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!

15. The Spice of Life

Interlude: The Spice of Life

Man, what a messy, MESSY job this has been… This narrating thing is a lot harder than I thought it would be. So much to follow, so many stories to tell… so many things happening, which keep making OTHER things happen that I have to keep track of… And here I was, thinking this sort of thing was supposed to be simple and straightforward. Boy, was I wrong… Doesn't help that I've been getting spotted and yelled at all the time when I'm supposed to be incognito like a fly on the wall… Hmph. If I don't start cleaning up my act and figuring out how to do this right by the time this is all over, then I'm not sure I… er… Huh? Oh! Oh, you're back! So soon, too! Or late…? Not sure. I don't exactly have the best concept of time. Either way, glad you could make it! I definitely wasn't complaining about my rampant insecurities about this job I was thrust into without warning! I-I promise, I love it! Er, I-I love YOU, too! Oh! Shoot, I shouldn't have said that… Sorry, that was awkward… I'm not a creep, I swear! Ahem! Uh… L-let me start over… Okay… Deep breath, and…

So, welcome back! Been a little while! Now, last we left off, we were wrapping up a truly turbulent account of the adventures of Sky and Bolo on a now-defunct Cyclic Season Island, in addition to Sky's additional chaotic excursion within the confines of the ancient Capricious Titan Shrine after being forced to team up with the infamous rogue half-genie Hashanah. We also got a little bit of a peek at a separate escapade on Shantae's end where she encountered and confronted the nefarious Risky Boots to discuss some not-so-friendly personal business and the subsequent awakening of the mysterious warrior wraith Tayshan after a lengthy stay on the sidelines due to injury. As each of our heroes returned from (or in some cases, recovered from) their adventures to regroup, we'll particularly find ourselves starting here…

In Mimic's Workshop…

"Haap…! Mmmh…" yawned a mildly drowsy Rottytops as she stirred from her afternoon nap and rose to a sitting position in the guest bed of her best friend's uncle's humble, dimly lit abode. Noticing the lack of natural light within the workshop, the undead young lady immediately grew curious. "Huh…?" she hummed to herself after stretching and collecting herself as she scoured the laboratory with her eyes to find something amiss. "Jeez, how long was I out? It's already sunset…"

"Ah, you are finally awake," Mimic remarked to the confused zombie girl as he finished washing out a multitude of used coffee mugs and putting them away. "Enjoy your nap?"

"Oh, h-hey, gramps. I didn't expect to conk out like I did. And yeah, the nap was refreshing. Guess I was more worn out than I thought," Rotty answered, still looking around as she pulled herself to her feet from the bed. "Uh… Where's Tayshan?"

"I'm not sure. I fell asleep as well," the elderly scientist explained as he dried off his hands and approached his remaining houseguest. "By the time I'd woken up, I'd barely seen him leave through the front door. I did hear him mumbling about needing to go home to refresh himself, though, so I'd elect his house to be the first place you should check. I was waiting for you to wake up to tell you."

"Ah, okay. I guess that makes enough sense…" she acknowledged, pressing two fingers to her forehead as though she momentarily lost herself in thought. "Well, thanks for letting me know. I'm gonna head over there now. You comin' with?"

"I'll join you in a little while. I'm going to need to spruce this place up a bit," he respectfully declined. "That, and I'm waiting for Sky and Bolo to come back from their trip to the Cyclic Season Island. They've been gone a bit longer than I was expecting, but I would hope they're on their way back by now."

"They're still not back? Huh… It's been a while since they took off," Rotty remarked as she did a few more stretches to wake herself the rest of the way up before slipping her shoes on and walking toward the door. "I hope they're okay…"

"I trust that they're fine. When they come back, I'll let them know where you went. In the meantime, I'll hold down the fort here."

"Roger that, grandpa. Alright, I'm on my way. See ya in a bit!" the undead young woman bade with as cheerful a grin and wave as she could muster before stepping out into the sunbathed evening streets of Scuttle Town. Once she was out the door, however…

"Hm… I only wonder if those two youngsters are taking so long because they actually found the place… or if they encountered some form of trouble…" Mimic muttered to himself regarding Sky and Bolo as he turned toward his worktable… his gaze falling upon the enigmatic golden staff piece resting atop a mountain of messily strewn about notes. "Whatever the case may be, I would hope they were able to keep themselves out of harm's way…" he commented once more as he approached his desk to get back to his research, waiting patiently for the falconer and the fledgling adventurer to return… which wouldn't take longer than a few short minutes after Rottytops left when someone came knocking at the door with a gentle *tap tap*. "Hm? Did the lass forget something?" Mimic asked himself as he casually approached the door and opened it. And who did he find?

"Good evening, Mr. Mimic," a particularly frazzled-looking Sky greeted at the doorstep, appearing to be QUITE weary as she stood next to a comparatively cleaner Bolo. The falconer's clothes were tattered, she had splotches of dust all over her, and her headdress was misaligned… whereas the young warrior seemed hardly any worse for wear other than some rips in his shirt and mud stains on his shorts. Nevertheless, the haggard appearances of the two teens wound up shocking the elderly researcher nearly out of his wits.

"Gaggling Gobstoppers! What in the world happened to you!?" the understandably alarmed scientist asked of the young falconer as he invited her and her companion in. "And…" he was about to ask before sniffing around the air. Within a second, however, he recoiled HARD as he pressed his hands to his nose like magnets to a refrigerator. "Ugh, what is that repugnant STENCH!? Goodness, it smells like a dog ate its own waste and threw it up in a dirty gym sock!" he… quite vividly described, making one of the two adventures cringe in embarrassment. Take a wild guess which one…

"Ask Bolo. The smell's coming from him," Sky answered, also plugging her nose as best as she could. The young man in question wore a particularly sour look on his face, avoiding eye contact altogether as he irritably crossed his arms and sulked.

"Ah… O-okay. So, Bolo… Why exactly do you smell like tha-?" Mimic attempted to ask as Sky advised.

"With all due respect, Professor… Don't ask," the disgruntled Bolo flatly shut the topic down in its entirety before Mimic could finish his question.

"Hm. Fine, fine… But I sure hope you do take the opportunity to get yourself washed up. Seriously, you smell awful, boyo."

"…Note taken, sir," the young man accepted the stinging advice with a massive grain of salt.

"Good. Anyway, welcome back," Mimic moved the conversation along, doing his best not to mind the offensive odor as he kept his hand over his nose. "I'm glad you've returned safely, but it appears you've had a bit of a rough time. Did you find the Cyclic Season Island?"

"Yeah… We did. We found it, and a WHOLE lot more…" Sky assured, her tone coming across as entirely exhausted. "Or at least, I found a whole lot more. All Bolo found over there was a new girlfr-!"

"SKY!" Bolo shouted to stop the buxom blonde from snitching on him. "Ix-nay on the Awdia-klay…!" he further pleaded through a harsh half-whisper, crossing his index fingers over his lips. At that, the frustrated falconer shot a dirty sneer at him before rolling her eyes and turning her attention back to the retired Relic Hunter.

"What?" Mimic asked in reasonable confusion.

"I said we found a lot more than we bargained for. As in, we found the island, found the temple, and found a ton of trouble every step of the way," Sky retried her answer with roughly 100% less snitching involved.

"Oh, my… Well, do you have time to stay and chat? Let me know what you discovered."

"Sure thing. Although…" the bird trainer trailed off as she looked over at the empty guest bed to see something amiss. "Where's Tayshan? Did he finally wake up? And where's Rottytops?"

"And on that note, did Shantae ever turn back up while we were gone?" Bolo added.

"Tayshan has apparently woken up and presumably traveled home to clean himself up, Rottytops just left a few minutes prior to your arrival to pay him a visit, and I haven't seen Shantae at all," Mimic answered each question in order. "If she HAS come back by this point, she's most likely either at the lighthouse, or at Tayshan's house along with him and Rottytops. All things considered, I'd bet my bottom dollar on the latter."

"Nice. The whole gang's back up and ready to roll again, then," Bolo acknowledged in a mixture of excitement and relief. That, of course, was tempered by the frequent mentions of a certain zombie girl… to whom he would hopefully not have to explain himself as he instinctively gulped after making his statement.

"Alright. In that case, we'll go ahead and stop by Tay's place. We've got a lot of important business to discuss, and I'd rather everyone got to hear it in one take. Did you want to join us? I don't think you'd want to miss out on the update," Sky laid out her intentions and invited, seeming to be ready to roll as she walked back toward the front door.

"Yes, yes, I will join you. I suppose cleaning up my workshop will have to wait," Mimic accepted the invitation as he gathered himself up and prepared to leave alongside his plucky young guests. "Lead the way, young lady!" he further permitted as he gestured his hand forth.

"You got it. But before we go…" Sky trailed off as she turned to Bolo. "Dude. When are you planning on getting a shower?"

"Aw, come on, Sky, it can't be THAT bad," Bolo protested with a frown of mild perturbance. "No one outside of you and Professor Mimic noticed. I'd… uh, I-I'd rather not waste time…" he further… hesitantly suggested, though I swore I could see sweat pouring down from his forehead. Hmmm…

"Ugh… Fine, but be prepared for whatever the others might have to say," the bird trainer dismissed with a shrug.

"I second that notion," Mimic agreed as he opened the door and ushered the two teens out, followed by him stepping out and locking the door behind them. "I'm not sure you're entirely aware of how extremely malodorous you are, lad…"

"Alright, I get it," Bolo remarked in exasperation with a roll of his eyes. "Maybe it'll air out during the walk there. Can we go now?"

"Hm. Fine, let's get moving," Sky acknowledged and affirmed, strolling ahead into the quiet evening streets of Scuttle Town with her most recent adventuring partner and her best friend's legal guardian following closely behind… well, Mimic was following closely. Bolo was nonverbally told by both of his travel companions to keep his distance as they each held a hand toward him. As such, he bgrudgingly followed from behind by a healthy few paces to spare his allies the relentless olfactory assault that was his post… 'battle' aroma. Ooh, I can't wait to see how THIS is gonna unfold. Might as well not waste time, then. Cue the transition!

Meanwhile, at Tayshan's house…

"Hmmm… Oooh, yeah, Tay…~ Right there… Hmm, that feels incredible…" moaned none other than our highly esteemed Half-Genie Hero as she and her otherworldly boyfriend got into the full swing of uh… spending… quality time together…? Oh, boy… PERFECT timing…

"You like that? Good… Allow me t' indulge you more in that case, sweetheart…" the otherworldly boyfriend in question that was Tayshan replied through a low, sultry half-whisper as… uh… w-well, I'm not sure I should say exactly what they were doing… considering I've got my eyes squeezed shut in case they were… well, y'know… But then, Shantae took in a sharp gasp that startled me into opening my eyes wide and… Oh, MY…

"Nyaaaaah~! Ahh…! Hah… Y-yes… Ooaaaaah…" the lavender-haired young lady passionately hummed in evident pulse-pounding pleasure as she rested face down on a table in the middle of a spacious, well-decorated living room with her hair tied up in an enormous bun. Positioned behind her was a shirtless, barefoot Tayshan, whose dreadlocks were tied up in a ponytail. He was wearing naught but a pair of royal blue track pants as he rubbed his oil-soaked hands up and down her smooth, completely bare back. He gently went about caressing the girl's every curve as he really got to work taking her from behind. "Ooh…! Ohhh, yeaaahhh… Ah…~! Give it to me harder, Tay-Tay… Hahn…~ Ahn…!" At that, the wraith's face heated up like the coils of an electric stove despite him obeying her… suggestive command without question.

"…Jeez, Shantae, you uh… You're makin' it a bit hard t' concentrate here… as well as makin' it 'harder' in other ways…" he nervously pointed out as his hands slowly glided down from the blissful genie's shoulders to her hips, at which point he continued to passionately let her have everything he had to offer as she so seductively wished…

"Hmm…~ Oh, am I?" she asked, practically delirious from the endless waves of pleasure she'd been experiencing. "Ah…~ Hmm, I thought you liked it when I made all these cute noises for you… Mmh…"

"I do like it, an' that's the problem…" he shot back with a slight chuckle as he moved onto rhythmically kneading his forearms into her towel-covered rump. "Considerin' we STILL didn't take care of… other 'errands' we agreed t' run together, you can only imagine how much MORE pent-up I am… This ain't exactly helpin' t' distract me…" he further complained, pouting a bit as he kept administering his spa treatment.

