Risky Business

(Cubed Cinder; idea by Twilight Prince)

NOTE from author: Special thanks to Twilight Prince for writing the prologue to give this story a bit of a head start! Also, this story takes place towards the end of Shantae and the Pirate's Curse. As such, there may be spoilers for those who have not played the game. You have been fairly warned, but with that said, please enjoy the story!

"Brrrr!" It had been a long and very cold trek for Shantae. Matter of fact, it's been hot, cold, gross, and just all around topsy-turvy for the former half-genie. Several days back, Risky Boots had told Shantae of the Pirate Master and his plan to revive himself using the dark magic of the Forbidden Islands. By now, though, Shantae had taken out all of the Dens of Evil, retrieved Risky Boot's gear, and had the map to the Pirate Master's grave in her hands. ...But first she had to get back to Risky before becoming a living popsicle! After all, it was pretty darn cold on Frostbite Island! "The sooner I get back to Risky and show her this, the sooner I can get out of this frozen wasteland!" she said to herself, running as fast as her legs could take her back to the docks.

Sure enough, Risky Boots was waiting there for her. Looking a bit blue in the face from the freezing cold, Shantae finally came to a stop in front of her. "Well? Did you take it out?" Risky asked her, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Sure did. By the skin of my teeth!" Shantae replied, though speaking of which, her teeth were chattering by now, "T-Though remind me next time if I come here again for any r-reason...t-to bring some kind of c-coat!"

"Pffah! You wimp." Risky huffed, crossing her arms over her chest, "Still, that should take care of the last source of the Pirate Master's Dark Magic...which means that just leaves his grave. ...Except there's no way to find it...The genies who sealed him away made sure to put him out in the most isolated of places..."

Shantae perked up a bit when she heard this. "Um...what about this?" she asked, holding up the rolled up map she got from the Tinkerbat back in the Abandoned Factory under the ice.

"...! Give me that!" Risky immediately snatched the parchment from Shantae's hands and looked it over. Her face suddenly got a gleeful smile. "Haha! This is it!" she chimed, "This shows the very location of his grave! Now we can go and pay him a personal visit and end this!"

"A-Anything to g-get away from this freezing place!" Shantae replied, still shaking so hard, her knees were clacking.

"Hmph, you don't tolerate the cold that easily, do you? Fine, fine, get on the boat and let's shove off!" Risky replied, getting aboard with Shantae following closely behind.

It wasn't much longer until the two were out at sea once more, heading for the Pirate Master's grave. Though it would take some time before they would arrive. Shantae had gotten a blanket from below deck and wrapped herself in it to warm up from the chill of Frostbite Island, while Risky took the wheel. All the while, Shantae looked at the lamp that Risky had given to her early on in this adventure. She had not only been busy taking out the Pirate Master's sources of Dark Magic, but the Cacklebats that housed some of that Dark Magic itself. By now, she had hunted down twenty of them and absorbed the magic they housed back into the lamp. She still felt cross that it was this very lamp that stole her powers away, making her fully human...even though Risky's items had certainly been of great help and made her powerful in a different manner.

"Ahoy!" Shantae suddenly heard Risky get her attention as the pirate lady came into view. Shantae had noticed that the ship had stopped in the middle of the sea, no island in sight.

"Hm? What's the matter Risky? I don't think we're there yet..." Shantae wondered, feeling that something was a bit off.

"Oh we aren't. I just thought that before we go and kick the Pirate Master's booty two ways to Sunday...I'd want to thank you for your help." Risky? Thanking someone for help? ...That didn't seem off at all.

"Hunh? Um...well, it's no problem." Shantae replied, standing up as the blanket she had draped over her shoulders, "I mean, yeah, I know it's a personal vendetta of yours, but at the same time I'm keeping the Pirate Master from doing anything to Sequin Land."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, all that goodie hogwash and whatnot." Risky replied, waving her hand lightly, "But at the same time...I think you owe me something."

"Uh...I do?" Shantae wondered, tilting her head slightly.

"Aye, ya do." Risky replied, "And I think it's about time that due is paid!" With that said, Risky suddenly pulled out a vial of what looked to be a potion, but unlike the usual that were red and the special Auto-Potion that was blue...this one was green. Before Shantae could object or say a word, Risky Boots popped the cork of the bottle and shoved the narrow end into Shantae's mouth, forcing her to drink it down.

"Mmmgh?!" Shantae gave a muffled protest as she felt the green liquid slip down her throat before finally pushing Risky away from her, coughing slightly. "Uck! That tasted like a combination of medicine and wet socks! What was that stuff?!"

"Ohh...nothing." the pirate lady smirked devilishly, "Just a 'little' something I whipped up."

"Risky, I swear if that was poison or something, I'll---" Shantae stopped her little protest when she saw that she was looking at Risky's exposed stomach at face-level, "...W-What?!" That certainly didn't make sense. True, Risky was slightly taller than the former half-genie naturally, but now...

"Hohoho! Now don't you worry, little girl! I promise this is going to be quite a hoot!" Risky laughed happily as Shantae realized immediately what was happening...she was shrinking! Already barely higher than Risky's knees, Shantae squeaked in horror.

"No no no no noooo! Risky, how could you! I trusted you, and even helped you!" Shantae called up to her, "Why now of all times?! Isn't taking my powers away enough?!"

