Interlude: Soul Purpose
Ohaaai! You have come back for more! I mean, I'm not AT ALL surprised to see you made it this far, but if you did, then good on you! You will thusly be rewarded with… you guessed it! MORE juicy gossip! Aw yeah! Heh… uh… Okay, look, we ran out of cookies to give because there was a guy who showed up here before you and ate them all. The greedy jerk… I'll give him a piece of my mind, tell ya what! And… while I figure out a convenient way to do that, I'll also spill more of these juicy deets I have for you this time around. So…
Just under a week had gone by since the last time we got to hang out and trade stories… or rather, since I got to tell you a story while you quietly indulged yourself, after which you left without a word. You've got SOME sense of style, if I do say so myself. Anyway, things were anything but quiet regarding the three-sided hunt for the Spirit Fuser. That was especially true for the likes of the semi-villainous power couple that were Hashanah and Nila. Last we saw of either of our Genie/Admiral duo, Hashanah had claimed her second Spirit Fuser piece from the Capricious Titan Shrine while Nila… was sent to the suspected site of the yet-to-appear Crackling Crystal Castle for an ill-fated stakeout that was disrupted in its entirety by none other than the Half-Genie Hero Shantae and her trusty zombified sidekick Rottytops. How had the two fared since their latest escapades? Well… let's get the scoop.
In Nila's humble abode…
"Agh…! Gosh, my nose still hurts like there's broken glass stuck up my nostrils…!" complained everyone's favorite Ammonian naval commander as she adjusted the nose guard strapped tightly to her face and rested on her sofa. Dressed in her casual attire, Nila appeared none too happy as she sat alone in her home, sifting through a pile of documents laid neatly across her coffee table… not the least of which was a fancy, official-looking document that read 'Ammonian Army Notice of Imminent Discharge Under Other Than Honorable Conditions.' Oh… That couldn't have been good. Nila picked the letter up, holding it with both hands as she silently read the contents of the document. It… was clear by the furrow of her brow and the frown on her face that the letter bore no form of good news. "…I… I can't believe they actually went through with it… I hoped I'd at least get another chance, even with what happened…" she lamented, breathing a crestfallen sigh as she set the letter back down on the coffee table and listlessly laid herself back onto the couch and pressed a hand to her forehead. Hm… Seems she wasn't in the greatest spirits… Before she had another moment to reflect, however, her front door was suddenly flung open. The door hit the stopper with a dense *WHAAM*, startling the Admir—er, the red-haired young woman out of her wits.
"GRAAAAAAH, DANG IT!" shouted a visibly frustrated Hashanah as she stormed on in, dressed in her usual genie attire. She turned around after walking in and flung the door as hard as she could, causing it to slam with an even LOUDER *KAPLAAAAM* before she stomped her way across the room to the kitchen to help herself to some refreshments.
"Well, hello to you, too," an uncertain Nila greeted as she watched her partner open the refrigerator and pour herself a tall glass of apple cider… only to drink directly from the bottle itself before putting said bottle back in the refrigerator. "And could you seriously NOT just chug directly from the cider bottle like that? Some of us would prefer to drink uncontaminated beverages around here."
"NOT NOW, Nila!" Hashanah angrily shouted back, downing the entire glass in just a few heavy swigs before carelessly leaving the glass on the countertop. "I'm not in the mood!" the frustrated genie further proclaimed as she stormed across the room and plopped herself with a *PWOOF* on the bed in the corner.
"And I'm not really too fond of the attitude! What the heck is the matter!?" the perplexed and perturbed redhead shouted back as she scowled at her girlfriend.
"I still can't find the blasted Phantasmagoric Forest! That's what's the matter!" the strawberry blonde-haired young lady continued the trend of yelling instead of using inside voices as she made her point very clear.
"And I get that it's annoying after searching for it for the better part of the past week, but stomping around and slamming everything isn't going to make it magically appear!"
"Seriously? THAT'S the answer you're gonna give me after I busted my behind for this entire week looking for it!? At least TRY to show SOME consideration, would ya? It wouldn't kill you!"
"Oh, I'm SO sorry that I'm not being considerate to your dumb little treasure hunt when I've got FAR MORE IMPORTANT THINGS to worry about! Like, I dunno, MY BROKEN NOSE AND THE RIDICULOUS MEDICAL BILL I GOT FOR GETTING IT FIXED!"
"Are you kidding? How could that POSSIBLY be more important than the Spirit Fuser!? Ultimate power is at our fingertips, and once we have it, you could wish for all the spare noses you want! And yet, you're still moping around about your nose like it won't heal in a month when we could potentially miss our best chance at achieving greatness for the next hundred years? Gimme a break, Nila! Don't be such an insensitive baby!"
"Oh, you have NO idea how hypocritical that sounds coming from YOU!" Nila shouted, even more upset as she got up off the couch and turned to face the other young woman. "I get my face nearly smashed in and have to spend three days in the hospital getting my nose resituated, and not only do you NEVER visit me or at least call the hospital, you never even ONCE ask if I'm okay! All you've been worried about is that stupid trinket!"
"It's not just some 'stupid trinket,' Nila, and you know it!" Hashanah countered, not at all willing to back down. "Speaking of which, we definitely still need to have a talk about how you TOTALLY BLEW IT on your stakeout of the Crackling Crystal Castle! How in the world could you let that purple-haired nuisance Shantae and her goofball zombie friend catch you off-guard like that!? You had a LITERAL ARMY helping you out, and you still let them slip through and screw everything up!"