"I know, and I'm sorry, honey bunny… Hmm…" she apologized through her boundless enjoyment of their quality time. In response, Tayshan almost completely lost his focus as his pout intensified in tandem with the redness of his cheeks. "I didn't mean to fall asleep during our bath. I wiped myself out pretty hard today with all I had to do. Between dealing with Risky, making sure you were okay, and training with Rotty, I guess it all caught up to me faster than I was expecting. I'll make it up to you, though. Plus, it's been sooooo long since I last got a massage from you, and I-!" she was about to add before taking in a sharp gasp as soon as her boyfriend began kneading his hands into her lower back. "Aaaahn~! Ooh, yeah…~ Gosh, I can't BELIEVE how tense I was before this mass-aaaaah~ge…! Hmm, Tayshaaaaaanh…~" If only, if only Shantae could see the furiously blushing, open-mouthed, wide-eyed gawking expression she elicited from the wraith…

"…Just focus on the treatment… Just FOCUS on the treatment…!" Tayshan urgently prayed through clenched-teeth whispers to himself as he took in a shaky breath of his own, resisting EVERY urge in his entire body as his face grew hot enough to grill meat on. "There will be a time for us t' take care o' that… eventually… but not right now… Gotta…! Be…! Patient…! Disciplined…! Don't think naughty thoughts…! DON'T think naughty thoughts…! Come on, brain an'… other body part… Work with me…! Grrgh…!"

"Hmm, I can feel you practically SLIDING all the way inside me with every thrust, babe… Ooooaaah…~ At this rate, you could get me to do whatever you want after we finish…" Shantae further moaned another enticing statement, breaking Tayshan's concentration entirely despite him not stopping the massage. Interestingly enough, the young man even visibly SHIVERED for a hot second as he seemed to let his mind run wild… Jeez, poor boy…

"…Aaaaand there it goes…" he shamefully conceded with a light sigh, evidently recognizing that his aversion to temptation was futile. "It was a battle well fought, but not well fought enough…"

"There what goes?" she asked, evidently hearing him mumbling this time. Rather than be flustered further or surprised, however…

"My… 'colorful' imagination, if you're… pickin' up what I'm puttin' down…" he carefully worded his admission. To that, the adorable half-genie giggled in a mixture of amusement… and evident intrigue as she shifted on the table to where she crossed her arms under her head and turned her head to the side. From that angle, she shot him a knowing, grinning, half-lidded look that drove the man's heartbeat racing hard enough to potentially rupture space-time…

"Oh, yeah? In that case, here's some food for thought…" she sultrily teased before scooting her knees up under herself as she spread her legs under the towel, prompting the masseur that was Tayshan to temporarily remove his hands as he shot her a look of mild confusion. He wouldn't be confused for long, however, as Shantae giggled some more while… giving her rump a… VERY tempting little deliberate shake for him. To say that her boyfriend was caught off-guard by the seductive move… was an ENORMOUS understatement, as he reeled back, suspiciously biting his lower lip while staring directly at his teasing girlfriend with glowing golden eyes wider than Ferris wheels. Catching him in the act, Shantae laughed it up once again at Tayshan's expense. "You're so silly, hon… I take that adorable look on your face to mean you like what you see~?"

"Gah…! Grrgh, you…! You are playin' SO dirty right now…!" he complained through a low, growling whisper as he clenched a fist hard enough that… that Light Magic flickered and flared from it for a second? Wow… Even more turned on—er, I-I mean, even more 'bothered' by the mischievous genie's flirting, he sucked in a sharp intake of air through gritted teeth before blowing a little of his temptation-riddled breath through his nose.

"Oh, I know…" the lovely genie remarked as she settled herself back down and allowed the enchanted ghost to continue the massage.

"Hm. Can't help but notice how much more creative you've gotten with teasin' me. What, did you learn THAT move from the 'S.U.G.A.R.S.' comic like some o' your other 'techniques,' too? Because I'm wise t' the heavy flirty 'influences' by now," he questioned, bringing up some sort of comic book series I'd never heard of as he picked up the massage where he left off moments earlier.

"No, I just figured out over time how to push your buttons," she unabashedly admitted in amusement, making him chuckle. "Comics or no comics, I think I know all the most effective ways of turning you on by THIS point…"

"Is that a fact?" he dared to question with a raised eyebrow… in addition to a raised heart rate.

"You'd better believe it is, Tay-Tay," she assured with a cheerful grin. "I'm glad to know you've been keeping up with the series, though. I take that to mean you're finally ready to admit it's your favorite?"

"Yeah, I suppose… I still think the 'Neo Drill Reaver' series has a slightly better plot overall, though…" he defiantly protested with a knowing grin. "The S.U.G.A.R.S. is startin' t' get a LITTLE bit predictable with the 'Adventure-of-the-Month' style o' storytellin' after the last major arc where Jayid got banished to another dimension for who knows how long, an' Shakyra became the main character. Mind you, they STILL haven't found a way t' stop Sharun." Evidently, these two were a couple of comic book enthusiasts…

"They're just going through a filler arc while they figure out a way to bring Jayid back into the picture. In the meantime, Shakyra is getting some MUCH-needed character development," Shantae countered. "Until then, we're gonna be seeing a lot of smaller, more self-contained stories geared toward building her background. We've just gotta be patient. Things will pick back up soon enough…"

"If you say so. I haven't stopped readin' it, so it still has my attention in some capacity."

"Good. We can read the next issue together, if you'd like. Actually, why don't we get together and discuss some of the comics we've recently read in general? Been a little while since we cuddled together and had some comic book time, just you and me… Maybe with some of our favorite junk foods, too?"

"Shoot, you know I'm down. Let me know when the next issue drops. An' let's plan a stay-at-home date for sometime soon, hm? Maybe within the next week or two?"

"Most definitely," she happily agreed with a contented sigh. "That aside, I can't believe you got hooked on Neo Drill Reavers of all series. Not to say it isn't good, but it's seriously SO over-the-top with its action scenes and its preachy 'Willpower Triumphs Over All' message. I get it that the twists are exciting and they're finding new ways to explore the characters' moral compasses, but it's a bit too campy for my tastes at times. I also think that series takes itself WAY too seriously at other times…"

"Eh… I guess that's true, but after the first five volumes, they learn how t' achieve a balance between drama an' comedy," he casually remarked, momentarily pausing the massage to oil up his hands again before continuing. "It ain't perfect, but still. An' the general theme is more about how easy it is for the heroes t' be mistaken as antiheroes in some cases because o' their methods, or be painted as the bad guys by rival factions who disagree with their motives."

"Is it? In that case, maybe I'd better give it another look. Maybe it'll change my mind…"

"Fingers crossed that you do. You ain't steered me wrong on your recommendations, so I hope I can return the favor," Tay offered his vote of confidence. "Bringin' it back a bit, though… The way you've been learnin' your 'flirting' techniques… Let me tell you, it's been more… 'effective' than I thought it would be by this point…"

"Oh? Does that mean I should use more of my techniques on you? Hmm~?" she asked, taking pride in her ability to mesmerize him.

"You can try it if you want to, but…" he trailed off before leaning over to where his mouth was mere inches away from her ear. "…For every time you make my heart skip a beat, I'm gonna find a new way t' drive you WILD in bed, kitten… Tell me if that's a 'war' you wanna start with me…" he… Oh, MY… h-he VERY seductively whispered in her ear as he trailed an oil-soaked finger up and down her back, making her shiver and gasp in delight as he planted a light, yet HIGHLY sensual kiss on her rosy cheek. "An' expect a little extra for next time, too, because I've been ITCHIN' for us t' have some more 'fun' together…" Jeez, now I'm starting to get a little flustered… well, MORE flustered, but still…

"Mmmmmmh~! Oooh-hoo-hoo, just the thought of what you'll do for me has me practically QUIVERING with excitement…" she openly admitted with the most… enthralled of grins as her body flashed with magic for just a split-second. "And trust me, I haven't stopped itching for 'frisky fun times' with you, either. Maybe we should take this massage as a little… 'motivation' for later… if not just plain take it to the next level right here, right now…~"

"Hmm… Provided we have enough time an' nobody pays us an unexpected visit, then I'm all in for that…" he surmised as he rubbed her down some more, suddenly QUITE hopeful that no one interrupted them. Can't say he should get TOO eager by this point, but y'know…

"Here's to hoping… Also, thank you for everything you've done for me today between cheering me up, washing my hair, making us lunch, and giving me this massage. I appreciate it more than you know, honey… You didn't have to… to… Mmmmmhmmm, that's the spot… Haaah~! Wow, I didn't know how much I needed that… Tayshan, you're really hitting all my favorite points…~ Ahn…~" she sang another hymn of ecstasy as Tay focused his attention on the young woman's legs, pressing and rubbing the palms of his hands into her thighs and slowly working his way downward. Thank goodness it was just a massage we wandered into, and not… ah, forget it. Massages are nice. I'm starting to think I might need one soon…

"Heh… Don't mention it, kitten," the apparent expert masseur that was Tayshan acknowledged his customer's gratitude with as graceful a smile as he could muster. Meanwhile, he placed more of his focus back on pampering the half-genie once the moment had passed. His smile was quick to fade, however, as he had something else to discuss. "Hey… About this Spirit Fuser business… What exactly are we gettin' ourselves int-?" he was about to ask before a *CLICK* of the front door at the far end of the living room rang out. "Gaaah, I knew it…! Maaan…" he griped, even MORE frustrated because of his prediction coming true. In response, Shantae giggled at his disappointment that they wouldn't get the alone time they wanted right away.

"Looks like we're taking another raincheck…" the genie girl pointed out what definitely WASN'T the obvious as she let out a sigh of her own disappointment. "Maybe another day…" she further wistfully remarked. Meanwhile, entering the wraith's home was a certain zombie girl who, upon taking in the scene of her underdressed best friends engaged in a most… sensual massage, reacted with…

"Hey, hey, you two! I should've known you'd wind up back here getting pampered once you got done running that errand, snack cakes," Rottytops nonchalantly greeted with a chuckle as she shut the door behind her, placed her key on the key hook situated above a shelf, and walked over to plant herself on the giant red velvet sofa at the center of the room. Huh… I was… expecting something more dramatic and embarrassing…

"Guilty as charged," Shantae joked with a shared laugh as Tayshan finished up the massage and wiped his hands clean on a towel hanging off the side of the massage table. Soon after, Shantae motioned to get up from the table, making sure to cover her front with the towel she was lying on as she planted her feet on the marble tile floor. "I was on my way to Uncle's Workshop once I came back, but I… took a little detour. Excuse me for a sec, though. I need to get dressed," the half-genie excused herself to walk past an astoundingly tall, illuminated lamp into a hallway with four doors in it.

"Yeah, sure. I'm just glad you're finally back," Rotty remarked with a chuckle as she kicked her feet up on a wooden coffee table with an assortment of household decorations and a television remote on it. "And as for you, sir… Welcome back to the waking world, stud muffin!" the undead maiden further greeted her ghostly roommate.

"Right back atcha, Princess," Tay joked back as he stretched his arms out and got set to put the massage table away. "Also, thanks for lookin' out for me while I was K.O. at Mimic's. Can't appreciate you enough."

"D'aww, you don't have to thank me for that!" Rotty nonchalantly, yet affectionately excused with a flick of her hand despite the curious blush on her face. "I'm just glad to see you made a full recovery!"

"You have my endless gratitude, no less. Although, what did I tell you about puttin' your dirty feet on the coffee table?" he chided, changing the subject almost immediately.

"Ooh! R-right, sorry!" she apologized, hurriedly correcting her mistake by taking her shoes and socks off… only to then put her bare feet back on the coffee table. "Better?" At that, Tayshan stopped what he was doing to shoot his zombified friend a deadpan stare. It wouldn't last long, however, as he sighed and resumed putting away the table.

