easily a rumor gets started, though, isn't it? Trust me, you two would be the first—and probably the ONLY—people to know if I ever stopped being single. That may not happen for a long time, though, because the single life is wonderful!" she further happily shared as she moved to give Shantae a strong, loving hug. Finding it in herself to laugh, Shantae hugged Rotty back with just as much affection. "Catch ya later, snack cakes!"

"Heh… See ya soon, Rotty," Shantae offered her farewell as the girls embraced one another. Rotty took it up a notch almost immediately and planted an affectionate kiss on Shantae's cheek. The half-genie gladly returned the favor, kissing the zombie girl on the cheek as well while the two continued hugging one another for just a moment longer afterward. "And thanks for helping us out with our research! We really appreciate it!"

"You can always count on me!" Rotty assured without a modicum of doubt before they finally separated. Soon after, Rotty turned her attention to Tayshan. "It's been a wild ride, stud muffin, but there's no better person to have as my sidekick than you when it comes to saving the day!" the jubilant zombie proclaimed as she moved to hug the ghost man with enough affection to make an entire room full of people feel the love.

"Sure, YOU were the main hero, an' I was the sidekick. I definitely know MY place now, thanks t' you, 'Fillin the Blank,'" Tay replied with a chuckle as he hugged Rotty back and addressed her by… her superhero nickname, I suppose? "Easily the MOST CREATIVE name in the world, by the way…"

"I speak fluent sarcasm, sweetie, so you'd better watch it!" Rotty playfully threatened, hugging him even tighter. "Even 'Tayshan the Tenacious' doesn't want to know how dangerous Fillin the Blank can be when she's mad," she further taunted as she, without warning, let go of Tayshan and hopped up high to latch her arms around the back of his neck. And before the wraith could defend himself, Rottytops leaned forward and planted a most… overzealous kiss on his cheek as her feet comically hung at what looked like a meter off the ground. "Mmmmmpwah~!"

"Gah! Goodness, Princess, you CAN warn me if you're gonna do somethin' like that! That tickles!" Tayshan complained with a chuckle as Rotty concluded her extravagant show of affection and finally let go. She landed with a soft *Plop* of her feet on the ground. Curiously enough, she found herself grinning brighter than usual as she blushed once again.

"Y'know… I'm not sure why you started calling me that, but I REALLY like it! It's… oddly familiar-sounding, but it fills me with absolute joy that I'm your 'Princess,' my Darkness-Swathed Hero~!" 'Princess' Rottytops excitedly informed her crimefighting partner of her approval of the nickname as she grinned at him while cupping her cheeks. Tayshan, curiously enough, flinched in surprise before shyly smiling and nodding as though he preferred not to dig too deeply into this strange game of nicknames. Darkness-Swathed Hero, though? How ominous-sounding… Nevertheless, Rotty soon turned around and confidently sauntered over the wooden bridge linking the island where Shantae's home resided to the rest of the peninsula, dramatically swinging her curvy hips with every step. "On that note, folks, I'm gonna hit the ol' dusty trail and go find Bolo. See ya!"

"Bye, Rotty!" both Shantae and Tayshan bade, waving her off as she happily strolled her way through the foliage in the distance on her way into town. Once she was out of sight and out of earshot, however, the half-genie and the wraith turned to each other.

"…So… Welcome home once again, hon!" Tayshan started off after a moment of silence. Shantae, however, was not immediately all that receptive. Rather than brightly greet him back, Shantae instead crossed her arms, turned her head away, closed her eyes, and pouted. "Uh-oh… I know what that look means. You're mad at me, ain't you?"

"Yes, I am," she curtly responded, refusing to look at him.

"Look, I'm sorry about makin' that suggestion last night…" he apologized, knowing exactly why she was upset with him. As such, his heart began to pound and pound and pound like a woodpecker's beak against a tree trunk as he grew nervous. "I didn't want t' make either o y'all upset, an' that was the only way I could think t' make it less awkward once the moment happened."

"That doesn't mean that everyone who feels a little left out when we kiss and cuddle needs to be included," the disgruntled young lady countered as she turned back toward him and gave him a most disapproving glare that communicated ALL of her displeasure in that moment. At that, Tayshan flinched in total panic as his eyes widened. Goodness, I guess we found the poor guy's weakness… "I mean, I won't say I hated the experience, but I mean it when I say we are NEVER doing that again. We've crossed enough friendship boundaries with Rottytops as it is, and this won't do anything to help in getting her to stop 'joking' about opening our relationship up to involve her. Would you like it if I suddenly invited Bolo to do the same thing if HE was in Rotty's place?"

"N-no…" the wraith regretfully acknowledged. "But then, he would have t' be interested in doin' such a thing in the first place, on top o' bein' in a similar situation t' her."

"My point still stands, Tayshan," Shantae countered once again, putting her foot down. "It's not exactly something I want to see happen between us. Rotty's my best friend and I love her, but as I said before, I am NOT sharing you with her. I also don't want to make a habit out of letting other people, least of all our own friends, wedge themselves into our relationship. Also, I know how close you and Rotty have gotten to each other over time, and I'm always glad to see you two hanging out, but there ARE limits that need to be set with her. For both of us."

"Y-yeah, I know… I guess I've been goin' easy on her lately, an' I DO need t' be better at settin' stronger boundaries with her," Tay agreed. "It's a bit harder than I thought. The weird part, though, is that she really only gets that rowdy when you're around."

"Really?" Shantae asked in surprise, momentarily dropping her angry disposition.

"Yeah. She still flirted a bunch an' made her jokes here an' there, but Rotty actually behaved herself while you were gone. Despite all the rumors goin' around, she never actually made a pass at me. I only had t' tell her once t' cool it with the flirtin', an' she hadn't made an issue of it again up until y'all came back."

"Oh. Huh…" she hummed in wonder, seeming to expect there to be more of a reason for concern. "So, what DID you two do while I was away?"

"Exactly what we described yesterday. Filled in as Guardian Genies, went on a few adventures, hung out, talked a bunch, an' she slept over at my house in her own room," Tay candidly explained. "Of course, I also spent far more time cleanin' up after her than I care t' acknowledge…" he further grumbled, making his girlfriend laugh as she lightened up.

"Sorry about that. If I knew she'd be in town, I'd have told you about her home habits from the other times she's slept over my house."

"Thanks for the warnin', Captain Hindsight," the bemused wraith humorously remarked, smilingly narrowing his eyes at the giggling half-genie as she received his comment. "Still… I… I'm sorry, Shae," he apologized once again, the smile disappearing from his face. "You're absolutely right, an' I'd be a fool t' see things any differently. Um… a-are you still upset?" he cautiously asked, wearing a most repentant expression on his face. When Shantae got a good look at him, she grew a bit worried herself.

