This story is intended to be wholesome and for most viewers. However…
*This story contains others’ properties that aren’t my own. Credits are given at the end of the story.
*This story features LGBTQ characters, with a transgender main character.
*This story touches on themes of transphobia and xenophobia.

 Shantae and the Return of Embra

“So, today’s the day?” Star asked.

“Sounds like it,” Aurora answered. “Embra’s already at the hanger. Sounded like she wanted to get a little more practice in…”

“Practice?”

Aurora pressed her hand on a panel next to the door. A beep and a click later, and the metal door opened for them. The two saw Embra, with a bow and a quiver full of arrows, as she quickly fired off several shots at some moving targets. She missed a couple of shots, but they landed, for the most part (albeit haphazardly).

“You’re trying archery, sis?” Star asked.

Embra wiped away some sweat, showing the scar over her left eye, normally hidden by over two weeks of hair growth. “Yeah. I figured I might have some hunting skills from mom and dad, so I wanted to see what I could do with a bow…”

“Emilia’s tool of choice, right?”

“Yup! I think I’m doing pretty well, seeing as I only started trying the other day…”

“I’ve seen what you can do with that Shade Magic of yours. I can only imagine what you could do with a bow… With some more training, of course!” Aurora suggested. “Me? I prefer my Solar Blasters.” She pulled a small, high-tech gun device from her belt and showed it off.

“Solar Blasters, as in weapons that use light?” Star willed her Shine Magic forward, causing her hands to glow. She mischievously grinned. “Now why would I need that?”

Aurora grumbled. “It’s not easy being a Siren whose only ability is life-force draining. That’s something every Siren has. Unlike the big ones, I don’t have fancy abilities, so I have to rely on my brain…” She had a thought at that moment. “Wait, Star, think I could have your help for a moment?”

“What for?”

“Give me a moment, I need to empty out one of these…” Aurora aimed her Solar Blaster into the open skies beyond the hanger. She adjusted a nob to cause the back display to turn a deep red. “You two might want to stand back…” Embra and Star moved behind her. When she was sure they were safe, she pressed the trigger, unleashing a huge yellow beam that could have been seen for miles. It only lasted a second or two before it stopped, and the display showed a gray “x.”

“Yikes, Aurora, you’ve been holding on to that?!” Embra exclaimed.

“I didn’t think it was all that special, at least compared to Star’s powers. After all, that was everything this could do…”

“I could have probably made that last a lot longer…” Star admitted.

“Speaking of… Star, if you could, make your hand glow, and place it on top…”

Star followed the instruction. The display changed, showing a sun symbol filling a rectangular tube.

“Ah ha! It works! Star’s light can recharge the Solar Blasters!” She watched the display fill up fast. “A lot faster than natural sunlight, it seems…”

“So that’s what you bring to a fight? These energy guns?” Embra asked.

Aurora nodded. “I mean, I could bite and scratch… Or use the life force drain… But I much prefer to stay away from things trying to kill me. Usually, I keep them on a lower power…”

“I got to hand it to you, though, if you really needed to, that full-power blast would make any one monster go away really quickly!” Star suggested, grinning.

“Heh, let’s just hope I don’t have to use that. A lot more than the monster would be gone, if you get what I’m saying…” Aurora turned to Embra. “So, we’re heading to Scuttle Town, right?”

“Yup! I know what we’re going to start with…” Embra replied.

=== Scuttle Town. ===

“Shantae, there’s a Siren airship coming in!” Sky called out.

“I’m on my way!” she replied, dropping the map she was looking at.

She ran with Sky towards the docks, where sure enough, there was a Siren Cargo ship slowing its descent towards the water. Pontoons extended from the ship’s frame, and it landed in the water, gliding along its surface gently as it slid towards the dock.

The hatch door on the side opened to reveal Embra and Star.

“Embra! Star! It’s great to see you two again!” Shantae shouted as she raced towards them.

“Hang on…” Embra said, holding a rope in her hands. She proceeded to tie it to the side of the ship, then to the docks. “Okay, Aurora, we’re good!”

The Siren girl joined them on the dock. She looked a bit nervous.

“Aurora too? It’s nice to see you again!” Shantae greeted her. Aurora blushed, looking a bit more at ease. Shantae turned to Embra. “Have a plan, I take it?”

“I do, but first… I’m making a team to fight back against Cliff Town. Star and Aurora are just the start!” Embra stated proudly.

“That’s great! I have my hands full with Scuttle Town right now…”

“I get it. I wasn’t going to ask you to join… At least, not for the whole fight.”

“What do you mean?”

“Embra wants to help Sam and Andy first,” Aurora explained. “She wants to see if she can set things right where they’re from before it’s too late…”

Embra nodded. “I know Sam will want to help out, and we’ll need their help, but I was wondering – seeing as you’ve been trying to help the displaced half-genies yourself – if you could join us too…”

Shantae looked back. The city’s other half-genies were there now (including Misty, which was a rarity she was even on land, seeing as she loved her mermaid form so much). Elaina stepped forward. “Shantae, I think we can handle it for a few days while you help out Sam and Embra. After all, I got all that Shine Magic knowledge from Star, and Misty’s taking to her Hydro Magic quickly. Scuttle Town should be safe.”

Shantae smiled and nodded. “Thank you!” She turned to Embra and her team. “Whenever you need me, I’ll be ret-2-go!”

Aurora tilted her head. “Ret two go?” she asked, genuinely confused.

“’Ready to go,’” Star explained, shaking her head. “I think it’s a sort of catchphrase…”

Shantae sighed, looking a bit defeated. “Yeah, pretty much. Just asking, but just how much have you interacted with people before?”

“Uh, I know the years started blending together down in the Squid Pit when all of us Sirens were trapped down there…” Aurora responded.

“Oh… Yikes…” Shantae muttered.

“Before we go, there’s a couple of things I’d like to take care of in town first,” Embra suggested.

“Sure thing! I’ll get Sam, and we can head out whenever you’re ready!” Shantae replied.

=== Scuttle Town Market. ===

Sam was out getting supplies they thought they needed for the trip. Shantae told them that Embra and Star had arrived with another to try to take back Jeweled Cove. Sam didn’t like the idea of leaving Andy alone, but Scuttle Town so far had proven safe and accepting of them, even if Sam got odd looks from some of the townsfolk from time to time.

