Two weeks ago...

In a Sea distant from Sequin Land, her Majesty's fleet sailed against strong winds, bound for Burning Land, a journey which had only just begun. The Sultana gazed below the morning sun, into the endless horizon and the silken waves. Her headdress lacked its decorative jewelry, as she had not adorned herself since waking from slumber. Footsteps on the deck reverberated behind her, and she turned to see who approached.

"You've got to let me fix your split ends, Majesty!" said the Item Shop Guy, fists pressed together behind him and under his vest. "I'm good for more than bartering, beautiful Sultana."

She grinned, bringing her eyes to the clouds, "I will be in my chamber shortly. I trust you've brought only the finest silky conditioner from your shop?"

He stood beside her, watching clouds slowly part in the wind, "Yes, Majesty, only with the best ingredients, to repair your divine strands."

There was silence, as they both beheld the sea. She closed her eyes, enjoying the smell of the breeze.

"The Twin Stars, are shining brighter than they ever have before your Majesty…"

She was stunned, stepping away from him, concern on her face, "How do you know about that?!" her anger swelled.

"Majesty," he said, "I was once in Burning Land myself. I know about the Kings' Legacy."

The Sultana expressed unease, "You served my father? How did I never know of this?"

He leaned over the rail, "It's something I've never been proud of. I've been in hiding. Your father isn't loved in this age anymore. When I heard you needed me for this journey, I knew I couldn't hide it anymore."

She calmed, turning her eyes back to the ocean, the sound of guards' footsteps echoing behind them, "Tell me, hairdresser, shopkeeper, everything you've been told."

The Item Shop Guy took a deep breath, "Every Star holds the spirit of a King. Some die out as time goes on, but since the age of Kings has since gone, only a few stars still shine as brightly as before. Sequin Land has only one rightful crown. Only one star should shine closest to Sequin Land...yet...there are two...one that is yours, Majesty, and the other…"

The Sultana crossed her arms, chuckling, "...My brother. It seems you are wiser than I imagined. However, you've only infuriated me with your secrets, shopkeeper."

"There are wiser things that I know." he replied.

Curiosity overtook her, and she asked, "Share it, then."

He reached into the pocket of his vest, and grabbed a pink labeled ceramic bottle, shaking the liquid contents within, "Buying this new Hairy Jelly at fifteen percent off is the wisest decision I know. The whole palace will look gorgeous."

She grinned, eyes widened as she held her hands up and said, "Perhaps, we will discuss that later." she laughed.

The Item Shop Guy placed the bottle back into his pocket, and said, "Your Majesty, would you mind if asked about your brother?"

She turned her back to him, taking a few steps away, "You should be careful, if you want to keep your head. But, you've caught my interest. What is your question?"

"Forgive me, your Majesty, but why have you chosen to find him now?" He spread his arms. "What do you expect to find when we get there?"

She said nothing, staring at the floor of the deck, keeping her arms crossed and eyes closed, pondering. "I will meet you outside of my chamber, in the dining deck. Have that new formula ready."

He sighed, respectfully turning away, his hands on his hips, "Yes, your Majesty."

Suddenly, the floor shook, and the ship rocked violently. The Sultana stumbled, a destructive sound coming from under the vessel.

"What is happening!" She shouted, facing the guards behind her who frantically surveyed their surroundings.

"Majesty, we're working to find out.."

—-

Sky the hatcher smiled as she soared in the air with the Scuttle Town Heroes and Risky Boots onboard mega Wrench. She spotted the Tinker Tub from afar, still anchored to the shore of the dry desert, over the crests of the valley.

"We're almost there!" She yelled.

Risky Boots fastened the knot tying her bandanna, "Oh, in just a day, I've missed the sea!" She chuckled, pushing her hair away from her face.

"Hey, Captain!" Shantae peeked her head to the side, glancing at the Pirate Queen.

Risky looked back, "What is it now, runt?"

They struggled to hear each other through the wind, "How are we going to get to the city with the Tinker Tub?"

"You ask too many questions!" Risky turned away. "You'll find out when we get there!"

Bolo looked down, and saw something near the ship, "Those are tinkerbats and the cacklebats, but are those horses down there?"

Risky Boots eyes glowed red as she grunted, "My minions, they are watching them." She closed her lids, furrowing her brows and flexing her muscles. "It's the Bandit King, and his people. How dare they stalk my Tinker Tub! Take us down, now!"

Sky smirked, "Sure, Captain, but where?"

"To the deck!"