"…Not as much as I was a second ago," she admitted with a sigh of both relief and satisfaction. "I'll go ahead and say I DO understand that your heart was in the right place. And considering it's Rottytops, I'll also go ahead and say I understand that you want to protect her just as much as I do. I can also see that she's begun to treat you with just as much love and affection as she's always treated me with. Not many people get to hold that distinction with her."

"Trust me, I know. I'm glad t' know she values me so highly now, an' I won't take that lightly," Tay concurred with a sigh of relief. "That said, I won't trip, either. Like you said, no more close-and-personal sleepovers unless everybody brings their own date or body pillow." At that, Shantae cracked up as she lightly slapped a hand on her boyfriend's chest.

"You ain't right, Tay-Tay!" she teased with an interesting phrase, causing him to laugh away the tension alongside her.

"Still borrowin' phrases from me, eh?" he laughingly asked.

"Yeah… Yeah, I am," she unabashedly admitted as she settled down. "That aside, my biggest point here is that you're MY boyfriend. No one else's. I will not hesitate to chase away anyone who tries to take you from me, and as far as I'M concerned, you and I are the only 'Power Couple' around these parts. None of that 'Post-Mortem Paramours' stuff! I don't care WHAT rumors are going around town, the only ship I'm acknowledging right now is the… um… hmm… Ah! The Soul-Linked Sweethearts! You got that?" she further declared, even giving their relationship an unnecessarily saccharine label.

"Ooh, that's a creative name… if not a bit 'cutesy' for my tastes…" he critiqued as he crossed his arms and cocked an eyebrow. He, of course, did so to try and hide an abundant mix of surprise and flattery as his heart continued to pump like a hundred pistons.

"Got anything better, then?" she challenged him as she pressed her hands to her hips, grinning ear to ear in anticipation.

"Hmm… um… I guess, the Couple from across the Cosmos? Or, like, Cosmic Couple for short? All things considered about how we met, an' even how our journeys bound us together through space-time…" he tried his best, though he shrugged with uncertainty. Shantae's eyes lit up like exploding stars (pun intended) as she grinned hard enough to where I almost thought her mouth would detach from her face.

"Tay, that's PERFECT! I love it!" she exclaimed. "It's simple, it's catchy, and it tells a HUGE chunk of our story in just a few words! You're a genius!"

"Aw, come on…" he dismissed with a humored chortle. "It ain't like it took a hundred years t' come up with such a name."

"Sure, but it fits us perfectly! You and me, The Cosmic Couple… Totally keeping it! That might even be our new team name!"

"If it sticks, then let's go for it," Tay nonchalantly accepted the notion with a momentary tilt of his head. "That aside, Shae, I… didn't expect you t' be so fervent with this. This ain't your way o' tellin' me you're the jealous type, is it? Because you know you don't need t' w-!" he was about to assure her.

"Oh, it's not so much me being 'jealous,' as much as it is me knowing—on top of letting YOU know—that I will NEVER underestimate the infinite value of our connection ever again. I value our relationship to the fullest, and I'm gonna protect it AND YOU at all costs!" she corrected while inadvertently cutting him off, looking her lover right in the eye as she made her eternal claim of him for herself. As she did so, Shantae's heart began thumping harder than a jackhammer while her entire body heated up. "There will NEVER be a day where you won't be mine, and there will NEVER be a day where I won't be yours as long as I can help it."

"Shoot, I already know," he agreed with all his heart, feeling a great deal of the half-genie's infectious energy as he also heated up from head to toe. "An' I feel the exact same way. Like I said, nobody in this or ANY universe would be able t' take me away from you. An' if anybody tries t' separate us, I'll give it EVERYTHING I've got t' make sure we stay connected… an' that they NEVER try again."

"Aww, Tay…" Shantae hummed in affectionate bliss as the two embraced and shared a most heartfelt kiss… followed by another… and one more after that… and then a PARTICULARLY heavy one following that. Oh, boy… "Y'know… I really, really missed you during my vacation… I really wanted you to come with us and meet the other half-genies… I told them all about you."

"I know, an' I'd have loved t' go… But as we saw, too many enemies are waitin' for an opportunity to attack when they think no one's around," he reasoned, though the two did not separate. If anything, they got even closer. "An' considerin' how busy this past week was, it was a choice that had t' be made. Also, I would hope they had nice things t' say about me."

"They almost didn't even believe me until I showed them the photo we took at our Halloween party last year!" she joked. "Now, they want a chance to meet you!" At that, Tayshan exhaled in shock.

"I'd like t' meet them, too, but come on… You couldn't find a more flatterin' picture t' show them?" he asked with a chuckle of humor and slight embarrassment.

"Aw, you'll warm up to it! I know our costume choices were a bit… risqué, but I think we went well together! It was a wholesome idea!"

"A sexy, scantily clad succubus an' her spellbound, shirtless, 'sexy corrupted angel' henchman is NOT exactly what I call 'wholesome,' Shantae," he reminded her with a blushing pout.

"It wasn't THAT bad," she humorously challenged. "Besides, my outfit was just a tight little black-and-red corset with a garter belt, some fishnet stockings I had from another cosplay outfit, a little bit of eye shadow, some fake bat wings, some red high heels, some wrist cuffs from the clothing store, a headband with cute little demon horns, and my usual gold earrings and hair tie! It wasn't THAT sexy!" Ooh… That must've been SOME costume… I wonder…

"Tell that t' all the folks who couldn't take their eyes off you the entire time we was there. Also, considerin' how we ended that night after the party, I personally beg t' differ…" he coyly shot back, clearing his throat as he momentarily looked away and blushed harder. I… don't think that needs much more explanation. It sure did get hot out here… Whew… Receiving the message loud and clear regardless, Shantae let loose a blushing giggle as she grinned with an… understandable sense of pride.

"Oh, so you really liked that outfit, is what you're saying?" she teased, only growing more excited as a rush of butterflies erupted in her stomach. "I suppose it shouldn't be a wonder why you couldn't even wait until we took the costumes off when we got back here, then…~ Goodness, I didn't think I'd EVER seen you so hot and bothered… nor did I think I could be that hot and bothered myself… Not that I'm complaining~! I almost wish that night didn't have to end. Hmm, so much intensity… so much passion…~"

"Hmph. T' be fair, I like all o' your outfits," Tay openly admitted as he turned his attention back to her, though the furious redness in his face told the whole story of how he'd been feeling. "That outfit in particular, though? Yyyeeah, it… had the exact 'effect' on me that the theme implied…" At that, the half-genie giggled even more gleefully than she had moments earlier.