But as Sam approached the equipment shop, they could hear people whispering about something. They decided they had to ask. “What’s going on?”

The dancer girls turned to them. “Oh, it’s that Siren girl that arrived earlier. We heard rumors about them from those who visited their island a while ago, but she’s just the cutest thing!” one of them gushed.

“Oh my gosh, that girl’s enthusiasm for everything is infectious!” agreed the other. “I don’t know how, but that smile of hers is just so cute!”

“A cute Siren? This I have to see…” Sam muttered. Their family had some troubles with the Sirens before…

Sure enough, they didn’t have to go far to find the Siren. Aurora and Star were just making their way out of an equipment shop, Aurora holding a large stack of goods, while Star was shaking her head.

“You didn’t have to buy everything, you know! Sure, we got some serious funds from both Northern Light and the Sirens, but stuff like that is expensive!” Star groaned.

Aurora seemed to be ignoring her, lighting up over the things she found. “I can’t believe they had castable energy bolts that don’t require magic! That’s so cool! Now I can cook fish without having to set up a fire or grill!” Aurora gushed, grinning.

Sam saw the grin themselves, and they had to admit, that round, freckled face of hers combined with that glowing personality of hers made it all too easy to see past the fact she had razor teeth. Okay, she is kind of adorable… Sam thought.

Star noticed Sam watching and walked up to them. She held her hand out. “You must be Sam. I’m Star, Northern Light’s official Guardian. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you!”

Sam grabbed her hand. “Former Guardian of Jeweled Cove. Sam, and if you don’t mind…”

“They and them, right? Don’t worry, I got the memo earlier. And my own sister has her own crazy journey, so I know to respect what people want to be called.”

Sam breathed a sigh of relief. “You don’t know how tiring that gets sometimes. Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it!” Star replied with a smile.

Aurora gently placed her stack of goods down and ran up to Sam, grabbing their hand with both of hers. “Hi! I’m Aurora! Siren cargo pilot.” She introduced herself, shaking their hand with some considerable energy.

“Aurora, tone it down a little, will you?” Star asked.

“Oh! Sorry! Just… I haven’t been a part of human society before, and it’s all so new and exciting for me!” Aurora explained, blushing a little.

“Wait…” Sam muttered, looking at her closer.

Their intense stare was making Aurora uncomfortable. “Uh… Is everything okay?”

Sam looked in thought for a moment, before asking something: “Would you have known a young man some years ago, let him go after he was captured by your people?”

Aurora’s eyes widened. “How’d you know? I’ve told a few people about that, but it’s not exactly common knowledge just yet…”

“When I was too young to remember, my dad went out to sea. The town almost considered him lost, until he came back a few days after he vanished. He told us he was kidnapped by the Sirens, who were going to feast on his life force, but he was given to a young Siren who barely tasted his life force before turning around and helping him escape…”

“Wait, that sounds familiar…” Star realized.

“He even described the Siren: human-like, with turquoise fins, messy green hair, and blue freckles. Oh, and a ‘cute round face.’ That’s you, isn’t it?”

Aurora nodded. “Yeah. I still hate the idea of consuming sentient beings to this day… What… What does he say about me?”

“He actually hopes he can see you again one day, so he can thank you for helping him survive.”

“I… I think I’d like that!” Aurora said, the thought bringing her a smile and a couple of tears.

“Seeing as we’re going to Jeweled Cove, maybe we’ll get the chance?” Star wondered aloud.

“Maybe…” Sam muttered. And I should thank him too, for helping me escape…

=== Embra’s Home, Scuttle Town. ===

Shantae noticed Embra had taken a detour. She followed Embra to Embra’s home in Scuttle Town… The same one she was nearly assassinated in a few weeks ago. Shantae was curious, but she didn’t want to intrude…

Minutes passed by. Nothing. She isn’t in any danger here… Right? she thought. A few more minutes pass. Something didn’t sit well with Shantae about this… So she walked up and knocked. “Embra? Are you okay in there?”

Shantae slowly opened the door. She saw Embra standing in the middle of the room. She was shaking slightly. “Embra?”

“S-sorry,” Embra stammered, “I didn’t think coming back here would be so hard…”

Shantae moved up to console her when she heard a faint voice come from somewhere nearby…

“It’s okay,” said a quiet woman’s voice, “you don’t get over these things quickly. It takes time to heal wounds like that…”

Shantae took a step back. “Who was that?!”

“Oh, right, you don’t know.” Embra pulled a glowing crystal from her pocket. “This is Amanda…”

“What? A crystal?”

“A… A soul crystal. This is what happens to people in Cliff Town, whether they’re willing or tricked, this is what becomes of them… I… I couldn’t save her from this fate, but I can keep her soul safe from harm… Maybe find her a new body one day…”

“That’s horrible! I can’t believe Cliff Town even does that!” Shantae growled. “But… Can’t you just get her old body back?”

Embra shook her head. “No. They hauled her body away after her body admitted to being transformed. I’m certain they destroyed her body…”

Shantae was furious. “What is their problem?! Can’t they just leave things alone? Why do they have to dictate what happens to everyone?!”

“Victor is a control freak. And now he has no soul of his own, he’s capable of anything.”

“No kidding. I’d have no problems at all sending a fireball to him where the sun doesn’t shine…”

“Pft, you and me both!” Embra chuckled.

“Me too,” said the voice from the little crystal.

“May I?” Shantae asked, pointing to the crystal.

“Sure! I’m sure she’d like to meet you!” Embra held out her hands, the soul crystal within them.

Shantae placed her hand on it. It was warm… It was warm because the person within was a warm, gentle person, she realized. “Hello there! I’m Shantae!”

“Amanda! Kinda strange, meeting someone like this…”

“Likewise… Are you okay?”

“It kinda hurt, and I can’t feel much… But it sounds like I’m basically a rock right now, so it makes sense.”

“Well, I know you’re in good company. Embra is such a nice girl, and I know she goes above and beyond helping people. You’ll have a body in no time!”

“Thank you! I’d be crying right now, but you know, no tear ducts.” This got the half-genies to chuckle, Amanda joining in.

“You know what? You’ll be okay if you keep your spirits up like that!”

“Thank you! And I hear about you from Embra a lot; she can’t thank you enough for saving her that day!” Embra heard this and blushed.

