Filia Medici

Background:

Filia was once just an average schoolgirl, but one day woke up without any memories and a second mouth on the back of her head. She was now playing host to a Parasite named Samson, an unruly mop of demonic hair with incredible power.

With no memories or anyone to turn to for help, if she ever hopes to piece together her past and survive the inevitable clash with the Skullgirl, Filia will need to trust this mysterious being.

Powers and Abilities:

Superhuman Physical Characteristics,

Multiple Selves (Type 3; Filia hosts the parasite Samson), Hair Manipulation

(via Samson, whom is literally her hair),

Shapeshifting (Samson can change his form however he pleases),

Flight (via Samson, she gets wings to fly for a short time),

Healing (Samson is capable of healing their host of wounds, although it takes time)

Weaknesses: She's mainly naive.

Shantae

Backstory:

The half-genie guardian of Scuttle Town, Shantae works tirelessly to thwart the plans of the nefarious lady-pirate, Risky Boots. Having been appointed as the Guardian Genie of a small fishing town, Shantae's life is fairly quiet. That quickly changes when a gang of pirates, led by the sinister Risky Boots, attacks the town and steals a prototype steam engine from the town's resident Relic Hunter, Mimic.

Shantae soon finds herself traveling far and wide across Sequin Land, determined to retrieve the steam engine and foil Risky's wicked plan.

Powers and Abilities:

Superhuman Physical Characteristics,

Magic,

Hair Manipulation,

Teleportation,

Transformations,

Master martial artist,

Light Magic,

Healing,

Wish-Granting,

Enhanced Speeds,

Invisibility,

Intangibility,

Pseudo-Flight (via her bubble with her Beach Day outfit, riding on her Dream Cloud, and teleporting through her "Ninja costume"),

Fire Manipulation,

Lightning Manipulation,

Sword Fighting,

Attack Reflection,

Absorption,

Non-Physical Interaction (Can kill ghosts),

Breaking the Fourth Wall,

Statistics Amplification (with Twin Mints and Monster Milk),

Resistance to Mind Manipulation (Was unaffected by Holly, who caused everyone in Scuttle Town to have amnesia),

Creation,

Invulnerability,

Summoning,

and Enhanced Senses

Poison Manipulation,

Flight,

Sonar,

Explosion Manipulation,

Healing,

Surface Scaling,

Underwater Breathing (Types 1 & 2)

Weaknesses: Mainly naive.

Song: Wish of the Skull Heart

At Scuttle Town, a cheerful fishing port town with a clear but also generically vague Arabian cultural influence, the tranquil and safety of the community was vigilantly protected by the skilled half-genie hero, Shantae, who was renowned for her enchanting belly dancing skills while garbed in an exquisite bedlah.

Shantae, the beautiful half-genie, strolled through the town with a radiant smile plastered on her face as she luxuriated in the warmth of the sun, with her eyes gently closed. As she ambled along, she couldn't resist expressing her carefree nature by incorporating some subtle belly dance movements into her gait. Her long, purple ponytail swayed gracefully with every mesmerizing step she took.

Filia Medici, a pleasantly plump high school girl, was urgently searching for clues to locate the elusive Skull Heart, determined to find a way to reverse the grim transformation of her dear friend, Carol, who was now burdened with the identity of Painwheel. With purpose and trepidation, Filia proceeded in the opposite direction, her eyes scanning her surroundings for any traces of the mysterious artifact.

As Shantae and Filia happened to walk across from one another, an accidental collision between the two girls resulted in Shantae lightly bumping into Filia's hip, causing the high school student to be gently nudged to the side. Although Filia was willing to overlook the unintentional contact, the entity concealed beneath her hat had other ideas, prompting her to firmly demand,

"Hey! You better apologize!"

Shantae came to a halt, having been taken aback by the unexpected and deep voice that emanated from behind her. She turned around to face Filia, who was standing there, visibly pale and sweating nervously.

"Excuse me?"

Shantae repeated, utterly baffled by the situation unfolding before her.

Filia implored with the entity, known as Samson, who occupied the back of her head, attempting to assuage the situation, stating,

"It's nothing. It was just an accident."

However, Samson, with a determined and aggressive stance, was unmoved and refused to back down.