"…Eh, sure," he flatly replied, seeming not to want to pick such an arduous battle right away.

"Hey, could you hold up on putting that massage table away? I… might have a few kinks I want you to work out, if uh… y'know, if you'd be so kind…" she humbly requested, making Tay freeze again as he raised an eyebrow.

"You're askin' me for another massage? What happened t' Bolo doin' it for you on a regular basis like y'all agreed?" he queried while resetting the table to its original position.

"Our schedules don't line up, and he's not that good at it anyway. You, on the other hand, actually know what you're doing," the zombie girl dismissively replied with a shrug. "I… also don't want to give him the wrong idea about anything…" she added as Shantae came back into the living room with her hair still tied in that gigantic lavender bun. She came out wearing a set of very stylish pajamas that consisted of a matching set of gold short shorts and a midriff-baring short-sleeve t-shirt with the number '94' inscribed on it. Huh… What an interesting ensemble she had there. Seems… almost nostalgic if I had to say so myself.

"Wrong idea? What wrong idea?" Shantae asked as she took a seat next to her best friend on the sofa… ALSO kicking her feet up on the coffee table, which did their ghost host no favors as he cocked an eyebrow once again.

"Not you too, Shantae…" the disquieted wraith complained.

"What?" she innocently asked, not having a clue what he appeared to be upset about.

"…Nothin'," he dismissed with a sigh as he walked into his kitchen at the back end of the room, strolling around an island to open his refrigerator. "Y'all want somethin' t' eat or drink?"

"I'll just have a glass of chocolate milk, please," Shantae humbly requested.

"Fruit punch for me," Rottytops also put in her order. "And could you get me the leftover falafel I had in there? No need to warm it up."

"Alrighty. Comin' right up," Tayshan complied as he prepared the girls' orders.

"Thank you!" both Shantae and Rottytops offered their gratitude in unison before turning back to each other.

"So, this 'wrong idea' thing you were talking about a second ago…" the half-genie prodded out of curiosity as they patiently waited for their refreshments. At that, the zombie maiden's eyes widened a bit as she focused on her best friend.

"What about it?" the apprehensive zombie asked, tensing up in anticipation for what she was about to be asked.

"Are you and Bolo getting along okay?"

"Ah! Uh… Y-yeah, we're fine. Nothing to worry about. Why?"

"Just making sure. It seemed like you two were a little on-edge with each other last we left off. Anything you wanna run by me?"

"Oh, that? Nah, we were just having another one of our 'heated moments' like we've been doing on and off lately. No biggie. Just us disagreeing at times. No bones to pick between us."

"Got it. At least you two are talking more," Shantae remarked, taking the comment at face value. "Honestly, it's great to see you and him becoming such great friends over the last few months."

"Yep, it's a real treat. That aside, I do have a bone to pick with you…" Rotty made her friend very much aware as she pointed and poked the half-genie's cheek.

"R-right, our uh… I had to cancel on our froyo adventure earlier today," Shae acknowledged with a mildly guilty chuckle, not seeming to mind the other girl pressing her index finger into her face.

"'Adventure?' What a wonderful way to totally belittle our date, snack cakes! I'm so offended right now!" Rotty griped with a pout as she crossed her arms and turned her head away.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Shantae laughingly apologized profusely as she laid a hand on Rotty's shoulder and gave the other young woman a gentle nudge. "Look, we can go on another 'date' as soon as tomorrow, okay? Don't be so mad at me! You know I hate it when you get all grumpy like this."

"Hm. Well… Okay, I'll forgive you this time, babe," the giggling zombie girl magnanimously accepted, softening her pout just a bit as she turned back toward the half-genie. "But this next date of ours better be absolutely spectacular, or else I'll… I'll… I'll break up with you!"

"Ohh, nooo! Anything but that!" Shantae 'panicked' as she clasped her hands to her cheeks in total shock. "I promise, our time together will be special. Count on it, girlfriend, because I owe it to you!" she further teased, taking her 'girlfriend's' hand into one of her own while poking the zombie girl's cheek with a finger on the other hand. That seemed to catch the undead maiden by surprise. Nevertheless, and despite a rather conspicuous blush forming on Rotty's face, the girls laughed it up.

"I'm sorry, am I missin' a sappy make-up scene out o' some goofy romcom?" Tayshan questioned with a chuckle of his own as he brought the girls' refreshments to them on a tray.

"You sure are, Tay-Tay," Shantae joked, still giggling it up along with Rotty. "It's literally, like, THE sappiest," she threw in another quip as she humorously flicked a hand in his direction.

"Yikes… Count me out, then. Too much lovey-dovey energy in the air for me," he further quipped as he set their food and drinks on the coffee table, sharing another laugh with his guests.

"Count you out? No way!" Rotty added to this extremely goofy conversation. "I know for sure you're a total sucker for sappy romance, so a 'scene' like this one between me and Shantae would definitely get you invested."

"What? What is that supposed to mean?" Tay asked in apparent offense, flustered by the accusation. "I do NOT like sappy romance like that!"

"Yeah, I'm SO sure, considering the way you and Shantae always make googly eyes at each other and get all boo-lovey after you spend so much as two days apart," the zombie maiden continued grilling her ghostly companion to his immeasurable chagrin. "And don't even get me started on the shows you watch! There's not a snowball's chance on the sun you'd miss out on this if she and I kept going!" she further put the wraith on blast. At that, Shantae began cracking up while Tayshan shot Rottytops the most disapproving of pouty, growling glares.

"…Y'know what, Rotty? Just for that, you ain't gettin' no massage. Rub your own back," he griped as he very 'angrily' sat on the far end of the sofa.

"What!? N-no, no! What I meant to say was uh… W-was that you're totally a MANLY man who don't do no sappy romance!" she hurriedly tried to reverse herself as she clamored across the couch to find herself sliding under the ghost man's arm and tightly hugging him around his shoulders. "You're totally right in that sappy just ain't you. Like, at all, ever! You like MANLY things. Like sports, and action flicks, and… a-and workout tutorials that would make the average person's arms fall off!"

"Hmph. That's what I thought you said…" Tay remarked with a grin, though he couldn't do much to hide the blush on his face as Rotty scooted closer to the point that she was basically planted on his lap with her arms still wrapped around him.

"Great! So, now that we're at an understanding… Can I still get that massage?" she requested once again, giving him the most glittering of puppy dog eyes as she basically found herself nose-to-nose with him. Jeez… Personal space must not be her strong suit…

"…Fine," Tay acquiesced, rolling his eyes before glancing over at Shantae.

"Yes…!" Rotty cheered in triumph, though she hadn't let her friend/roommate go. As one might expect, Shantae was eating it up as she sipped her chocolate milk and laughed at him.

"Good job standing your ground, babe…" Shae teased, still snickering at her lover for his inability to enforce his boundaries.

"I don't wanna hear it from you, witcho silly froyo dates," he sardonically shot back as he dramatically pointed a finger at her, making her laugh even harder.

"Touché, Tay-Tay," the half-genie teased again, cutely sticking her tongue out at him as he pouted at her again. In response, she giggled at him some more.

"Ooh, an' there you go again…!" he very grumpily grumbled, evidently still not a fan of having his nickname rhymed with things. "I already told you how much that gets on my nerves…"

"And yet, it remains one of my favorite things to say-say to my bae-bae, Tay-Tay!" she egged him on, evidently enjoying annoying (shoot, I just did it, too) her boyfriend in the most innocuous of ways.

"You keep this up, an' you watch what happens to obnoxious girlfriends who like t' play-play all day-day, Shae-Shae…" he oh-so sternly (not to mention, blushingly) warned as he played along, narrowing his eyes at the greatly humored half-genie as she giggled it up even more.

"Hey, hey, it's alright! Maybe the massage you're gonna give me will cheer you up," Rotty interjected, also taking pleasure in their lighthearted bantering. "I don't know what I would've had to do if you said no, stud muffin. You're the best!" she cheerily offered her gratitude as she also very impulsively pulled him downward and planted a quick smooch on the young man's cheek, catching both the wraith and the half-genie by surprise. "Mmpwah~!"

"Gah…!" Tayshan grunted, shocked almost totally stiff as he registered the freezing, wet, fruit punch-scented texture of the undead maiden's lips on his cheek.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" a disapproving Shantae demanded to know of Rottytops as she set her empty milk glass down.

"Ooh! Sorry… I kinda got carried away there… My bad," Rotty apologized as she finally let go of Tayshan, sinking into herself as he recovered from the kissing attack in mild bewilderment.

"You better be. I can't have you going around kissing other people like that when we're supposed to be going on a date! Even if the other person is Tayshan!" she quickly shifted her tone to remark, her smile returning in full. Meanwhile, Tayshan chuckled and shook his head in amusement.

"Ohohoh, is that what it is? Well, allow me to even the playing field, so no one feels left out!" Rotty happily suggested in notable relief as she sprang once more across the couch and wrapped Shantae in an affectionate hug, complete with an affectionate, also fruit punch-scented kiss on the half-genie's cheek. "Mmpwah~!"

"Gah! That's not what I meant, Rotty, but thanks," the heroine laughingly remarked, patting her friend on the back before they separated again.

"Don't mention it," the rambunctious zombie remarked, breathing a sigh of relief as she basked in the joint appreciation of the company the trio were sharing together. Once they got settled in and took a moment to relax on the couch, however, they began another conversation anew.

"Alright, so now that all that's out of our systems, can you tell me more about this Spirit Fuser thing, Shae?" Tayshan began with a request to Shantae. "Like, is everything you said about it bein' an all-powerful Relic true? An' all the other stuff you said about what it can do… It seems so dangerous. Then again, it must be if Risky Boots an' Hashanah of all people are after it…"

"Yeah, this Relic's got quite the storied reputation," the half-genie affirmed. "I haven't personally seen what it's capable of just yet, but there's no doubt it's not gonna be good for any of us if it falls into the wrong hands…"

"You ain't lyin'. An' you said Hashanah has one piece while we have the second one out o' five total? An' each piece is heavily protected by some sort of ancient guardians like the ones in the Phantasmagoric Forest?"

"Yep. There are other details I didn't get to mention to you, but the gist of it is that the Spirit Fuser is so powerful that it was absolutely necessary for it to be broken apart and hidden away. Only recently did the locations the Spirit Fuser's fragments start popping up again. I figured we wouldn't be dealing with any opposition, but as we've seen, the LAST people we wanted to know about this thing are also aware of it and want its power for themselves. It's worse that we wound up starting out on such bad footing…" the half-genie informed and lamented.

"I see… Well, we're gonna need t' keep ourselves in gear if we expect t' prevent disaster on this one. But for it t' also have the power t' revive me… I… I appreciate the effort you're willin' t' go to, honey, but…"

"…but you're not sure if it's worth the risk and potential harm, right?" she guessed, though the knowing look she gave him emphasized her certainty in her words.

"Yes," Tay agreed. "If this thing can do as much damage as the rumors say, then I'd have said we should've just left them things where they were an' found another way."

"Sure, but what if there was no other way? Or what if we ran out of time before we could find another way?"

"Good questions. I'll admit that those are questions I don't have a reasonable answer to," the wraith did his best to address. "But I… I'd just rather not put other people's lives in danger t' save my own. That's… that's never been how I rolled. At least, not for a long time, it hasn't…" he further added, a waver of… remorse evident in his tone as he momentarily flicked his eyes toward the floor.

"I get it, but Tayshan… this… This is potentially a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get you fully restored. I had a feeling you'd probably be against the idea of assembling the fragments of the Spirit Fuser, but we've been trying for the last six months to find a way to keep you here with next to no results. It's an extremely unfavorable chance with this Spirit Fuser because of its dangers, but getting this thing together still gives us a chance, no less."

"True. But still… I… I don't know how t' put this, but… Is… Is my life really worth riskin' the lives o' so many others t' save? Your lives included?" he asked, causing both girls to gasp in shock as they each shot him looks of total astonishment.

"Tay…" Rotty finally spoke up, though she didn't have much else to say in the moment.

