| Hello everyone,
| May or may not have forgot what enemies appear in Twinkle Palace so… Sorry XD
| Anyways, enjoy~♥
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"..." = Speech
<...> = Thought
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The pair soon found their way out the bar through the back; apparently there was nobody willing to say no to their local genie femme-fetale if she wanted to do something or go somewhere.
Never had Shantae managed to have so much room to breathe in such a crowded bustling town.
It was when they stepped out into the open that Shantae's eyes nearly bulged out of her skull as she saw an actual Tinkerbat just strutting through the streets like he owned it. Her instinct was of course to leap at the opportunity to skewer it yet a pair of arms wrapped around her waist. "Hold your horses there~."
"That's one of Risky Boots' monster minions; no doubt up to something nefarious like- EI!" Her words quickly cut off as she instead let out a squeak as a pair of curious hands abruptly gave her chest a squeeze before a chastising voice rang out. "How'd you know he works for Risky Boots?"
"But… They all do right?" Tilting her head in confusion with little actual care about people watching.
A fact that got the older genie to raise a brow before smirking.
"Well, my little exhibitionist, if there are bad monsters why wouldn't there also be good monsters who don't want to merc everything or work for a sexy pirate queen? They may be stupid not to yet freedom sadly means idiots get to make choices." Nonchalantly shrugging off the topic as she let Shantae go.
After one more squeeze, of course.
They walked ahead of Shantae with a boisterous "Yo~HoHoHo~" that Shantae felt like she remembered from somewhere.
Although, also realised she was falling behind, quickly chased after her senior.
"Have you ever heard of egalitarianist doctrine?" Tilting her head back while looking at the half-genie with a level of deadly seriousness that the younger genie couldn't help freeze up like a stiff icicle. "N-No I can't say that I have!"
That got her nodding softly but slowly as she turned to look at where they were walking. "Egalitarism is the enemy - an idiot's dream that has no place in the waking world. It is a cancerous stain on modern society that no good hippies can't seem to let die in the mind of incompetents as it should."
---
It didn't last long.
It lasted very long.
Having made their way into the gravity defying hills before Peaky Mountain - the moon already peaking through not too distant clouds as the daylight escaped them both.
"-so that is why you avoid whole grains whenever you get the chance; they are the ultimate enemy to any self respecting pi- spirit!" Evidently she hadn't stopped for a single moment. Being a genie she didn't even need to breathe, as long as she wasn't actively choking, and she was taking full advantage of it.
Even passing out from choking was more of a reflex which Shantae found out first hand.
A guilty chuckle escaping her lips.
Only for the darkness of the coming night to instantly fade.
Flickering crimson bloomed as what felt like a thousand fireflies materialised all around the mature genie as she raised two fingers above her head.
Flicking them backward as those fireballs shot back with sound akin to cannons - fortunately flying all around Shantae rather than into her. Although her hair and clothing did still blow about widely due to the weight of the powerful magic flying past. Turning her head just in time to see those flying eagle beasts once again descending toward them.
However, it was more accurate to call them shooting stars, those fireballs engulfed each and every one of them without mercy. Peppering them so much that they became complete bonfires that faded into ash before they even had the chance to touch the ground. Gems raining down from overhead.
"Whole grains are no joke…" The genie said without ever looking back at the result of her spell.
Leaving Shantae just standing there in awe. "Wow… Wish I could learn to cast firebal-"
"They were firebolts - learn the difference!" Fully turning around shoving a finger in Shantae's face with her only able to raise her hands in surrender at her scary senior.
Fortunately for Shantae they had just reached the place where they'd need to climb up or fly in order to get to Mount Pointy. The mature genie looked up toward the place while the half-genie hero awkwardly rubbed the back of her head. "Uhm how do you plan to get up there… Or do you have some trans-"
"I do but I hate to use it - especially when it wouldn't help much in getting up there - I'll just stick it out with a bit of magic and meet you up there instead." Waving Shantae off as crimson glow began to form under their feet. Not leaving the half-genie a chance to reply before that light formed an abyssal pillar that completely engulfed her.