"Oh, stop~!" she laughingly requested, seeming to really be enjoying getting a rise out of him (pun… intended?). "Besides, I wasn't the only one drawing all the attention back then! As much as you might not have wanted to notice, most of the ladies at that party… and even some of the men had their eyes practically glued to you! Especially when we did that little coordinated belly dance number together! Even Sky had to pull me aside at one point and ask me why you were tempting her so much, y'know… And don't even get me STARTED on Aashiq! He was ready to take both of us to his home himself, he was so… dare I say, 'excited' by our costumes… and you KNOW how big the crushes he has on us are…" At that, the poor guy nearly jumped out of his clothes in such wide-eyed surprise that you'd think someone took a live wire and jabbed him with it.

"Uh… I… don't really know how t' take that…" he stammered, beyond flabbergasted as the thought of the oh-so-sophisticated blonde bird tamer came into his mind. He'd also seemed to think about this other friend of theirs, whose identity I had no clue of.

"Take it as a compliment, sweetie!" she boldly assured as she tapped him on the chest. "If you've got the goods, then you may as well not be afraid to show them off. Between you and me, that was one of my favorite outfits for you. It honestly makes me wonder what it would look like if you went on an adventure wearing it! Do you know how hot that would be? Granted, I know you'll probably never wear it again, buuuut… just saying." Goodness gracious, this girl is something else! I pictured her to be a lot more… modest, I guess? Shoot… Maybe it's just when she's around him, I suppose…

"Yeah, okay. I ain't quite as confident as you are with showin' off 'the goods.' Besides, I can still feel the itch o' those fake black angel wings… an' the way those skimpy, skintight spandex shorts I had to wear kept ridin' up was the most embarrassin' thing about that whole ensemble… An' you WONDER why people around these parts keep callin' me your concubine instead o' your boyfriend!" he complained, giving us quite the… vivid image of a rather naughty costume design that I… MAY have wanted to see. For research purposes, I swear. For a friend… Heh.

"Fair, fair, but I don't hear you saying you didn't have fun!" she smilingly retorted, knowing she had long since made her point. "As for the photo, it's the best-slash-only one I had on me at the time! The other girls also really liked what they saw, if that makes you feel better!"

"It doesn't, but thanks… I can't wait t' try an' make a decent first impression, since you set it up SO well… I at least hope they don't think I'm some sort o' male entertainer…" At that, Shantae kept on laughing as she seemed not to have a problem imagining… SOMETHING to that effect as she kept her mesmerized gaze on him. Tayshan found it in himself to laugh as well, though he couldn't help but be a bit self-conscious about the nature of this apparently racy photo… and the way Shantae had been staring at him. "Anyway, do you figure we should head over t' Scuttle Town now? Seems we both have somethin' t' do today."

"Oh, right. Yeah, I guess…" Shantae confirmed as they separated, her happy mood dropping once she realized they didn't have much time to spend with each other. "Uncle's gonna start getting antsy if I don't get over there as soon as I can."

"Knowin' him, he'd probably be zippin' on over here if you wasn't there by a certain hour. An' I certainly don't wanna get you in trouble again. It's bad enough he still thinks that every minute we're together when he's not around, we're foolin' around with each other… On that same vibe, I suppose I shouldn't keep Sky waitin' either," he agreed, however halfheartedly. "Maybe we'll have some time t' spend together after today's errands?"

"I sure hope so…" she confessed with a look of sore disappointment that honestly caught him off-guard.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong, babe? What's with that look?" he worriedly asked, laying a hand on her shoulder as he focused on her.

"Well… I-I was kinda hoping you and I would at least have today to spend together before we got back to our regular schedules…" she further admitted as she wrung her hands, bowed her head, and turned away while keeping her eyes locked on him. Aww, she seemed so upset! She's adorable, but man… "We haven't spent much time with just the two of us in the last month because of our jobs, our friends, and my vacation… and we haven't even… well… y'know… made love at all in the last three weeks, and I've been feeling REALLY pent-up…" she further shared, thereby confirming beyond a shadow of a doubt just how close these two were. WOW…

"Oh. I see…" he solemnly acknowledged, not at all bothered by the admission despite the fact that his skin grew warm enough to boil water. "An' you're definitely right… This last month has been rough, an' these last few weeks especially have been a bit… extremely, unbearably difficult for both of us. Trust me, I'm just as pent-up as you are."

"You think we have enough time right now to… um… catch up on that, then? Or at least cuddle a bit?" she asked, hoping he'd possibly be on-board.

"Ah… You an' I both know that once we get started, we ain't stoppin' after just a couple minutes o' kissin' an' canoodlin'…" he countered, though it seemed to pain him greatly to decline the intimate offer. "I wouldn't want t' just tease you for a bit, an' then leave you more frustrated when we get movin'. At the very least, we can grab a bite t' eat somewhere close by before we part ways in town if you'd like. Y'know, a mini date."

"Hrrmmph… True," she admitted with a truly frustrated sigh as she scratched her head in vexation. "Alright, I suppose we may as well get our days started, and then hopefully see about tonight. The sooner we finish up, the better. Also, yes. I'd love to go on a mini date with you."

"Then mini date, we shall. You ain't lyin' there about gettin' the ball rollin' sooner than later, though. But hey, as soon as we get back, I'll take extra special care o' you…" he assured her with a rather… suggestive smiling wink as he pulled her in for an especially affectionate hug.

"Is that a fact, Tay-Tay?" she teasingly asked, smiling with romantic glee as she returned the embrace in full.

"Trust an' believe, Shae-Shae. I really enjoy puttin' a smile on that pretty face o' yours in as many ways as I can…" he declared, gently stroking her rosy cheek with his hand as his heart began to pound fast enough that one would've thought a stampede of horses was about to race through the windy peninsula. Enthralled by the racy confirmation, Shantae hugged Tayshan tighter, pressing her ear to his chest to listen to his heart like it was her favorite song. Meanwhile, the lovely genie girl's own heart continued to pound in her ears as her stomach erupted with an exhilarating sensation of unparalleled joy. After a moment, however, she turned and looked up at him once again while they remained ensnared in one another's grasps.

"Y'know, saying things like that only makes me want to keep you here longer…" she playfully remarked.