"You mean the world to us, Tay. You mean the world to me. What are you trying to say?" Shantae hesitantly questioned. Reading the girls' discomfort, the ghost man did his best to clarify.

"Sorry, I misspoke," he apologized. "I didn't mean that in the sense that I didn't think my life was worth savin' in general. I just meant that I don't know how I'd feel gettin' such a huge second chance at life as a human again, but with the knowledge that so many others perished or suffered for me t' get that chance. I mean… Two entire locations and their inhabitants were completely wiped off the face o' this planet because o' Risky an' Hashanah over just two fragments o' this thing. T' think we'd have t' step on the heads of other innocent monsters in three other places who were only tryin' t' prevent total disaster because of a desire for me t' keep existin'? I… I could never be comfortable with that… T' me, it would feel like a total reversal o' the reason I wound up becomin' a wraith in the first place…"

"Ah… I-I see what you're getting at…"

"…but, it ain't like we got a choice now…" he continued, however uncomfortable he was to do so.

"Hm? What do you mean there?"

"I mean that the race is on whether we like it or not. At the very least, we have t' do what we can to keep Risky Boots an' Hashanah from gettin' their hands on it."

"Yeah, but that's a given. And I don't doubt we'll succeed, even with what's been happening so far," Shantae reasoned. "Still… Would… you really not use the Spirit Fuser to be revived if it turned out we collected all five fragments? I mean, I understand your point, but… if we don't do this, then you'll be gone forever come October…" she further asked and clarified, stiffening up a bit as she locked her gaze on the wraith out of anticipation for his answer.

"I was about to ask the same thing…" Rottytops added, backing Shantae up as both girls awaited his answer. "I can see how rough of a situation this has turned out to be, but if this is the only shot we've got, then… um… th-then, wouldn't you still want to take it, Tayshan?" And after a tense, seconds-long silence that felt like hours as he exchanged worried glances with each of his guests…

"…I… I'm not sure…" he hesitantly replied, shocking the girls once again.

"Not sure of what? Tayshan, this is the chance we've been looking and hoping for all year. It's a chance we almost thought didn't even exist. No one said it would come without its hitches, but the Spirit Fuser could very well be the only chance we have to restore you. Even for what it is, there's no way you'd deny this opportunity in this scenario, where we have no other options. You do want to stay with us… don't you?" Shantae practically pleaded as she wore a heavy guilt-ridden expression on her face.

"I do want t' stay, but at what cost? I'm not comfortable with the idea o' waltzin' int' the places these fragments are hidden, destroyin' everything in our way as we selfishly take this superpowered artifact that has the ability t' steal souls, just so I can keep livin'. It sounds so backwards an' out o' pocket, an' at a glance, it completely goes against what we promised t' do as a team o' heroes. I'd rather d…" he was about to make his stance firm, though he quickly paused before he could finish. The reason why? He was looking directly at Shantae and Rottytops as they widened their eyes in anticipatory dread over what he was about to say. As such, he shook his head, sighed, and did his best to continue. "I'd… rather do this whole 'revival' thing in a less harmful way, should there be any by this point. I would never want t' hurt y'all or see y'all get hurt, especially not for the sake o' gettin' this Relic t' revive me. I can hardly imagine how many different ways this Relic hunt could go wrong, an' I ain't fond o' the idea that other people have t' lose their only chances at life just so I can be granted a second one… That ain't fair, an' my life shouldn't be viewed as more valuable than the lives of others…"

"I get that, babe, but we're running low on time as it is," Shantae countered after breathing a pressured sigh. "I'd rather do this a different way as well, but I'm not sure if we'll ever find another method to keep you here with us before it's too late. And… and for what it's worth, you've done so many great things for us, and for Scuttle Town, and for Sequin Land at large. I know it's not a perfect scenario where no one gets hurt, but I think you'd be able to give this world so much more if you were allowed to stay longer. Maybe not to make up for what was lost in this hunt, but at least to keep making this world a better place like we promised we would do together. You and I can make a much bigger positive impact on the world together if you were allowed to stay here beyond October. There's nothing selfish about that at all. And besides…" she trailed off, getting up to walk over and sit back down on the couch on his other side. Afterward, she grabbed his hand and clasped it between her own to his surprise. "If I have to factor myself into this, then I'll be completely upfront with you… I can't even BEGIN to imagine what I would do with myself if you weren't here with me… I can't imagine what any of us would do if you were gone all over again…"

"…Shantae…"

"I mean that with every bit of my heart, Tayshan. If there's anything in my power that I can do to make sure you're revived, or that this Soul-Link stabilizes, or make whatever has to happen, happen, I'm going out of my way to do it for you. For us. You saved my life at the cost of your own, and I thought I'd lost you forever before you granted my wish for you to come back to me. Let's take this chance, and allow me to at least preserve your life. Whether you stay a wraith forever or become human again, I owe it to you. And you know me. I will never stop until my debt to you is repaid in full, no matter what you say."

"You don't owe me anything, though, Shae… I keep tellin' you that…" the halo-adorned young man responded with a waver in his voice, looking deep into the half-genie's glimmering blue eyes as he considered her every word.

"I know, but I still want to show you beyond the limited time we have together that I endlessly cherish you for everything you are, and everything you've been to me…" she fervently drove her point home, tightening her grip on his hand. "And I can't do that if you're not here. I don't want to lose you again, Tay, so please… Think about what this chance with the Spirit Fuser would mean for us…"

"Wow, Shantae…" Rotty commented, though she mostly stayed silent and observant of the couple as they had their discussion. Though Tay didn't immediately respond, he took another long, thought-provoked look at the two young ladies as they stared back at him… and after another heavy moment…

"…Okay. When y'all put it the way y'all have been, I… I suppose it's true that we don't really have another choice about how t' go about revival, no matter how any of us feels about it. We'll go the Spirit Fuser route. Mind you, my primary goal will be t' keep it out o' the wrong hands. If everything goes our way, then we'll use it as we intend. Just t' be clear, though… I don't have t' steal the souls of others t' be revived, do I?"

"Nope! Uncle said that if the spirit or corporeal form of a deceased person was to use it, provided they died within a year of using it, you'd simply be revived," Shantae made absolutely sure to clarify.

"Got it. Well, that's at least a LITTLE bit of a relief."

"Oooh…" Rottytops hummed in wonder. "Huh. So, would that mean it wouldn't work for me at all? Just curious."

"…I'm not entirely sure, Rotty," Shantae delicately and uncertainly answered as she and Tay turned toward her. "You've been a zombie for longer than a year by now, so… um…"

"Ah, don't wrack that delicious brain of yours over it," the zombie girl dismissed, sensing her best friend's discomfort. "Besides, I'm cool being the way I am. No need to factor me into this equation." Rather than immediately dismiss the concern, however, the genie and the wraith took another minute to worriedly look at their companion. In response… "Uh… Seriously, you guys don't need to worry about me. I'm fine as I am! I promise!" she reassured, though the concerned look on her face told a slightly different story.

"…Princess…" Tayshan very worriedly called to the zombie maiden as he reached his free hand toward her and cupped her cheek, astonishing her in the process.

"Ooh! Uh… Huh…" she barely found it in herself to utter as she laid her hand over his. Feeling the warmth in his hand as she gazed into his glimmering golden eyes, Rotty found herself becoming warm as her heart began to beat just a little harder in her chest. After such a surprisingly emotional moment, however… "…I promise you guys, I'm okay. This isn't about me," she… rather hesitantly assured as she removed the ghost man's hand from her face and gave Shantae an affirming, smiling nod before turning back to Tayshan. "Now that you know we don't have to absorb anyone's souls to make it work for you, are you more on-board with using the Spirit Fuser, Tay?"

"Yeah, are… are you feeling any better about it now?" the half-genie also asked as she and the lingering spirit turned back toward each other.

"Without belaborin' the point… Yes. Yes, I am," he affirmed with a nod. "We'll use it if we can assemble the pieces ourselves. If not… then at the very least, that thing has t' be destroyed or done away with, so no one has that big a chance t' plunge the world int' chaos again. Whether I survive this series of adventures or not, just like last time, takes a backseat to what's most important here," he solemnly vowed, never breaking eye contact as he said so.

"…Wow, Tayshan…" Rotty commented again, still taking in the seriousness of the conversation between her best friends.

"Understood… That'll certainly have to be the main focus for all of us, and I don't know if I could have said it better myself. Still, I REALLY hope we can pull this off the way we need to," Shantae acknowledged and expressed, never letting go of her boyfriend's hand.

"With your leadership an' guidance, Shantae, there ain't a doubt in my mind we'll get the job done like we always do," the humble teammate of the Half-Genie Hero offered his vote of confidence with a nod, eliciting a smile of both excitement and determination from the genie herself.

"I won't let you down again, Tayshan… I promise…" she vowed, nearly tearing up as she let go of his hand and moved in for a surprise hug as she scooted closer and wrapped her arms around his neck. Though caught off-guard, the undead guardsman accepted the embrace in full.

"'Again?' What's that mean? You've never let me down before," he pointed out with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh! Er, w-what I meant was… that I don't want to miss the one-in-a-million chance we have here. That's all…" she hastily corrected herself, though she didn't break the warm embrace.

"Hm. I would hope that's all you meant," he joked as he slipped a hand down to poke her stomach, making her flinch and release him to cover the spot where he tickled her with an arm.

"Gah! H-hey! No fair! I wasn't ready for that!" Shantae laughingly complained as she pouted, swatting at him in protest.

"Thank goodness… They're in better moods again after all that," Rotty sweetly acknowledged with a grin and sigh of relief as she continued to watch just a little longer.

"First rule o' battle, kitten: Never let your guard down," Tayshan teased, grinning in triumphant glee as he took pride in his sneak attack. Little did he know, he filled a certain someone else's head with a most… devious idea as she very carefully crept a bit closer.

"Better practice what ya preach then, stud muffin…" Rotty warned with a mischievous grin of her own as she wiggled her fingers in preparation. Hearing the remark, Tayshan tried to whirl around to stop the unwavering opportunist that was Rottytops from getting the drop on him. How did he fare, you may ask? Weeeell… "Ten Digits of Doom!"

"No! No, you-! DAGH! Ghahah! N-no-ho-ho-hahahah!" the poor guy bellowed in guffaw-heavy surprise as the zombie girl pounced, tackling him to the floor with a most emphatic *PLOPH*. Sitting straddled on his back, she rapidly crept her fingers up and down his sides and around his neck as he wriggled and flailed to try and escape. He was… pretty much a goner as soon as this 'battle' began.

"Hah! How's it feel to be on the other side of a tickle attack?" Rotty defiantly asked, never letting up as she made the ghost man beneath her squirm with her Ten Digits of Doom.

"Hahah, wh-what kind o' que-he-he-hestion is tha-ha-hat!? You're always doin' th-! Gahahah!" Tay tried to complain through his laughter. He did his best to escape, no less, as he crawled away from the couch to get more room to devise a counterattack. As for Shantae? You'd figure she'd help her boyfriend when he was in trouble, right? Weeeell…

"'Never let your guard down,' Tay-Tay," the half-genie humorously imitated him as she climbed off the sofa and… instead of helping Tayshan, she helped Rottytops in pinning him to the floor. She took up an advantageous position in planting herself firmly on his chest just as he flipped around and wound up flat on his back with Rotty sitting straddled on his lap. Okay, NOW he was a goner. "Hahahah! You REALLY should know by now that starting tickle fights like this will ALWAYS end poorly for you!" she cheerfully teased as she began her own brand of tickling the man while he was already down.

"Ghahahahahaah! Y-y'all are a-ha-ha-ha-halways gangin' up on me-he-he-he-hee!" he fought through a tickle-induced paroxysm of laughter to protest as he wildly flailed and tried to block the girls' hands from poking, grazing, prodding, and creeping up and down his upper body. Jeez… This certainly is one heck of a sight to behold, seeing a big, muscly boy immediately lose a tickle fight to two pretty girls like this. Then again… Is it really a loss, or is it technically…? Ah, n-never mind… A-anyway, the trio's latest bout of relentlessly roughhousing with each other would only go on for a short time before a *DIIING-DOOOONG~!* of the doorbell stopped them.