“I’ll bet! It’s been nice talking to you, Amanda, and I hope we get the chance to meet, person to person!”

“Me too!”

“Alright, I’m putting you back in my pocket now, okay?” Embra asked.

“Of course!”

Embra slid Amanda’s crystal back into her pocket.

“I think I needed that. Thank you, Shantae,” Embra said.

“Don’t mention it! I probably don’t need to say this, but keep her safe, will you?”

“Of course!”

“So, you came here to try to confront what happened?”

“Yeah… I hoped I had moved on, but Amanda’s right; I’m not going to get over this any time soon…”

“Well, if it’s any consolation, you have a lot of good friends and family to help you through it. I know you’ll be okay!”

“Th-thank you!”

“For now, though, need any help with anything?”

“No, just looking around, seeing if there’s anything I want to-“ but before she could finish, Embra saw something behind Shantae she hadn’t noticed before. It was a long and narrow box sitting by the door. It stood out with its visage of a starry sky, just like the box her genie outfit came in! “What the…” she said as she walked up to it. “Where did this come from?”

“I don’t know, but that has to be a gift from Lumina…”

“Oh, I don’t doubt it. Apparently, she sent Star birthday gifts in boxes just like this…” Embra pried open one of the ends. She grabbed the metal object within and pulled it out.

A sky-blue metal staff, matching her outfit, being just like the one she used early on.

“Hey, look at that! There’s a note on the other end!” Shantae pointed out.

Embra looked at the note:

“I heard you used a staff just like this, but it wasn’t good enough to survive a strong monster’s jaw. This should be as strong and as light as you need! It’s also hollow like your last one, with nothing but air inside, sealed off from the light. I hope you like it, and that it proves useful in your adventures to come! – Lumina”

Embra gave her new tool a swing and a twirl. No doubt it was made from magical forces, as there’s no way this should be this light or flow this easily through the air. It was perfectly balanced too! “Thank you, Lumina,” Embra said with a smile.

“Wow, that’s so cool! But why did she mention it’s hollow?” Shantae asked.

“Watch this!” Embra threw the staff away from her, then she put up her hand. She reached for the darkness contained in the hollow interior and called it back to her. The internal darkness pulled the staff along with it, causing it to return to Embra’s hand. “That’s why!” Embra said with a grin. “No light inside means it’s filled with darkness – darkness I can manipulate!”

“Your powers are amazing, Embra! I wish I could do some of the stuff you can do!”

“Says the extroverted dancer to the shady introvert that quietly wishes she had a shred of the confidence said dancer has…” Embra joked.

“Ha ha! We’re that different, aren’t we? Well, I think we should get back with the rest. They’re probably waiting on us…”

=======

Shantae and Embra met up with Sam, Star, and Aurora once more. Aurora had finished moving her haul of goods she purchased from the market to her ship, and was now traveling lighter, although she still was carrying a bunch of packs of one-use magic items – after all, she didn’t have much else to lean on.

Star was the first to notice Embra’s new tool. “Woah, Embra, where’d you get that staff?! It looks just like…”

“Like my outfit?” Embra finished for her. “Lumina made it for me. It was wrapped in one of her boxes in my home here…”

“Oh…” Star muttered. She knew that going back to that place likely shook Embra.

“Don’t worry, she’s okay!” Shantae reassured her.

“Yeah, Shantae helped me through it. I’ll be okay,” Embra added.

“As for the task at hand, how are we going to get to Jeweled Cove?” Aurora asked.

“Well, most would take the slightly longer way around, going around the jungle between here and there by straddling the edge of the Baron Desert. But you’re wide open and visible from there…” Sam explained.

Shantae remembered when they tried that route only a few days ago. They were chased away by energy weapon fire well before they even got close to town… “So, what are we going to do, Sam?”

“My dad taught me a path through the jungle. It’s thick, miserable, and filled with monsters, but you can sneak in and out of the cove if you know where to go. That’s how I got Andy and myself out. That’s probably our way in, too.”

“Well, Sam, it looks like you know the way. Why don’t you take the reins for now?” Embra suggested.

Sam led the group onward. Shantae knew this was going to be a long trip. She and Sam had only gotten back yesterday from their last trip. Sure enough, while the jungle route was shorter, it didn’t feel like they were moving all that fast. They slogged through it, fighting all sorts of weird monsters that took to the sticky, humid undergrowth of the jungle. Many of them were covered in fungi and moved in strange ways (Shantae swore she saw a few moldy Tinkerbats that looked lost along the way). Fortunately, as a group of five, they were able to dispatch anything that got in their way quickly.

Even still, night began to fall, and they needed a place to sleep. Fortunately, Sam knew of a clearing they could use, as they had used it as they escaped town. Although Sam’s camp was still there, the leftover campfire wasn’t going to do them any good, at once too charred from use and too soggy from several rains. Sam worked to get a new fire going as the rest set up camp.

With everything set up, they decided to chat for a while before trying to sleep.

“… Honestly, I’m kind of envious of the rest of your powers,” Sam admitted to the other half-genies.

“Why’s that?” Aurora asked.

“Oh, I have Seer Magic. I mean, Star gets to control light, Shantae gets to dance her way to cool powers, and Embra has that mysterious package of shadow powers, or so I’ve heard… And I just see things.”

Aurora’s eyes lit up as her curiosity was peaked. “See things? Like what?” She moved in closer. “Can you see energy? Are there physical things we can’t see or touch without the sight? Do you see dead people?” she fired off, inching closer to Sam with each question.

Star rolled her eyes and chuckled. “Now you’ve done it…”

Aurora was inches away from Sam’s face, grinning as she eagerly awaited answers to her questions. Sam was leaning back and sweating nervously. “Now I’ve done what, exactly?”

“Meet the Siren’s resident magic nut. You’ll probably want to tell her everything you know about your powers. She’s not going to take no for an answer now. Trust me on that,” Star explained, speaking from experience.

“O-okay… Well…” Aurora pulled out a little notepad and a pencil as Sam began to explain all they knew about Seer Magic. Aurora’s genuine interest and laser focus on listening got the rest to chuckle, and even put Sam at ease.

Still, Shante knew a lot about the powers from her own time with Plink’s powers back when she fought the Sirens, so none of this was new to her. Besides, there was something more pressing she needed to know about…

She tapped Embra on the shoulder. “Hey, can we talk about something important for a minute?” Shantae asked Embra, whispering.