"Just as much as simply lookin' at you makes me want t' stay here with you longer, I'm sure," he retorted with a grin of pure bliss as he leaned forward to meet her at eye level. Knowing exactly what he wanted in that moment, Shantae created just enough space between them to cup his face with her hands and… ooh… and place possibly THE SPICIEST, most enticing, sensual, and… dare I say, sopping wet smooches on his lips that communicated EVERY message that needed to be sent between them in that moment. *Pop* after *Smooch* after immensely love-soaked *Chu*, the genie and the wraith let it be known in as little as ten seconds what they wanted to do with one another over the course of an entire day. Feeling all the affectionate energy himself, Tayshan wasted little time scooping Shantae up off her feet, cupping his hands under her bottom as she wrapped her legs around his waist. Meanwhile, they continued to make out, one heavy, wet, heart-melting kiss at a time. Whooh… W-wow… You'd have thought these two had recently gotten married, they were so intense…

"Hmm…~" the young lady could be heard humming into her lover's mouth as she clamped her hands tighter on his face and deepened every subsequent kiss she delivered to him. Picking up what she was putting down, Tayshan happily joined her in diving further into the seemingly bottomless ocean of love shared between them as he kissed her back with just as much zeal. Before too long, however, he found it in himself to pepper her cheek and neck with additional kisses that made the half-genie quiver in delight as he held her. "Ahn~! H-hey! That tickles…~ And you're kinda doing that thing you said you WOULDN'T do, with leaving me more pent-up than I already am. You know what it does to me when you hold me and kiss me like this…"

"I do…" he slyly admitted with a grin as he planted just one more kiss on her neck before recoiling to breathlessly marvel at her enchanting beauty. "An' I plan t' do a lot more than this when we get a chance."

"Ooh, playing it THAT way, are you?" she asked, grinning with even more ecstasy as she kissed him one more time. "Okay, then… I hope you'll be ready to back that up when the time comes…"

"Heh… Speakin' of 'backing it up…'" Tayshan mischievously taunted as he gave Shantae's backside a squeeze with both hands that made her both flinch and giggle in a mixture of arousal and amusement as she grabbed his head and smushed his face snugly into her heaving chest. Surprisingly, she didn't wind up getting hit in the face with the halo still ubiquitously hovering over his head.

"Hahah~! I knew you'd do that!" she laughingly teased, seeming to have no issue with the friskiness of their embrace. "You're such a naughty boy… What am I gonna do with you, Tayshan?"

"I'm sure you've already got a few ideas…" he teased some more as he chuckled, though he didn't resist the opportunity to kiss the half-genie's bosom a couple times.

"Nyaaah…! T-Tayshan…~!" she grumbled with a pout aimed at him, though she couldn't resist the urge to grin with blushing joy as her breaths became progressively hotter and heavier. "Just for that, I'm gonna pay you back tenfold tonight…" she whispered to him in as… flirtatiously menacing a tone as she could muster.

"Oops… My apologies, kitten. Still, why don't we save that question o' yours for later? By all means, I want t' see how many different ways we get to answer it tonight… If anything, maybe that question will help the both of us push through the day…" he enticingly suggested, easing up just enough to where he met her at eye level to kiss her just one more soul-bonding time.

"Y'know what? You're right! You're absolutely right! Okay, let's get moving!" she announced to him with a sudden boost in morale as she suddenly broke from the hug, landed on her feet, took her boyfriend by the hand, and dragged him off toward the plains leading into the port city. "Thanks for the pep talk, honey! You gave me all the motivation I need!"

"Whohoahahow! S-sure thing, Shantae!" Tayshan offered his acknowledgment as best as he could while the two of them sped off like two suped-up race cars to tackle their respective duties. That said, I suppose we're at a bit of a crossroads. Just give me a minute to figure out where to go next as we take notice of… some strange bat-like creature with a set of binoculars hiding in a nearby tree? Huh… Upon closer inspection, the bat creature was wearing a red bandana, baggy red pants, and had these repulsive yellow eyes and this scraggly little body… Wait… That's… That's a TINKERBAT! Oh, boy… What the heck was one of THOSE repugnant things doing HERE!? Spying on Shantae and Tayshan was one thing, but… what exactly was it looking to gain? It seemed… both puzzled and deathly afraid as it finished its research and activated the propeller pack strapped to its back once it was sure it wouldn't be spotted. With a dutiful *WHIRRRRR*, the unscrupulous creature took off flying to parts unknown with hardly a warning… huh… that can't be good…

A little while later….

"Morning, Uncle!" Shantae brightly greeted her surrogate father as she strolled into a neat-looking workshop with stacks of notebooks and educational tomes abound, a work desk in the middle with all sorts of research materials strewn across it, and… Wouldn't you know it? There just so happened to be a familiar-looking elderly gentleman with a long, silver beard and a green lab coat hard at work studying some extremely complicated formulae written across a chalkboard at the end of the laboratory opposite of where the Half-Genie Hero stepped in. Expecting the young heroine to stop by on such a relatively quiet morning as the sun shined through the window in the adjacent wall, the man turned to face his esteemed guest.

"Ah, you've arrived!" Mimic cheerfully acknowledged, stopping his work to immediately approach Shantae for a hug. "You're early, too!"

"Yep! Up, at 'em, and Ret-2-Go!" Shantae proudly assured as she embraced the elderly scientist with gusto.

"Glad to hear it, cupcake. I certainly hope you got enough rest, of course," Mimic continued as the two separated, after which he led her to the other end of the room where the chalkboard was. "Oh, and did you eat breakfast?"

"I did all of the above," Shantae confirmed with a nod. "Tayshan treated me before we parted ways for today."

"Oh, good. Well, I'm certainly glad that young man is continuing to make sure you're taken care of. Here's a question for you, though…"

"What's up?"

"How many plates did that boy eat as compared to you on your date this time?" At that, Shantae let out a highly amused giggle.

"Well… You didn't hear this from me, but he had four full courses of everything from a six-egg pepper omelet, to a stack of at least eight pancakes dribbled in strawberry syrup and butter, to a whole mountain of home fries, to a fruit salad the size of a basketball before he FINALLY felt full enough to tackle the rest of the day… with an emphasis on 'full ENOUGH.' Although, I… tapped out at three and a half, if I'm gonna be TOTALLY honest…" she sheepishly replied, grinning with glee as she pressed her index fingers together. "I had everything he had, but I ran out of room after the home fries. I ate the fruit salad instead and let him finish my portion of the fries." Goodness, this girl can eat!

"Great googly ghost peppers! You two are a couple of SPACE VACUUMS with your appetites! It's certainly a good thing you two have the money to pay for such enormous meals, but it astounds me how much you can put away in one sitting… Seriously, I've personally seen the man eat an ENTIRE REFRIGERATOR'S worth of food before!"

"Hah! Yeah, that sounds about right…"

"How is it neither of you has gained an ounce of additional weight after such massive food binges!? You still look like you're in excellent shape!"

"Trust me, Uncle, it's VERY MUCH balanced out with the intense, grueling exercise he and I do on a regular basis," the curvaceous half-genie confidently assured with a contented grin. "I totally get it when they say exercise ironically makes you hungrier, though. That said, I'm still keeping my womanly figure in check for sure. Chances are, we'll be running, dancing, and/or weightlifting all the extra calories off later this week…"

"Heh, well as long as you have a workable balance between indulging yourselves and keeping yourselves fit and healthy, I shouldn't complain… yet," Mimic acknowledged with a chuckle and nod. "How has your relationship been with him overall so far?"