When the magic light faded… She was gone.
"Huh… That magic felt weirdly similar to the feeling I got at Mud Bog." Shrugging it off in favour of actually getting to the dungeon before tomorrow. "If I manage to get out of the dungeon before daylight - the sight of the sunrise would be something I can brag about to any mini-me's I pop out in the future~."
Transforming into her spider form to take advantage of the conveniently spread out spiderwebs that her new form could traverse with as much ease as Shankey could everything else. Sadly the fur in that form got easily tangled with stuff like webs and chain fencing. "Welp~ time to get this last stone…"
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"Welp this is the place; right at the peak hence why your average joe can't get to it." Motioning to the fortress seemingly made out of ice. Living up to theTwinkling part of its name at the very least - even if the exterior looked far too pokey to be a palace.
Coral Mine - Shantae and the Seven Sirens OST
Inverted icicles on every available surface of the place.
It was Mount Pointy.
That genie sauntered up to the side of the entrance only to swing her hips to collide with the crystalized bricks that formed the Twinkling Palace. Shantae herself could attest to the weight of the thing so wasn't surprised at the labyrinth shaking upon being hit by that ass. Not that she paid attention to it.
Instead her eyes were glued to those plump cheeks that faintly rippled on impact - their prior action nor agreement were exactly helping with her focus. She didn't even notice that the door to the palace had opened before the genie cleared her throat. "You can go in now, you know."
"Ah… Yeah… I'll do that." Nodding slowly with her eyes drifting back down as she (slowly) inched her way into the palace.
Clearly taking her time in case there were any traps.
Yeah.
Traps.
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The somewhat satisfying sound of stone sliding across metal and stone rang throughout the room as the tiles on the wall shifted for what must have been the hundredth time. Shantae stood in front of the wall where stone tiles made a "portrait". Although the image was undoubtedly… Wrong.
"My artistic pursuits are strictly in the realm of dance; how am I meant to figure out something like this when I spent my time learning to perfect my hip sway and arm movements? I mean, dancing is all about movement while this is just slapping rocks about!" Shaking her head as she tapped her chin.
Even with her complaints she continued to think about what the solution was meant to be.
Although her progress was after… Negligible to say the least.
Her well thought out solutions tended to be little more than randomly moving the tiles about to see if they made a definable image. "I think they're monsters from here but I don't remember what they look like…"
Shoulders deflated as she let out a sigh before continuing.
Couldn't take her too long to figure it out.
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"So, I know you probably didn't want to hear this, but since I was locked behind the puzzle I could hear pretty much everything…" The caged genie said with an forced smile.
Shantae may or may not have flinched at that.
Still she kept her smile as if confidence was enough to erase the embarrassment that was slowly bubbling up from the depths of her very being. Sadly the guardian genie wasn't done. "After the first hour I couldn't help hoping you would at least take a break; then I could pretend it was someone else."
Shaking her head while Shantae's smile slowly became more forced as time went on - not that the genie relented at the weakness of her junior. On the contrary she continued to rant about the puzzle. Not forgetting to remind the half-genie hero about how most children could solve those problems.
Especially stabbing deeply with the fact that the complete image was actually displayed off to the side thus making it even easier.
"Since I don't have any other option. and need to reward you for breaking me out of this cage, guess I'll teach you about my transformation." Smirking with no small amount of condescension as she crossed her arms across a chest that was not too much larger than Shantae's own. "By far the strongest."
That caused Shantae to tilt her head to the side as she found her mind falling back to a certain (maybe a little too) boisterous who always radiated endless strength and kindness. As such she couldn't help but ask about a strange overlap. "But I thought that Ele's elephant was the strongest transformation?"
"That brute is just raw power and no finesse!" Gritting her teeth while slapping the cage angrily.
"I'll admit mine may not be as physically imposing as that overgrown mixture of lard and muscle yet that big breasted idiot also can't fly. Not to mention how slow and lumbering it is; practically begging to get hit by everything." Snorting loudly after making sure to take her fellow guardian down as low as possible.