"I'll get it!" Rotty volunteered as she removed herself from Tayshan's lap to rush to the front door.

"Whew… Literally saved by the bell…" an already exhausted Tay remarked as he tried to catch his breath.

"Heh… Lucky you," Shae teased once more as she booped his nose with a finger before climbing off him to help him up to his feet. And just as they reoriented themselves, Rottytops opened the door to find…

"Ah, the rest of the gang is here!" the excitable zombie maiden proudly announced, issuing a warm welcome t-! "And Bolo, I guess," she further… plainly remarked, ostensibly much less enthusiastic about seeing the spiky-haired young man again. At that, the two exchanged glances, only for Bolo to quickly bat his eyes away without a word as he, Sky, and Mimic walked in. "Huh. Oookay…?"

"Been a little while since everyone was all gathered in one place, eh?" Mimic cheerfully pointed out. "Glad to see you've returned from your errand, by the way, cupcake!"

"Hey, Uncle! Sky, Bolo!" Shantae cheerfully greeted her guardian and her other friends, running up to hug them. She stopped in her tracks halfway through, however, when she noticed one of two things. That thing being… "Uh… Are… you okay, Sky? You look like you got caught up in another fight between your birds."

"Trust me, I WISH that were the case," Sky joked, though she found herself slightly embarrassed by the disheveled state her clothes were in. "Girl, have we got quite the story for you."

"Oh, do you? Okay, I can't wait to hear what you have to say," Shae acknowledged, her curiosity piqued as she drew closer. It was then, however, that she noticed the SECOND thing as a pungent scent entered her nose. Only, before she got to speak on it…

"Ugh, what in the world is that SMELL!?" Tayshan complained, plugging his nostrils while he was bringing out extra chairs for his additional guests to sit.

"Yeah, it stinks like week-old roadkill!" Rottytops further griped, plugging her nostrils as well.

"…Um…" Bolo finally said SOMETHING, though it wasn't much to start with. He would not need to say much, however, before Rotty approached him, sniffing around to identify the source of the stench.

"Oh, it's YOU!" she shouted, still covering her nose with one hand while pointing her other index finger at him to put him all the way on blast. "Goodness, dude, you STINK!"

"Seriously, Bolo, what the heck!?" Shantae complained even further, backing away by a few paces. "That is one RANK odor! Did you wrestle an animal while it was in its mating season or something?" she… surprisingly accurately gue—um, I mean, she arbitrarily and accusatorily asked.

"Gah, n-no!" Bolo li—ah, I-I mean, he sternly denied, trying his best to hide the panic in his eyes. "Hey, all of you need to relax! It… I-it isn't that bad!" he further tried to counter, however uncertain he was about doing so.

"'Isn't that bad?' Are you serious? I can smell it all the way from over here, bro!" Tayshan pointed out even harder from the other side of the living room as he grabbed a can of air freshener off the kitchen island and sprayed away. "No offense, but dang! You reek like booty cheeks an' debauchery up in here!"

"What!? How am I NOT supposed to take offense to that!?" the younger man shouted in embarrassment. Meanwhile, the rest of the group did their best to stifle their laughter… except Rottytops, who let out a loud enough cackle that the neighbors could've probably heard it.

"Hahahah! Booty cheeks and debauchery! Oh, I'm TOTALLY borrowing that one!" the zombie maiden cracked up, evidently liking the lurid phrasing of the description of Bolo's aroma.

"Funny you should say 'debauchery…'" Sky murmured under her breath, already knowing something the rest of the group didn't.

"Listen, you go ahead an' hit the shower, man," Tay urgently offered, pointing toward the hallway at the back of the room. "The first door on the right. There's soap, wash cloths, an' towels on the shelf in the closet in there. Use it. Use as much as you need."

"Aw, come on! Is it really that big a deal?" Bolo somehow had the nerve to ask in protest.

"YES!" everyone else shouted in unison, followed by Rottytops taking the initiative to get behind the smelly adventurer and shove him toward the bathroom.

"For the love of all that is good and sacred, just GO! One more minute of you stinking the place up, and I'm gonna hurl!" Rotty warned as she pushed him along, though Bolo wriggled himself away from her and stormed the rest of the way to the bathroom.

"Alright, jeez! I'm going!" he yelled in a mixture of frustration and embarrassment, finding his destination and quickly entering the lavatory.

"Whew… Man, that's a POWERFUL smell…" Tayshan remarked once more as he sprayed one more whiff of air freshener before setting the can back down.

"Indeed. That aside, I'm glad to see you're awake, my boy!" Mimic happily pointed out. "You also appear to be back in tip-top shape!"

"Oh. Er, yeah. I'm glad t' be back up. Thanks for lettin' me rest at your place, Pops."

"Not a problem! Though, if I may request, could you come here for a second?"

"Uh… Alright…" he unassumingly accepted the request, approaching Mimic. Once he was close enough… "What's up?"

"Lean closer. I have something I'd like to share with you…"

"Um… Sure?" Tay obliged once again, leaning to where he and Mimic were eye-level with one another. "What is it you have t' te-?" he was about to ask before Mimic swiftly raised a hand as high as he could, extended his index and middle fingers while folding the others, and… Ooh, he delivered a shockingly quick, incredibly painful *THWACK* of his fingers against Tayshan's forehead that caused the girls to gasp in collective surprise. That… didn't exactly stop Rottytops from finding some twisted sense of amusement in the exchange as she stifled another amused chuckle while covering her mouth.

"Gagh! Oww!" the wraith shouted, backing away as he plastered his hands to his aching head.

"UNCLE! What the heck was THAT for!?" Shantae demanded to know, not at all understanding why Mimic struck Tayshan.

"Language, young lady!" he further scolded the half-genie with a point of his finger at her for her apparent potty mouth before turning back to the wraith. "And you, young man, are in a lot of trouble! I thought I told you to NEVER take off those Inhibitor Vambraces while you were on a job! You seriously jeopardized your safety, pulling such a foolhardy move as you did the other day!"

"Ah… Oops. Y-yeah, my bad…" Tay understandingly apologized as straightened up and rubbed his forehead, feeling all of the guilt for disobeying Mimic's instructions.

"Wait, what? INHIBITOR Vambraces?" Shantae asked, evidently left out of the loop.

"Yep. Apparently, the braces Tay was wearing the other day are designed to scale back his magic to make it more manageable for him," Sky affirmed.

"Ohh," Shantae hummed in acknowledgement, though she turned to Sky and saw the vambrace affixed to her wrist. "Speaking of which, isn't that one of them?"

"Yeah. I held onto it while he recovered," she further confirmed, taking the vambrace off to hand to the half-genie. "Mimic explained everything about the braces to us earlier today. That aside, are you alright, Shantae?"

"Of course! Never better! Why? Were you worried?"

"You could say that. I'm glad you're safe, but I was starting to wonder what was going on since last we met. You hadn't been to Mimic's at all since we got back from the Phantasmagoric Forest three days ago, and I-!" she was about to inquire, though Shantae suddenly flinched in a sudden sense of shock and… fright, was it? Hmm…

"SKY…!" Rotty interjected, pulling the bird tamer back to her surprise. "Ix-nay on the no isit-vay…!" she harshly whispered with her index fingers crossed over her lips. Déjà vu… Regardless, Rotty's warning was delivered a little too late…

"Oh. You… You didn't check up on me? I thought you said you did," Tay questioned Shae as he got the context of the sudden, secretive interaction between Sky and Rotty. Hesitantly, if not a bit shamefully, the half-genie turned around and, with her head bowed and the knuckle of her index finger in her mouth.

"…N-no, I… I didn't. I was going to, but… I… um…" she sheepishly tried to excuse, though she couldn't come up with anything she felt would adequately quell his disappointment.

"Hm. Ah, it's fine. I'm sure you were busy," he forgivingly shrugged it off, surprising everyone but Mimic, who remained neutral.

"…You're… not mad at me, are you?" she worriedly asked, hoping for a response from him that didn't convey any form of frustration or disfavor with her.

"Nah. It's cool," he dismissed with a flick of his hand, though it did nothing to ease the genie's nerves. "Anyway, why don't we all get settled in while we wait for Bolo? Sounds like we've all got stories t' share about what's been happenin' recently," he suggested, changing the subject entirely as he took a seat on one end of the sofa.

"Indeed, we do," Mimic agreed as he wasted no time taking a seat in a nearby chair that the wraith set up for him. Sky and Rottytops, after a moment of sharing worried glances with one another, moved to take their seats. Rotty opted to sit on the sofa next to Tayshan while Sky suddenly froze as though something entered her mind. Shantae, suddenly quite anxious, hesitantly approached and took her seat on the sofa… on the opposite end of her boyfriend as she guiltily set the Inhibitor Vambrace Sky gave her on the coffee table. Uh-oh…

"Actually… Before we begin…" Sky began as she directly approached the wraith, piquing his curiosity as they locked eyes. "…Tay…"

"…Somethin' the matter?" he asked, raising an eyebrow as he observed her giving him a most… melancholy look. She didn't initially respond, however, as she continued to scan his face. It took little more than a few seconds before the young man grew confused and darted his eyes around the room. Before long, he returned his gaze back to the bird trainer. "Why… Why are you starin' at me like…?" he tried to ask, though he was cut off when she suddenly closed the distance between them and wrapped him into a heartfelt surprise hug. "Oh. Uh…"

"Sky, what the heck are you doing?" Rottytops questioned as she and Shantae curiously watched on. "I don't think it's appropriate to put the moves on stud muffin like that. You DO remember that he's taken, don't you?" The zombie maiden would receive no reply, however, as Sky hugged Tayshan tighter.

"Hey, what's goin' on, Sky…?" the bewildered wraith queried as he patted her on the back with a hand.

"…I'm glad you're okay…" Sky half-whispered through her embrace, her voice wavering as she seemed intent on not letting go. "And… thank you for protecting me. I'm also really sorry for what you've been through… If… um… I-if you ever need me for anything, I'm here for you…"

"I… appreciate you, homegirl, but… are you feelin' alright? Why do you seem so upset…?"

"Yeah, Sky, what's the matter?" Shantae eventually chimed in to ask, growing just a tad unsettled with the unwarranted hug her best friend was giving her boyfriend.

"Nothing…" the falconer assured as she took a deep breath and finally pulled away from the embrace… only to cup his cheeks with her hands as she still wore that same worried expression on her face and observed the halo-adorned man. "…At least… nothing that should be discussed here…"

"What are you talking about…?" the half-genie asked, tilting her head in increased confusion.

"Yeah, what do you mean? I get it if you were worried about me after I passed out at the end of our quest, Sky, an' I'm sorry for makin' you upset. Are you sure you don't wanna bring up what's on your mind here an' now?" Tay tried once more to figure out.

"I'm sure, Tay-Tay. I'd rather have a private talk with you, should you have the free time this week. Maybe over lunch?" she requested, finally letting go of his face.

"Whoa, whoa! What do you think you're doing!?" Rotty cut in to ask in surprising agitation. "You can't just ask another girl's boyfriend on a date like that! That's way out of line!" Heh… How ironic that she'd be the one saying that…

"I'm NOT trying to steal him, Rottytops. Cool your jets," Sky finally turned and addressed the restless zombie before turning her attention back to the other undead party member. "So…? Would you be okay with that, Tay?"

"Er… S-sure? Whatever it is you want t' talk about, it sounds serious," he acknowledged and accepted her request for some casual one-on-one time. "Let me know what your schedule looks like, an' we can arrange somethin'."

"Will do, hon," the bird tamer acknowledged with a smiling nod and sigh of relief before moving to take her seat. Meanwhile, Shantae momentarily locked her eyes on Sky, wearing a look of… dare I say, worry? Scrutiny? Possibly a slight sense of irritation? I… I couldn't tell. She didn't exactly seem comfortable with what she'd just witnessed either way. It wasn't long, however, before her gaze shifted over to Tayshan… who, interestingly enough, glanced right back at her with a look of confusion. Rather than say anything in the moment, he offered a slight shrug and tilt of his head as he kept his eyes focused on the half-genie. Reading his bewilderment, she simply nodded her head as she softened her expression and turned her gaze toward the floor as though she were about to get lost in thought. Before she could begin to contemplate, however…

"Alright, so with that out of the way, shall we commence the trading of war stories?" Mimic asked, eager to learn about the teen hero squad's discoveries.