"Tay and I are still going as strong as ever, if not stronger than when we began. We're totally in sync, and I don't know if I could possibly be happier… outside of certain Soul-Link-related circumstances, but yeah!" she further added, beaming with joy at the mention of her courtship. She sure did seem proud, that's for sure.

"Heh, well I wouldn't have any reason to doubt that. I'm also glad to know you two are always getting along so well…" he congratulated, though he kept his gaze locked on his surrogate daughter. At that, the young lady's smile immediately contorted into a wary, narrow-eyed glare aimed squarely at her foster parent.

"…I feel like you're gonna follow that up with a-!" Shantae was about to remark, knowing what the scientist was getting at.

"Maybe a little TOO well… Hmm…" Mimic cut her off with a most scrutinizing stare as he stroked his beard, thus confirming her suspicions.

"Aaaand there it is," the half-genie pointed out with a cocked eyebrow. "Cut it out, Uncle. We're being responsible, okay? I'm PAINFULLY aware you're not a fan of some… 'aspects' of the relationship between Tay and me, but there's no need to worry. We're taking really good care of each other, I promise."

"Hrrmmph…" Mimic grumbled, knowing he was treading into uncomfortable territory with his beloved niece. "If you say so, Shantae, but I'd better not hear anything about you 'expecting' any 'natural gifts' anytime soon, if you catch my drift… Otherwise, I'll make sure your husband doesn't go ANYWHERE without being able to help you raise it…!"

"UNCLE! Jeez, you're so embarrassing!" Shantae shouted in astonishment and ire, her cheeks flushing pink like carnations. "Can we NOT talk about that right now? Or EVER, for that matter? I'm seventeen now, so I THINK I know how to handle myself! I'm a grown woman. And trust me, he and I are NOT planning to have kids at this point. We know what we're doing!" she further argued, though it was surprising to hear her announce her age. Wow…

"…Ooh, the things I could say about that right now…!" Mimic griped again as he clenched his fist at his side. It appeared he was holding his tongue as HARD as he could before he and his surrogate daughter got into an argument neither of them wanted to participate in. Nevertheless, he cleared his throat and sighed out a great deal of his apparent frustration before he continued. "Er, anyway, I was actually hoping you and Tayshan would have come here together today."

"What!? Aw, come on, Uncle! If I knew that, I'd have told him!" Shantae complained in mild surprise. "You said yesterday that you only wanted to see me!"

"Yes, but I know how inseparable you two are when you're together. I guess that's what I get for assuming," Mimic admitted his fault with a lighthearted chuckle. "Where is he, anyway?"

"At Sky's Hatchery by now. He and Sky are gonna spend the day catching up with each other. Did you want me to run out and get him?"

"No, no, that's alright. If they're going to be busy, I wouldn't want to impose. I'll catch him another time."

"Oookay, but I hope you know to let me know the next time you want to see both of us," she teased with a chuckle.

"Indeed, sweetheart. Indeed… That aside…" Mimic trailed off after he let the moment pass and turned to his chalkboard.

"What's going on? What did you want to talk about?"

"Well, for starters, do you happen to know that half-genie that attacked the town yesterday?" he asked, kicking off what sounded like an important discussion.

"Not a clue…" Shantae confessed with a pensive shrug. "I honestly thought all the half-genies in existence showed up at the festival. Or at least, the ones who chose to go. From what Rotty and Tay told me, she came here looking for revenge for something either Tay or I did."

"Revenge? Why would she want to seek revenge if you'd never even met her? And for that matter, who is she?"

"Apparently, her name is Hashanah, and she was the Guardian Genie of the Inseam Municipality," Shantae explained to the best of her ability. "According to Tayshan, she attacked Scuttle Town because she lost her job after the attack on the Inseam Municipality by Risky Boots and Ammo Baron. The citizens and the local government over there blamed Hashanah for the attack because she wasn't there to protect them when they needed her most, and they instead began to hail Tayshan as something of a martyr for the cause of humanity standing up against injustice without the help of genies after that day. That apparently became such a big thing that they started calling him 'Tayshan the Tenacious,' which Hashanah REALLY didn't like."

"My goodness… That sounds like one heck of a twist of fate…"

"Yeah. That's all I know so far, but it sounds like Hashanah's fall from grace was a harsh one…" Shantae acknowledged. "It honestly makes me wonder if her frustration and jealousy over losing her status and her job caused her to turn to the Dark side…"

"Dark side? What do you mean, dear?"

"I'm not sure if you saw for yourself, Uncle, but Hashanah was using DARK Magic to fight when she was here," the half-genie revealed, much to Mimic's shock.

"Oh, dear… And she didn't even seem to be in any sort of 'Nega' form, either… Does that mean we're now dealing with the threat of a truly EVIL half-genie?"

"Seems like it, though I don't know if it's that much to worry about. Tayshan defeated her on his own, so we should be okay for now. I'm honestly more surprised at how much stronger he's gotten since we met…"

"Hm… That may be true, but you may not want to place all your eggs in one basket there," Mimic warned with a shake of his head as he crossed his arms. "Even for how strong they are, it appears they were BOTH using Dark Magic. It was frightening enough when he became corrupted and ravaged the Baron Desert in a fit of vengeance-fueled wrath. For a half-genie like yourself to become corrupted with no restraint? It honestly does not bode well…"

"You're right about that…"

"Additionally, it yields credence to the idea that we must be proactive in keeping a close eye on this Hashanah, wherever she may be. As for Tayshan… well, we're fortunate that he's still in control, but without that Heart Monitor I previously crafted for him, his magic is still prone to wild changes. Which reminds me of my next point…"

"…A-and what's that…?" Shantae frightfully asked.

"Well… brace yourself, because this one is a doozy…"

"Go for it. I think I can handle it…."

"As my research suggests, there are two major concerns with the stability of his magic," Mimic explained, referring to his chalkboard as he grabbed a yardstick to use as a pointer to direct his daughter's attention to the various equations and drawings all across the board. "The first is that, as I discovered, his Dual Magic is still in constant flux, activating at seemingly unpredictable points. At one point, he's using Light Magic in the middle of a battle. But then, at some random point or another, it immediately switches to Dark Magic. I haven't even begun to crack the code on the rare instances where he has BOTH magics active at the same time… And even if we can narrow it down to him being able to switch between magics at will, each one still puts a considerable strain on his ethereal form. I witnessed that at the end of his battle against Hashanah. I had seen such a phenomenon at other points before we went on our trip to Paradise Island, too. We mustn't forget that, even though he is tangible, he is still technically a spirit with his humanoid shape from when he was counted among the living. I don't have all the data yet, but that leads me to my second hypothesis…"

"…Which is…?"