Meanwhile Shantae just stood there silently unsure what to say - not expecting her seniors to be quite so competitive about their forms.
Or perhaps it was just the one in front of her?
"Don't get me started on that spider or even worse… That bubbly monkey that is always in a hurry - at least the former knows its place. That cheeky upstart thinks its speed and the fact it can jump a little high could make itself comparable to my grace!" Continuing her little rant.
Even then it didn't stop as she continued on to transformations Shantae hadn't even heard of. "That fishy bottom'd broad also acts real smug just because she can swim a little quickly. Then that dumb crab who believes land mines would matter to one like me, a ruler of the skies, truly ridiculous!"
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Standing in front of the final frozen doors of the labyrinth - Shantae took a deep breath - preparing herself for the inevitable confrontation with that troublesome pirate queen.
It had happened in every other labyrinth, after all.
Lifting her two hands up to those doors before making them swing open to present her with a large open chamber with an empty throne. There was a lack of anything else (just supporting pillars) including any other form of exit. In fact, there was also a serious lack of pirates,
"Wait… Where the hell is Risky Boots; is this some kind of trick where she attacks me once I let my guard down in order to steal all of the mystical stones without doing any of the work?" Considering it for a second as she looked around. "Nah~ that's impossible hahaha~!"
Laughing that silly thought off as she waltzed into the middle of the room.
Just in time, as well, as a roar tore through the silence of the throne room as a big blue lizard came swooping down to land in front of the throne.
Well… It wasn't that large considering it was only slightly taller than Shantae was (even if its gut was so fat she could fit in it if she went full fetal). There was also another important distinction. "Thought the last labyrinth would have a dragon instead of the most wannabe dragon of a wyvern I've seen."
Shaking her head with a sigh.
Apparently the beast in question didn't agree as it lunged its upper body forward with flared out fore-limbs/wings as it let out a roar. This also revealed that there was a tiny knight upon its back who struggled to keep that "dragon" from charging forward. One hand on the leash the other hand on a lance.
Soon enough he managed to regain control as that wyvern began to slowly raise back into the air with a little more height with every flap of its wings.
"In other words; the perfect target for my new form~!" She announced with that danger defying smile as she began the usual first move for her transformation dances. Following that up by bringing her right foot in front of the left while bending her knees to keep her torso in the same general place.
Hands out stretched for balance as she used the faint movement of her extended left leg to essentially have her waist bounce. Certainly harder than her other moves on account of how precariously balanced she was but the reward was worth it. Light consuming her before receding to reveal her most humanoid transformation of date.
Anyone with the appropriate knowledge would recognise her as a harpy - with the shins and talons of a bird - a cute plume of tail feathers came from her blue feathered butt.
Her entire body was covered in feathers which included her otherwise bare breasts since…
She had no tips.
None the jewellery or carpets of her other forms was present.
Even her hair style and eyes were far different from her genie self, having more in common with Bolo than regular Shantae, so it was virtually impossible to actually find any similarities between the two.
Of course the advantage of this form was not in its appearance but the two large wings that had replaced her slender arms. With a couple flaps she found herself soaring above that pesky reptile only to hug her body to swoop down on top of it. Or, more specifically, on top of the midget guiding it.
Claws instantly raked flesh as it found its grip loosening on the reins it used for the dragon; sending both rider and dragon crashing into the ground. Shantae soon followed as she released her transformation before she even touched down. Wasting no time in quickly activating a new one in a flash of light.
That mini-knight pushed himself up from the ground only to rub the back of his head due to the nasty bump he got from the fall.
*thump*
*thump*
*thump*
*thump*
Feeling the floor shaking he looked up just in time to see a massive shadow looming over top of him.
"Yeah I can't help thinking Ele had a point." A surprisingly unintimidating voice came from that figure before the terrifying sight of it flying forwards became the last thing imprinted in the TinkerBat's mind.