Risky smirked as she saw the now 3-inch tall girl at her feet. "Oh calm your mouth, ya runt." she chuckled, crouching down over Shantae and looking quite intimidating, "This ain't about the time you destroyed the Tinkertank, or found some way to destroy your gigantic magic self back then...No, no...This is something I've wanted ever since I saw you like that back then...To actually mess around with you a little bit when I'm the one towering over you."

Hearing that, Shantae gulped heavily and backed up a bit. She would attempt to run, but considering she was on a boat in the middle of the ocean, where would she run to? After the incident with Rottytops awhile back, Shantae was now a bit used to the concept of being tiny...but being around her archenemy like this was a different story entirely. "S...So...What, this is just some kind of personal want of your own?! You'd better have a way to change me back!"

"Hmhm...maybe I do, maybe I don't. You'll just have to wait for a bit." Risky replied, reaching down and grasping Shantae in her fist, "Now what say we go to my quarters and have a little...fun."

"Ack!" Shantae wiggled around in the pirate's grasp, but to no avail as Risky headed below deck to her personal quarters. 'No, no, no! Why her of all people?! Rottytops I can forgive because she was just acting on instinct, but now I'm shrunk and with Risky Boots? I can just imagine the horrible things she's going to do to me!' Shantae thought in her mind as the pirate lady finally came to her quarters.

Slipping off her spare pair of boots, Risky walked over and sat down on a somewhat makeshift bed, observing the tiny Shantae in her hand. "Hmhmhm...oh this is gonna be fun...I'm surprised I didn't think of this before when I had your evil self around to do what I wanted."

"And yet she turned her back on you in the end." Shantae reminded Risky.

"Details, details." Risky huffed, suddenly getting an idea and stuffing the tiny Shantae between her rather voluptuous bosom, "Still cold there, shrimp? Maybe this'll warm ya up."

"Wha---HEY!" Shantae grunted, trying to wiggle free, but again to no avail, "Uuugh...." she grumbled, definitely not having fun with this turn of events.

Shantae had never felt this trapped or claustrophobic in her life. It was one thing to be squirming in between Rottytops' oversized (for a zombie girl at least) breasts, but this topped that moment almost tenfold. Shantae couldn't see even a shred of light, and she could only hear three things through her ears. Her own muffled breathing, the steady beat of Risky's no doubt excited heart, and her light purple skin rubbing all over in every which way. Risky just kept pressing her chest together with a huge grin on her face.
"Hohohoho! Having fun in there, Shantae?" Risky Boots said. Shantae couldn't hear that, however, as the three aforementioned sounds were all she could hear in her cushy prison. Shantae almost blacked out as she wondered when the torture would ever end.

Fortunately, such an end came as Risky finally spread her chest apart, reaching inside her skull-shaped bra and plucking the shrunken Shantae out.
"Awwww… don't you go sleepy bye on me just yet. We've only just begun!" Risky shouted. She took a nearby cup of water and splashed it all over Shantae's body.
"*Cough cough cough!*" Shantae coughed as some of the water went down her throat and she tried to cough it back up. She also had to rub her eyes to adjust to seeing light again after having it cut off from being stuck between Risky's breasts.
"Ooooh! I've only just started and already I'm having so much fun!" Risky said.
"Risky… stop… you can't… you can't do this…" Shantae struggled to say as she fought to get her strength back.
"Pffft… oh, quit your bellyaching. Now then, let's see… oh, I know what we can do next!" Risky said as she next dangled Shantae over her mouth.
"I've always wondered what little girls taste like." Risky said with a grin on her face that intimidated Shantae just as much as seeing her huge red eyes.
"Risky, noooooo!" Shantae shouted as she suddenly found herself standing on top of Risky Boots' tongue, watching as her mouth closed and she was trapped in the dark again.
To make matters worse, Shantae had no time to react as Risky lifted her tongue and pressed it against the top of her mouth, trapping Shantae in between. By the time Shantae tried to recover herself, not to mention wipe her body and clothes that were drenched in saliva, she found herself falling forward and smacking her face right into the back of one of Risky's teeth. Through clever maneuvering, Risky managed to get Shantae back onto her tongue.

Just then, Shantae reached for her backside and felt something very important. Somehow, she still managed to hold one of the swords that Risky had loaned her to help in their quest. Shantae pulled it out and knew immediately what to do.
"Taste sword, Risky!" Shantae said as she thrusted the sword down onto Risky's tongue. While it didn't pierce all the way through, it was still enough to get Risky's attention.
"OW!!" Risky shouted as her voice went ringing through Shantae's ears, forcing her to cover them up temporarily. By the time she opened up her ears, Shantae felt herself falling as Risky opened up her mouth and tilted her face forward. Shantae landed with a thud on Risky's makeshift bed, drenched once again in warm saliva as it rained down behind her. Risky did not look the least bit thrilled.
"You stupid child! I always hated that about you… that you're so smart and think of everything!" Risky said as she pounded one of her fists in frustration, with Shantae doing a back dash to keep from getting crushed. The shrunken girl then pointed her sword squarely up at the giantess villain.
"Back off, Risky! You taught me how to use this thing well!" Shantae said.
"Hohohoho! I sure did, but I didn't teach you all my tricks, of course!" Risky said. That's when she moved two of her fingers towards Shantae and unleashed a powerful flick at the tiny girl's arm that held the sword.
"Ouch!" Shantae shouted as she grabbed her arm and watched her sword go flying into the distance and off the bed.