"That… well, that your recent power boosts may have been coming at the cost of him exerting more and more of his own magic," he revealed. "That could only mean that despite him getting stronger, you've been absorbing some of the magic he's been using, per the conditions of that enigmatic Soul-Link between you two. If left unchecked, and in conjunction with the Soul-Link… He… He may wind up disappearing SOONER than this coming October…"

"WHAT!?" Shantae shouted in such horrified shock that she could very well have been heard from the next town over. "No! No, no! That CAN'T be right! Uncle, please tell me that isn't true!" she continued to panic, devastated to hear the news regarding her boyfriend's apparent condition. "We're already at the end of March without much headway! We're tight enough on time to save him as it is!"

"Relax, Shantae. You mustn't lose your composure," Mimic informed her as he patted her on the shoulder. "Please understand that this is merely hypothesis, though you have my apologies for startling you." The immensely worried look on her face, however, made it all too clear that he wasn't too successful in helping her to regain her composure. Nevertheless, she took a deep, heavy breath before reluctantly continuing to hear him out.

"…Okay. S-So… What else did you find out?"

"That, as far as a way to at least stabilize that Soul-Link goes, there MAY be a Relic hidden somewhere in the deepest reaches of Sequin Land's vast and diverse landscapes that could serve as the exact answer to our problem!"

"R-really!?" the half-genie asked for confirmation, full to the brim with hope in an instant.

"Yes, but the problem is that there is only one known in existence. Additionally, it was broken into five pieces scattered to the farthest corners of the country… if not even further beyond that."

"What's the Relic called? And how'd you find out about it?"

"According to the Lobster Siren, it was called… the Spirit Fuser," Mimic eagerly shared as he had Shantae's full attention.

"Spirit Fuser? She never mentioned anything like that to me! Also, you could understand her!? I thought only Harmony and I could!"

"Eh, it wasn't that hard to decipher her speech. Sure, she only spoke in squeaks, but it only took a few minutes of breaking down the language barrier to start having a full conversation with her."

"Oh. Huh… Well then, I suppose I still shouldn't underestimate your unrivaled genius, huh?"

"Ah, you flatter me, cupcake," the retired Relic Hunter acknowledged the praise with a bashful wave of his hand. "That said, she had quite a bit of valuable information to share!"

"Evidently," Shantae observed with a raised eyebrow. "I'm just wondering why she didn't tell me anything about this Spirit Fuser."

"Probably because you didn't ask," Mimic pointed out with a chuckle, though it only made the young woman frown in mild annoyance.

"Not funny, Uncle."

"Come on now, lass. Don't be so grouchy," he teased with an additional laugh. "Anyway, I spent a good deal of our time on vacation figuring out ways to help our ethereal friend, and after the Lobster Siren turned over a new leaf during your adventure, I figured I'd chat her up and learn a few things during the festival. Following my curiosity about that Miracle Lima Bean you mentioned once upon a time, I figured I'd pick her brain on what she knew about other methods of potentially reviving the fallen. She explained that this Spirit Fuser's primary function is to allow its user to absorb the life energy, A.K.A. the souls of all it was pointed at… not unlike the Empress Siren's ability, believe it or not. Only, it cannot be used to absorb the souls of genies, ironically enough. All other sentient life forms are fair game, however… or at least, humans and humanoid creatures are."

"Oh… Oh, boy, that sounds ominous… It almost sounds like another Magic Lamp… As if we didn't have ENOUGH of a headache with Empress Siren's vampiric soul draining shenanigans…" Shantae lamented.

"Yes, though a Magic Lamp targets a genie's magic, not their life force," Mimic clarified. "This Relic wouldn't be able to bend a genie to the will of its wielder, nor would it be able to suck the magic out of a genie. Instead, it's said to harvest the soul of a living being and add it to that of the wielder, thus adding the victim's strength to their own. Possibly their memories, too, though that's merely conjecture. As mentioned a moment ago, it's basically Empress Siren's life force-stealing ability turned into an object with slightly altered parameters. Only, ANYONE who gets their hands on it can make use of it. Not just a siren."

"I… don't know if that makes this thing any better, all things considered. If anything, it sounds MORE dangerous…"

"In some ways, it most definitely is. But get this: If the Spirit Fuser is wielded by the spirit or corporeal form of a deceased individual within roughly one year after their demise, and depending on the cause of death, it supposedly has the alternative ability of reviving that person in full without the need to absorb the soul of another! It was apparently THAT powerful!"

"REALLY now? Interesting… Although, just out of curiosity… Was there any mention of any limitations on causes of death?"

"Hmm… I was told that it would not work on someone who died from natural causes, some form of terminal disease, or if their body was compromised beyond the Sprit Fuser's usability. I can only interpret that last piece to mean that if one was dismembered or had their body obliterated in some especially gruesome way, they would be out of luck."

"I see… So, that basically means Tayshan should be a viable candidate. At least, I hope so, considering what happened…" Shantae remarked with a sigh of relief, though she didn't at all give us any clues on how the wraith died in the first place… only that he died recently enough for this mysterious object to work on him…? Nevertheless, she continued. "Also out of curiosity… I can't imagine such a thing would work on Rottytops by any chance…?" Ah, another good question!

"I would say… probably not," Mimic affirmed with a solemn shake of his head. "She's been in her current state for far too long for her to be revived this way. How it would work if used against her, though? I… am actually not sure, though I wouldn't want to find out."

"Perish the thought," Shantae dismissed in understanding, though she still felt worried for her undead best friend. "So then, if we find the pieces of this Relic and give it to Tayshan to use, he can basically be fully resurrected?"

"Indeed! At least, that's what it sounds like. However, there are some significant drawbacks. As Lobster Siren explained, it can only revive someone once in a similar fashion to the Miracle Lima Bean. Additionally, the Spirit Fuser is said to only have as few as THREE uses left in it before it crumbles to dust. And regardless of whether it's used to steal souls or revive a member of the dead, three uses is all we get. It certainly doesn't help that we're running on borrowed time…"

"I see… Either way, there IS still hope. What do we have to do to get the pieces together?"

"That's… where things get a bit dicey," Mimic explained. "There are supposedly five dungeons located across the country that are HEAVILY guarded, not to mention hidden in the clouds, the sea, and even somewhere on land. There's also the concerning condition that these dungeons are not readily available at the same time. They spawn in intervals I haven't come to fully understand… possibly as an added security measure to discourage explorers from trying to claim the pieces. Additionally, Lobster Siren explained that the Spirit Fuser was dismantled and scattered the way it was because of how much of a threat it posed to literally EVERYTHING on the planet that wasn't a genie. That is, unless someone absorbed enough souls to have their power RIVAL that of a genie. It was one of the Sirens' best-kept secrets before the Genie Wars took place. As soon as one of the Guardian Genies discovered it, they made absolutely sure that NO ONE would be able to harness its power… and because it couldn't be destroyed outright, their next best bet was to separate it and hide it."

