"..." = Speech
<...> = Thought
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In front of Shantae, countless Tinkerbats hastily busied about replacing empty dishes with new desert that the monstrous figure slurped up like it was drinking rather than eating.
A scary sight when some of those desserts were taller than she was.
Her unvoiced question was only met with more confusion as she saw a flurry of bats enter from the tiny barred windows atop the chamber. That swarm soon gathered right beside the huge monster. An action that seemed to be below its notice as it accidentally got close to swatting a few aside.
Though those bats nimbly dodged those hands (fully dedicated to its unending feeding frenzy) soon all came to flutter in the same place. With a magical poof they formed into a startling familiar figure… With quite the noticeable absence from the last time Shantae had seen her.
"I can understand your brothers, MishMash being smart and FlimFlam's overly eager disposition, but relying on you seems like a massive mistake. Not that Risky makes mistakes… Your strength just doesn't seem to make up for your attitude." Adjusting her pair of glasses with her one remaining hand.
Seeing that made some cogs turn in Shantae's head as she remembered the story the girls at Bog Town had shared with her.
It was certainly a startling realisation.
The Batgal's complaints fell upon deaf ears despite her tone being far from polite. That seemed to only annoy the woman more - lifting her heeled food up to slam into his pudgy foot. At first not even that worked so she angrily growled before doing it a few more times for good measure.
Only when she was grinding her heel down on that monster's toes did it finally seem to notice her there.
Turning to her with a tilt of her head. "Huh, did you need something?"
"Oh, nothing much, just for you to do your bloody job!" Practically screaming in the beast's ear as he just tilted that head of his away from her. Though was otherwise unbothered as he just scratched his head with one of his pudgy frosting covered hands.
Causing the poor Batgal to palm her face. "You are as useless as the tiny wings on your back…"
That creature didn't even get angry at her derisive attitude - finding itself merely looking at her with a gormless look on its face. Tapping his chin as he looked down at her. "But I am here protecting that smelly old dinosaur like big sis Risky asked, so what am I doing wrong, little sister."
"D-Don't call me or the captain like that; while we were made similarly it is unquestionable that me and my sisters are far more perfect!" Shaking her head with an annoyed exhale. "Plus I wouldn't consider what you are doing as protecting - you are too busy stuffing your face to notice anything else!"
"Well that genie you warned me about would need to get past this place to get that lizard… Would be easier if you let me just eat him." Rubbing his belly with a far off look.
The Batgal thankfully turned that down with an aggravated sigh. "No, it wouldn't, Risky said she may need them for something in the future so it was best to keep those relic hunters alive. Instead of thinking with your stomach, just maybe, you could go ahead and do your job now?"
That caused the oaf to tilt his head again. "But I'm doing it, right?"
"You say that… But we have an uninvited guest." Saying that as she finally turned toward Shantae who was just half heartedly hiding behind a pillar with a sheepish look.
For a moment the trio just looked between themselves.
No one moving.
No one speaks.
"We can all see you, genie brat." Eventually it was the Batgal who spoke up; with all the annoyance of someone who was down an arm and left to babysit.
Walking out in the open after being called out so directly made the genie in question feel quite embarrassed. So she tried to laugh off the feeling with a hand on the back of her head. "I-It's been a while since we last met miss Batgal!"
"Certainly hard to forget our first meeting." Giving a big old smile that did nothing to stop the massive guilty flinch that Shantae instinctively did.
"Oh so this girl is your friend miss sister!" The big guy said before momentarily freezing.
Looking at his food… Before protectively hugging what was closest. "I still won't share though."
""...""
"This is Shantae…" She said slowly only to receive a gormless look; deciding he needed a bit more of a push she promptly added on to her statement. "The genie that ruined our last plan."
"Oh~ the hero that killed you!" Slamming his large fist into his larger palm.
That bespeckled Batgal silently watched him for a second.
Eventually speaking with an eerie level of calm. "You can eat this one, Hogswoggle."
Exploding into bats the second after she spoke. With those words that gigantic creature slowly released its hold on the wide array of deserts it had been hugging - turning its head to look towards Shantae who felt a chill fly down her spine. One that only grew as the unsettlingly wide and crooked grin formed on its face.
One of him easily had the mass of at least a few dozen or so Shantae's!
"Come 'n' get in ma belly!" Roaring out as he approached; reaching out with both hands just as he got close enough to nearly grab her.
Of course the now experienced fighter was not about to make things easy for the monster - releasing her hold on her power. A fully charged mighty being unleashed to impact him right in that gut. "Sorry but I'm not a fan of wet enclosed spaces!"
The impact caused the massive monster to back pedal, stumbling back as the force rippled across its obese form, only for the extent of the damage to pretty much end there.
"Ow that hurt!" Roaring as he rubbed his bruised belly.
"Well… That did less than I would have liked…" She complained while rubbing her own elbow.
Having seemingly felt the impact more than the brute had - made more obvious as he once more charged toward her. Lifting his hand before swinging it down in an open palm slap, one she easily dodged with a magic infused back step, yet he continued charging forward. Switching from one hand to the other in his attempts to swat the nimble Shantae very unsuccessfully.
She always managed to phase through his attempts.
Yet…
With that thought she phased through another attack.
Throwing her own open palm out in front of her.