"That 'purple-haired nuisance' is the exact reason the Ammonian Army in general has been going through a rough patch in the past year! The incredibly underdeveloped naval unit didn't stand a chance! Mind you, she wasn't even supposed to KNOW that the Crackling Crystal Castle site was there! How the heck am I supposed to account for her just randomly showing up with that obnoxious zombie and wreaking total havoc on a crew that wasn't anywhere CLOSE to being prepared for them!?"
"It's called 'learning to adapt!' DUH!" Hashanah disrespectfully 'educated' her teammate. "If that useless gun club is so great, then I'd have expected it to be run by a league of Sequin Land's most seasoned and experienced military officers instead of a bunch of hapless clowns that soil their pants at the sight of a pair of teenage girls! Even if one of them is a half-genie, your guys should've been able to do more than be a well-decorated POTHOLE in the road that those incompetent twerps only needed to hop and skip over to bring that entire faction to its knees! Seriously, how stupid and unreliable ARE those buffoons!?"
"WATCH YOUR MOUTH, HASHANAH…!" Nila growled her warning, her temper flaring as she glared at her girlfriend.
"Or what? The big, bad Ammo Baron is gonna come busting down the door to fight me? Please…" the rogue genie scoffed and lambasted as she shifted to a seated position on the bed. "That muscle-bound punk is still running with his tail between his legs from the so-called 'Assassin' you have such an obsessive grudge against. It's honestly no wonder most of the people who follow Ammo Baron are just as hopeless and pathetic as he is… I should've known better than to give the Ammonian Army a chance to help me out, but beggars can't be choosers. Had to scrape the bottom of the barrel just to get some back-up that spectacularly FAILED at meeting my VERY low expectations… I guess that's MY fault, though, huh?"
"Grrgh, you…! If THIS is what you really think about the Ammonian Army, then why exactly is it that you even bothered asking for help from them!?"
"Ah! I didn't ask them for help; I asked YOU for help," the half-genie corrected. "And your idea was to get a bunch of those posers all nice and corralled together for the sake of making our hunt 'easier' when we realistically could've handled things on our own. Only reason I accepted even the tiniest bit of help from the rest of your club is because of the resources they have access to…"
"Oh, well isn't THAT just grand? You were just USING the Ammonian Army for your own personal gain!? You were just using ME!? Is THAT what you want me to think!?"
"Obviously not. Don't get it twisted," Hashanah dismissively retorted. "I figured our partnership would've been supplemented by your connections with them, but don't be mad when I say their performance has left A LOT to be desired. Honestly, I'm convinced we'd have been better off keeping THEM out of it if I knew they were gonna turn out to be even BIGGER failures than I originally thought. I'm also disappointed that YOU of all people associate with them… by choice, even!"
"And I'm disappointed in YOU because that stupid Crackling Crystal Castle operation COST ME MY JOB!" Nila angrily confessed, having gone beyond her boiling point as a result of their argument. The abode went silent for a moment as the two young ladies stared at one another. Nila out of anger… and Hashanah in surprise… and a moderate tinge of vexation within the following few seconds. After another tension-riddled few seconds passed, however…
"…What? What do you mean it cost you your job?" Hashanah questioned, visibly upset by the revelation as she asked for clarification.
"Hmph. Not that YOU care, as you've shown, but I got a Dismissal Letter from the Ammonian Army as soon as I left the hospital the other day. As of right now, I'm no longer a part of the Ammonian Army, and I have no more access to those 'precious resources' you care about so much! They also told me that they're DISSOLVING the unit I was responsible for leading due to the financial strain that operation put on their budget! I was cast out of the organization that it was my DREAM to work for because they saw me as a liability! And it's all YOUR FAULT! YOU AND THAT STUPID RELIC!"
"Hm. I see," was all Hashanah responded with, seeming to contemplate something as she momentarily cast her gaze to the side. "So what, that means you don't have access to the planes, tanks, guns, bombs, and the like anymore?"
"What? Why are you asking me THAT of all things!?" Nila yelled back in offense. "Did you not hear what I just said!? YOU COST ME MY JOB! So, yes, it DOES mean I no longer have access to any of those things! Even the tank I had parked outside was confiscated while I was in the hospital!"
"That's… unfortunate," Hashanah pensively remarked, still giving no strong emotional reaction to Nila's confession as she stared out the window. "But it hopefully won't be too much of a setback…"
"…That's all you have to say? That's all you're thinking about? How much harder it's going to be for you to continue this frivolous treasure hunt?" asked an increasingly agitated and indignant Nila.
"What else do you want me to say? It sucks you lost your job. I get that. But that's not gonna stop us from getting the Spirit Fuser assembled, so that we can basically rule the world. That, or at least be in such a position of undisputed power that no one would dare stand up to us," Hashanah nonchalantly commented, doing Nila not even the slightest favor in calming her nerves. "Once that happens, you'll never have to work for anyone ever again."
"…but… That's NOT what I want, Hashanah," Nila clarified after barely getting over her initial shock at the genie's indifference to her plight. "That's what YOU want. I couldn't care less about being 'more powerful' than everyone else or being 'universally respected' like you seem to be so hung up on. I only wanted to avenge my fallen comrades… I only wanted to make things right for them, and for their families still grieving over their losses while their killer still haunts this world with hardly a thing holding him responsible…!" she further confessed, her voice cracking as her eyes grew teary.
"…Uh…"
"I would've just resorted to dealing with him by myself if I knew that accepting your help would cost me EVERYTHING…! I'm out of a job with no other way to support myself. I'm ruined…! And all you have to say for it is, 'Oh, that sucks, we'll find another way' when you don't even understand the reason I'm so frustrated…!" Nila continued to rant, doing her best to hold in her tears as she went on. "How could you do this to me, and then not even come CLOSE to recognizing when I'm hurt, Hasha?"