"Understood," Shantae acknowledged with an affirming nod, though she found herself undeterred. "If it means fixing this Soul-Link thing, though, I'm gonna do whatever it takes! But then, I suppose this is the part where you're gonna say you don't know where all the dungeons are, and that the gang and I will have to scour the corners of Sequin Land ourselves, right?"

"Hm? Oh, no, Lobster Siren gave me the exact coordinates for every hidden temple and how to unlock them."

"What!? Why didn't you say that in the first place!?"

"Because you didn't ask."

"Nice try, Uncle, but yes I did."

"No, you assumed I didn't have that information and tried to project that assumption on me as a prediction of what I was going to say. You didn't actually ask whether I actually knew where to find them."

"What!? You-!?"

"And I hope you recall what I told you about making assumptions, young lady," Mimic jokingly chided as he wagged his finger at her. "I know I also made an assumption earlier, but you're younger. You should know better!"

"D'oh…! You're such a pain!" Shantae griped, swatting her hand at her legal guardian while he laughed it up. "ANYWAY, I-!" she was about to continue before a sudden *KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK* of the front door startled both the half-genie and her uncle. "Hm? Were you expecting another visitor?"

"I can't say I was…" Mimic denied with a stroke of his beard as they looked toward the door. "Come in! It's open!" he announced, prompting the person on the other side to open it and reveal themselves.

"Bolo?" Shantae called to the unexpected guest, who turned out to be her blue-haired best friend. "Hey, what's up?"

"Nothing much. I was actually hoping I'd run into you today, Shantae," Bolo shared as he entered the workshop and closed the door behind him before casually approaching his allies.

"Really? Last I heard, Rottytops was looking for you. Did she find you?"

"Yeah, but I couldn't hang out with her because I was finishing that project I mentioned yesterday. Rather than wait for me to finish, she made me reschedule before she ran off without another word. I'm not sure what it was all about, but I'll catch up with her later."

"Huh. Oookay…? She seemed like she was keen on meeting up with you," Shantae pondered. "I wonder what she's up to…?"

"Eh, she'll tell us when she's back, I'm sure," Bolo dismissed as he cleared his throat while his eyes darted around the room. He seemed to not want to talk much about Rotty as he changed the subject. "So, what's happening with you?"

"Uncle and I were discussing a new set of adventures for us to embark on," the half-genie explained. "Apparently, there are five pieces of this mysterious Relic called a Spirit Fuser that we can use to possibly fully revive Tayshan. We were just about to start mapping out the five locations and how we'd plan on visiting them."

"Wow! We just got back from a wild adventure, and now we're about to go on another one? Count me in!" the excitable handyman invited himself into the hunt.

"Just as I thought you'd say. Matter of fact, since you're here… Why don't you and I go ahead and tackle the first trip together?" Shantae happily suggested, putting the brightest of grins on Bolo's face. "I want to dig up some info on what to expect of these dungeons before we clue the others in, and I could use the back-up. Tayshan's with Sky for today, and I… suppose Rotty's not available from what you're telling me. Sooo… Wanna come?"

"Heck yeah, I do!" Bolo pounced on the opportunity like a cat pounces on a defenseless mouse. "Er, I-I mean… I'd like nothing more than to offer my professional assistance as your partner."

"Heh, you're silly, Bolo… But sure. I'm thinking we can head out sometime in the next day or two after we gather some supplies, but Uncle's gonna fill us in on some more of the details before we go. I know this is short notice, but are you game?"

"I'm always prepared, Shantae. Don't you worry about a thing. I've gotcha!" he confidently (or rather, overconfidently) assured as the discussion commenced.

"Good to know," Shantae acknowledged before the two teens turned to the scientist. "Alright, Uncle, lay it on us. What do we have on our plates?"

"Let's take a look and see here…" Mimic began, reaching for a nearby notebook and flipping to a page somewhere in the middle of it. Shantae and Bolo huddled with him to study the contents alongside him. "Ah! So, the first location you'll want to visit is here…" he began to explain, though it seems like their discussion took a turn for the private because that's pretty much all I could gather for now. Sorry! Anyway, there IS one more loose end to tie up before we go. So, we'll reconvene in another location…

Elsewhere again…

…where we'd find ourselves at a much later time, treading into VERY dangerous territory in the form of this gigantic, foreboding pirate ship wading through the Sequin Land Sea's roaring waves with no clear destination in sight. The giant purple Jolly Roger-imprinted sails were a dead giveaway as far as who the warship belonged to… and if it wasn't for that, then maybe you would be clued in by the fact that this ship was adorned port and starboard with spikes, cannons, spiked cannons, and all manner of heavy artillery as though its crew was preparing to go to war! And speaking of the crew… it consisted of FAR more than a few of those no-good, marauding Tinkerbats everyone knew to sycophantically do the bidding of the one, the only, the most ruthless, most viciously (not to mention super stunning and super curvaceous) cutthroat criminal in all the known land, sea, and air. You know her, you either love or hate her (she doesn't really care because she hates your guts anyway), you may be deathly afraid of her… The fearsome Pirate Captain Risky Boots. And as we VERY carefully throw caution to the wind (ironic, I know) to see what she was doing…

"Alright, boys… I know we took another heavy loss with that airship deal on Paradise Island, but this is by NO MEANS the end of our bid to claim our much-deserved status as the most fearsome force Sequin Land has ever known!" Risky Boots herself preached from atop the crow's nest of her ship as she kept watch for potential landing spots. She was dressed head to toe in her usual skull-based pirate uniform complete with that dashingly extravagant hat, that enticing skull breastplate, and those wonderful trousers that hugged her curves in all the right spots… and a most intimidating pair of black boots that… may or may not be her namesake. Anyway, our favorite periwinkle-skinned, ruby-eyed villainess seemed to be in a pretty sour mood, as one could see the vein protruding from her forehead as she angrily stared into the sunset-bathed horizon in deep thought. "It's just that right when things seem to be going well, something ALWAYS has to knock it off course and into the raging fires of the underworld…!" she practically growled. "CURSE that wretched genie BRAT!" she further shouted, her anger directed squarely at a certain ponytailed heroine for an evident thwarted scheme. "I don't know HOW she managed to get so much stronger since we last battled, but I REFUSE to take this lying down…! To think she'd be COMPLETELY IMMUNE to the Empress Siren's soul drain when none of the other genies were… and for that miserable little wretch to defeat BOTH of us at the same time, KILL the Empress Siren, and COMPLETELY DESTROY my airship on her own…! I barely escaped alive… Grrrgh…! We CANNOT allow these EMBARRASSING DEFEATS to go unpunished! The next time I face her, it will be her DOOM! WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE OF IT!"