"Fire Ball!" At her sudden cry a ball of flame grew in that open palm till it reached the approximate size of her (admittedly small) head. Once it reached max (only taking a second) it shot out, with a sound akin to that of a cannon, to impact the monstrous Hogswoggle in his unguarded face.
Immediately an inhuman screech exploded out the beast as he stumbled back once more - this time clearly showing a greater reaction. Clutching his face as he tumbled backward. Slamming into one of the many desert caddies that was getting pushed by Tinkerbats.
With the arrival of that food the gluttonous titan took his hands away from his face.
Revealing his blackened skin oozed yet was still only damaged in what appeared to be a very surface level fashion.
Which did little to comfort Shantae.
Even more so when he began to chow down and visibly heal.
She was just about to try her luck with some lightning when something immediately drew her attention.
Surprisingly, out of one of the cakes jumped a familiar green haired zombie gal!
"R-Rotty!?" Shantae understandably shrieked.
The zombie in question just merrily waved at her friend without an ounce of worry. "Heya Shantae, looks like you're doing well, though it seems you're strugglin' against that big brute. Really has thick skin 'n' even regenerates from taking a cannon ball to the face. Truly stubborn, ain't he?"
A big grin on her face as she shoved a hand between her bosom to pull out a scroll; flicking her wrist to have it unfurl in front of the genie.
"I'll let you buy this alternative version of lightning that'll send him packing with explosive speed… For a small sum of 500 gems~!" Her eyes shining just like the gems she coveted. Still, Shantae had to admit that she didn't really have much of a choice if she wanted to beat Hogswoggle.
He was simply too sturdy!
"W-Wait you look familiar lady…" Surprisingly the big oaf turned away from his food to study Rotty.
His little eyes widening as he stumbled back.
Not that Shantae noticed as she was too busy counting the gems she was pulling out of her bosom before placing them on an awaiting green palm.
In return the zombie heartily palmed the scroll into Shantae's face.
That piece of parchment exploded into a light that wormed its way into the genie's mind - filling her head with the requirements needed to cast that specific genie spell. For a moment she blanked out as she mentally parsed it all. When her vision returned that zombie was already gone.
A sigh escaped from Shantae lips as she had to simply accept things as they were.
Rubbing the back of her head.
"URGH PESKY GENIE MAKES ME FEEL ALL STRANGE!" Hogswoggle let out an angry shout.
Charging toward Shantae with his arms outstretched and mouth open to take a bite out of the genie; yet she didn't appear nearly as panicked as last time. Smirking at the brute as she lifted a hand - clouds began to form in front of her. "Open wide~ Crush Puff!"
Thrusting her hand forward to send that cloud right into the hungry maw of Hogswoggle.
He didn't even hesitate to clamp his mouth shut with an audible gulp - once again those crooked yellow fangs curled up into smirk. "Tast-!"
*boom*
He found himself cut off as his already large belly glowed and expanded for a second, causing his entire body to seize, only to return to normal once again. Yet at the same time smoke poured out from every hole he had on his obese body. That seemingly immortal monster swaying every which way.
Eventually gravity finally won as Hogswoggle fell backwards onto one of the many tables to crash right through it. Sending cakes flying all over the place to splat against every surface of the room. As well as almost hitting a certain genie in the process.
"EH~!" Finding herself having to nimbly dodge between baked goods with all the grace of a stone rolling down a steep bank.
Slipping through the hundreds of baked goods.
Leaving her panting, hand resting upon her chest, as the cream slopped down the wall to splat across the floor in a messy after-party. "Well guess I should go check on that relic hunter…"
Shaking her head to head toward the room initially behind the feasting Muck Lord.
Pushing the two doors open to find a creature trapped in a simple cage.
"By jove, what the hell happened outside?" A wizened voice that croaked with age; yet it was still very courteous despite the panic present. And despite the fact it came from a figure who had been trapped in a cage after being kidnapped by monsters.
Most importantly… He was a dinosaur.
Literally.
For a moment Shantae could only gawk as she automatically replied to him. "W-Well I came to help the royal knights rescue the relic hunter but found out Risky's crew had already managed to mind control all of them. So I had to just do it myself; beating that Hogswoggle Muck Lord outside…"
The literal dinosaur in front of her nodded while running his three pronged digit'd through the little tuft of white hair that appeared to be a beard.
"Then I suppose I'll need to thank the Sultana for her aid, ah, you must be that little sister of hers. The one was making waves due to overcoming Risky Boots - honestly it is humbling to have someone as wonderful as you come to aid an old lizard like me.. Quite frankly I believed I was one bad cake from becoming chow." Letting out a sigh.
Continuing to explain what their current plan was.
The dinosaur in question quietly nodded as he heard the details of what they found out.
"Indeed there are hidden risks with what that pirate has been doing; repeatedly revolving the island's pillars will no doubt cause erosion. Even the excess heat from the friction alone will likely cause the monsters below to dig upwards - never mind the chances of the core pillar breaking." Shaking his head.
Hearing that quickly made Shantnae blink. "W-Wait what will happen to Sequin Land if it breaks!?"
"Well… The main island would collapse in on itself, which would result in some of the closest islands getting dragged in, while perhaps flooding would wipe out civilization on this landmass." Sighing.
"I-I think we should hurry." Shantae said as she hurriedly snapped the lock of the door.
"As do I." He promptly agreed as they both rushed from the prison.