"No excuse! Anyone who dares to lay even a finger on you will pay the price!"

With a swift movement, Samson emerged from the confines of Filia's hat, revealing himself as a parasite in the form of her hair, fully intent on engaging in a confrontation. Shantae's eyes widened in surprise as she witnessed Samson's emergence, prompting her to immediately leap back in an attempt to distance herself from the intimidating sight. Without a second thought, the half-genie asserted,

"Yikes! A monster! Fear not, I shall save you from it!"

However, as Shantae declared her intention to save Filia from the monstrous entity, she remained unaware of the unique and interdependent relationship that existed between Filia and Samson, their bond too strong to be easily severed. Shantae swung her hair in a wide arc, attempting to strike both Samson and Filia with a whipping motion. However, Samson responded quickly, grabbing the hair and pulling Shantae closer, causing her to emit a surprised gasp. With a determined expression, Samson formed a tight fist and delivered a powerful punch, followed by Filia launching a swift kick to the hero's abdomen. Despite her hesitations, Filia profusely apologized, her voice filled with remorse.

"I'm sorry! Please understand, I have no choice but to do this!"

Shantae landed against a wall with a hard thump, a small gasp escaping her as she momentarily registered the sting of pain from the attack. Regardless, she quickly refocused her attention, turning her gaze towards the aggressive hair that clung firmly to Filia's own locks.

"Now I see. That monstrous hair is forcing the poor girl to fight against her will. How fiendish! I must be wary not to inadvertently harm her during our confrontation."

Shantae swiftly ducked under Samson's ensuing attack, maneuvering nimbly and snatching Filia's leg with her hair, causing the high school girl to stumble and lose her balance. Seizing the opportune moment, Shantae quickly rose to her feet and unleashed a series of rhythmic hair whips, each strike targeted squarely at Samson. The final whip, delivered with a powerful head rotation, sent Filia careening backward with considerable force.

Filia regained her footing, joining Samson in the ongoing onslaught against Shantae. The parasitic hair transformed into a pair of scissors and then multiple fists, each attack hurled towards the hero with relentless intensity. Despite the barrage of attacks, Shantae skillfully shielded herself within a multi-color bubble. In a bold move, Shantae countered Samson's biting attack by launching a spiked cannonball, successfully pushing him back as the parasite choked on the hard object.

Samson, undeterred by the metallic obstacle, gnashed and chewed on the pike ball until it was reduced to mere bits and pieces. Samson grumbled as he spat out the remnants.

"Ugh, this one is proving to be quite elusive,"

Filia chastised the parasite, her voice filled with frustration.

"Really, Samson, you're the one who keeps instigating fights over trivial matters. Don't blame me for your impulsive behavior."

Unheeding Filia's reproof, Samson and Filia launched forward in a charge, with Samson serving as the vanguard, driving his mass directly into the half-genie. The force of the collision left Shantae momentarily staggered, allowing Samson to follow up with an uppercut-like slash that catapulted her into the air. Filia took advantage of the opening and leaped after Shantae, executing a powerful diving kick that sent the hero careening back to the ground. Landing gracefully, Filia continued the assault with another kick, which Shantae narrowly evaded by sidestepping.

In a quick response, Samson swiftly coiled around Filia's legs, augmenting her running speed and propelling her forward into an even more powerful collision. Shantae found herself caught off guard, mid-evasion, as Filia barreled into her with increased speed and force. Seizing the moment, Filia unleashed a powerful punch to Shantae's face, her momentum amplified by Samson's transformation into a colossal fist, which followed up with an equally forceful blow, sending the town hero reeling backward.

As Filia and Samson charged towards Shantae, the half-genie reacted swiftly by executing a graceful belly dance and assuming the form of a Harpy. Propelled by a beat of her wings, Shantae ascended into the sky, averting Filia's incoming attack and leaving her back momentarily exposed. The half-genie seized the opportunity, swooping closer and delivering a powerful slash across Samson, eliciting a cry of pain from them both. Then, Shantae executed a daring dive-bomb maneuver, sending Filia and Samson hurtling back across the ground.