Sky nodded, and she veered Wrench downward, diving toward the Tinker Tub. The Bandit King watched through his terrifying mask, his men aiming their flintlocks at them as they approached. Risky Boots opened her jaw, her voice screeching through the air, piercing through the wind. From the shoreline, cacklebats rose from the water, flying around the Shadow bandits, distracting them.

Shantae felt something firmly gripping her wrist, and she turned to find Rottytops scowling in anger, her eyes shining crimson.

"Rotty?" she said with worry, and she gently tried pulling her hand away.

"I won't let them hurt you!" Rottytops growled.

"Rotty, what's going on, you look…"

Rottytops held her head down, breathing heavily.

Wrench flew through the swarm of cacklebats, flapping his wings over the Tinker Tub and perching on the rail. The Scuttle Town Heroes jumped from his back, and ran by several tinkerbats, stopping when they spotted the shadow bandits firing their weapons at the cacklebats, the Bandit King staring at them with arms crossed.

"Hold it, boys!" Risky Boots shouted, her cacklebats flying down into the sand. They surrounded the bandits at a distance, watching with their fangs exposed, some of them balancing on their horses.

The Bandit King laughed, his followers aiming their weapons at them, "Risky Boots. I've always wanted to meet the nefarious and arrogant Pirate woman."

The Pirate Queen laughed, "Tough words, considering you're in my turf! Hand over the Starlight Lamp!"

Shantae's hair turned red as she transformed into Nega Shantae, her fists scorched in flames, "Give us the Starlight Lamp! We know you have it. Or else we'll kick your butt!"

He laughed, his arm retreating into his sleeve, until his hand emerged with the shiny golden lamp in his palm, "You mean this?" He held it up, circling his other hand around it. "Useless without the Seals. Hand over the Seal of Dawn, or else you'll feel the wrath of the Shadow."

Sky slid the burlap bag off of her shoulder and yelled, "Bolo, give me the Seal!"

He dug in his pocket, grabbing the Seal of Dawn and throwing it to the hatcher. She grabbed it and ran for the stairway leading to the inside of the ship, calling Wrench as she went down, "Come here, boy!" A gunshot was fired, and she ducked, retreating into storage deck alongside her companion.

Shantae whipped her hair and screamed, the strands extending and smashing the hands of many of the shadow bandits that aimed their guns. The men dropped their weapons, grunting in pain.

"Don't be a fool!" Risky Boots held her hands in the air, summoning levitating scimitars that spiraled above her. "I control the power of the Shadow, and it's my shore you tread on. Leave now, and maybe I won't dance on your innards, in front of all of your men!"

"Are you even capable of it?" He slid the lamp back under his sleeve. When he removed his hand from under his robes, he held a familiar crystal in his palm, and laughed.

Shantae gasped, "A Dark Shard!"

"The stupid girl gets it." said the Bandit King.

"Enough!" the Pirate Queen warned. "Give us the lamp, or we'll take it from you!"

"Foolish to think I'd sacrifice the well being of the Shadow tribe for a weakling like you." he crushed the Dark Shard in his palms, Dark Magic surging through his body. "Die!"

The bandits fired their weapons, and Shantae screamed a spell, "Mirror!" A bright shield formed around the Tinker Tub, protecting most of the hull and deck.

Risky Boots threw her arms down, sending scimitars flying at the bandits. Their bullets were reflected against the shield, some of the shadow bandits dropping their flintlocks while others cast barrier spells to protect themselves. The Pirate Queen's scimitars spun through them, several dodging and others receiving injuries. The horses ran over the desert hills, escaping from the violence.

"Impressive!" the Bandit King screamed. "Let's see if your mirror can stop this!" hundreds of ice shards shot from the Bandit Kings robes, bombarding the shield. As the shards were reflected back, he conjured more to counter them, until a weak point formed at the surface of the Half-Genie's spell.

Shantae screamed, "Risky, I can't hold it much longer, I'm losing my power!" Her hair returned to its normal color as she fell to her knees.

"How long will your mirror last!" the Bandit King laughed, throwing more unyielding shards of sharp ice.

Sky ran back up to the deck without Wrench or her burlap bag with her, "What's going on?"

"Cacklebats, stop him!" Risky ordered, her dark minions flying over the Bandit King, pouring flames from their mouths and covering him in a blaze.

"Mirror!" he screamed, forming a spherical shield around his body that reflected the flames back to the Cacklebats, burning them until their bodies exploded into Dark Magic. "Give up the Seal of Dawn."

Shantae's hair swayed violently in the air as her magic faded, "I can't...I can't!"

Suddenly, they heard Rottytops shout from the bow, "Snack Cakes!" All but Shantae turned their eyes to her, her skin becoming like Risky's, transforming into Shadowtops. "Leave her alone you mean dusty cobwebs!" She dashed to the rail of the ship, and held her arms in the air, swaying her hips in the form of a perfect circle.