"Why are you blaming ME? I didn't do anything to hurt you," a confused Hashanah questioned with a shrug. "I didn't tell those jerks to fire you. I didn't make that zombie break your nose. I didn't even force your hand when we joined up together. If anything, I wanted to give you an opportunity to reach a higher status than that silly gun cult could've ever promised you. I wanted to help you get revenge against Tayshan. How could you stand there and accuse ME of messing up your life when it's clear that other people were responsible? That's not fair of you to take your frustration out on the one person still in your corner, Ni…"
"Because you've done nothing but make me go on these ridiculous treasure hunts to the point of making me take time away from my job just to be available for you," Nila countered. "And whether we succeeded or failed, YOU'RE the one who walks away still getting something out of it. Meanwhile, I've only either lost something or have been short-changed every time. First, I lose my standing with Ammo Baron trying to defend my alliance with you, then I lose a ton of time, money, and resources helping you go on all these quests… then when you convince me to take an entire naval fleet to one of your silly Relic sites, I lose billions of gems' worth of equipment that included MY BATTLESHIP, AND I get beat up and humiliated NOT by Shantae, NOT by the Assassin, but by their shambling, idiotic, no-name ZOMBIE friend who has NO business knowing how to fight as well as she did… And then I get fired on a whim with no chance to redeem myself or reclaim the status I had before joining up with you…"
"Okay, now that's where I have to draw the line," Hashanah irritably challenged as she climbed out of the bed and planted her feet on the floor. "NONE of that was my fault! Get it through your head! And I'm SO sorry that you feel as though helping me is such a chore and such a bad investment that it's doing you more harm than good when I PROMISED you that we could have a better future together once we got our hands on the Spirit Fuser in full. If you cared so much more about your job and your revenge quest than you did me, then I guess we shouldn't have entered this relationship…" she further suggested, growing a bit discouraged herself as she crossed her arms and batted her eyes away. "I was only trying to make things better for us…"
"…H-Hasha…" Nila snapped out of her frustrated stupor to call to her partner in concern. Seeming to regret hurting the other woman with her comments, the concerned redhead approached and laid a hand on her shoulder. And after a moment of a heavy, emotional silence… "…L-look, I'm… I'm sorry for lashing out at you. I'm just… so upset at how things have been playing out, and… a-and I'm just anxious about what we're supposed to do next… What I'm supposed to do next…" Hm. What a sudden change of heart…
"What do you mean?" Hashanah asked as she curiously turned her attention back to the other woman.
"I… I'm not sure… I just… I just want to be certain that I'm going to be able to recover from this somehow," Nila explained as she rested her other hand on Hashanah's other shoulder. "I want to be certain that I'm not stuck in a bad place with no way to get out of it. The stress from losing my job, the stress from these adventures and trips we've been going on… I guess it's been getting to me worse than I thought it was, and it's not fair to you that I'm taking it out on you. You're right. None of it is your fault. I'm sorry…"
"Oh. Well, it's alright, honey," Hashanah assured as she moved to cup Nila's face with a hand. "And it's gonna BE alright. No matter what, you still have me. And I'll do my best to make sure you're taken care of. Those Ammonian jerks don't know what they lost by letting you go."
"…I wish I felt that way right now…" Nila somberly remarked, forlorn as she never looked away from Hashanah with her tear-stricken eyes. "At this point… You… You're all I have left, Hasha…"
"And I'm not going anywhere anytime soon, Ni-Ni. And as for how we'll get through this rough patch, we'll just need to hit the drawing board and plan accordingly. It may be difficult to see a solution in this moment, but we've just gotta keep our heads up. After all, we've got two out of the five Spirit Fuser pieces, we know where the third one is despite Shantae's obnoxious interference, and as soon as we find the Phantasmagoric Forest, we'll have the fourth. After that, we'll be knocking on the door of true opportunity in no time!" she assured with a bright, cheerful grin. I… just find it odd how quickly she switched the topic back to the Spirit Fuser, but… ah, don't mind me. Maybe I'm just looking too deeply into it.
"I… I guess, but what exactly does that mean for me? Not to come across as selfish, but how is getting this thing going to REALLY help me get my life back on track in the long run?"
"With those three rule-free wishes, remember?" Hashanah reminded Nila, still beaming with ostensible glee. "Anything you want, I'll be able to grant it to you. Riches beyond ANYTHING the Ammonian Army could pay you, a house FIVE TIMES as big as this one with no need to pay any bills… um… w-weapons as far as the eye can see… You name it, and I can do it for you!" At this bold claim, Nila nodded before taking a second or two to contemplate what she was hearing. And once she did…
"…Would… Would you possibly be able to revive the fallen, by any chance?" the red-haired young woman asked, a tone of hope evident in her voice.
"Oh. Uh… W-well…" Hashanah stammered, her smile quickly fading as her eyes widened. "I uh… I'm not sure I can push it THAT far… b-but uh… It… doesn't mean I can't try! With that Spirit Fuser, the sky is the limit!" she did her best to reassure, grinning almost as brightly once again as she patted her girlfriend's cheek.