"Sure thing. So, ah… I'll kick things off, if none of you mind," Sky volunteered to speak first. "I've got a LOT to share about what Bolo and I saw today."

"By all means, lass, go right ahead," the retired Relic Hunter eagerly urged.

"Will do. I may as well start from the top…" she gave her fair warning as the others lent their ears to her. And with a deep breath… "So, Bolo had reached the Cyclic Season Island, which pretty much spelled disaster from the second we touched down…" she began to explain as Bolo finished washing himself off and dressing back up to rejoin the rest of the Sequin Land Anti-Pirate Squad…

One lengthy recap later…

"…and right after the Capricious Titan handed me this vial full of what he called the Astral Enhancement Tonic, he teleported me directly to Bolo. We flew back home immediately afterward," Sky wrapped up her account of her recent adventure, holding the mysterious serum in question in her hand for the rest of the group to see. "We barely made it out of there in time to see the entire island crumble apart and sink into the ocean… which I can only guess means Hashanah defeated him…"

"Shoot… So, now Hashanah has TWO pieces, AND she's already been using one of them to power herself up," Shantae lamented, shaking her head in vexation. "As if this couldn't get any worse…"

"Indeed, but we are not out of contention just yet," Mimic assured as he took note of Sky's experiences. "Of course, it certainly worries me that the Spirit Fuser's fragments actually can be used independently… even IF their powers are greatly diminished when they are not combined."

"So, what should we do next?" Rottytops threw a question into the air. "We definitely want to find the rest of those pieces, but we also need to watch out for our 'competition' before it gets too stiff."

"That's what I'm wondering," Shantae offered a reply, though it was clear by her furrowed brow that she was thinking hard. "Any chance Hashanah told you anything about where she'd try to find the next piece, Sky? I'm thinking maybe we can try and get there early or catch her by surprise and try to take the pieces she has from her."

"Unfortunately, she didn't," the bird trainer glumly answered, handing the Astral Enhancement Tonic to Tayshan. "She made sure to keep her cards close to her chest on that while she and I traveled through the Capricious Titan Shrine together."

"Ah, of course… Well, we're gonna need to at least figure out how to pick up the pace on our end," the half-genie further surmised. "I'm just surprised Hashanah didn't try to hurt you on the spot after you two made it to the Capricious Titan…"

"With the way she kept… 'propositioning' me, I'm pretty sure she had other ways of trying to ensure I didn't make it back here to let you all know what she was up to. Seriously, Atem may very well have saved my life… even at the cost of his own."

"Jeez, what a conniving, two-timing temptress she apparently is…" Rotty disdainfully spat.

"Y-yeah. How messed up of her…" Bolo commented, however quietly as he gulped and flicked his eyes at Rottytops before turning his focus back to the bird tamer.

"I'm skeeved out FOR you, Sky," the zombie maiden continued. "I only wonder if she pulled the same dirty tricks on Nila to win her over. All things considered, she probably did…"

"I hardly have any doubt about that, but… even with that being the case, I still question if she's really as much of a villain as we initially painted her out to be."

"What do you mean?" Shantae asked, her curiosity piqued once again.

"Much as I hate to say it, and despite her frequent attempts to seduce me into being her partner in crime, I… I feel like she showed a little bit of her true self to me while we were working together," Sky theorized, much to the shock of everyone else.

"Yeah? What makes you so sure?"

"A few things, but without saying too much, I feel like she's just trying to reclaim the glory she used to have as the Guardian Genie of the Inseam Municipality," the falconer explained. "She was so focused on gaining enough power to be considered the strongest genie around and complained an awful lot about how tired she was of having to cater to the whims of humans that she felt disrespected her or took her for granted. She hardly said a thing about wanting to rule the world or cause more mayhem or destruction than she thought necessary to accomplish her goal. Don't get me wrong, she's still incredibly dangerous, and she has a lot to answer for. But… I can't help but get this feeling that she's… just a touch misguided on how she wants to prove herself."

"Oh… I see… That's a really interesting point to make there, girl…" Shantae pensively acknowledged, the gears of her mind spinning like no tomorrow.

"Yeah, well misguided or not, she's poised herself as a major threat to the safety of Sequin Land," Bolo chimed in once more. "She'd be wise to learn her lesson sooner than later, or else we'll give her a lesson she won't forget."

"Hm. Look at you, acting all tough when you barely did anything to contribute," Rotty wasted no time reminding her companion to his chagrin as he glowered at her.

"Says the one who REFUSED to join us on this adventure!" the agitated weapons specialist accused right back. "Don't even go there when you're the only one of us who hasn't even been on a quest yet!"

"Oh, no… Here we go again…" Sky remarked with a groan.

"Not technically true, homeboy. Clearly, you forgot that Tay and I defended Scuttle Town from Hashanah and Nila just last week… with me actually BEATING Nila by myself, unlike you. And trust me, I'm sure I'll do FAR better than YOU when I go on the next quest," the confident zombie declared as she crossed her arms. "Matter of fact, I'll HAPPILY go on the next quest with whoever is willing to lead… as long as it's either Shantae or Tayshan. Or BOTH!"

"Yeah, because why bother going on a quest if it doesn't involve you having your hand held the entire time, right?"

"You really aren't in ANY place to talk about anyone having their hand held on adventures when you barely pull your weight wherever you go. As a matter of fact, what exactly WERE you doing while Sky was forced to pal around with Hashanah this time? I don't remember much of her tale involving how 'busy' you were after you two got separated…" Rottytops interrogated Bolo, who flinched in shock as his face grew red like a stop light.

"Dah…! Ah, I-I was… I was busy trying to avoid being maimed and eaten alive by the animals that survived the tornado," he hastily explained, though his nervous mannerisms couldn't have been more suspicious.

"Oh, really?" she pressed. "I find that hard to believe when your clothes barely have anything other than scratches, mud, and grass stains on them. Seems to me that the most noticeable thing you really picked up was that awful smell you strolled in here with. I'd be more likely to believe you went skinny dipping in a swamp over there."

"Hmmmmmm…" Sky worriedly droned, shifting her eyes between Bolo and Rottytops. Meanwhile, Shantae, Tayshan, and Mimic watched on in collective confusion at Bolo's sudden bout of fidgeting.

"Ah, w-what do you know!? You weren't there, so you have no place to tell me about what I went through."

"Uh-huh," the zombie kept on teasing. "Look at how nervous you are right now! It's okay to admit you didn't do as much as you want us to think, dude. You won't look that bad. At least, not as bad as you usually look…" she further remarked with a derisive snicker that no one else shared.

"Whoa, Rotty, chill," Tayshan finally spoke up to warn as he pressed a hand to the zombie girl's shoulder. "You've said enou-!"

"Argh, I can't STAND you!" Bolo shouted as he stood up and glared at Rotty, evidently reaching his boiling point right away. "If you think you're so much better than me, then why didn't YOU come up with the idea to go to the Cyclic Season Island instead of spending the whole day flirting with Shantae and fawning over Tayshan!?" And just like that, things escalated IMMEDIATELY…

"WHAT!?" the wraith in question… well, questioned in total shock.

"EXCUSE YOU!?" Rotty shouted, standing up and glaring at Bolo with an intensity that rivaled a highly agitated bull.

"BOLO! Dude, just take a second to chill!" Shantae urged him as she grabbed hold of his wrist.

"No! I'm so DONE with her treating me like this! It's so ANNOYING!" he hotly refused, still glaring directly at Rotty. "At some point, you need to recognize that you're not as funny as you think you are, Rottytops!"

"Jeez, you are such a BABY!" Rotty shouted right back as Tayshan held her by her wrist to keep her from potentially getting physical. "All this whining and complaining about how close I am with these two, and all the griping about how much my jokes offend you, even when they're not aimed at you! GIVE IT A REST! What, are you JEALOUS of them because you can't get past the idea that I have friends other than YOU that I spend my time with on a regular basis!?"

"What!? G-get real!" Bolo did his best to try and deny, though the blush on his face told a different story. "You're just getting really irritating with the things you say and do, and you know it!"

"No, all I know now is that if my eyes aren't on you for more than five minutes, you throw these spoiled little temper tantrums like mommy didn't buy you candy at the bazaar! You don't have to be so clingy, dude! We only really became friends not that long ago, so simmer down and stop breathing down my neck about Shantae and Tayshan all the time!"

"I am NOT breathing down your neck about them!" he sternly argued. "All I asked was that you give them some space to be a couple while we figured things out for ourselves! Yet, all you've done is stick to them like honey on a bear's paw and ignore anything I had to say about backing off!"

"…Okay, why is so much o' this argument between them about us…? An' what are they tryin' t' figure out…?" Tayshan leaned over and asked Shantae with a raised eyebrow, beyond bewildered.

"I… don't have the slightest clue…" the half-genie answered with an equally confused shrug.

"Oh, my gosh, Bolo! If I knew you were going to start trippin' THIS hard over a single camping trip where we shared ONE LITTLE KISS, I would NEVER have done it in the first place!" the zombie shouted, causing everyone but Bolo to gasp in shock.

"Oooh, I KNEW it…!" Sky remarked under her breath, however surprised she was at the scandalous reveal.

"And there you go, belittling what was DEFINITELY more than a simple kiss!" Bolo all but confirmed. "What about the talk we had after the fact? The promise we made to take things a step at a time!?"

"Provided you didn't start acting all weird about it, sure! But here we are, baring it all in front of our entire friend group because you don't like it when I pay ANY kind of attention to someone else that makes YOU uncomfortable!"

"If that's what you think my issue is, then that's something you should DEFINITELY be familiar with by now, Rotty," Bolo accused even harder, agitating Rottytops even more. "Didn't you say you got chewed out by a certain pair of people in this very room for acting the same way not six months ago?"

"Okay, Bolo, stop!" Sky interjected… or so she tried…

"Oh, and OF COURSE, you'd bring THAT up! I told you that in confidence!" Rotty roared loud enough that it was likely to be heard from two towns over. Uncertain of what she'd do, Tayshan lightly tugged on the zombie maiden's shoulder. Rather than read the signal, however, she pulled away from the wraith as her temper flared. "Y'know what!? You can FORGET about us being anything more than friends! There's no way I'd ever go out with such a whiny, clingy, insecure little… little…! MANCHILD who gets all butthurt over the most ridiculous things that make him even slightly uncomfortable!"

"ROTTYTOPS!" Shantae shouted, having heard far more than enough of her friends' bickering. "That's enough! Stop it! NOW!" she further put her foot down. The half-genie's harsh words seeming to ring to her almost immediately, the undead young lady took that moment to breathe a heavy, HEAVY sigh before shaking her head.

"…Sorry, Shantae. I… kinda lost my cool there," Rotty apologized, calming herself back down. "Y-you're right. I'm good now. Thanks for checking me."

"Sure, but… this is a LOT to take in," the befuddled genie remarked, still trying to process the dramatic reveal that Bolo and Rottytops were in some sort of negotiation stage of a potential romance. "I had no idea all of this was going on between you two."

"Yeah, we… we were talking about things, and… it got a bit complicated. But I think we can move past it now. Clearly, nothing's gonna come of it with the way he's been acting, so no need to dig into it," Rotty rather glumly dismissed with a shrug before turning toward the halo-adorned ghost. "And… I'm sorry to you, too, Tayshan," she further apologized as she approached and hugged him.

"Hm? What are you apologizin' t' me for?" he asked, patting her on the back as he allowed her to embrace him.

"I lost my temper and I pulled away from you when you were trying to keep me from blowing up. I meant no disrespect to you, and I… I don't want to bring this sort of negativity into our home when it's usually so peaceful," she explained herself as she ended the hug, only confusing Tay further.