Bolo shouted, "Rottytops, what are you doing?"

"She's a Shadow humanoid again!" Risky revealed, grabbing her flintlock and firing it at the shadow bandits. "Not sure about the blasted dancing!"

Despite the mirror shield growing weaker, with ice shards penetrating through, Rottytops continued dancing, "Snack Cakes, get up!" She shook her arms and wiggled her shoulders. "Dance with me, it'll make my spell stronger."

As her gray hair rose tall against a mysterious wind, cyclones formed on the sand, pulling shadow bandits in.

"What is this magic?" the Bandit King was startled, still bombarding the shield with his ice daggers.

"Get up!" Rottytops yelled aggressively, until she finally reached Shantae.

The Half-Genie opened an eye, tears falling down her check. She saw her friend dancing, which lifted her spirits. "Rotty?"

"Get up, dance with me!" she reiterated.

Shantae shook her arms, struggling to stand while maintaining the barrier, until she was on her feet and by her friend's side. They stared at each other, pain in Shantae's expression. She smiled as she watched the former zombie dance to a mental melody. Shantae wiggled her shoulders slowly, and synchronized her hips with Rottytops'. All of sudden, the already powerful gales summoned by the mysterious dance grew stronger, until even the Bandit King was forced to cover the eye holes of his mask from the sand.

"Wind Magic?" he grunted, his feet lifting from the ground, ending his spell and sending him onto his back.

"Keep dancing, turnip head, it's working!" Sky yelled with encouragement.

"I don't know what you're doing, runt, but you just bought us an escape." Risky chuckled, bringing her attention to the tinkerbats. "Men, ready the steam engine! Power the water wheels, but leave the sail."

The tinkerbats nodded, and ran into the ship, hurrying for the steam deck. Soon, Shanate's mirror shield vanished as she let go of her spell and surrendered to an imaginary rhythm. She and Rottytops smiled carelessly as they danced together, and for a moment the Half-Genie Hero felt as if her genie power had returned. They giggled, Rottytops' skin turning pale again, her gray hair moving to the same tune as Shantae's. All the while, the storm raged against the shadow bandits, completely disorienting their assault.

The water wheels spun under the stern when the steam engine powered on, pushing them away from the sand.

"Pull the anchor!" Risky Boots commanded, Sky and Bolo rushing to the edge of the ship and turning the crank connecting the chain to the anchor. When it resurfaced, the mechanism swung into the eye of the Tinker Tub, sending it to the storage deck.

As they slowly left the shore, Shantae and Rottytops continued their dance of elegance. While the cyclones reached the water, they held each other's hand and shook their hips with confidence. All of the Half-Genie's focus was on the performance, as if she were on a stage.

"Rotty!" She laughed. "Let's finish 'em!"

"Yeah!" Rottytops nodded.

They bumped their hips together and held their hands high on opposing sides, winking at the crowd of shadow bandits. A large cloud with an angry face conjured above their enemies, and lightning bolts shot down at the bandits. The puff cloud held its breath and exploded with fire around them, bandits fleeing in all directions. In an instant, Rottytops' body returned to its ordinary state, her hair longer than before.

Bolo clapped and pumped his fists, "Wow, this whole human Rottytops thing has really come in handy."

Shantae let go of Rottytops, laughing as she jumped up and down, "Rotty that was amazing!" she held her hands behind her.

Risky Boots looked back at the increasingly distant shoreline, cackling maniacally as the watched the shadow bandits scatter among the chaos, "Rottytops, I think you just became my First Mate. Seems you have more Dark Magic in you than I thought."

Rottytops clasped her fingers together, holding her hands against her shoulder with a leg in the air, "Yeah, I don't understand it either, but," she looked at Shantae, who grinned at her with high energy, "I really like dancing with you Snack Cakes!"

"Yeah!" Shantae crossed her arms. "For moment there I felt my Genie powers returning. Together, we're going to whip so much bandit butt!"

Rottytops looked down, feeling embarrassed.

"Your hair grew again!" the Half-Genie noticed.

Risky Boots grabbed a clump of her hair and raised a brow, "It did...hm."

"It swished and thrashed, it was so cool."

Sky held her hand up and joined, "I've got to admit, it was impressive. Thanks for saving us back their Rottytops, whatever it was you did."

Risky Boots let go of her hair, and murmured, "A genie's servant, huh?"

Bolo asked, "Captain, now that we're out here, how are we going to get to the mermaid city?"

