Sonic and the Half-Genie Hero

Chapter 5: Rest and Refreshment

   When they arrived, Shantae went towards the laundry room of hers with a washer and drying machine to stock the detergent and load the washer. Meanwhile, Sonic had fallen face-first onto a beanbag lying beneath the ladders to her bed. "Yo, Sonic," Shantae called, "you want your stuff washed too, right?" Sonic then slid off his socks and gloves so they could be washed. Shantae came to take them to the washer, and after dropping them in she changed into a robe and loaded her things into the washer and started it up.

   Shantae had now gotten towels for her and Sonic, and after dropping one by him was now headed for the Bath House with her lamp slung over her shoulder as a means of carrying the products purchased earlier with her to the place. Sonic got up and followed along, now a bit more rested and mobile.

   Soon enough the two had entered the building, and Shantae checked in at the front desk where the woman who worked there stood. "So where do I wash myself?" Sonic asked, looking around the area, completely ignoring the wide, shallow pool in the middle of the place. "Right there in front of you!" Shantae called as she tossed him some soap and his shampoo and headed behind the rock wall where a terra-formed waterfall ran.

   "Oh, Roman style, huh?" Sonic said, looking at the pool. He now stepped in and started his bath. "So," Sonic asked, "what'cha know about this crook Risky? You sure act like you've got a past with her." Shantae sighed. "Yep, believe it or not this is the norm with her. Stealing stuff, destroying property and whatever... Anything it takes to build this supposed "empire" she wants."

   Sonic nodded. "I know what that's like," He said, "She sounds just like this guy back in my world. His name is Ivo Robotnik, but we just call him "Doctor Eggman" because I kid you not, this dude is seriously shaped like an egg!" Shantae let out a small laugh. "But about the pirate," Sonic continued, "what's the plan with her? Have you thought yet on how we'll catch up to her and get my emerald back?"

   Shantae paused, thinking back to what she had come up with earlier that day. "Yeah, about that," she had recalled, "I'm thinking that in the morning we can head back to my uncle's place and see if he can try putting together another compass, that way when we get the emerald back from Risky you can slam it in there and use the thing to find your way back home again!" Sonic thought about the plan whilst scrubbing a brush between his scalp quills.

   "Not so sure about that," Sonic said with concern, "for all we know, by the time we get my emerald back she might have another one, therefore still having a means of terrorizing people here using Chaos power!" Shantae held her tongue. "Oh... Right..." she then said in realization. "Well.., do you have any ideas..?" She then asked anxiously, changing into her crab form.

   Sonic thought for a minute. "I think I know what to do..," He soon said, "but I'll need another emerald to do it. You don't think it'd be too much trouble to help me in getting that, would it?" Sonic asked nervously. Shantae let out a sigh of relief. "If it just means tracking down Risky again...don't sweat it." She said, now in her mermaid form.

   "Oh, and another thing," Sonic asked, hearing her transform, "do you have to wash those forms of yours separately?" Shantae changed back into her half-genie form. "Nah, I just like to." She answered. Eventually Sonic dosed off and fell asleep again while bathing, and ended up getting left behind after Shantae left.

   Sometime later, Sonic woke and noticed it was just him bathing now. "Hey, Shantae.., Are you there? Is...Anyone there? He asked, now looking around. The woman at the desk noticed him. "If you're looking for the half-genie, she just left sometime around 4 minutes ago." She told the hedgehog. Sonic nodded in disappointment at his self, let a sigh of frustration out his nose, and stepped out of the pool to dry off and go back to Shantae's place.