Before Shantae could react anymore, she watched as Risky wrapped her hand around and lifted her up towards her face once more.
"Still, I admire your creativity. I probably would've done the same thing if the situation were reversed." Risky said with a smile.
"Risky, I'm warning you for the last time! Change me back now!" Shantae shouted.
"Hohohoho! You're so funny when you make threats at that size! But as a member of my crew, you have to do something very important for me. Even my Tinkerbats had to do this when I called for it!" Risky said. She then leaned forward and dropped Shantae at probably the most uncomfortable place she could ever dream of. In front of Risky's bare feet. Already the smell of foot odor rang strong through Shantae's nostrils.
"Go ahead, Shantae. Get scrubbing!" Risky said.
"Ugh… when's the last time you washed your feet, Risky!?" Shantae shouted.
"What difference does that make. Rub those feet NOW! And if you even think about running away, you're toejam!" Risky shouted. Shantae took a deep breath and did as she was told.

It was only about 3 minutes that passed, but it felt like an eternity for Shantae as she kept on rubbing the light purple skin on the bottom of Risky Boots' feet. Fortunately for Shantae, it must've been working as she could hear Risky moaning in the distance.
"Aaaaaahhhhh… nothing like a good foot massage after a full day's worth of pillaging and plundering!" Risky shouted. Shantae thought she might be comfortable enough for her to be distracted, and so she started to sneak away. But that only lasted a couple seconds. Risky thrusted her left foot forward and kicked Shantae down onto her stomach.
"Oh no you don't! Who told you to take a break! Get back to work, my three inch slave." Risky said.
"Risky… haven't you had enough?" Shantae said with a look of despair on her face.
"You're not even close. In fact, I want you to kiss my feet while you're back there! Go ahead, you know you want to." Risky said with a devilish grin on her face. Knowing there was no way to escape, Shantae stuck her tongue out and planted it on Risky's bare foot, moving it up and down. It tasted disgusting to say the least, and it brought tears to Shantae's eyes at times. Shantae would switch back and forth between rubbing and licking the bottom of these feet, and eventually she moved onto Risky Boots' toes after the pirate woman tilted her foot downward.

Finally, after a quick flick from Risky's big toe that knocked Shantae down on her behind, Risky Boots felt she had gotten enough of a royal treatment from her foot.
"Ahhhh… splendid job, my little pet! If I could keep you, I'd do this every day." Risky said.
"Ugh… maybe I'm better off spending my days with the Pirate Master." Shantae said.
"You'll get your chance soon enough, but now, I think it's time for you to walk the plank!" Risky said.
"*gulp* Walk the plank!?" Shantae said.
"Hohohoho! But don't worry, this walking the plank won't hurt! Much!" Risky said. After reaching forward and picking up the shrunken Shantae. Risky Boots then drew out her own sword, which made Shantae sweat profoundly. Risky held her sword pointed outward with the flat side up, which is where Shantae next found herself standing after Risky put her there.
"Alright, kiddo! Start walking!" Risky said. Shantae tiptoed towards the edge of the sword that felt like hundreds of feet away (even though it really wasn't). That was too slow for Risky to take, even at the size Shantae was currently at. She gave the sword a soft shake, enough to knock Shantae off her feet.
"Move it, ya slowpoke! I've seen goldfish move faster than that!" Risky shouted. After Shantae got back up, she sighed and walked faster towards the edge of the sword. She finally made it there, and visibly shook as she saw the looooong drop down to Risky’s makeshift bed.
“Bon voyage, my little friend and foe!” Risky said as she tipped her sword forward, causing Shantae to lose her footing and go sailing down for the ground.
“Eeeeeeeeeeeek!” Shantae screamed.

But before Shantae could literally hit the sheets, Risky Boots suddenly put away her sword and held out a hand, allowing Shantae to land in the palm of it.
“Hohoho! Wasn't that a fun ride?” Risky said. Shantae did not say anything, mostly because she was too dizzy from the fall to really say anything, not that it would make any difference.
“Well, I hope you're ready to take another fun ride.” Risky said with a wink from one of her eyes. She then moved her hand towards one of her large golden earrings.
“Alright, grab on!” Risky said. Once again, Shantae tried to object.
“Are you kidding!? How am I supposed to hold onto those!?” Shantae said.
“You'll find a way like you always do, now grab on… Or I'll make you walk the plank again and this time it'll be in the open sea!” Risky threatened. Shantae did as she was told and finally grabbed the earring. Once Risky Boots felt the earring being grabbed by the three inch tall Shantae, that's when she started dancing around.
“Whooooooooa!!” Shantae shouted as she held on for dear life.

Shantae was so busy trying to hold onto the giant golden earring, she didn't notice the way Risky Boots was dancing. The pirate villianess was actually imitating some of Shantae’s most well known dances, namely ones where she transformed into different animals, such as a monkey or an elephant. She even briefly tried the moves that Shantae would use to grow into a giantess, but that routine only lasted briefly as Risky Boots wasn't nearly as athletic as her arch rival.
“Dang! Shantae must have powerful hips to try that move!” Risky said to herself. As for Shantae herself, she finally couldn't hold onto the earring any longer thanks to Risky’s swift moves, and she lost her grip.
“Eeeeeep!” Shantae shouted. But this time she focused on the ground that was coming up towards her, and with a perfectly timed roll and planting of her two feet, Shantae was able to land safely on the ground. But while she was relieved to have a safe landing, she was going to be anything but safe as she watched the pirate giantess move closer and closer to her…
“Uh oh!” Shantae shouted as she went running away before Risky could plant one of her bare feet where she was standing. The worst part was that Risky knew Shantae was on the ground, judging by the dialogue the shrunken girl heard.
“Hohoho! This is some fun dancing! I better be careful not to step on any bugs that are roaming around my hollowed ship!” Risky said.