"…Thanks for at least considering it, Hasha… I-I mean that…" Nila somberly offered her gratitude as she slid her hands up to Hashanah's face, tenderly brushing her thumbs across the other woman's rosy cheeks. "And I hope you CAN do it. It would mean the world to me to be able to see my friends again…"
"Ah… N-no problem, babe… heh…" the strawberry blonde half-genie nervously acknowledged, though her discomfiture went unnoticed by Nila… who'd craned her head forward and affectionately pressed her lips to Hashanah's. "Mm…?" Hashanah hummed in surprise, though she made no immediate move one way or the other. The surprise kiss lasted just a few seconds, though it was full to the brim with emotion as Nila put more effort into it. Evidently desiring emotional support, Nila separated her lips from Hashanah's, caressed the genie's face, closed her eyes, and planted an even deeper smooch as she exhaled a hot, heavy breath through her nose. This particular kiss lasted just a little longer, though Hashanah still didn't give much of a physical reaction due to her boundless surprise. After separating from the second kiss, nevertheless…
"I love you, Hashanah… I love you so much… I'm so glad to have you with me…" Nila confessed, her emerald-green eyes wavering as she blushingly, longingly stared the other woman in the face. And despite Hashanah also blushing something fierce as she stared back at Nila…
"Ah… W-wow, what's going on with you…?" the bewildered genie questioned with a raised eyebrow. At that, Nila giggled in lovestruck joy.
"I'm telling you I love you. What, did I startle you?"
"N-no, no… Just… I wasn't expecting that, is all…"
"Hm. You're silly…" Nila teased with a grin as she slid a hand under the other girl's chin and lifted it a bit as she moved closer and wrapped her other arm around Hashanah's waist. "And… I was wondering… if maybe we could spend the rest of today cuddling… or doing something to help us get our minds off all this stress…" she propositioned, engaging in a sudden change of pace by scooping Hashanah up by her legs and carrying her toward the bed and laying her slender form onto it… before climbing on top of her with a… most sensuous hunger in her eyes. "Literally anything at all…"
"Um… W-well, I'm picking up what you're putting down…" Hashanah remarked, the nervous twinge never leaving her voice as she lay flat on her back and cast her gaze elsewhere. "B-but don't you think it's… a bit soon for that? Uh… Wh-what about your nose?" Reading it as a joke, Nila chuckled again as she leaned forward and began peppering Hashanah's face with tender kisses while sliding her hands up and down the seemingly reluctant genie's body. "Mmh…~"
"My nose isn't really a concern. As long as we're careful, we can still do everything together… and if you don't mind it, I'd like to finally have some 'fun' after so long since we last had an opportunity."
"I definitely get that, Ni, but… I-I dunno… I'm uh… I-I'm kinda wiped out from looking for that forest, and I'd rather spend some time relaxing before we… get all 'nooky' with each other…" Hashanah voiced her continued disinterest as she pulled her head away from a kiss Nila tried to aim at her lips. Discouraged by the less than warm reaction, Nila backed off a bit while she remained straddled over Hashanah's lap.
"I get that, but… we haven't done ANYTHING romantic together in forever. Outside of the one time we DID go all the way at the beginning of our relationship, the only things we've done over the last two or three months is kiss each other hello, goodbye, and goodnight unless you wanted to get me to do something related to your treasure hunt. That's just about the only time you ever want to get frisky. And even then, you pump the brakes as soon as I say 'yes' to whatever it is you requested. You've been especially distant over the course of this past week. Have you been feeling sick or something? Or upset?" the former Admiral questioned as she sank in disappointment.
"No, not sick or upset. I've just… not really been feeling the urge lately, I guess," Hashanah rather despondently answered, casting her gaze toward the front window once again.
"Not feeling the urge…? How could that be? And how is it you were still able to flirt with me when you haven't been in the mood? That doesn't make sense…"
"I… I guess I was really only doing that stuff to make you happy," the genie candidly explained as she turned her neutral gaze back toward the former Ammonian affiliate.
"Then why don't YOU feel happy whenever we get romantic? Is… Is it because of something I did? Is it because of something we argued about recently that made you feel a certain way?" Nila asked, only growing more concerned as she tried to figure out her girlfriend's reasoning.
"Nah… It's not that big a deal, Nila. Don't worry. I'm just not in the mood now. Maybe some other time…" the genie rather plainly assured as she rose, prompting Nila to climb off of her. Both girls rose to their feet, though Hashanah quickly moved to take a seat on the couch without even sparing a passing glance to her girlfriend. Nila could only stare at Hashanah in uncertain wonder as she tried harder to make sense of the other young woman's cool, distant disposition. After a moment of deep, heavy thought, however…
"…Do… you not love me, Hasha?" Nila asked in worry, clutching a hand to her chest as she stood, unmoving from her spot. "Or… are… are you not attracted to me?"
"What? No, that's not the issue at all!" a surprised Hashanah swiftly denied the inquiry as she craned her head around to look at Nila. "Why are you being so weird all of a sudden?"
"I'm not being weird," Nila indignantly responded, not at all fond of the accusatory question. "I've just been noticing that you've consistently been pulling away from me and shutting me out. What's really going on? You can tell me if there's something about our relationship that you take issue with."
"Nila, stop it. You're overreacting," Hashanah stood her ground, growing annoyed herself. "Just because I don't want to cuddle or fool around right now, doesn't mean I'm not attracted to you anymore. Why don't you have yourself a sip of coffee or get yourself something to eat? You haven't been feeding yourself over the last few days, so maybe something strong or sweet will lift your spirits."
"I've been eating FINE, thank you!" Nila assured, raising her voice as she grew agitated with her partner's dismissals. "And you're not going to just write my concerns off as me just being crabby like you always do! Tell me why you haven't been wanting to get intimate with me!"
"For Pete's sake, you're being SO UNREASONABLE right now! I just told you I'm tired and frustrated with this Spirit Fuser hunt!" Hashanah shouted back. "Obviously, I'm not going to be the most responsive to kissing and canoodling when I've got so much on my mind about how we're going to figure things out from this point! It's not like we're NEVER going to get intimate ever again, so take a chill pill and give me just a LITTLE bit of space!"