“What about?”

“The Magic Lamp. I know you recently had it and hid it.”

Embra’s eyes darted around. She didn’t see anything hiding in the darkness, but she couldn’t be sure there wasn’t something hiding in the thick jungle around them, listening. “Not here. Follow me.”

Embra took Shantae to a darker spot just outside the camp. She turned, waved for Shantae to follow before stepping forward and disappearing completely. Shantae nervously followed, and when she took the step through the shadow gate, she nearly stumbled when her foot hit hard rock instead of soft mud like she was expecting.

Embra caught her. “Sorry, I didn’t want anyone in our world to listen in. I can’t have Cliff Town getting their hands on the Lamp again…”

“Okay, but where are we?”

“I’ll be blunt: we’re in the old world.”

“What?!” Shantae yelled.

“Sshh! We can talk, but we shouldn’t yell!”

“Sorry, but how can you do that?”

“Well, it turns out I can use my shadow gate powers to reach anywhere I can recall, even if it’s in another universe. And it just so happens I have a new ability that allows me to travel to other worlds as a spirit…”

“Wow, your Shade Magic is amazing…”

“Oh, that’s not Shade Magic. I apparently developed ‘dimensional astral projection’ as the quirk of being magic and mortal. I wound up in this very alley when I first started using the power. That said, it combines really well with what I have…”

“No kidding! I can do warp dances, but I have to know specific dances for each place. And I have to be taught them, so if no one knows, I can’t know either…”

“Ouch…”

“Anyway, you brought me here because you didn’t want anyone from our world to overhear where you hid the Lamp?”

“Right! It’s a bit of a tale… You see, I wound up on Tan Line Island, back before I ventured up to Northern Light. They, um, mistook me for-”

“Their princess?” Shantae sighed.

“How did you-?”

“Same thing happened to me. That metal bikini really chaffed…”

“Guardians, I hated that thing. Those dolts couldn’t keep me locked up, though, and I used my Shade Magic to escape and grab all my stuff. I was just leaving when I ran into the real princess, back from a shopping trip she left for less than an hour before…”

“Oh my gosh, it’s almost exactly what happened to me!”

“Did you stuff the shaman in the metal bikini too? Because I actually did that.” Embra said matter-of-factly.

Shantae dropped to the ground as she laughed hard. “HAHAHAHA! You don’t know how much I wanted to do that myself! You actually did it?!”

Embra chuckled as she nodded. “But when I had to hide the Lamp from Cliff Town, I realized their idiocy could be used to my advantage…”

--- A few weeks ago, Tan Line Temple. --- 

The shaman paced around his room. He had been in hot water ever since he mistook more than a few different people for the princess. She tried to replace him with a wandering stranger, but he was fired for incompetence (namely, converting the statue of her into a long-range cannon).

He got his job back, but he did the same to a blue-haired girl about a month and a half ago, and she made sure he didn't forget that. (Namely, sticking HIM in the princess outfit he had her wear.) If he made a mistake now, the princess would surely have his head!

{Okay, she wouldn't; she's too mellow and sweet about it - she even let the last guy off easily and gently. But this guy doesn't realize that.}

He needed to find the PERFECT vessel for her. It had to be flawless. Beautiful. Shiny. This was for the princess, after all!

As he paced around in his worries, he heard a metallic clink from behind a curtain. He pulled it aside to see it: gold, shiny, simple yet beautiful. This was it! It was PERFECT!

He quickly grabbed the lamp - never realizing where it came from or what it actually was - and raced out the door.

"Hear me, everyone, and rejoice, for I have found the perfect vessel... For the princess's homemade barbeque sauce!"

Embra heard this from the echoes, and she was smiling, knowing that no one would figure out where that lamp went. No one was going to think the most dangerous magical object in the world was going to be used as a saucepan…

------

Shantae was rolling around on the pavement, laughing so hard, she was crying. “Th-that’s great! They filled the Magic Lamp with barbeque sauce?!”

“Yup. Snuck into the place later to see for myself. It reeks… I hear it tastes amazing, though.”

This just got Shantae to laugh harder. “Ha ha ha! Please, Embra, I don’t know how much more I can take!”

“Heh, sorry! But that’s the truth!”

Shantae rolled herself onto her hands and knees and took a few deep breaths. She got up and wiped away the tears, with a big grin still on her face. “Okay… Phew… I needed that. The past few weeks have been awful.”

“I know. We’re working on it… But remember, we can’t speak a word of this to anyone. We can’t have Cliff Town finding out about the Lamp.”

“Are you even sure that will work? After all… They knew your old name. I asked Star, and she didn’t even remember it…”

“I was thinking that too. It may be that I’m only buying it some time… But I’m going to make sure I don’t slip up until that happens. I’m making sure it’s not my fault.” Embra looked down. “You know, it’s funny. I haven't heard that name ever since I left Northern Light thirteen years ago. And I only heard it before I left and after I started expressing myself because of the Mayor… Because of Victor. He wouldn’t let me be who I wanted to be. And I only started hearing the name again because he made a deal with demons to figure out who I was.”

“Does it bother you?”

“You know, you would think with the body I have, I wouldn’t suffer from dysphoria anymore. I am the girl I wanted to be. But then there are things like that, reminders of who I was, and it comes back, even now… It’s a lot easier to deal with because of my new body, but it hasn’t fully gone away… It’s frustrating!”

“I’m so sorry, Embra.”

“It’s okay. Things are a lot better, doomsday from Cliff Town aside. But thank you!” Embra said with a smile. “Anyway, we should get back to the rest. They’ll probably notice we’re gone before too long…

=======

“… And I think that’s everything I know. Phew…” Sam finished.

Aurora nodded as she finished jotting down notes in her little notepad. “Thank you! I mean, I get some books on the stuff, our own research, but first-hand accounts are a lot better! It’s not theoretical, it’s actual information!”

Sam turned to Star. “You had to go through that too?”

“Shine Magic is very versatile, so it took hours! We had to make time for bathroom breaks!” Star admitted.

“Sorry… It’s just… Genie magic really fascinates me…” Aurora admitted.

“No, I think I get it. Star and I were born with these powers, so we don’t think about them being special all the time. But they are to those who either don’t have them or got them recently, and they’re going to want to learn more about them. I imagine Embra likely still has a sense of wonder over what she can do…” Sam looked around, but they couldn’t see her. “Speaking of, where is she?”