For the next couple minutes, Shantae kept running around, trying her best to avoid being crushed by the dancing pirate giantess. Eventually Shantae found herself cornered against some barrels with nowhere to go as Risky towered well over her.
“Hohohoho! I would say I'm impressed, but I'm not that sporting of a pirate girl.” Risky said. Once again, Shantae was forced to watch as a Risky kneeled down and picked her up off the ground.
“You should be lucky you didn't shrink smaller than you already are, then you'd really be toejam!” Risky said.
“Alright, Risky. What do you have in mind next? Let's just get on with it already.” Shantae said in frustration as she once again wiggled in vain trying to escape Risky’s grip. Suddenly, there was a light thump that could be felt throughout the entire ship and almost knocked Risky Boots off her bare feet.
“Ahhhhh… it seems we have finally arrived on the Pirate Master’s island.” Risky said as she ran over and slipped her feet back into her boots. She eventually stepped out to the main deck of the ship, where she saw it resting against the shore of a menacing looking island, where the only thing that seemed to be visible was a skull-shaped mountain.
"Hohoho! Hahahaha! Those Guardian Genies sure did a number on him! The middle of no place, perfectly hidden from prying eyes. There's even some sort of magnetic anomaly here that boggles the compass. It was almost perfect. Almost." Risky said. Shantae just gulped nervously ahead while cradled against Risky's chest, looking on at the dark scenery as well.
"Well, time to have a few words with the good captain. After that, I'll rig the place with explosives and blow it sky high!" Risky said.
"Um… with me between your boobs, I hope. And can he really hear us?" Shantae asked.
"There's nothing to fear. Not any more. But if anything goes wrong, I'm counting on you to destroy all that dark magic that we gathered. Got it!?" Risky said as she tightened her grip on Shantae and held her up to her face.
"Ack! But Risky! Didn't you say…" Shantae said.
"That's an order, sailor! You're going to do that and I don't care if you're still three inches tall by then!" Risky said.
"*sigh* Got it…" Shantae said. Finally, Risky jumped off her ship and walked further into the island.

Eventually, Risky stopped once she made it to the Pirate Master's grave.
"There it is… silent as a tomb. Without Dark Magic to draw from, he's vanished from the eternal abyss. Too bad… because what good is a victory if you can't rub your enemy's face in it?" Risky said as she playfully tapped her skull-shaped bra with her free hand. Shantae secretly rolled her eyes from Risky's other hand.
Suddenly, the ground began to shake violently.
"W-w-w-w-what's going on!?" Shantae shouted. A series of aurora beams suddenly shot from the edges of the island, and rising up from the grave was a shadowy figure.
"HOHOHO!" the shadowy figure.
"So, Pirate Master, you've managed to return after all!" Risky shouted.
"*gasp* That's the Pirate Master!? He's not human!?" Shantae shouted.
"HAHAHAHAHA! Risky Boots! How dare you betray me!? You've got some nerve to show up on my turf!" the Pirate Master shouted.
"You're nothing but a shade! I'm through taking orders from you!" Risky shouted.
"You watched and did NOTHING as I fell in battle! You stole my ship and crew! And now you destroy my agents and disrupt my flow of Dark Magic! You will suffer for this!" Pirate Master said.
"Actually, I did that…" Shantae muttered under her breath.
"There's no reason to get all worked up, Captain. See this girl?" Risky said as she held up the three inch tall Shantae up towards the Pirate Master.
"HEY!" Shantae shouted.
"She's the offspring of the one who imprisoned you! The genies are the real enemy! Take her and we'll call it even." Risky said.
"HAHAHAHA! You vile vermin of the sea! Is this your idea of a joke!? You expect me to believe this bug-sized girl is the descendent of my real enemies!? Bah… even if that were true, that can wait. YOU'RE THE ONE I WANT! I will make you pay for your disloyalty!" Pirate Master shouted.

Suddenly, the Pirate Master reached down with one of its skeletal hands and swiftly grabbed Risky Boots. The grip caught Risky off guard… she ended up tossing Shantae aside. The three inch tall girl landed on her two feet on the cold stone ground, where she looked up and saw Risky screaming for her life.
"Risky!" Shantae shouted.
"What's this!? You dare to wear my face like some kind of trophy!? Give me that!" Pirate Master said as he ripped the skull head off Risky's bra, leaving it in its bare purple-colored state.
"Now then, I will take the palace first, and then, when my strength has returned… you will witness the end of your world! HOHOHO!!!" Pirate Master, with its newly fashioned skull head, said. Suddenly, the area flashed a brilliant white light, enough for Shantae to shield her eyes. When the light was gone, the Pirate Master and Risky Boots were both gone. The island was empty again. It was just her… and to make matters worse, she was still three inches tall, not anywhere big enough to even get back onboard Risky's pirate ship that got left behind.
"(sigh) I've got to warn everyone… but how can I even get anywhere in Sequin Land at this size? The Pirate Master will have ruled the world by the time I get back…" Shantae said. She never felt as helpless as she did right now.