"SPACE!? Hashanah, there's been nothing BUT space between us this week! You've been dedicating almost ALL your time to finding the other fragments of this Relic as you've been gone for hours, if not DAYS on end looking for that Elephant Fantasia Jungle, constantly checking in on this Crackling Cathedral place, and toying around with the pieces of the Relic that you DO have! And as I said before, you never checked up on me after I went to the hospital for my nose, nor have you been available to spend any time with me when I asked! And even when there IS time for us to spend together, you come up with convenient excuses to push me away! What's wrong!?"
"There's NOTHING WRONG! Jeez, I don't get what your issue is that it's got you THIS bent out of shape! At this point, you're just looking for reasons to pick a fight, and it's really immature! Cut it out, will you!? This is for the BIRDS!"
"…Birds…?" Nila murmured to herself, tilting her head and raising an eyebrow as if something crept into her mind. Noticing this, Hashanah prepared for another round of heated arguing.
"What's the problem now?"
"…Hashanah, I… suddenly have a question for you…"
"A question about what? How unnecessary this argument and your attitude are?"
"No. A question about what you were doing when you went to the one place last week. The Cycle of Seasons Island…" At that, Hashanah flinched.
"Oh, the Cyclic Season Island? Why are you asking about THAT place all of a sudden? It's long gone by now…"
"Right, but… you said you went there and handled business by yourself, did you not?"
"I did. What of it?"
"…Well… Are you SURE you spent the entire time there by yourself?"
"Obviously. You didn't see me come home with anyone, did you?"
"No, but-!"
"Then what's the issue?"
"Let me finish…" Nila humbly requested, though her heart began to pound in her chest as she focused all her attention on Hashanah. After a deep breath… "I… had someone tell me something really interesting about your time there…" At that, Hashanah perked up in surprise. Reading the reaction intently, Nila continued to add pressure.
"Tell you something like what? And for that matter, who told you about my time there?"
"The zombie, interestingly enough," Nila plainly revealed, making Hashanah cock an eyebrow.
"And why would you listen to anything that pea-brained dirt crawler had to say to you?"
"Because she and Shantae have connections with another girl. One that, as far as I remember, is fond of birds. Sound familiar?"
"N-not really," Hashanah swiftly denied, momentarily casting her gaze elsewhere. "Why would I know anything about their blonde, bird-loving best friend? And what exactly are you getting at, suddenly quizzing me about my time running through that place?"
"I never mentioned anything about her hair color, nor did I mention this other girl's exact relationship to Shantae and the zombie," the increasingly suspicious redhead pointed out, further shaking Hashanah to her core.
"O-okay, so what? Maybe I remembered a detail or two about-!"
"Hashanah, tell me the truth," Nila demanded. "Did you or did you NOT meet this woman while you were out there?"
"Ni, honey, ease up a bit. I don't think I like what you're impl—!"
"Answer the question, Hashanah! Did you run into her during your hunt or not?" Nila cut the half-genie off once again and demanded to know. And with a heavy sigh…
"…I did."
"Then why didn't you mention that when you first came back? Why am I getting this information a week later from two other girls who have NOTHING to do with our relationship?"
"Because I knew you'd start blowing your top over it!" Hashanah defensively shouted, not at all appreciative of the sudden interrogation. "I know how you get when it comes to other women, Nila, and this just proves it! I was trying to avoid another pointless argument over you being so unnecessarily suspicious!"
"Oh, don't you DARE go there!" Nila hollered back. "I am NOT the jealous type, and you'd have to have been totally BLIND this entire time to think otherwise! And you'd better BELIEVE you're not doing either of us any favors in keeping secrets from me when we've already been on the rocks! But THANK YOU for making me drag it out of you that you encountered that snobby bird girl on your way to collect that Relic fragment!"
"Chill out, Nila! That 'snobby bird girl' is half the reason I even made it far enough into the Capricious Titan Shrine to collect the blasted thing!"
"And that helps your case HOW!? Because it sounds a lot like you're DEFENDING her! Is there something else you want to tell me about what happened when you ran into her?"
"Well, since the cat's out of the bag now, and you want to be 'Detective N. Security' over there, I'll let you know that Sky and I teamed up and solved all the puzzles in the Capricious Titan Shrine!" Hashanah finally confessed. "There, I said it! Is that what you're so desperate to hear? That I worked professionally with another girl and tried to leave the issue be, so you wouldn't get your panties in a twist like you are now!?"
"Oh, even BETTER! You know her by NAME!" Nila sarcastically proclaimed, only further agitated by the revelation. "That's just peachy…! Regardless, I wouldn't be so mad at you right now if you'd just came out and said that from the start instead of stirring up this whole song and dance and making me look like an idiot telling that bird girl's friends they were crazy for saying you met her during your adventure!"
"And now, you know! So, can you finally give it a rest?"
"Unfortunately not…" Nila cryptically answered, putting Hashanah even more on high alert.
"Are you kidding me? What the heck could you STILL have a problem with after making such a huge stink about me needing to fraternize with the enemy to get my hands on the second Spirit Fuser piece!?"
"Well…" the redhead calmly began, taking yet another deep, heavy, shaky breath as she readied herself. And when she was ready… "I… was also told that you tried to become more than simple 'business partners' with her. As in, you tried to make a move on her behind my back," she brought up, startling the other woman all over again.
"Wh-what? Okay, NOW you're being irrational," Hashanah kept enough of her calm to immediately shoot back. "Come on, why would I ever do something like that? And for that matter, why are you taking the words of those other girls so seriously?"
"Because you already lied to me about not seeing that blonde girl on your little escapade," Nila matter-of-factly countered. "And if you have the capacity to lie to me about that, then who's to say you don't have the capacity to lie about how you two interacted?"
