Surely some of us know about Scuttle Town, its guardian half-genie Shantae, her friends, her foes and her tales. But...what if someone else tagged along? Meet Y/n Whitmore, a scholar, mountaineer and treasure with a short fuse. How much will Shantae...
Then, we see Whitty as an infant, wrapped in a blanket, laid to the ground by a shrouded man. His face was covered.
Shrouded Man: I'm sorry, son. This is for your safety...
Villager 1: There he is!
Villager 2: Get him!
The man looks towards where the villagers are coming from for a moment before turning to the 4 year old Whitty...with a pained gaze.
Shrouded Man: Forgive me...
With that, the man ran off, escaping the villagers...leaving the 4 year old Whitty behind, who was trying to reach for the man, crying for him.
<<Scene Change>>
We see Whitty waking up, wide eyes, heavy breathing and sweat trickling down his face.
Whitty: What...was that dream? It...it felt all too real...
He puts his shaking hand down his face, to realize...he was crying...
Without any words, he carefully left his house, and went to the beach.
As he was walking, many a thought was running through his mind.
Whitty: It can't be a normal dream, that man's voice...for some reason, it sounded...familiar.
As the bombhead thought this, the sweat on his face lingered as he was watching the quiet waters.
That is, until...
???: Whitty?
He turned around to see...Holly.
Whitty: ...Holly? What are you doing here?
Holly seemed hesitant...and disturbed.
Holly: I can't sleep. I assume you can't, either.
Whitty only nodded, and turned back towards the sea.
Without a word, Holly walked up right next to him.
A few minutes pass in silence, and Holly looks up to Whitty to see him...crying.
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The sight immediately worried her.
Holly: Whitty, why are you crying? What...what happened?
Whitty: I had a dream...yet it looked...like a memory...
Holly had trouble finding the right, as she never saw Whitty sad, much less shed a tear.
Holly: Is..is it about family?
He did not say anything. How is he supposed to know? He was an orphan all his life.
Whitty: ...I don't know. I never had one.
Holly held onto his arm, trying to comfort him.
Holly: What do you mean, you don't know? Whitty, everyone has and had parents-
Whitty: -that they knew. You knew your parents, Twitch and Vinegar knew theirs. Shantae may not know about her own parents, but she still has family. I had no one since I was a child, Holly... I was alone all my life...
Holly's eyes widened a bit at the realization. She never realized how broken he was...he had no one. He never felt comfort...or love in anyway.
Then out of nowhere, a pair arms hugged Whitty from behind, surprising him and Holly.
The bombhead, his eyes still filled with tears, looked back...to see Shantae hugging him, her eyes filled with tears. This can only mean...she heard everything.
Whitty: ...Shantae?
For a moment, she didn't say a word. She couldn't speak at first.
Shantae: You-You are not alone anymore...
Whitty's eyes slightly widened as the tears began to flow down his cheeks.
Shantae then let go of him, and let him turn to her.
The half-genie looked at the bombhead with tear-stained eyes, accompanied by a smile.
Shantae: You are not alone, Whitty... You have us. Me, Sky, Rotty, Holly, Twitch, Vinegar, and so many others. You don't have to be scared anymore... You don't have to run. You have family and a home here...
She then hugged him again, more affectionately this time.
Shantae: Welcome home...
Those words... Those two words he has always wanted to hear his whole life...
His tears began to flow even stronger as he closed his eyes, his heart pushing out the pain...
His hugged Shantae, his whole body shaking.
Even Holly started crying, and hugged him as well...
She is right though.
He is not alone anymore...
He...
Is...
Home.
After a bit, he let go, and looked at the girls with a sad smile.
Whitty: Good to be home.
Without anymore words, Shantae and Whitty said their thanks to Holly.
She wished them goodnight, as they wished her one.
The half-genie guided her bombhead love interest back to bed, careful not to wake the others up.
Unbeknownst to them, the zombie girl had their backs turned to them, hiding the tear-stained eyes, weeping in silence...
[[TO BE CONTINUED]]
((AN: Hey everyone, I'm back. Sorry for being MIA, summer job and writer's block does that to you. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter. Until the next one comes out, peace out!))