"Oh, yes." Risky replied. "Well it's simple really." She flexed her arms, and her hair turned black, lifting her head. Her eyes furrowed with shining crimson pupils, letting out a high pitched shriek that pierced the clouds. The sea warped under the Tinker Tub, and they sank into a hole in the water which grew larger with each second.

"My ears!" Sky placed her hands on the sides of her head. "Could have warned us!"

Slowly the ship lowered deeper into the water, until the waves surrounded an invisible shield around the hull. In moments, they were completely submerged, a pocket of air protecting them from the ocean. Risky Boots lowered her voice, until there was only silence. The Scuttle Town Heroes took a moment to observe their surroundings, seeing the beauty of Burning Land's ocean all around.

—

Meanwhile, on the shoreline where the shadow bandits recovered, the Bandit King walked into the tide, looking out into the open sea where the Tinker Tub had disappeared.

A shadow bandit walked up to him, holstering his flintlock, "Some of the men are hurt, and there are still cacklebats somewhere around here, but it's nothing serious. Are you sure this is going to work?"

The Bandit King replied, "The Pirate Queen is too strong to take on, and her band of Sequin Land freaks make it much worse. Don't worry, all is going as planned."

"What about that girl?" the shadow bandit asked. "What was that power? To summon a gale like that, with a dance...I thought there were no genies among them?"

The Bandit King turned away from the sea, walking back to his followers, "Unexpected, but nothing to concern us. Give them time, and they will lead us to the final Seal."

—

On the deck of the Tinker Tub, Shantae leaned against the rail of the ship, staring down through the sphere of air surrounding them and at the bright lights piercing through the water, "Captain Risky, that must be the city."

Risky Boots came to her side and glanced down at the site, "Must be." Her eyes were still shining red as the ship sunk deeper into the ocean, heading towards their destination.

"Risky Boots!" Sky said with irritation. "I've got a bird onboard, so you better not drown my Wrench!"

"Hush it bird girl." Risky Boots huffed. "I told you to call me Captain. Mess up again, and I'll throw you overboard."

Sky was furious, "Risky...Captain!"

Bolo placed his hand on her shoulder, distracting her from the rage, "Wrench will be fine, Sky. She helped us get here, I doubt she'll let him get hurt."

She pursed her lips, grunting as she walked by him and said sarcastically, "Comforting words from Bolo."

He scratched the back of his head, and laughed awkwardly.

"I'm going to check on the little guy." She said, going down into the ship. "He's got to be scared to death down here!"

Rottytops ran from the center of the deck, arms open for a hug as she approached Shantae. Yet, she stopped, letting her hands fall to her sides.

Shantae glanced at her, shoulders braced for a tackle, "I was expecting you to jump at me."

Rottytops gazed blankly at the Half-Genie. It was ordinary for her embrace Shantae when she wasn't expecting it, but she could not bring herself to do so. She felt warmth in her face, and she smiled with a sigh.

Risky Boots moved away, chuckling with her hand over her mouth, "I'll leave you two alone."

"Hey, wait, Risky, I mean, Captain," she addressed the Pirate Queen. "How long will it take to get down there?"

Rottytops grabbed Shantae's hand, and the Half-Genie was taken aback, looking down at her fingers, "Rotty. How are you feeling? You look almost completely human now. It has to be strange."

Rottytops walked forward and faced the water below, the spherical surface rushing with waves, "I feel so different. I'm remembering things that I...I'm not sure really happened."

Shantae placed her other palm atop Rottytops' hand, "What memories? You mean, when you were human?"

Rottytops shook her head, "I'm not sure. It feels so long ago, like a different life. Honestly, I'm worried. My other self must be suffering."

"Oh no." Shantae replied, pulling her hands away. "How? Why?"

"She's a part of me Snack Cakes, and she lives in my dreams, and it's the same for her. I'm afraid for her." She adjusted her headband. "Last night I had dreams. They were so vivid, I remembered every detail. Normally when I wake up from sleep, I always forget something from the day before, but I didn't this time. It was wonderful, but I'm scared that without my dreams, my other self is losing strength. I have to find her soon. I know I can save her, and be human again."

"Risky Boots said she knew a way to get to the Underworld." Shantae suggested. "We have to ask for her help, before the transformation reverses."

"Snack Cakes…" Rottytops interrupted, her head held down. "You said before, that you liked me, just the way I was. Do you really mean that? Am I, different now?"

Shantae smirked, and shrugged, "Rotty, you've been so concerned about what I think about you lately. I just want you to be happy. That's what friends do, Rotty, make each other happy."