"Jeez, it's SO nice to know how little you trust me if THIS is what you do when you don't get what you want all the time. Sounds to me like you're letting it get to your head that I didn't want to cuddle today," Hashanah dismissed with a sour shrug.
"Don't play games with me, Hashanah," Nila stood her ground and rebutted. "Did you cheat on me with that Sky girl or not?"
"Nila, relax…" the rogue genie began as she raised her open hands high. "Look, I already told you the truth. I had to begrudgingly work with her to get my hands on the Spirit Fuser piece. That's it. That's all. Shantae and that weirdo zombie must've gotten the details mixed up when Sky told them about our team-up."
"A likely story, but why would BOTH of them say the same thing? On top of that, how exactly do I know I should trust you at this point? You kept a secret from me for next to no reason!"
"I know, and I'm sorry for not telling you the whole story about the Cyclic Season Island when I should've. There, I admit it," Hashanah apologized, remaining calm despite the beads of sweat dripping from her forehead. "But come on… Just because I teamed up with one of our enemies one time DOES NOT mean I'm cheating on you. I don't even know where they could conceive such an idea. For all I know, Shantae and her friend probably lied to you just to get under your skin."
"…I don't know how much I believe they'd do that. They sounded pretty certain."
"Okay, and I could 'sound certain' if I told you I like vanilla ice cream despite you knowing I HATE vanilla and would strongly prefer chocolate," Hashanah continued to defend herself. "'Sounding certain' doesn't automatically make something true. And if I have to say it just to put your suspicions to rest, Nila, then I'll say it: I did not cheat on you. Those girls HAD to either be lying or mixing up their details." At that, the former Ammonian naval leader went silent as she lowered her head, crossed her arms, and cast her gaze elsewhere. Seeing Nila's cognitive dissonance on full display, Hashanah got up off the couch and approached the other woman. Pressing her hands to Nila's cheeks, the half-genie directed her girlfriend's gaze to meet her own. "Heeeey…"
"…Are you sure you didn't at least say or do something that made Shantae and her friends think you were being unfaithful to me?" Nila asked, though with much more hesitation in her tone as she pressed her hands to Hashanah's.
"Come on, girl, I'd be CRAZY to do something like that to you," the concerned strawberry blonde woman assured as she pressed her forehead to the redhead's. "It wouldn't make sense, and what we've got is too good for that to ever happen. You've got enough stress on your plate already. Don't let the enemy tell you that you need to worry about me, too…"
"…Hm…" Nila initially hummed as she stared Hashanah in the eye… though, she also did another interesting thing in that moment in moving her hands to lay them upon the base of the half-genie's neck… followed by her slowly, but surely slide them upward until she was pressing her hands to Hashanah's cheeks.
"…What? Still feeling frisky? Because if it'll make you feel better, we could… well, y'know…~"
"…Believe it or not, I… I think I'm good for right now," the former Ammonian acolyte denied to her lover's surprise.
"Oh? R-really? You… You don't want to-?"
"Nah. I've got too much on my mind, and I'm a bit frazzled after this argument. I ah… I think I'm going to take a little walk to clear my head," Nila informed as she leaned forward and kissed Hashanah on the lips before ending the embrace.
"Ah… Okay…? Are you sure you're not still mad?" Hashanah curiously asked as she watched her red-haired partner walk toward the front door to slip her boots on and grab her house keys from the key rack on the wall.
"It's nothing to worry about, babe," Nila assured as she grabbed a bright yellow windbreaker jacket and slid it on before opening the front door. "I just… need some time to unpack everything, what with my job and this argument and such. I'll be back in a bit. Need anything from the store?"
"No, I'm good. See you in a little while, I suppose," the perplexed genie bade with a wave.
"Copy that. I won't be long, I promise. Bye," the former Ammonian representative bade back as she rather abruptly took her leave, shutting the door behind her without sparing Hashanah another passing glance. Nila wasted little to no time embarking on her grand voyage into the yet-to-be-named noisy metropolis she called home, hitting the busy streets as she paid no heed to the smorgasbord of other civilians young and old carrying on all around her. Her walk through the sunset-bathed city wouldn't necessarily be an eventful one, as she seemed not to have a specific destination in mind. Turning corners here and there, brushing through droves of local business districts, and occasionally waving to other people as they passed her by, Nila seemed… almost aimless in her last-minute trek. Almost… like she didn't REALLY have anywhere she needed to go. Heck, she wasn't even really saying anything to anyone, either. Yet…
"…Her face was warmer than a freshly used oven…" the redhead finally spoke, looking down at her hands as she displayed them in front of her face. "…And she's still being WAY too cagey about this 'meeting' she had with that other girl. Much as I want to believe her, I can't help but feel she's still hiding something… Hm…" she further soliloquized, though she didn't stop walking along the congested roads as other citizens carried on all around her. "Shoot… As if I wasn't worried enough about losing my job over these dumb trinkets of hers. I've gotta see if I can make some sort of appeal… maybe settle for a demotion and a smaller paycheck, or SOMETHING. I've only got enough savings to last me a year or two if I'm frugal… but before I do that, I have to be certain Hasha's not pulling the wool over my eyes…" she further urged herself as she took a very deliberate turn to a modestly busy street, suddenly picking up the pace as she marched toward a local post office that appeared mere minutes from closing its doors for the day… Huh. I… wonder what she's going there for. Perhaps to draft an appeal letter? Or send a postcard to a friend she missed? I couldn't tell you outright at this minute, but I'm sure it's nothing big. That said, we've… still got a LITTLE bit more to go, so keep yourself strapped in.