“I saw Shantae and her walk over to a darker spot and disappear. It seemed like Shantae wanted to talk about something very sensitive, so Embra must have taken them somewhere else to talk about it. They’ll be fine,” Star explained.

“Okay.” Sam turned to Aurora. “Now, I want to ask you something: just who is Aurora? Who are you, as a person?”

“Oh, um, well, you already know I tend to go a little crazy over learning about magic… And I’m a Siren…”

“But I’ve heard tales of the Sirens. Up until recently, most captured and consumed people for their lifeforce. And yet, you wouldn’t – or couldn’t – do it when you were given the chance…”

“I… I like people. A lot. I don’t know why. I grew up with the Sirens. I was born as one. Up until recently, I never interacted with human societies. But when I saw people for the first time, I didn’t see another creature, a food source. I saw something, someone I could interact with, befriend. When I was little, I did occasionally swim ashore and played with human kids. I think that really influenced me. They didn’t look like Sirens, but they welcomed me in, let me play with them. After that, it never felt right to me that they could be considered ‘food.’”

“It sounds like just being around humans was enough to influence who you became.”

“Probably. I admit, I’ve been trying to find a partner for some time. I don’t seem to have a preference, and yet, I can’t seem to just be with anyone… It’s like I got to connect with them, if you get what I’m saying… And after being sealed up in the Squid Pit for years, I lost my taste for a Siren partner completely.”

“I think Embra might know more about what you feel. She said the old world had all sorts of terms for different preferences, so she could probably help you figure it out,” Star suggested.

“So what, exactly, happened in this Squid Pit?” Sam asked.

To both the half-genies’ surprise, Aurora started shaking. “I… I’d rather not talk about it. Please.” Aurora remembered it all too well… She did things to survive while trapped in there she was not proud of… She remembered that, when the doors finally opened, many of the Sirens jumped at the opportunity to escape. She, however, was so traumatized by what she had done over the years that she was still shivering in a corner when she watched Shantae race through to stop the core meltdown. Shantae never noticed her… But she was glad, as she wasn’t ready to be around anyone at the time. She was glad that people were now giving her the chance to be something other than what she felt she had become… A monster.

Star put her hand on Aurora’s shoulder. “It’s okay. If you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to. If that changes one day, I’ll be there for you.”

“Th-thank you.”

Star had heard things while living on Siren Island the past couple of weeks, about how some Sirens had survived being sealed away… She knew by Aurora’s reaction that she must have done something drastic to survive, and it deeply traumatized her. It made sense she wanted to be anywhere else other than Siren Island, jumping on the opportunity to go to Northern Light or join the fight against Cliff Town. She realized Aurora wanted to be seen in a better light than she might think of herself in…

“Thank you, Aurora,” Sam said with a slight bow. “I’m glad that you’re just this kindhearted person that just wants to be around people. I admit, after some of the people of my town were lost to them, I was wary of a Siren. But you? I’m not afraid of you. You’re just a friendly, warmhearted person.”

To Sam’s surprise, Aurora hugged them.

“Okay, we missed a lot.” The three turned to see Embra and Shantae. Shantae’s eye’s looked a little puffy, but she couldn’t stop grinning. Clearly, she was in a good mood.

Aurora immediately backed off, her face bright red. “I-um…”

“No, you’re okay,” Sam reassured her. “It just looks like you needed that, I get it.”

Embra leaned over to Star. “What did I miss?” she whispered.

“I’ll explain later…”

“We should probably start getting some sleep,” Sam suggested. “We’re not very far from Jeweled Cove, but we still have more jungle to fight through and whatever might happen when we get to town…”

“You’re probably right. Who’s going to be the night watch?” Shantae asked.

“I’ll do it,” suggested Embra. “After all, who else has night vision like mine?”

=== Late the next day. ===

Even though they got up early in the morning, they still had a ways to go before they would make it to Jeweled Cove. The jungle undergrowth was relentless. The sky was already turning orange again by the time Sam got them to stop.

“Oh come on! Can’t we keep going?” Star asked, groaning.

“I think I’ve had enough of the jungle already…” Shantae added.

“Actually, we’re here.” Sam pulled aside some brush to reveal the hilly city locked within a cove. The buildings sparkled like gemstones. “Welcome to Jeweled Cove!”

“Ooooh, so pretty!” Aurora gushed.

“Well, we know where the name comes from. How does everything sparkle like that?” Embra asked.

“It seems our town gets an influx of some glass-like substance from the ocean. It sparkles in the light and comes in a wide variety of colors, so we used it to decorate our homes. The rest is history after that. Sparkly buildings in a cove; Jeweled Cove.”

“Sam, what should we be expecting? What was going on before you were chased away?” Embra asked.

“There had been power struggles for a while. The mayor is a kindhearted man, but he’s getting on in his years... He’s a bit susceptible to suggestion nowadays. Recently, a group of power-hungry guys has been trying to take control. I had been keeping them in line, keeping them away from the mayor. However, the balance shifted when the creepy bunch in blue robes came to town…”

“Cliff Towners…” Embra muttered.

“It happened fast. They got in the mayor’s ear, and the thugs I dealt with added to it. Between Cliff Town ideology and the thug group’s hate for me, things became dangerous fast. My dad taught me the jungle route out of town… It probably saved my life.”

Embra thought about it for a minute. “So, we have two problems: one, we have Cliff Town agents speaking directly to the mayor, manipulating him. Two, we have this group of thugs that want power in the city, and your suggestion is they’re willing to hurt people.”

“Sounds about right.”

“We have to cut off Cliff Town’s influence from the mayor, and we have to deal with the gang. Sam, if we got a kindhearted voice to speak directly to the mayor, that might influence him?”

“I don’t know how you’re going to get close. Cliff Towners circle him like a bunch of vultures…”

“I got an idea about that… Astral projection, my magic-mortal quirk. I can venture in as a disembodied spirit and speak to him directly, try to sway him,” Embra suggested.

“But if the mayor starts swinging away from the gang or Cliff Town, they’ll retaliate,” Sam suggested.

“Then we take care of the gang and the Cliff Towners,” Star suggested, pounding her fists together, mortifying Shantae.