In response to Shantae's ongoing attacks, Samson expanded, transforming Filia's hair into a massive, boulder-sized afro that effectively halted the harpy's assault and caught the half-genie off guard. Then, Samson manifested as a multitude of tendrils, swiftly ensnaring Shantae before commencing a dizzying spin and propelling her with considerable force into a nearby building. The impact resounded loudly, accompanied by a pained cry from the hero as she crashed into the structure.

"Ha! That's served you right!"

Samson chuckled with a sense of superiority, feeling confident in their current advantage. Filia groaned in response, her frustration evident as she covered her face with her palm.

"Can we just end this already? I worry about how badly she might be hurt by now."

She pleaded, genuine concern lacing her words. Just then, a purple monkey sprung out from the gaping hole in the building, effortlessly maneuvering across the pillars. In response, Samson hurled a rock towards the next pillar, shattering it and causing Shantae, who was caught in the destruction, to plummet to the ground, her form returning to normal as she let out a pained grunt.

Samson attempted to deliver a devastating power punch using his oversized fist, only to find that Shantae nimbly evaded the attack and cleared the strike without difficulty. As the powerful punch struck the ground, cracking the surface where she had been standing an instant earlier, Shantae seized the opportunity and countered with a powerful kick, forcibly propelling Filia backwards until they slammed into a stony wall.

As Filia suffered, slumped forward and gasping from the painful impact, Shantae seized the chance to rush towards her and swiftly executed a devastating Drill Kick, unleashing a flurry of rapid blows that bombarded the duo in succession. With a powerful uppercut kick, Shantae sent Filia and Samson soaring into the air before they landed precariously atop the protruding crag connected to the wall.

Filia, despite feeling a bit disoriented after the powerful kick, promptly regained her balance and refocused her attention as Shantae ascended with her onto the narrow wall. The ongoing battle continued on the precarious perch, with Shantae showcasing her superior martial skills as she engaged in combat against Filia and Samson simultaneously. Despite being outnumbered, her ability to attack, defend, and counter their attacks allowed the half-genie to maintain the upper hand.

The clash between them resulted in Filia's fall to the ground while Shantae, struck by their combined hair whips, crashed onto some nearby crates. As Filia rose to her feet, gingerly rubbing her aching head due to the resulting headache, Samson, with a dismissive scoff, smugly asserted,

"Perhaps this time, she will finally remain down for the count."

The deafening trumpet of an elephant echoed loudly as Shantae burst through the wall in her transmuted form, leaving Filia and Samson momentarily taken aback. Without missing a beat, the elephantine hero swung her trunk with remarkable force, launching them through the air and crashing them into a nearby wall. Before the duo could fully ricochet back off the surface, Shantae charged forward again, her massive form colliding heavily into them and shattering the wall in her powerful stride. The duo was then forcefully slammed through two more walls before smashing into a final pillar.

As Filia fell back, utterly dazed by the relentless attack, Samson's patience had finally reached its limit. The parasite declared with a menacing tone,

"Enough! It's time for the Gregor Samson!"

With that, Samson assumed a cockroach-like form, coercing Filia to charge at Shantae. Upon transforming back into her half-genie form, Shantae cried out and invoked her "Tortoise Fusion." In a flash, she utilized a fusion coin to instantly transform into a colossal tortoise. With remarkable speed, she spun on her enormous shell, effectively repelling the aggressive approach of the parasite.

With incredible momentum, Shantae moved around like a boulder-sized pinball, bouncing around the surroundings with tremendous force and striking Filia and Samson repeatedly. Despite Samson's attempt to grow larger and more menacing in an effort to overpower her, the half-genie continued to barrel through his efforts, ultimately crashing into the duo and sending them collapsing to the ground, both Samson and Filia rendered unconscious as a result of the impact.

Once she reverted to her normal form, Shantae retrieved a couple of potions from her inventory. She administered one to herself, instantly healing all her injuries. Then, gently maneuvering Filia onto her back, the half-genie handed her the remaining potion, which promptly healed the high school student as well. Filia began stirring back to consciousness. As she slowly regained consciousness, Filia sat up urgently, genuine concern etched on her face.

"Oh my gosh! Are you okay?!"

She asked, her voice filled with worry. However, in her disoriented state, she was still oblivious to the fact that it was Shantae who had knocked her out. Shantae, completely perplexed, shot Filia an exasperated look.