But a familiar screech changed all that. When Shantae heard that screech, she turned around and saw two familiar faces land in front of her.
"Wrench! Sky!" Shantae said, watching as Sky jumped off the enlarged Wrench's back and she walked up towards her tiny friend.
"Hey there, Shantae. Couldn't resist shrinking again, could you?" Sky said, trying to make light of the situation.
"Awwww… come on, Sky! It's not like I ASKED to be this size! How did you find me, anyway?" Shantae asked.
"I sensed the dark energy coming from this island and figured you had something to do with it." Sky said.
"Well, that energy isn't the reason I shrunk… that's a long story. Can we just get out of here? The world may be in grave danger!" Shantae said.
"The Pirate Master is loose, I take it?" Sky said.
"Yes!" Shantae said.
"Oh my! That is bad news! But let's get you back to my home for now." Sky said. She gently picked up her three inch tall best friend and then jumped onto Wrench's back once more.
"Home, boy!" Sky shouted. Wrench flapped its wings and soared into the sky again.

A few minutes later, Wrench landed back in front of Sky's home in Oasis Town. Sky jumped off and walked inside with Shantae snuggled against her chest. As Sky placed the tiny Shantae on the nearby table, Shantae had just finished telling the whole story of how she got shrunk.
"Man, that low down, dirty rotten pirate girl! Like you said, isn't stealing your powers enough?" Sky said.
"I know! But alas, she may need my help now that the Pirate Master has captured her." Shantae said.
"Are you sure about that, Shantae? Maybe she deserves what she gets for all she's done to you and the world." Sky said.
"I guess, but… it just wouldn't feel right. Risky Boots needs to pay for all the crimes she's caused… she can't really do that when she's dead." Shantae said.
"You've got a good point." Sky said.
"But no sense doing ANYTHING while I'm this size. Too bad I smashed that size-changing gem…" Shantae said.
"Hey! We had to destroy that thing! Who knows what might have happened if some other evil being discovered the gem, like… dare I say it… Risky Boots?" Sky said.
"Ooooooh… yeah, a giant-sized Risky Boots would be pretty bad." Shantae said.
"But you know, Shantae… if a green-colored potion did this to you, perhaps a normal life-restoring potion could cancel the effects?" Sky said.
"I suppose anything's worth a try! Do you have a red potion handy?" Shantae asked.
"As a matter of fact, I do. Wait here." Sky said as she got up from the table while Shantae stayed behind and watched her friend did through her stashes of stuff.

Fortunately, it only took a couple minutes for Sky to find a treasure chest and open it up, revealing a flask of red liquid inside.
"Ah ha! Here it is!" Sky said as she looked at the bottle of red potion. After walking over to the table where Shantae was standing, Sky immediately saw a concerned look on Shantae's face.
"What is it, Shantae? Worse case scenario is that you stay tiny and you'll just be back to full strength and without any injuries." Sky said.
"Oh, it's not that. It's just… how am I supposed to drink that at this size?" Shantae asked.
"Hmmm… well, open wide!" Sky said as she popped the top off the flask. Shantae did just that, and watched as Sky tilted the bottle over and caused the liquid to go splashing all over Shantae's body, not just the inside of her mouth. Shantae immediately backed away and wiped herself off.
"Ack! I'm all wet now!" Shantae shouted.
"Heh, sorry about that, Shantae. I probably should've looked for a baby bottle next." Sky said.
"Yeah, no thanks… that'd be humiliating." Shantae said. Right away, Sky noticed a change.
"OH! It's working! You're getting bigger!" Sky said. Indeed, Shantae watched as the ground seemed to be fading away and Sky didn't look as large as before.
"Wow! It's working!" Shantae said as she hopped down off the table, already half Sky's size. About 10-15 seconds later, Shantae's growth stopped and she was back to her good ol' normal size.
"Alright! Back to normal size! You're right, Sky. The red potion must've canceled the effects of Risky's shrinking potion!" Shantae said.
"That red potion really can cure anything!" Sky shouted.
"Well, not everything. It still can't wipe the evil out from inside Risky Boots." Shantae said.
"In all seriousness, though, what do we do now?" Sky asked.
"What else? Find the Pirate Master and give him what for." Shantae said as she pounded her fists together.
"Are you sure, Shantae? Remember, you're still without your genie powers!" Sky said.
"True, but Risky Boots taught me well with those pirate moves." Shantae said.
"Alright… let's get on Wrench and hit the skies once more." Sky said. Both ladies eventually walked out of the home and made their way onto Wrench's back.

It didn't take the ladies long at all to find where the Pirate Master was hiding. Shantae pointed down towards Ammo Town, which was shrouded almost completely in dark clouds.
"Look! That's Scuttle Town… er, I mean, Ammo Town!" Shantae shouted.
"My gosh! It looks horrible…" Sky commented.
"Just drop me off down there, Sky. You and Wrench get back to Oasis Town and warn everyone there." Shantae said.
"Okay, but PLEASE be careful, Shantae! And good luck!" Sky said.
"Thanks… I think I'll be needing it." Shantae said. Wrench swooped down towards the outskirts of Ammo Town, and when it was 10 feet off the ground, Shantae hopped off and fell into the dark mist. Wrench and Sky flew back up and would eventually return to Oasis Town.