“I keep forgetting you have that brutal side…” Shantae muttered.

“Let’s wait until night falls. We can take them by surprise under the cover of night,” Embra suggested. “Sam, I need a lookout to protect my body while I’m projecting. With your Seer Magic, you should be able to see things coming before they reach me – and I hear you’ve been trained in combat arts pretty well.”

“That I have!” Sam admitted with pride. “I’ll keep you safe.”

“Meanwhile, Star and Shantae, you go down into the city and round up the gang and Cliff Towners. Aurora, you do the same, but I think we can use your affinity for swimming to position yourself elsewhere in town, coming in from the other side through the ocean. Think you’ll be okay on your own for a while?”

“I can handle it!” suggested Aurora.

“Alright! Sam, before we get started, give us anything else you need us to know…” Embra suggested.

=======

Embra was going off her memory, which fortunately was pretty good. She had to memorize Sam’s maps, as she can’t exactly carry anything as a projection. She ducked by a nearby fence when she saw the mayor’s residence. Cliff Town guards. Too easy to tell with those blue robes and dead eyes.

Embra knew her current state could be seen, but she wondered if that could be changed… She thought of being less visible, and the color drained from her appearance. She could see her own outline, but she was fairly certain no one else would notice. She tested it out, walking in front of the guards. No reaction. She walked right up to them, and she began waving her arms. No reaction.

Perfect. Let’s just hope the mayor can hear me… Embra walked ahead and up to the door. She instinctively started reaching for the doorknob to open it. Oh, right, I don’t need to do that. She stepped through the door, phasing through it.

She saw the mayor – an older man indeed, likely older than Mimic – sitting in a rocking chair, comforting himself with slow sways, likely getting ready for bed.

“Um, excuse me, sir?” she called out to him.

“Wh-what?! Who’s there?!” he yelled, jumping up from his chair.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you, but you can’t see me. I’m… A friendly spirit.”

“A spirit, talking to me, why?”

“Your people are in great danger.”

“I know that! That’s what the young ones and those robed priest fellas keep telling me.”

“They are the ones that are dangerous,” Embra said, concern filling her voice.

“Bah! What do you know? The town has been much safer since they came around.”

“Please, mayor, you have to listen!”

He looked at the clock on his wall. “Oh, right, the purification ritual. I almost forgot about that. Those priest folks say it will give me clarity…”

“Oh no…” Embra muttered under her breath.

======

Raymond had always been a bit weaker and slower since his encounter with the Sirens. He had relied on his child, Sam, to help him take care of things around town, but they were gone. The gang had forced them out, with the help of those blue-robed creeps from Cliff Town. Since they fled, the gang has been stealing money from the townsfolk, hurting people who don’t play along, and all the while, the gang was using the Cliff Towners to tell the mayor everything was peaceful.

He had enough. He was going to get something solid to show the mayor who the gang really was…

He leaned in closer. He could hear a couple talking…

“So, that creepy device is gonna take the mayor’s soul?”

“Yup, that’s happening tonight! They’ll get others to go through with it afterwards, one by one. As long as we make sure we don’t go through with it, we’ll have a horde of puppets to command! They won’t talk back, and they’ll do whatever we tell them to!”

Raymond was so shocked by the revelation that he lost balance and fell to the ground. Both the thugs noticed him.

“Well, lookie what we have here!” said one, venomously.

“If it isn’t that annoying half-genie’s dad. Those missing drops of life getting to you?”

“You… Aren’t going to get away with this…” he panted.

“I think he needs to learn a lesson, don’t you?” They both pulled out blunt weapons.

But as one raised his bat, it was blasted out of his hand by an energy beam.

“LEAVE HIM ALONE!” yelled Aurora, aiming her Solar Blasters at the thugs.

“What the, a Siren?!”

“Leave this place, this town, now. Or else,” she growled, showing off her razor teeth.

“What’s a pretty-“

Aurora shot a beam, burning the man’s brows. “Consider that a warning shot.”

They scrambled away. Aurora helped Raymond onto his feet.

“It… It’s you!” he said, in awe. “The Siren who let me go all those years ago. You don’t look like you aged a day. You still look like you’re a young woman, and well…”

“Hey, I think you look a bit better… More distinguished, I think humans say? Still, I took something from you, and it’s time I gave it back…” Raymond felt a surge from Aurora’s hands. He felt his vitality come back to him!

“Wow, I feel great! But doesn’t that mean…”

“I get most of the lifeforce I consume from sea life. Crabs in particular have a lot – I just wish I could have gotten that through to my fellow Sirens years ago. I never wanted or needed yours.”

“Thank you! It seems I owe you my life twice now,” he said, rubbing the back of his head, slightly embarrassed. “But, what are you doing here?”

“I’m here on behalf of Sam. I’m here with them and three other half-genies to take the town back! But, I think we might still need some help.”

“If that’s the case, I might know a few people who’d be willing to help…”

“Think they could use magic items? I brought plenty…”

=======

Suddenly, explosions and other strange noises started filling the streets. Gang members were running for their lives.

“Dude, what’s going on?”

“The regulars are fighting back! They suddenly have all sorts of magic stuff!”

“What the? I thought we got rid of that stuff!”

“I’m calling it now, Raymond pulled something.”

“Go get the Cliff Town stockpile! We’re gonna put down this rebellion!”

Just as the first thug started turning around to get to the stockpile, he was suddenly snagged by purple hair and pulled back.

The second gang member couldn’t even get his startled words out before he was sucker-punched by a glowing fist. The only thing that came out of his mouth was teeth.

“It sounds like Aurora might have started a revolt… Wasn’t expecting that,” Star muttered.

“Looks like people here had enough. Looks like we might be able to stop everything after all!”

Both of them felt a chill down their spine. Turning around, they saw two armed Cliff Towners.

“Halfling abominations threaten ascendance and perfection,” they said in creepy unison.

“Wonderful…” Shantae groaned. “These guys, really?”

“Oh, I’ve been waiting to pick a fight with you bunch!” Star said, readying herself.

The two raised their weapons, Shantae struck first, hair-whipping the magic rifle out of the grip of one. Star blasted the other to pieces with a quick light bolt. Undeterred, the two charged forward. Shante leapt back and let her hair do all the work, striking the man again and again from a safe distance. Star wasn’t about to let teeth and rabid clawing deter her from making this personal. She got in close, with fists of light, jabbing with light-enhanced punches. After a short time, both attackers fell. But before their eyes, both fell away into dust and floated away.