Evidently, Risky had recently lost yet another huge battle to Shantae over the course of some trip to a new location… and from the sound of it, she lost badly. Context is everything, of course, but for it to get her THIS mad? It certainly made one wonder…

"I thought I was prepared after that Tinker Portal plan fell through so many months ago… I trained… I took control of my new Dark Magic abilities… I… I even went out of my way to iron out EVERY DETAIL of that deal with the Empress Siren, team up with her to annihilate that irksome little rugrat, AND… and I even REFUSED to betray the Empress Siren when it was clear she was too weak to handle Shantae on her own, even WITH the life forces of everything else on that repugnant island powering her up! ESPECIALLY the souls of those other genie brats…! GRRAAH, WHAT AM I DOING WRONG!?" she continued to rant as she stomped her foot into the floor of the crow's nest hard enough to startle her entire crew on the deck. Evidently, she wasn't feeling all that motivated to give a motivational speech to her Tinkerbats on not giving up. "I need more POWER…! And A LOT OF IT… How else am I going to get her out of my way…!?"

Just as Risky asked that exact question, the Tinkerbat we tailed over here came hovering in toward its leader just in time for her to glare hot death at it as it warily approached.

"What do you want!?" she shouted as the Tinkerbat hesitantly perched on the crow's nest with an immensely worried look on its face. "And… why do you look like you've seen a ghost?" she asked much more calmly, though it had nothing to do with being considerate to her minion. The irony, though…

The Tinkerbat, unable to speak on its own, communicated its message by making a series of gestures that included making a circle over its own head, poking itself in the stomach with its fingers, momentarily taking a stance as though it was going to power up, and then forming the letter 'T' with its fingers.

"…What? Are… Are you telling me that there's someone I should be aware of…?" she asked again, though her heart seemed to sink at the notion.

The Tinkerbat nodded in confirmation, though the expression of absolute terror hadn't left its face.

"Who did you see? Where did you see them? And why do they have you so shaken up?"

The Tinkerbat made the same ring/poke/'T' gestures once again, but this time also added in a few other gestures that included a house, a light, a light belly dance routine, and… a heart shape with its hands? Huh… I don't really speak Tinkerbat, so I couldn't really understand what it was trying to say. Risky Boots, however, DID speak Tinkerbat. And… oh man, did her blood seem to run cold when she deciphered who her minion was referring to.

"…No… It can't be. You must've been hallucinating," she denied, though the idea she was given only made her even angrier as she gritted her teeth. "He's DEAD. I… I KILLED him with my own two hands… There is NO WAY that HE is still alive…! Otherwise, he would have been there with that annoying little tart, helping her get in my way in the Sunken City." Huh… O-okay…? Risky killed someone recently? Jeez, that's grim…

The Tinkerbat made another series of gestures that… by my best guess, illustrated that it knew what it saw, and that it saw this individual engaging with Shantae right outside her lighthouse. Though the shock and frustration were evident on her face, Risky still couldn't find herself to believe it.

"That can't be POSSIBLE! We didn't actually watch him die, but if he was still around, I would NEVER have missed a clue!" Risky defied once again. "Yet… You're SERIOUSLY telling me you saw his GHOST with her at her home!?"

The Tinkerbat nodded once again, making a few extra gestures that seemed to convey the point that this person wasn't necessarily 'alive' because of the floating golden ring over their head, but that they were still around. At that, Risky couldn't deny it anymore. She breathed a sigh of anger hot enough that it threatened to set her entire ship ablaze. Bowing her head, pinching the bridge of her nose with one hand, and clenching her other fist at her side hard enough to crush a pineapple, she seemed to come to terms with what the Tinkerbat had told her. And suffice to say… she… was… FURIOUS.

"…My past comes back to haunt me yet again," she muttered as she pounded her fist against the wall of the crow's nest with a startling *KATHRASH* that scared the Tinkerbat hard enough that it almost fell out of the crow's nest. "…In that case, we've still got some unfinished business to settle. All things considered, this MAY actually be a good thing…!" she further surmised with a sinister grin as she stopped pinching her nose looked up ahead to reveal the truly frightening glimmer in her blood-toned eyes. "He was the only person able to take control of the Dark Magic inside him and use it to its fullest extent. And chances are, he's the reason that worthless half-genie was so much stronger this time around…! If he's still inhabiting this world, then forcing him to reveal his secrets will be JUST the thing I need to destroy them both, destroy those other half-genies for good measure, and then continue my conquest unhindered…!"

The Tinkerbat, while checking its heart rate, glanced up at Risky and gesticulated a question of what she planned to do. Rather than get a direct answer, however…

"AVAST, MEN! WE'RE CHANGING COURSE FOR SCUTTLE TOWN! EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY!" she announced with nothing but vigor, determination… and unmitigated malice. Her crew, from all areas of the ship, turned to look up at her to hear her out. "We've… got an 'old flame' of mine I'd like to pay a visit to, and I think he just might be the one who, with the right amount of 'convincing,' will bring me the solution we need to turn our luck around. So, get off your lazy butts, turn this ship around, AND LET'S GIVE OUR NOT-SO-WELCOME 'ACQUAINTANCE' A GREETING HE'LL NEVER FORGET!" she ordered, prompting her crew to hustle as hard as they could to meet her sudden demand. Within minutes, the massive warship pulled a full 180 and began to sail off in an almost completely opposite direction to the one it was previously headed in. "I've got to hold my playing cards closer to my chest on this one, of course… No need to stir the pot so much that a certain genie catches wind of my unannounced visit, should she be nearby when we arrive. Worst case scenario, I'll need to create an opportunity to get him alone. Whatever way I figure that out, I'm sure will serve me all the better… See you soon… Tayshan…" Risky muttered once again, addressing the individual by name… and… considering the name…

OH! OH, MY GOODNESS! I JUST PIECED IT TOGETHER! Wow… Just… WOW. I… I think you know what I'm getting at, but… I'm not going to explain it and ruin the surprise for you in case you don't. But MAN, is it dark what I just realized. Er, a-anyway… I think that's where we'll call it for today! We only just got acquainted, and we're ALREADY diving into some heavy shenanigans. Never a dull moment in Sequin Land, that's for sure. But hey, if you're not tired of listening to me babble on just yet, then why don't we meet up again sometime? I'm sure I'll have nothing but the juiciest deets to spill about this fantastic fiesta of fun, fire, and frightening fervency. Between the hunt for this fancy Relic, the emergence of a new enemy to the peace, and the umpteenth resurgence of Sequin Land's most notorious criminal, things were BOUND to go wild. You wouldn't want to miss a beat! On that note, see ya next time!