"I should be asking you the same. What exactly is… that thing, on your head masquerading as your hair?"

"Oh! That's Samson, my hair parasite. He's actually pretty nice once you get to know him."

In response, Samson, having also regained consciousness, voiced his remorse as he confessed,

"I'm really sorry. I let my protective nature get the better of me and became reckless."

Filia then turned her gaze towards Samson, her eyes filled with a mix of annoyance and mild scolding.

"Protective or not, you're too quick to pick fights that aren't necessary!"

She reproached him. Shantae chuckled awkwardly, shrugging off the tense atmosphere and accepting the apology with a dismissive wave of her hand.

"Yeah, yeah, apology accepted. If he was just trying to protect you, then he can't be all bad. What's your name, by the way?"

With a calming exhale, Filia turned her attention towards Shantae, her demeanor now more composed as she shared her name.

"I'm Filia Medici. And who are you?"

The half-genie answered with a warm smile.

"I'm Shantae. It's nice to meet you, Filia. I'm the guardian genie of Scuttle Town here."

Filia's attention was immediately piqued as Shantae mentioned being a genie. Her face lit up with hope as she asked eagerly,

"A genie? Do you mean you can grant wishes?"

Shantae paused for a moment, a hint of awkwardness flickering across her features.

"Well, here's the thing. I'm actually only a half-genie, from my mother's side. Wish granting isn't my forte, despite being one, but if it's really important, I'm willing to give it my best shot."

Filia locked eyes with Shantae, her gaze unwavering and filled with a mix of seriousness and a hint of guilt.

"Then I have two incredibly important wishes. First, there's my friend, Carol, who's been transformed into a creature known as Painwheel. I desperately wish for her to regain her normal life and become Carol again."

Shantae was genuinely touched by Filia's noble and selfless wish, impressed by the girl's lack of selfishness in prioritizing the well-being of others.

"Wow, that's a truly admirable wish you have. I promise to do my best to fulfill it. Just give me a moment to get focused."

Shantae gently ascended into the air, her body hovering as she prepared her sorcery. Somewhere across the globe, the tormented figure known as Painwheel prowled restlessly, consumed by anger and driven by physical pain and violent fury. Suddenly, in a burst of light, Painwheel's transformation was undone, though she was left with some visible scars across her arms, body, and face, marking the remnants of her ordeal. She was Carol again.

Shantae gracefully descended back to the ground and wiped the sweat from her forehead, releasing a small sigh.

"Whew! That took a significant effort, considering the great distance and all. But I'm happy to inform you that your wish has been granted. Carol is back to her original self, albeit with some lingering physical scars as a reminder of her past experiences."

Filia exhaled a sigh of relief, her hand instinctively clutching her chest.

"Oh, thank goodness! Now that Carol is back to her normal self again, I feel so much better."

Pausing for a moment to gather her thoughts, Filia then made her second wish known.

"For my final wish, I'd like you to help me regain my memories. Unfortunately, I'm suffering from amnesia, and I have absolutely no recollection of who I was before you found me with Samson here on my head. Could you please help me get my memories back?"

But before Shantae could comply with Filia's wish, Samson piped up, interjecting with a concern.

"Hold on a second, Filia. You asked me to maintain your forgetfulness before. The memories you lost, you wouldn't really want to regain them."

Filia froze for a moment, her eyes widening slightly as she contemplated Samson's words.

"Wait, what? Before I lost my memories, I told you to keep me from remembering? What memories are they, and why wouldn't I want to remember them?"

Filia's voice trembled with unease and a touch of fear. Samson looked at Filia, his expression grim as he replied.

"Indeed, you told me to ensure you wouldn't remember. The memories you lost, they are traumatic, dark, and painful to recall. I can't stop you if you really want to remember, but you're just opening yourself up for heartbreak if your life before our bonding is that important."

Filia listened intently to Samson's response, her heart in her throat.

"Traumatic… dark… painful… Those are the memories I lost? Could they be truly that bad? But they're a part of my past, a part of who I am. I can't ignore that."

Shantae observed the conversation, her expression filled with unease. Interjecting, she asked gently,

"Are you sure about this, Filia? I mean, do you really want to remember a past life that's been so painful? It could be incredibly difficult to relive those traumatic experiences."