“What the?! I’ve never seen that before!” Shantae yelled, shocked.

“Maybe… Maybe it’s because they have no souls? Once their life force expires, there’s nothing left holding them together?” Star wondered aloud.

“Yeah, well, it’s creepy! They were already bad enough!”

“Agreed. We need to take care of the rest of them before more people get hurt…”

=======

“Please, mayor, stop!” Embra shouted.

“Go away, weird spirit girl. You’re not helping. Besides, the purification chair is ready…”

Embra looked up. They were in a theater, and on the stage was one of the soul-sucking machines from Cliff Town. The Cliff Town attendants were beckoning him to them, with smiles on their faces. But it only looked menacing to Embra, who saw this with their cold, soulless eyes.

Embra instinctively lunged forward and grabbed for the mayor’s arm. “IF YOU DO THIS, THEY’LL TAKE YOUR SOUL!” Embra cried.

To both their surprise, the mayor could feel Embra’s grasp.

“What the? How are…”

“How am I doing this?” Embra finished for him.

Slowly, Embra’s visage faded into view. The mayor immediately knew what she was.

“You’re not a spirit, you’re a half-genie!”

“I am. I’m here because of Sam. You remember Sam, right?”

“But they said…”

“That Sam was a problem? They chased them out of town, locked people in their houses, and let you think that these dead-eyed people were your friend! They’re here to make everyone suffer!”

“How do you know?”

“I- wait, why don’t you ask them yourself?” Embra had an idea.

“Okay…” He turned to the attendants. “What’s your plan, priests?”

“We seek to remove the thing keeping all from the truth: the soul,” they answered. “The soul tells us things to do to help end our suffering, but suffering is the truth of the world. Souls must be purged.”

Embra saw the mayor’s horror. The plan worked. They were all too eager to tell people what was up when asked… Maybe because they couldn’t do anything else?

The mayor was enraged. “Why did you chase off our guardian?!”

“You guardian is an abomination, both an unholy merging of magic and mortal and insistent on being something unnatural, neither man nor woman. You cannot change the way you were born…”

“Oh no… Sam tried to warn me something wasn’t right, and I chased them away… I listened to the wrong people!”

“You can still-“ Embra was cut off when she saw more robed figures emerge from the shadows.

“By any means, souls must be purged!” They grabbed the mayor and made a slow procession towards the machine. Embra was helpless, as they walked clean through her.

“Hang on, mayor, I’ll get help!” she yelled, vanishing.

Back up the cliff, Embra’s eyes snapped open, startling Sam. “Sam! You need to come with me right now if we’re going to save the mayor!”

Sam shook off their startledness and grabbed Embra’s outstretched hand. Embra pulled them both back into the theater to save the mayor…

=======

Shantae and Star met up with Aurora, who had been fighting beside Raymond. The public square was being lined up with gang members who had been extorting the town and Cliff Towners who brought their city to suffering. Aurora’s sizable stack of magic goods proved all the townspeople needed to put both in their place. For the people of town, it was clear something was wrong with the Cliff Towners when, while the gang members struggled with their bindings, the Cliff Towners didn’t budge. Emotionless, cold, unmoving. It was eerie.

“So, Aurora, decide to spark a minor revolt?” Star jokingly asked.

“Well…”

“Nah, the spark probably would have been a dropped spoon before long. Still, we appreciate the help, misses?”

“Shantae! Guardian of Scuttle Town!” she introduced herself, shaking Raymond’s hand. “We kept Sam and Andy safe when they fled.”

“Good on you! I worried about my child since they fled. I’m sure Andy’s parents will be happy to hear he’s safe too.

“And I’m Star. Northern Light far to the north is my home, if you’ve heard of it.”

“I think I heard a tale of a city by that name disappearing, but that’s about it.”

“Cliff Town was coming to wipe us out. We escaped, but my home is stuck in another realm until they’re dealt with. I’ve been fighting to ensure my home’s safe return. Hearing Cliff Town was involved here, well, made my blood boil!”

“Well, good to have you both! Where’s my Sam?”

“Keeping watch over our last member, Embra, if I’m not mistaken…” Aurora explained.

“No, something doesn’t feel right. I can’t sense Embra where she was at before…” Star realized.

Another townsperson ran up to them. “The mayor was heading for the theater! That place is crawling with Cliff Towners!”

“Oh no, that’s got to be where they set up the soul-sucking machine!” Star realized.

“Soul-sucking machine?!” Raymond asked in horror.

“We have to get there NOW!” Star shouted.

=======

Sam stumbled behind Embra as she pulled the both of them through a shadow gate into the theater itself. They had already pulled the struggling mayor on-stage.

“Mayor!” Sam yelled, “We’ll save you!”

Embra noticed an attendant setting up the machine. She pulled out her new staff and threw it with precision into the man, knocking him out. Another noticed, stepped over him, and proceeded to continue the setup in his place.

“Abominations will not stop us…” More Cliff Towners stepped out from behind various objects, surrounding the two.

“Uhg, they’re like cockroaches,” Sam muttered.

“We have to stop the machine!” Embra yelled. She’d been thinking about the last time, with Amanda. She wasn’t going to let this one take a single soul this time.

The horde of soulless people lunged at the two. Embra parried her attackers with precise strikes from her staff, trying to make room to move. She’d been training since her last encounter, and she wasn’t going to be overwhelmed so easily this time.

Sam, meanwhile, hadn’t put their moves to use like this for some time. But it was second nature to them. They uppercutted one woman in front of them, finishing her with a follow-up kick upward. Bending back, Sam could see another coming from behind. They continued their foot’s trajectory, doing a backflip while bringing the foot down upon the next attacker. Sam splayed their arms outward, forcing back several more attackers. Sam leapt into the air with a spinning kick, knocking a number of them out.

With a moment to breathe, Sam turned to Embra, who was fighting off another three. “I can take these guys! Stop the machine!”

Embra nodded, dropped down, getting her attackers to collide with each other before she swept their legs out from under them. Instead of hitting solid ground, they fell through their own shadows as she opened up gates beneath them, banishing them elsewhere. Embra raced up to the machine, striking out the robed attendants as they, one at a time, moved to impede her.