Rottytops' eyes watered as she nodded and stared at Shantae, "I dreamed about our race together." She beamed with a wide grin. "It was different this time. I was human, and we raced, and I saw you again. I don't know how to explain it, but it was like you came back. I know you haven't been gone, but, I saw you dancing...celebrating after you beat me to finish line...and..."

Shantae furrowed her brows, "Rotty... if you don't want to be human again, you don't have to be."

She stepped closer to Shantae, holding her hand, the Half-Genie blushing and curling her lips awkwardly.

Bolo watched in confusion, before coming to a realization, "Oh, I get it." He looked the other way. "Feel like I'm snooping."

Risky Boots crossed her arms, watching with a smile and talking to herself, "C'mon, runt, don't be thickheaded." Her tinkerbats watched, most of them understanding nothing.

Rottytops shook her gray hair out of her face, "We're already friends. But, that was the old Rottytops...Zombietops. But, I don't want to be Rottytops anymore, I want to be just Rotty. Before, I couldn't say what I wanted, my hunger for brains always made it so hard." She took another step closer, Shantae blushing as she began to understand what Rottytops was implying. "I'm sorry me and my brothers took your Uncle. But, when Risky said I could eat your brains, to me it meant…" Rottytops looked down again. "...we could be more than just…"

Shantae was shocked, "Umm, Rotty, I, don't… I...umm...hehehe…" she pulled her hands away, pressing her fingers together, avoiding eye contact. "Uh oh, I didn't umm...I...umm...hehehe...I don't know how…I, Uh…Rotty I don't know how to..."

Rottytops took one more step, until their noses nearly touched, Shantae quivering with embarrassment as she showed her teeth.

Shantae took a deep breath, "Rotty, I care about you, but I'm a genie, I don't know if…"

"Give me a chance, to dance with you again." Rottytops said, gently holding Shantae's hands and losing herself in her eyes.

The Half-Genie Hero was nervous, unable to look back. In short time, she glanced up, seeing Rottytops smile, and she couldn't help but return a grin.

"Shantae, Rottytops, get out of the way!" Risky shouted.

They watched as a troop of mermaids approached behind the two of them, bursting out of the ocean sphere and crashing into the deck. There were seven of them, splashing on the Tinker Tub, their voices humming like a song as they held their tridents high. They shot electric bubbles everywhere, the Scuttle Town Heroes dodging as quickly as they could.

"Get off of my ship!" Risky Boots screamed, summoning more tinkerbats from the water, firing her flintlock.

Shantae and Rottytops separated, and the Half-Genie summoned flames around her fists. "Flamethrower!" she pressed her hands together and tossed fire at the mermaids.

Rottytops groaned in anger, her eyes glowing, "Don't touch her!" her fingernails grew, sharpening the edges before she ran forward and slashed them at the mermaids.

Suddenly a bright light flashed in the arms of one of the invaders, Risky Boots feeling pain in her chest as it spread throughout the area.

"What is this?" the Pirate Queen fell to her knees.

Bolo glanced at the origin of the light, "That's the Light Crystal!"

A blue haired mermaid covered her eyes as she held the Light Crystal from under Sequin Land's ocean above her head, it's brilliance nearly blinding everyone.

Shantae felt her dark powers weakening, "Why do they have it?"

Rottytops lost most of her strength, tripping and falling on her rear, "No, No...stay away from Snack Cakes!"

Without warning, a mermaid thrusted her trident around Rottytops' neck, then pushed her off of the ship, jumping away and into the ocean. Rottytops tried to break free, but was locked in the grip of the weapon. The mermaid swam toward the underwater city, taking her captive with her.

"Rottytops!" Shantae struggled to stand. Her eyes turned yellow and blue, feeling her Light Magic returning from the crystal's influence. "Trans…" she danced, waving her hands in the air, "...form!" a puff of smoke appeared around her, and she transformed into a spider. She aimed her abdomen at the mermaids, stringing web around them, disabling their movement.

"Get them!" Risky Boots commanded, taking advantage of the situation and charging with her scimitar.

The mermaids used their slime coat to slide out of the web, narrowly avoiding the Pirate Queen's strike. They flopped to the side of the ship, jumping back into the water, retreating to the ocean floor.

Sky ran back up to the deck, breathing heavily as she leaned against her knees, "Darn, they took Rottytops, didn't they?"

"Rottytops!" Shantae cried. "What do they want from her?" As the light magic faded from the area, she transformed back into her genie form.

"Oh, no." Bolo uttered, holding his head down.

"Those damn mermaids," Risky Boots walked with Shantae to the edge of the Tinker Tub, helplessly watching as the mermaids took their friend into the mysterious underwater city, "but we're close. We won't let them have her, runt. I promise we'll get her back."

.

.

[End of Book 1]