Back at Nila's House…
As we rejoin everyone's favorite bad girl genie, we could see her studiously playing with her Spirit Fuser pieces and reading through a heavily worn notebook as she sat on the couch with an entire bottle of cider and a plate of mixed fruit and crackers resting on the coffee table in front of her. By all accounts, it appeared she was hard at work figuring out her next move to claim her third Spirit Fuser piece, though you probably figured that out before I mentioned it. What I bet you DIDN'T know, however, was how frustrated Hashanah seemed…
"Confound it…!" the genie in question cursed as she obsessively read through her notes. "I don't get it…! The Phantasmagoric Forest should've been visible for the entirety of the past week! It was supposed to be available until next month! Why the heck isn't it there…? Unless someone already visited it…?" she ranted to herself, still flipping through pages to check her knowledge. "Even then, the only people who could've POSSIBLY found it wouldn't have been able to enter it without knowing about the Surreal Shadow Rings puzzle… UGH!" And with that observation, the immensely aggravated young woman set the notebook down, grabbed the bottle of apple cider and took a direct swig of it, and set it back down before settling herself on the couch and crossing her arms. She sat in silence for a moment, meticulously contemplating her circumstances as she did her best to keep her anger under control. It was when she glanced at a portrait of a falcon hanging on the wall, however, that something clicked in her mind.
"Hm… I suddenly wonder if Sky knew something about the Phantasmagoric Forest…" she pondered as she perked up. "Come to think of it, she HAD to know something if she knew how to get into the Capricious Titan Shrine. Ah, why didn't I see it before? Of COURSE!" she further realized as she tapped herself on the head with a finger. "If my sudden hunch is right, then Sky must've gone to the Phantasmagoric Forest at some point and gotten help solving the puzzle there. It makes the most sense for why it isn't available now, but I'll have to find her and press her for information. But… if it turns out Shantae and her friends have that piece, then how the heck am I supposed to get it from them? Moreover, how am I supposed to stop them from getting in my way in the Crackling Crystal Castle? What do I do from here…? Even with these two fragments I have here, I can only ideally use one of them at a time… and the one from the Capricious Titan Shrine only gives a small power boost, but can't be used in conjunction with the Tangled Thread Temple piece without some serious consequences. Using both at the same time risks me completely drying myself out for magic, and I'm still not sure I'm ready to take on Shantae and/or her boyfriend by myself at this rate…" the half-genie lamented as she stood up to stretch. Seeming to only grow more annoyed by the second as she peered around the living room of her partner in crime's home, Hashanah sighed out a wave of immense displeasure before shaking her head to try and reorganize her thoughts.
"…This situation's made even worse when my only 'help' turns out to be a giant, clumsy sack of deadweight," she spitefully remarked, momentarily laying her eyes on a framed photo of Nila in full Ammonian gear saluting and shaking hands with a certain cyclopean man three times her height… who was also dressed up in full Ammonian attire. "Can't be relied on during quests because she always needs to be bailed out of trouble, can't go a week without needing constant attention and trying to get all close, cuddly, and touchy-feely, can't handle the simple task of guarding a Spirit Fuser fragment's location despite having access to an ENTIRE ARMY… can't even beat the shambling reanimated corpse of a girl much younger than her in a simple fistfight… and now, recently jobless and cut off from ALL of the resources I needed her for. Argh, you're… You're COMPLETELLY WORTHLESS! Like a lovesick puppy endlessly craving attention from her master, but who can't even follow the most basic commands… Ugh, I can't STAND it…!" Hashanah complained with a contemptuous sneer, which… w-wow, that's… huh…
"Hmph. I regret almost everything about getting so close to her JUST for the sake of gaining access to her resources… I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do with her at THIS point, when she has hardly a resource to share now. Only use she has to me now is giving me a comfortable place to use as a base of operations. And even then, that isn't all that valuable. This can only go but so far before I find someone better suited to assist me… or at least, who I could actually, possibly build a true connection with…" At that point, the disgruntled genie glanced one more time at the picture of the falcon. And when it seemed that thoughts of a certain someone crossed her mind, her face went red like the apples on the plate of fruits in front of her as she clutched a hand to her heart.
"Sky… I certainly hope it isn't the case you bamboozled me by withholding knowledge of the Spirit Fuser from me, because I'm gonna be majorly ticked at you if you did…" she murmured as though the bird trainer in question was right there to hear her. "I'm already upset enough at you for blabbing to your friends about our meeting… and especially my feelings for you… Whatever you told them, you could've kept it a secret between us… And even then, the nosy punks could've kept their yaps shut instead of snitching to Nila… yet… I still can't help but feel… like you're the only one who might truly understand me… who might accept me for more than just being a genie who can grant wishes… and if the signs point in the right direction, then… maybe… just maybe… Hm… Sky…" she further pondered, her heart thumping harder in her chest as she sat back on the couch, still staring intently at the falcon portrait and helping herself to a small portion of the fruits and crackers.
Yet… it seemed like the longer she stared at the photo, the deeper her blush became… the heavier her breaths became… and the more she began to draw blanks as she stopped eating her food to bite her lip and press a hand to her chest. Leaning her head back on the leathery cushioning of her seat, Hashanah took a deep breath, inhaling through her nose and blowing out a heavy sigh through her mouth. The audible thumping of her heart resonated through the living space like bombs going off in the distance as she pressed her other hand to her stomach. And as she took in breath after heaving breath, the mesmerized half-genie's blushing face contorted into an uncertain frown as her thoughts continued to wander off into another dimension entirely. If I didn't know better, then… it seemed Hashanah discovered something new about herself… Seeming to eventually catch herself after a few solid minutes of her spacing out, however, the genie shook off her trance and sat back up on the couch as she patted her blushing face with both hands.