They held down the mayor in the chair. The machine whirred to life. Embra thought on the fly, sending the mayor through a shadow gate from his own shadow, sending him home, much to the dumbfounded shock of the attendants. Embra made a running leap onto the top of the machine, creating a sharp shadowform blade at the end of her staff, and stuck it into the machine with all of her might. This caused energy to go critical within the machine, and in a bright flash, it exploded, flinging Embra back and knocking out the Cliff Towners nearby. The dark magic that had powered the machine was scattered everywhere, slowly dissipating.

Embra was still breathing heavily, lying on her back. “Phew, that worked!”

Sam noticed the Cliff Towners backing off. “Um, Embra, something’s wrong…”

=======

Fighting had ensued outside the theater. The people of Jeweled Cove were fighting back with all they had against the Cliff Towners. Led by the team that had come to free them and Raymond, Sam’s father, the people took the mob of invaders by surprise. They were instructed to keep any stronghold safe, even if they had to harm the townsfolk, but they were badly losing now. The crowd inched ever closer to the front doors.

Aurora was trying to find out why the back doors were so heavily guarded. She used some Vanishing Cream to make herself undetectable for a time. That’s when she spotted a metal cage, one big enough and strong enough to transport a particularly large monster.

Something’s not right. I have to get in there…

=======

A red-robed Cliff Towner walked onto the stage from the back. “So, Samantha returns, along with the ultimate abomination, Martin Huntsman…”

Embra felt a twinge of dysphoric shame yet again. Could they just stop with the deadname already?

“Wow, what a way to talk to the town’s official Guardian,” Sam growled. “You bunch really know how to hit a nerve…”

“Embra…” she heard from the voice in her pocket. “I feel… My body… Something isn’t right!”

“Both of you insist on being something you are not. Allow me to show you one who has been purified…”

The curtains pulled back to reveal a massive, demonic looking red dragon monster, breathing heavily. “Haaaaaaaaaate….” it said, in a voice startlingly familiar to Embra.

“No… Oh, Guardians, no!” Embra realized.

“Embra, that’s…” Amanda started.

“Your body…” Embra finished. “What did you do to her?!” Embra screamed.

“This is the truth of those who change themselves. They are monsters. Victor has a way of bringing out the truth. The power of the truth will destroy you. So is the way of life…” explained the insane Cliff Towner as he and the rest of them backed away.

“Embra… You must destroy my body.”

“What?! NO, AMANDA! We can fix this, we-“

“No, I feel it, it’s filled to the brim with so much hate, it might corrupt me if I were to go back into that body… You have to destroy it, for your sake as well as mine!”

“But… Then you might be stuck in the soul crystal forever!”

“It’d be a far worse fate to be a hateful monster forever…”

Embra gritted her teeth. She couldn’t stomach it, but Amanda was right. Embra’s eyes snapped open, tears flowing down her face. “I’m so sorry, Amanda…”

Embra grabbed for her bow. The hate monster screeched as it understood its target’s intent. “HAAAAAAAAAATE!" it bellowed with a deeper version of Amanda's voice.

Embra immediately fired off a flurry of shots as it approached her, arrows sticking in wings, its face, and its belly, but it did not flinch. “Sam, get the others!” she ordered.

“But-“

“Go! I can handle myself!”

Sam nodded. They understood their limits, and they could already tell this monster was more than a match for their powers and skills…

The monster grabbed Embra and threw her across the room. She quickly enveloped herself in a bubble of darkness that dampened her impact on the wall. She kicked the wall, jumping out of the way as the monster charged at her, jaw wide open as it lunged at the wall, crashing into it. Embra formed a long, curved blade on the end of her staff. She sliced away at its legs with her weapon, but it didn’t flinch. Annoyed, it batted her away.

She picked herself out of the pile of theater chairs she landed in, trying to figure out an angle to attack this creature. It seemed to be unfeeling, incapable of feeling any pain. It was in a perpetual rage… Maybe finding a way to calm it down would do something?

Embra switched gears from attacking to dodging. She began to throw sticky shadow globs at it to slow it down. The slower it moved, the more enraged it became. “I HAAAAAAATE YOOOOOOOU!” it roared as it became unable to keep up with the nimble half-genie.

Embra realized she needed to envelop the whole thing if her plan was going to work. Now faster than it, she pulled out her staff. She formed a shadow blob on one end and willed it to grow. She then did the same with the other end before flicking the first onto the monster. She started a fluid motion of flicking each end of the staff, each time throwing a new shadow blob upon the beast. Before long, it had become completely enveloped by a dark field of Embra’s shadows. Not an inch of it was untouched.

Embra closed her eyes and calmed herself. She thought of sitting in the shade of a tree, letting that feeling of cool embrace flow through her. She let these feelings flow to the darkness that enveloped the struggling monster, and it slowed. “Haaaaate?” it seemed to ask, calmly. Slowly, its struggling ceased.

The Cliff Town high priest had been watching from the background. “That can’t be possible… Something must be done…” he muttered.

Embra slowly approached the beast. “You are not a monster. I don’t hate you. It’s okay…” She started rubbing the creature’s snout. “It’s okay…”

The creature closed its eyes. For a brief moment, it appeared content. But it was short lived, as the beast’s body grayed, then slowly fell away into dust. Embra felt it go, and she started to cry.

“It’s okay. In the last moments, I felt the hate leave my body. You did what you had to, Embra,” Amanda tried to reassure her.

“MARTIN!” Embra whirled around to see a charged magic rifle pointed at her. “HOW DARE YOU MESS WITH OUR-“

He stopped in mid-sentence, appearing to recoil from something before turning gray and collapsing into dust himself, revealing Aurora had been behind him.

“Blech!” she coughed, “I hate draining sentient beings to begin with, but he tasted so much worse!”

“Aurora, thank you…” Embra said, tears streaming down her face.

“I…” Aurora wrapped her arms around her stomach. “I don’t…” She coughed, glowing red lines beginning to form around her lips. “I don’t feel so good…” Aurora collapsed where she stood.

“AURORA!” Embra screamed as she lunged for her…

TO BE CONTINUED…

By CrystalSeaDragon44

Credits:

- Various characters and concepts come from and are based off of the Shantae video game series. Such characters and concepts belong to Shantae series creators Matt and Erin Bozon and developer WayForward.