As for Shantae herself, she took a deep breath and prepared herself for what was sure to be one heck of a final battle with the Pirate Master. After picking up a new sword in one of the abandoned shops, Shantae ran at high speed and dispatching of any enemies that stood in her way through the forest. She eventually found herself outside what would normally be the Sequin Land Palace, but it was transformed into a towering fortress of darkness that befitted the Pirate Master himself.
"So this is the Pirate Master's Palace. I hope I am not too late…" Shantae said as she went charging inside the palace.

It was a long and tough journey through the palace, but Shantae used every pirate trick in the book she learned from Risky Boots to navigate her way through the maze like fortress. Like she told Sky, Risky may be as heartless (and lazy) as they come, but she still made for an excellent teacher to make up for losing her genie powers. But finally, after consulting with an older and wiser man to 'save her progress,' Shantae made it to the top of the highest tower of the palace. Even with rain pouring in the distance and lightning lighting up the dark sky, Shantae stood face-to-face with the Pirate Master himself.
"Hohoho! So you've come. The daughter of the genies at a size more befitting of your magnificent beauty. How you like the little makeover I've given your palace?" Pirate Master said.
"Pirate Master! Your reign of terror is over!" Shantae said as she pulled out a sword and pointed it at the villain.
"Hahahahaha! Innocent fool! Now that I'm back in physical form, I'm growing stronger by the second!" Pirate Master said. Risky Boots, tied up in chains to the wall behind the Pirate Master, begged for Shantae to run away. Obviously, as much despair as the pirate villainess was in, Risky did not care for the moment that Shantae was back to her normal size.
"He's a monster! Keep your distance!" Risky shouted.
"Silence! Why did you come, girl? Certainly not to save this traitor? Maybe you wish to fight and fill your mother's shoes?" Pirate Master said. The mere mention of her mother did not sit well with Shantae as she put a determined look on her face.
"Let Risky Boots go free, or else!" Shantae shouted.
"Har har harrrrrrr! Or else what!? You're going to unleash your half-breed magic on me? Go ahead… take a swing at the Captain! I could use a good warm up." Pirate Master said.

And with that, the battle was on. The Pirate Master used all the tricks he knew up his theoretical sleeves, but Shantae fought back just as hard, using not only some of the weapons she got from Risky Boots, but also her signature physical attacks such as her hair whip. She also threw whatever Pike Balls she had left at the villain. Despite landing many strikes, the Pirate Master still had a grin on its face.
"Is that all you got? For a genie kid you sure don't pack much of a punch, do you? In fact, you'd be nothing without those weapons… MY WEAPONS!" Pirate Master said. With a snap of his fingers, Shantae suddenly watched as she lost every last bit of her pirate gear. The hat, the boots, her pistol, her sword, her cannon… all back in the skeletal hands of the ghastly villain.
"Hey! Give those back!" Shantae shouted.
"Har har harrrrr! Let's get this show on the road! Now I will show you my true power!" Pirate Master said.

With that, the sky lit up in a bright white light as the Pirate Master suddenly found himself growing larger and larger. He grew until his upper body rose above the tower that he, Shantae, and Risky Boots had been standing on. And speaking of Risky Boots, she was once again in the Pirate Master’s grasp and screamed out in terror once again.
“So, genie girl. I hear you've got a lot of Dark Magic in that lamp of yours!" Pirate Master shouted.
"Yeep!" Shantae said.
"Hand it over, or I crush this HAS-BEEN beneath my heel!" Pirate Master said as he squeezed the hand holding Risky Boots again.
"Ack!" Risky shouted.
"So what's it going to be? The Dark Magic, or her life?" Pirate Master asked.
"If I hand over the Dark Magic, do you promise not to hurt her!?" Shantae shouted.
"I swear it on my own grave." Pirate Master said.
"He's a filthy liar! Don't give it to him!" Risky shouted. But Shantae had already made up her mind.
"Here, take it! Just let Risky go!" Shantae said as she took the nearby lamp and held it up in the air.
"I knew you'd see things my way." Pirate Master said as he dropped Risky Boots down on the ground, allowing the pirate lady to run to safety.

As the Pirate Master let out a few chants to summon the Dark Magic from the lamp, it vibrated and suddenly let loose a stream of energy… but something was different about the energy.
"What is this nonsense? I've no use for this filthy LIGHT MAGIC!" Pirate Master shouted. Shantae also noticed the change in color of the magic. No longer was it a symbol of darkness, but it shined bright white. That's when she remembered something Risky Boots had told her at the beginning of this long adventure.
"Oh! Risky was right! The Dark Magic was really my magic all along!" Shantae said.
"Bah! You can't trust that coward! She just fled to save her own skin!" Pirate Master shouted in frustration.
"Risky's no coward! She meant for me to use this magic!" Shantae said. And just as she said that, the white magic suddenly flowed sharply into Shantae's body. Shantae floated in the air for a few seconds as the last of the energy flowed inside of her. Once she landed, she felt completely different and knew exactly what the feeling she now sensed was.
"YES! My magic! It's back where it belongs! I knew Risky was telling the truth!" Shantae shouted as she did a quick victory dance.
"IMPOSSIBLE! Curse that Risky Boots… you both have foiled with my plans for the last time! I will wipe you and every last genie from existence!" Pirate Master said as he floated around getting ready to attack again.