"Dang it… That girl has me feeling SO many weird ways and thinking SO many weird thoughts right now, but I CAN'T get distracted. No matter how gorgeous, or how down-to-earth, or how kind and considerate, or how super smart and insightful, or how… h-how absolutely all-around stunning she is, Sky's NOT the priority. I HAVE to keep my focus on the Spirit Fuser. Speaking of which, I have to figure out my next move. Besides… she most likely only wants to be platonic friends. I… I don't understand why exactly, but it isn't like I hate the idea… yet… even if she is also friends with that overrated, bumbling luck magnet Shantae…" she trailed off, seeming to nearly lose herself in thought again before redoubling her efforts in literally shaking distracting thoughts out of her head. "Ah, whatever…! The Spirt Fuser comes first. No exceptions. Now, as far as what to do next… Do I wait things out and go to the Crackling Crystal Castle when it becomes available? Do I keep trying to search for the Phantasmagoric Forest in hopes that it'll appear and that my hunch is wrong? Or… do I try to pay one of Shantae's friends an unexpected visit to see if I can shake them down for info…? And even then, I would only hope that if I ran into one of them, neither Shantae nor Tayshan would be there to protect them. It's really chancy, but that might be my most useful option… Hm… Decisions, decisions…"
She wouldn't get much time to ponder it on her own, however, before someone unlocked the front door with a *click* of a key turning in the knob. And within the next few seconds, Nila reentered the building and locked the door behind her before putting her keys on the rack and slipping off her boots.
"That was pretty quick," Hashanah pointed out, though she didn't move from her spot. "Do you feel any better?"
"Eh… I'm decent, but I've still got a bit on my mind," Nila answered with a sigh as she carried a bag full of treats over to the kitchen and set it on the countertop. Afterward, she moved to join her roommate on the couch… though she curiously sat on the other end instead of directly next to her. "I see you've kept yourself occupied," she further asserted, taking note of the fruit and cracker plate and open cider bottle. Despite also noticing that the cider bottle didn't seem to be accompanied by a drinking glass, Nila made no mention as she rolled her eyes and laid back on the sofa.
"Yeah, I've been doing some brainstorming on what to do next," the genie shared as she went back to looking through her notes. "And… I think my next move is gonna be between continuing to look for the Phantasmagoric Forest, finding a way to get the drop on our 'competition' in case they get any funny ideas about swiping any Spirit Fuser fragments, or possibly waiting it out until the Crackling Crystal Castle appears, and the getting in there as early as possible before Shantae and her friends get anywhere near it."
"Hm. All seem to be solid options," the former Admiral acknowledged as she stretched and relaxed… or rather, continued to contemplate as she stared at the ceiling with her hands crossed behind her head.
"Yeah. Only thing is that I want to be sure I'm prioritizing the right thing."
"Whatever you decide to do, I'm sure there'll be some level of benefit to it that makes up for any potential shortcomings…"
"That's the idea. Although…" Hashanah trailed off as she turned to Nila, who'd continued pensively staring up at the ceiling. "Are you sure you lost access to ALL the Ammonian Army's vehicles?"
"Affirmative. As soon as they discharge you, they make sure to pretty much scrub you clean from their records of active personnel. Hence, why they took the tank I had parked outside before I came home from the hospital."
"…I see," the genie replied after a moment of silently staring at her teammate. Meanwhile, Nila barely budged from her position as she breathed a heavy, dejected sigh. "…Well, that's alright. I think I've got an alternative way to get around. Just gotta be sure to stock up on supplies before I take the next trip…" she further remarked as she turned her attention to the Spirit Fuser fragments lying on the coffee table. Soon after, she continued her research without sparing the other woman another glance. From that point on, the two young ladies sat in total silence. Neither one of them spoke to the other for at least a few solid minutes that felt like HOURS as Nila continued to presumably mull over her future while Hashanah eagerly concocted a plan for her next Spirit Fuser-related conquest…
After a certain point, however, it finally became Nila's turn to shift her gaze over to the busy half-genie. And as she watched Hashanah tirelessly toiling away at her Relic-related research, the former Ammonian acolyte's expression shifted into one of… what looked like reflective sadness… She opened her mouth to say something, but not even a syllable of a word left her lips. She instead let out a quiet sigh, shaking her head as she quietly got up off the couch and walked into an adjacent hallway. There, she opened a door into a room, entered it, and closed the door behind her with a *click*. A few MORE minutes would pass before…
"Ah! I've got it! I think what I'll do next is…" Hashanah was about to cheerfully declare the next phase of her plan to claim the Spirit Fuser, though she trailed off when she turned to Nila… to see that Nila wasn't there. "Hm? Nila?" the perplexed half-genie curiously called as she scoured the living room with her eyes to see that her partner was nowhere in sight. Rather than get up and extend her search, however… "Eh, she probably just went to bed. I guess it's getting to be that time, so I'd better turn in pretty soon myself…" the young lady dismissed with a nonchalant shrug and yawn as she settled back down on the couch. Hardly missing a beat, Hashanah continued to do her homework on her Relic fragments…
Whelp… This seems like kind of an uncomfortable note to end off on, but… I suppose you gotta appreciate the rain to enjoy the shine sometimes. That said, it seemed like the genie/Ammonian alliance was on the rocks… to say the least. With Nila having lost her job with the Ammonian Army and Hashanah growing more determined than ever to collect the Spirit Fuser fragments, it certainly makes one wonder how their relationship would progress from here. Or even… if it's possible that the ONLY reason they were together in the first place was truly as transactional as it appeared. Either way, each of them had a goal to accomplish, whether they would accomplish them together… or separately. We'll have to check back in on them for sure, but don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe! Oh, wait… That doesn't apply here. Ah… D-don't stay away for too long! You definitely want to catch the next exciting installment, I promise. Toodle-oo!