"Um… I-I see. Well, you're all good as far as I go, an' as far as the 'peaceful' energy here goes," he did his best to acknowledge. "I'm just hopin' whatever beef you an' Bolo have with each other can be squashed. Even if not tonight, then sometime soon. Y'all are friends at the end o' the day, so don't let somethin' like this mess that up for y'all," he offered a bit of sage advice as he patted her on the shoulder. In response, Rotty breathed a sigh of relief as she flashed a rather uncertain grin toward the wraith. He returned her grin in kind with a more confident, reassuring smile of his own. Little did they know, however, Bolo was staring right at Rotty as the zombie made no move to apologize to or acknowledge him.

"Ah, you kids and your melodrama…" Mimic commented in total bemusement, shaking his head. "I only wonder if this could get any more unnecessarily emotional…" And just as Mimic spoke those magic words into the atmosphere…

"…Klawdia was right about you… You never had any respect for me at all…" Bolo muttered under his breath, crestfallen at Rotty's lambasting and subsequent rejection as his eyes fell to the floor. It… was probably not the best of times to say such a thing, though, as everyone heard him.

"What? Who's Klawdia?" Rotty questioned with a cocked eyebrow as she turned toward him, causing Bolo to flinch again as he returned his gaze to the zombie girl.

"…Um… I-I didn't say-!"

"I can already tell you're about to lie to me, and I would REALLY prefer that you didn't, Bolo. And the fact that you could even TRY to lie makes you all the more suspicious to me," Rottytops warned, her curious look turning into a most ferocious glare. "Who is Klawdia? And why were you talking to her about me?"

"Rotty, just… wait a sec," Sky tried to intervene once again on Bolo's behalf, already feeling the sweltering tension that filled the room while the others looked on in continued shock and confusion. "It… It's… just someone he knows. It's… uh…" she further tried to vouch, though she was quick to lose her words.

"No offense, Sky, but if you have to jump in and defend him, then all that does is make me think you guys have something to hide," Rotty perceptively pointed out, though she locked her scrutinizing gaze squarely on Bolo. "So… Gonna fess up? Because we're not going anywhere until you come out and tell me the truth. Who the heck is Klawdia, Bolo?" At that point, the living room fell almost deathly silent, with one being able to hear the collective heartbeats of everyone there… but none were louder than Bolo's as he drew in nervous breaths and began to sweat… and even tremor a bit as Rottytops stared bullets into his face.

"Alright, don't you kids think it's time we refocused ourselves on-?" Mimic was about to chime in to try and cut the suffocating tension.

"…She's a Leopard Gal I met on the Cyclic Season Island," Bolo began to confess, seeing no further point in keeping his lips sealed.

"Leopard Gal? Oh, no…" Shantae worriedly remarked, evidently having an idea of how Bolo was going to follow up on his initial statement.

"What? Is a Leopard Gal another sort o' monster girl?" Tayshan asked, having not been aware himself as he picked up on Shantae's apprehension.

"Y-yeah," the half-genie affirmed with a nod. "And this particular species was rumored to be extinct. I guess they're still around if this is any indication. It's especially bad in this case because… well…" she trailed off, preferring not to say too much as she nudged her head toward Bolo. Understanding her to the fullest, Tayshan turned his attention to Bolo as she had.

"She… she rescued me from a horde of other monsters right after Sky and I got separated," Bolo hesitantly continued, practically quaking in his sandals as he looked at only Rottytops. "And… um… we talked… got to know each other while we figured out a way to find and rescue Sky… and… w-well… one thing led to another… and…" he trailed off as soon as he got to the… 'complicated' part of his confession. It was then, however, that the zombie girl received the context. And as soon as she did, her expression changed to one of… what looked like crushing disappointment as she shook her head at him.

"…You cheated on me…" Rotty barely had the nerve to utter as she felt herself welling up with a mixture of anger and sadness. "…Wow…"

"I'm… I'm sorry," he apologized, his head sinking as he struggled to keep eye contact with her.

"Bro… What in the…?" Tayshan could hardly think to say, taking it all in just as the others had.

"It… it was a stupid mistake, and I… I wasn't thinking. I um… I-I tried to tell her to stop, but… I…" Bolo continued trying to explain himself to no avail.

"Save it, dude. I don't need to hear any of your useless excuses," Rotty bitterly shut him down, unsure herself of how to take the news. "There's nothing you can say that would justify you running off to be with some random monster girl simply because you and I were on the rocks. And then for you to have apparently been talking bad about me to her behind my back? You're… You're…!" she tried to convey, though she found herself at a loss for additional words as she sat back down next to the immensely concerned wraith and broke her eye contact with Bolo to gaze at the floor tiles beneath her feet.

"Rotty…!" Shantae called, quickly moving over to hug the devastated Rottytops as the zombie girl fought back her tears. Additionally, Tayshan wrapped an arm around her shoulders to comfort her.

"…I see that this is a much more delicate matter than I had initially anticipated," Mimic observed, not at all sure how to address the issue at hand.

"…um… I… I really am sorry…" Bolo tried once again to apologize, though he would receive no more direct responses from Rottytops. Instead…

"…Why don't we… go ahead and table this discussion for later?" Sky offered, getting up from her seat to walk over to Bolo. "There's… not much else to be said here that's going to make this any less uncomfortable."

"But… I… I want to-!"

"Lad," Mimic called to Bolo, at which point the guilty adventurer looked at him. Wordlessly, Mimic shook his head to signify that enough was enough. Getting the idea, Bolo ceased any further attempt to fix the issue.

"Come on… We should go," Sky suggested, ushering Bolo to the door as she walked alongside him. Before departing, however, Sky turned toward the other members of this most melancholy party. "Thanks for having us over, Tayshan. When we all get our heads together, let's regroup and figure out how to solve the rest of our Spirit Fuser problem."

"Sure thing, Sky," Tay acknowledged with a nod, still hugging a dejected Rottytops in the meantime.

"Good. Also, you'll want to drink that Astral Enhancement Tonic. It'll extend your time, according to the Capricious Titan."

"Actually, before you do that, I will take the Astral Enhancement Tonic," Mimic volunteered, picking the vial up from the coffee table where the wraith left it. "If I can uncover its recipe, we may be able to make more of it in the meantime as a failsafe."

"Makes sense t' me. By all means," Tay permitted.

"Indeed. And in case you planned on jumping right into action alongside Shantae, Tayshan… I must inform you that I forbid it for the next week," he decreed, much to the shock of not only the ghost man, but also Shantae.

"What? Why are you banning him from going on adventures for so long, Uncle? We need him for the search," the half-genie questioned, growing more worried about how they would figure things out in such a difficult time.

"He only just woke up, and I'm not taking any chances until I'm certain he's back up to speed. I also want to make sure his most recent battle against Risky Boots didn't shorten his already-limited lifespan. I've at least a few tests to run."

"I get that, sir, but a week is a LOT o' time t' be on the sidelines," Tay respectfully protested. "I've already been out for three days, an' it seems like I need t' be available for support from here on out. I'm fine now."

"Plus, if Risky Boots and Hashanah are to be taken into account, we really can't afford to give them even the smallest advantage," Shae added.

"This is not a negotiable matter, children. I have spoken," Mimic shut them down. "Oh, and before I forget: Tayshan, the Palace Guards have been worried about your condition since your return to Scuttle Town. You'd best check in with them as you return to your post this week. Additionally, the Sultana wanted me to let you know that she wants to speak with you about another assignment she has for you as soon as you were awake."

"Ah… Well, shoot. Looks like my hands are tied, then…" the ghostly guardsman acquiesced.

"Man…!" Shantae grumbled, her worries never soothing as she continued to comfort Rotty.

"I know this isn't what you want to hear, but I trust that once all is squared away, we'll be back in proper form and ready to roll full force," Mimic offered his vote of encouragement. "Shantae, if you and Rottytops will be the next pair of volunteers to go on the next Spirit Fuser hunt, then I humbly request that you two stop by the Workshop in two days' time. I believe that will be when we'll want to start scouting for clues of the next location's appearance."

"Will do, Uncle," the half-genie plainly accepted the request. "We'll be there. That is… if you'd like to join me on the next quest, Rotty…?" she further prodded her zombified best friend.

"Heh… That's like asking a flower if it wants to bloom. Of course I will, snack cakes," Rotty cheered up just enough to enthusiastically accept. "If anything, this'll count as our make-up date. I'm… gonna need it… if you don't mind."

"Absolutely! Alright, then… It's a date," Shantae agreed, hugging Rottytops tighter as Tayshan let go to let the girls have their moment. Rotty wasted no time hugging Shantae back in full afterward.

"Ah, there you go, Rotty. Keep your spirits high as they've always been, eh?" Mimic remarked with a smiling nod as he joined Sky and Bolo at the door.

"You know it!" the undead maiden concurred with as bright a grin as she could muster. "Alright, I'll… I'll see you in a couple days."

"Most definitely. You three have a good evening, now!" Mimic bade as he went ahead and opened the door to leave. Bolo followed suit without looking back or saying another word. Sky was about to do much the same, though she stopped one more time and turned around…

"Rotty?"

"Yeah, Sky?"

"…If you want to talk, just give me a holler. I'm here for ya."

"I know, and I appreciate you for it. It's really not that big a deal, though. I've already got good company here that'll help me get over it, but I'll let you know if I need anything."

"Cool. Alright, I'll catch you later," Sky bade, at which point the zombie, the genie, and the wraith all waved goodbye. And with a *Kaclick* of the door being shut behind them, Sky, Bolo, and Mimic had left the premises. Once they were gone, all three of the remaining S.L.A.P.S. members breathed a collectively heavy sigh.

"…Okay, well, this wasn't exactly how I expected the rest o' today t' carry out…" Tayshan took the liberty of breaking the silence to comment.

"Another legendary moment in our group's history for the books, I'm sure," Rotty agreed, shrugging her shoulders as she took another deep breath.

"You guys sure can say that again…" Shae concurred further, breaking hers and Rotty's embrace and rubbing her forehead. "I uh… Didn't know you and Bolo were uh… 'interested' in each other like that, though, Rotty."

"Trust me, snack cakes, it's nowhere near as spicy as it sounds," the zombie girl was quick to dismiss. "It was just a simple case of two overly curious teenagers giving each other too much to work with while one of them was nowhere near responsible enough to handle it…"

"You sure that's all it was?" Tay asked as he got up to put away the additional chairs he'd set up for the others.

"Yeppers, stud muffin," Rotty affirmed with a nod. "If you guys want context, it basically went like this: Bolo and I went on that camping trip last October leading into November, we bonded and got to know each other, his 16th birthday just so happened to fall within the timeframe we were gone, and I… will admit, I thought I'd… give him something to make it memorable because we couldn't celebrate it properly at the time."

"…Which is to say, you gave him his first real kiss for his birthday?" Shantae queried, tuning all the way in.

"Yeah… It was… the only idea I thought was good enough at the time," Rottytops rather shamefully confirmed as she momentarily blushed and batted her eyes away. "Afterward, he… tried to ask me out, and… in so many ways, I told him I wasn't sure if we were right for each other like that or if I was interested, but I didn't want to outright shoot him down. So, I… I told him we could give it a try if he was that interested in me, with the idea that we'd… take it slow."

"Hm. I had a feelin' homeboy was sweet on you, but I didn't think he'd make a move…" Tay remarked as he finished putting away the chairs and rejoined his female companions back on the couch.

"You knew Bolo liked Rotty, Tay? I never noticed," the curious half-genie pondered. "He's always been so… 'distracted' by girls in general, so I figured Rotty was no exception."

"Yeah, well I guess I really wasn't an exception in any sense of the word," Rottytops remarked with nonchalant tilt of her head, worrying her comrades further. "I… just didn't think it would only take one bad day between us for him to chicken out and wind up getting all comfy with another girl just like that," she further lamented with an emphatic snap of her fingers. "Oh, well. Just means I don't have to deal with him making me feel awkward about hanging out with you two anymore. I was getting tired of his jealous outbursts anyway."