And that's when Shantae remembered all of her dances, including one very, very important one.
"Of course… the BIG dance!" Shantae said. Hoping she would have just enough time to pull it off, Shantae got moving. She was swinging her hips and then her upper body very wide from side-to-side. She also circled her hips around, like she was swinging a hula hoop around. Finally, the dance ended and Shantae was obviously out of breath.
"*huff puff huff puff* Even though I've done it a few times, that dance still takes my breath away." Shantae said. But she looked down and saw the ground fading away.
"Oh, it's working!" Shantae said. Knowing her increasing height and weight would soon be too much for the tower to take, Shantae made a bold and daring leap off the edge, and then landing on the ground. Already she was half the Pirate Master's size and still growing.
"What!? How can this be!?" Pirate Master shouted.

After a few more seconds, Shantae was now the same gigantic size as the Pirate Master himself.
"There! Now we're on equal footing!" the giant Shantae said.
"Arrrrrgh! No matter… it doesn't matter what size you stand at! I will still crush you!" Pirate Master said. He got back to work firing all the weapons at Shantae that she once wielded, but all those times fighting against Risky Boots taught her how to avoid those attacks easily. Shantae pulled off all sorts of acrobatic moves to dodge the attacks, eventually getting up close to the Pirate Master and rapidly hair whipping his face.
"OW! What powerful strokes of hair!" Pirate Master commented.
"Oh, that's not all I'm capable. Hiya!!" Shantae said as she now resorted to punches and (especially powerful) kicks to different parts of his skeletal body. She felt like she was seeing -9999 symbols on her imaginary damage reader with each time she struck the Pirate Master.

It was eventually too much for the villain to take. His body started exploding from head to toe.
"No! NOOOO! Take this!" Pirate Master shouted. He tried one last attack in the form of his oversized cannonballs, but Shantae was ready for the counter. She whipped her hair and cleverly tied it around the cannonball.
"Back at you, bonehead! HAAAAA!" Shantae shouted as she flung the cannonball right smack into the Pirate Master's head. As Pirate Master let out a final scream of agony, Shantae shielded her eyes as a bright white light covered the area. When she felt it had died down, and at the same time the thunderstorm came to a sudden stop, the Pirate Master was nowhere to be seen.
"You cannot destroy me!" Pirate Master's voice suddenly shouted. Shantae felt it was coming from below… that's when she looked down by her feet and saw Pirate Master back at his original size. He looked up and shook his hands in anger up at the giantess in front of him.
"You're finished, Pirate Master!" Shantae said as she lifted one of her feet up in the air.
"YAAAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHH!!!" Pirate Master shouted as he tried bracing himself, but Shantae was just the right size for what she wanted to do. She slammed her foot down… and the Pirate Master exploded with his bones scattering all over the place. All dark energy that had been surrounding the Pirate Master immediately disappeared as well.

Risky walked out on the ground and looked down at what was left of the Pirate Master. She took a deep breath.
"Whew… it's over. That's the last of him." Risky Boots said. Before she could survey the damage for another second, she turned around and looked up as Shantae towered over her. Naturally, this made the pirate girl sweat nervously at first. She half expected Shantae to do the things that she herself did to Shantae when she was three inches tall.
"Risky, are you alright?" Shantae said.
"Um… great! Never better! Listen, no hard feelings, right, Shantae, my now back to half human half genie pal?" Risky said. Shantae got down on her knees so she could get a closer look at the tiny normal-sized Risky Boots.
"Risky, just answer me this. What about the Pirate's Curse?" Shantae said.
"There's nothing to fear. The curse is broken. I'm in charge of my own destiny, and I won't let the darkness rule over me any longer." Risky said as she started picking up her weapons and pirate clothing, including the Pirate Master's head for her bra.
"So does this mean you'll become good?" Shantae asked.
"Hohoho! I didn't say that, silly little… er, I mean, big girl! Listen well, you runt! You walked the walk and talked the talk. Heh, you even dressed the part. But in the end, you're no seafaring cutthroat. Far from it! You can't pretend to be something you're not." Risky said. Shantae's next reaction took Risky well by surprise, especially the smile on her face.
"Risky, thank you. You can go now." Shantae said.
"Huh? You're letting me go? Aren't you going to crush me between your boobies, or make me walk the plank? You're the perfect size to do all that, you know!" Risky said.
"Let's call it even. At least, until the next time we meet." Shantae said as she winked her eyes.
"Hohoho! HAHAHAHA!! Farewell, Shantae! Until our next confrontation!" Risky said as she saluted the giantess and then walked away, presumably to find her pirate ship and get back to her pirating ways. Still, Shantae was sad to see the pirate girl go. She hoped that one day this would lead to the start of a friendship instead of a battle that wouldn't end until they both departed for the heavens.

"Shantae!!" a group of voices shouted. Shantae stood back to her full 100-foot-tall height and turned around, watching as Sky (with Wrench on her shoulder), Bolo, and Uncle Mimic all running up towards her feet… and that was literally the case for Bolo as he hugged as much of Shantae's right ankle as he could.
"Sky! Uncle Mimic! And Bolo…" Shantae said as she watched Bolo get on with his admiration of her at her current size.
"Shantae, I'm so glad you made it safe and sound. I was so worried when I saw those dark clouds form over the palace." Mimic said.
"Thanks, Uncle Mimic, but as you can see. It's all over. The Pirate's Curse has been thwarted and Sequin Land will soon be back to normal. Still… Risky Boots…" Shantae said.
"It's going to be alright, Shantae. She'll have to discover her own path." Mimic said.
"Yeah, I know. Still, I let her go because I owed her so much." Shantae said.
"You've had a long couple of days, Shantae. You should go home and get some rest." Sky said.
"Thanks, Sky. But actually… now that I'm able to grow big again… there is something I really want to do first." Shantae said.
"Oh? What's that?" Mimic asked.
"Don't worry, you'll all see." Shantae said as she gently picked everyone up, including Bolo, and placed them on her shoulders.
"Everyone hold on!" Shantae said as the giantess started walking towards the distance. Uncle Mimic and Sky immediately figured she was heading for Ammo Town, based on the direction she was walking.