Filia's gaze remained fixed as she considered Shantae's question. She took a deep breath and nodded, determination etched across her face.

"Yes, I'm sure. I need to know. I need to face my past, no matter how difficult it might be. My memories, they're a part of me, and I can't ignore that."

"Okay, just be ready."

Shantae nodded, understanding Filia's resolve. Her hand gently touched the teenage girl's forehead, then using her magic to delve deep into Filia's mind and unlocking the repressed memories that had been locked away by Samson.

Filia gasped as the memories flooded back, each image more vivid than the last. She recalled her past school life, her previous friendship with Carol, the moment she encountered Samson, her friend Carol's disappearance, the Skullgirl's terrifying assault, and the horrifying event that left her family dead. It was the pivotal moment when Samson formed their bond, saving her life, at the cost of her memories. Filia crumpled to her knees, her arms wrapping tightly around herself as she wept. She choked out through tears,

"Mommy… Daddy… I can't believe I forgot them. That Uncle Vitale... he murdered them."

Her sobs echoed through the air, the weight of her emotions almost tangible. Shantae gently knelt down beside Filia, offering her a handkerchief. She asked softly, her eyes filled with empathy.

"Are you going to be alright? I'm truly sorry you had to lose them and only now remember them. That must feel incredibly hard."

Filia took the handkerchief from Shantae, trying her best to stem the flow of her tears. She answered shakily.

"I-I don't know. It's all so much to take in. Losing my parents, and only now remembering them… it's incredibly difficult."

Her voice trembled, but there was a hint of determination in her eyes.

"But, I know they wouldn't want me to give up. I have my friends to help me. And I have Samson. I'll continue to live on, for their sake, and for mine."

Shantae placed a gentle hand on Filia's shoulder, offering silent reassurance.

"You're right."

She encouraged.

"They would want you to keep moving forward, to keep living and growing. And you have a wonderful support system. Don't forget that. Your friends, me, Samson, we're all here for you."

Filia sniffled and blotted her tears with the handkerchief. She gave a small, but genuine smile, comforted by Shantae's words. She said gratefully,

"Thank you. I'm grateful for all of you. And you're right. I will move forward. I won't forget, but I won't let my past hold me back."

With a sense of solidarity, both girls rose to their feet, and walked side by side. Shantae made a mental note to always remain there for Filia, should she need any assistance. Filia had endured a challenging journey, marked by the sweetness of reunion with her memories and the bitterness of loss and pain. Yet, in the end, she emerged with a bittersweet yet satisfying resolution to her struggles.

Strength: Unfortunately, this is a fight where Filia had no advantages. Marie the Skullgirl was once able to pick up and throw the Medici Tower across New Meridian, a feat when you covert from newtons to ton-force requires 3.3 KT of TNT. And Filia canonically beats her, so she could be stronger than that. However, Shantae was able to defeat Pirate Master, who created a storm over Skuttle Town. While some sources say that it's a city spanning storm of up to 5.5 megatons, there's nothing to indicate it's that large given Skuttle Town's size. Lowballing Skuttle Town to being a large town instead of a city, that would put the bare minimum to create a storm around 100 KT. That would put Shantae around 30X stronger, at bare minimum.

Speed: Even assuming that Filia can move and react to speeds of Mach 5, Shantae has dodged blasts of lightning, putting her at Mach 352, making her 70.4X faster.

Skill: Shantae has more battle experience, fighting as both a genie and a pirate, while Filia and Samson are individually not very skilled, but make up for their weaknesses by working together. But still.

Experience: Even if Samson is much more experienced fighting opponents than Filia herself, Shantae faces a much bigger variety of foes to where a girl with a hair parasite is not a surprise beyond initial startlement.

Powers: This is a given between a melee fighter who just punches and kicks kind of hard, against a genie with a plethora of spells that can attack, defend and aid Shantae while debuffing Filia.

The winner is Shantae.

Next time:

"Even if I sacrifice my body, I will never sacrifice my honor."

"We're not tools of the government or anyone else. Fighting was the only thing... the only thing I was good at, but... at least I always fought for what I believed in."