"I see…" Tayshan acknowledged with a pensive nod, exchanging glances with the girls before he made his next statement. "I feel you, Rotty, but… I get a feelin' this ain't the last we'll talk about this…"

"Yeah, it probably won't be," Rotty droned and sulked, not at all looking forward to further discussion about her relationship issues. "But I'll figure it out eventually. I just need some time to gather my thoughts, but for now, I'd rather we change topics. All I really want right now a nice, wonderful, pressure-free, totally fun-for-the-sake-of-fun date with someone I know won't make me feel bad about myself to really take the edge off, at least."

"Heh… I suppose that's where I come to the rescue, then, huh?" Shantae humorously remarked, knowing her best friend's game.

"Oooh, most definitely, Shae-Shae! That is, as long as Tay-Tay is okay letting you become my girlfriend for a little while… if not maybe a bit longer than that…~" she wasted no time flirtatiously suggesting as she giggled. Taking some issue with it, the genie girl frowned and raised an eyebrow in mild disconcertment. Evidently, she had her limits on how far she was willing to take this 'joke.'

"Hm. You sure are quick t' bounce back," Tay flatly commented, smirking a bit despite knowing Rotty's intentions. "Much as I'd like t' grant you my meaningless blessing, that's ultimately a decision t' be made between you two. I ain't never been much for love triangles, an' if you don't mind my sayin' it, today definitely showed why." At that, Shantae gasped in surprise. Her alarm would be short-lived, however…

"Ooh-hoo-hoo, sharp!" Rotty laughingly replied, lightly punching the wraith on the arm. In response, he laughed with her. "Also, good point. I love the relationship you two have anyway, and I wouldn't change it for the world. So, I guess I'll just settle for being in yours and Shantae's friendzone. It seems to be the best I can do with anyone, anyway…" Reading the dejection in her tone, the genie and the wraith shared very quick, concerned glances with one another before addressing their mutual friend.

"Eh, I'd watch how I phrase that if I was you," the ghostly guardian lightheartedly warned as he laid a hand on Rotty's head. "To declare yourself as bein' in our 'friendzone' implies a lot more than you might think it does… Besides, you deserve far better than that. Anybody lucky enough t' have your attention should treat it like a prize o' the highest value instead of even entertainin' the idea o' puttin' you in any friendzone, Princess."

"O-oh! Ah… Y-yeah, I see what you mean…" the undead 'Princess' in question acknowledged her male best friend's statement in full as she suddenly perked up. She seemed caught off-guard once again as her cheeks flushed. I… guess she wasn't kidding when she said she liked being called such a moniker.

"Definitely," Shantae chimed in to remark in further agreement. "And if I might add, Rotty, you should think about using this time to understand yourself for who you are and what you really want. You might also want to consider that it's… not your fault Bolo did what he did…" she added, however much it seemed to make her uncomfortable to do so. "I'll… have a chat with him later on if you need me to…"

"Ah, don't worry about that, boo. I'll handle that," Tayshan volunteered. "Seems I might have the time t' seek him out if I'm gonna be made t' hang around town this week. You two go ahead an' enjoy the quality time y'all will get t' spend together. Both o' y'all could use the break, I'm sure."

"Oh! Er… Are you sure, Tay? I mean, I'm glad you're offering, but…" Shantae questioned, astonished by Tayshan's willingness to assist in the matter.

"Trust me, I gotchu. It's high time Bolo an' I had a boys' talk anyway, an' it seems like he's gonna need it. But then… What do you think, Rotty? This is ultimately about you an' him. I won't interfere if you don't want me to."

"Are you kidding? Yes, I want you to have a word with him!" Rotty enthusiastically agreed. "And PLEASE let me know if you find out just what loose, dusty, peanut-sized object he has between his ears that he's been mistaking for a brain while you're at it! Because I couldn't figure it out for the life of me!" she further requested, some fire coming out along with such a scathing comment.

"Ouch… That's a zinger for sure," Shantae remarked, trying not to laugh.

"Heh… Will do. Alright, it's gettin' late, an' I'm gonna need t' be up bright an' early t' get back on schedule," Tay accepted the request and suggested, getting up off the couch to stretch. "You two stayin' up a while, or are y'all about t' call it a night as well?"

"Right behind ya, sweetie," Shantae affirmed, getting up to stretch as well.

"Same. I'm gonna go ahead and hit the shower first, though. I realize I've been in my workout clothes all day, and I feel kind of icky at this point," Rottytops also shared, stretching and yawning. "I just hope it doesn't stink in there like a certain someone…"

"Okay, Rotty, that's enough," Shae admonished. "I know you're mad at Bolo, but don't let it get you in such a funk that you won't be able to heal from it. For now, let's focus on you and me finally getting some alone time with each other for the first time in six months. We've got at least the next two days to hash everything out."

"Ooh, you are SO right about that!" the excited zombie girl cheered, beaming with delight. "Thanks for that, Shantae. I needed that."

"Not an issue. Good night, Rotty," the genie acknowledged with a nod as Rotty committed herself to the task of getting herself ready for bed. As soon as the undead maiden gathered up a change of clothes from one room and entered the bathroom, Shantae and Tayshan got set to go to bed themselves as they strolled toward his bedroom. Or rather, Tayshan strolled toward his bedroom. Shantae… hesitated as she stood in the living room, worriedly staring at him as she seemed to lose herself in thought once again. Sensing something was amiss, Tay stopped as he entered the hallway and turned around.

"…Somethin' the matter?" he simply asked in wonder.

"Y-yeah… um… I-I'm sorry, Tayshan… I'm… I'm really sorry…" she suddenly and VERY sadly apologized, wearing the guiltiest of expressions on her face. Thrown off by her sudden change in demeanor, the befuddled young man tilted his head as he focused on the young woman standing before him.

"…Sorry for…?"

"Not coming to see you while you were unconscious," she anxiously confessed. "I… I know how bad that makes me look, and I have no excuse for it. You know I would never leave you hanging, and my actions over the last couple days didn't reflect that. I should've… um… I-I should've gone over… and… uh…"

"Shantae?" he called to her after a moment of listening to her trying to excuse herself for her perceived mistake.

"Yes?" she responded, perking up in anticipation for what he might say.

"Stop trippin' an' come t' bed, please," he remarked with a chuckle and gesture of his hand for her to approach him, making her exhale in surprise as her eyes widened. "We've had enough drama t' deal with today as it is. I ain't worried about whether or not you nursed me back t' health or visited me when I wasn't even awake t' receive the visit or see you the second I regained consciousness. We're still here, an' we're still a couple. If it's still botherin' you after tomorrow, then we can talk about it. Okay?"

"…Y-yeah. Okay…" she acknowledged, though she still felt uneasy about going to bed with her boyfriend with such a heavy burden on her mind. It was evident in the fact that she hardly moved an inch from her spot, still nibbling on her knuckle as she continued staring at him. And after just a few seconds of her hesitating…

"What, would you rather have me carry you t' bed?" he jokingly asked, stretching his arms out as though to gesture for a hug. At that, the young lady perked up again as she removed her knuckle from her mouth, straightened her posture, and smiled.

"As a matter of fact… Yes, Tay-Tay. My legs are SO tired from that massage, and I don't know if I can walk another inch. I could use the lift for such a long, grueling hike…" she playfully remarked, stretching her arms out as she also… wiggled her hips as though she was about to perform an on-the-spot belly dance right then and there. Seeing this immediately caused Tayshan's face to go hot as… interestingly enough, his eyes began to glow…? Like, they remained gold, but they were glowing… Hm…

"See, there you go playin' games again…" the comically disgruntled wraith complained with a pout as he crossed his arms, taking a deep breath to settle himself down. "Especially knowin' what we can't do right now…" Eating his reaction all the way up, Shantae giggled with glee.

"I know, I know, but I'm in such dire need~! Won't you help a girl out just this once?" she teased some more, turning around and crossing her arms around herself as she craned her head back to give her boyfriend a most… naughty, yet smilingly innocent pleading look (for a given definition of 'innocent') as she continued to rhythmically wiggle her hips… Ooh, boy… She uh… She was really playing up the 'damsel in distress' role quite well, if I do say so myself.

"Gah…! Ergh…!" Tayshan very eloquently grunted, stunned by the alluring energy of the irresistible genie-born beauty that was Shantae. He held his ground, however, as he turned away with his arms still folded. "No. I will not be swayed by your alluring, heart-melting charm this time. You're just gonna have t' trust those strong, smooth, slender legs o' yours t' do their job. You're a hero, so you'll find a way t' make it work. Not like I want to carry you t' bed or anything… y-you lazybones…"

"Hm. Gonna get all 'Tsundere' on me like usual, are you? Fine, then…" she laughingly acknowledged her boyfriend's insubordination as she turned back around to face him. And with a deep breath taken in and a finger pointed at him as she struck another sassy pose with her other hand on her hip… "I wish you would carry me to bed, my faithful genie!"

"Ah, I knew it… Your wish is my command," the genie-wraith(?) 'groaned' with a most totally convincing roll of his eyes as he oh-so unenthusiastically marched himself over to the young lady and swept her up in a most heroic bridal carry. Getting comfortable right away, the lovely young woman slung her arms around her boyfriend's shoulders and shot him a most disarming smile as he tried to hide his own smile behind an unconvincing blushing pout with his cheeks puffed out. "I should've put a limit on the number o' wishes you were allowed. That's gotta be, what, the 90th wish you made since you freed me from that lamp? That's 15 wishes per month, by the way. You're so spoiled."

"And I appreciate every second of you spoiling me, Tay," Shae humbly accepted her status as being spoiled while reminding him of the reason why she was spoiled. Nevertheless, she wasted no time planting an affectionate *pop~* of a smooch on his cheek that made his heart race harder than a woodpecker could peck.

"Yeah, alright, put the blame on me. Ho-hum…" he sarcastically remarked as he commenced with fulfilling the young genie woman's wish… despite her being the genie, and therefore being the one who was supposed to… ah, never mind. My head hurts too much to even bother. Anyway, Tayshan obeyed Shantae's wish for him to carry her to bed, pretending to be upset about it the entire way through as he turned out the lights. Meanwhile, his adorable blushing passenger giggled up a storm.

"If it cheers you up even a little bit, we can at least cuddle together before we drift off," Shantae made just one more suggestion, to which Tayshan responded by wordlessly nodding with an eager grin plastered onto his face. In response to that, she giggled even more as she flashed him a toothy grin of excitement, enjoying the romantic moment for what it was. Soon after, they shared one more love-fueled smooch on one another's lips before they entered the bedroom and shut the door behind them.

Little did they know, however, the bathroom door was ajar for most of their interaction. As it turned out, a certain zombie maiden found herself inquisitively peering through the crack, watching them. As soon as she saw her best friends pass by and enter one of two bedrooms in the humble abode, Rotty shut the bathroom door, revealing herself to have not even disrobed or drawn a bath in the sizable alabaster bathtub across from her. Instead, she sat for a while, pressing her back to the wooden door as she hugged her knees into her chest, staring at the cerulean floor tiles beneath her. It seemed she was still quite upset…

"…What does it take for someone like me to be loved like that…?" she… very somberly asked herself, her eyes watering up as she tried to hold herself together. "Why do I have to be the one who gets hurt like this when I try to open my heart to someone…? It's… It's not fair…" she further murmured as she hugged knees tighter, sunk her head lower, and… and began to weep. Ah… Shoot, that poor girl…

…Huh. Well, then. What a wild ride that was, eh? We just got done with an adventure, and this post-quest debriefing felt like another adventure all on its own. SHEESH! But, I guess it's to be expected when you deal with a team of angsty teenaged superheroes who, despite their colorful personalities, still had regular teenage issues to deal with amongst each other. Still, they had much bigger fish to fry in the meantime, and one could only wonder what their next move would be in regard to collecting the remaining fragments of the Spirit Fuser and preventing total catastrophe from striking Sequin Land once again. In the meantime, you go ahead and tell your significant other (should you have one) that you love and appreciate them and the impact they've had on your life. If not, then remember that you're still awesome, no matter what, and that you've gotta stay motivated to succeed. And if you're not here for the pulse-pounding, nail-biting, stomach-flipping drama and are instead here for the copious amounts of action, adventure, and platforming (I swear, that sounds like a series of video game categories), then I'll hope not to disappoint you! Come back soon, ya hear! Deuces!