Meanwhile, the storm had cleared up, but life was still of the military vibe all around Ammo Town. The one-eyed Ammo Baron walked around with a couple of his girlfriends in tow, watching as cannons and tanks and other weaponry continued to be constructed.
"Ammo Baron, sir! The supra cannon mark 4 is almost complete!" one of the girls said.
"Good job! Once that cannon is done, it will be that much easier to begin world conquest!" Ammo Baron said.
A few seconds later, however, everyone stopped when they heard booming sounds in the distance, not to mention the ground shaking a little bit, with each quake progressively getting stronger.
"What the? An earthquake?" one of the girls said.
"Or is that blasted storm coming back!?" Ammo Baron said.
"Ammo Baron, look!" one of the girls shouted as she pointed up in the sky. The trio looked and saw the giant Shantae fast approaching.
"Great barons of Ammo! It's that genie girl! She must've been up in some beanstalk kingdom or something…" Ammo Baron said. The former mayor of the town (back when it was called Scuttle Town), Scuttlebutt, came running in and looked up at the giantess.
"Oh wow! Shantae is huge again!" Scuttlebutt said.

Shantae stopped her walk a couple yards away from Ammo Baron and his two girls, making sure not to crush any buildings in the town along the way.
"Hello, Ammo Baron." Shantae said as she folded her arms underneath her chest.
"Why, Shantae! Fancy seeing you here!" Ammo Baron said.
"Hey, Shantae! Way to go on stopping that evil Pirate Master thingy!" one of the girls said.
"Yeah! You and the pirate girl were awesome!" the other girl said.
"Hehe… thanks! I guess we were." Shantae said.
"So lemme guess, you want your job back? Ammo Town could really use a guardian genie like you around, especially a big one! You're a one woman army, I dare say!" Ammo Baron said.
"I can certainly vouch for her character! If it would make her happy…" Scuttlebutt said.
"No thanks. I've got something else in mind. I'm only a half-genie, and I've never granted someone's wish before. But I think I'm ready to give it a try. This one's for you, Mayor!" Shantae said. After placing Bolo, Sky, and Uncle Mimic back on the ground for their safety (and they backed up several feet as well), Shantae held her arms high up in the air.
"Oh?" Scuttlebutt said as he wondered what Shantae had in mind. Suddenly, the same white energy that gave Shantae her genie powers back began to circle all around Ammo Town. Not bits and pieces of it, including the cannon on top of the highest tower, but every last square inch of the property.

After a series of bright flashes of light… Ammo Town was no more. It was back to good ol' Arabian-looking Scuttle Town.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" Ammo Baron screamed… as just like that, everything was gone. His entire means of conquering the world… vanished thanks to the 100-foot-tall Shantae.
"Weeks of hard labor! Materials! My precious resources… all gone!" Ammo Baron said, who was knocked off his feet as Shantae planted one of her giant shoes in front of him.
"The people of Scuttle Town are through with you, Ammo Baron! Now take a hike, ye scum-sucking scaliwag! Or I'll crush your gills from head to toe!" Shantae said as she dangled her foot above him.
"She's bewitched and speakin' blabbertongue! Let's clear outta here, men! MOVE IT!!!" Ammo Baron shouted as he and all his men, including those still in their blue tanks, went speeding out of town.

Mayor Scuttlebutt, suddenly back to being the mayor of Scuttle Town, started jumping up and down as he watched the Ammo Baron run off in the distance.
"I… I can't believe it! My beautiful town has been restored to 'needs work' condition! Thank you, Shantae! Thank you thank you thank you!" Mayor Scuttlebutt said.
"You're welcome, Mayor. I'm just doing my job." Shantae said with a smile.
"You'll always have a place here as our guardian. Promise me you'll never EVER leave!" Mayor Scuttlebutt said.
"Awwww…" Shantae said with a bit of a blush on her face. Just then, Shantae felt a cold feeling throughout her body. She knew what was coming next.
"Oops! Right on time!" Shantae said, watching as she shrunk smaller and smaller. She was now back at her normal size.

And with that, everything was back to normal. Shantae even threw a house party with all her friends to celebrate her latest victory… and yes, that even includes Rottytops and her two zombie brothers. After talking about the long adventure they all had, including Risky's ties with the Pirate Master and how they were both instrumental in Shantae getting her powers back, everyone went back to their respective homes and got to sleep.

The next morning, Shantae went back to the Pirate Master's grave (with transportation help from Wrench) where she found Risky Boots one more time. After the two conversed, they parted ways once again. Before Risky jumped on her ship, though, she made some final comments.
"Oh. One more thing." Risky said.
"Huh?" Shantae asked.
"Your mother... you're just like her. Only shorter, and more annoying." Risky said.
"Risky!" Shantae shouted… only for both ladies to suddenly let out a couple laughs.
"Smooth sailing, captain." Shantae said.

Risky Boots nodded and left with her ship, anxious to resume her battle with someone she couldn't consider a better rival… Shantae the Half-Genie Hero.

END