Dying Sun

Cinnamon Marshlands

The Sunny Day sailed upriver through a marshland, the water becoming more muggy the further in they went. Patrol towers shot them from behind the trees, but the Raccoon Pirates blasted them down. "This is Raccoons to Shiny Pirates, you read me?" Aurora asked her wristwatch.

"This is Diana, Shiny Pirates captain. My teammates have scattered throughout the jungle to detain the enemies, but the Breakfast Club have ambushed them. And worse, Queen Sherbet herself is present at Luna Nova. We hesitate to get close."

"Great Grandma is here?!"

"Never mind, what about Sheila's mom?!" Mason asked. "Do you see a raccoon woman… er, I mean… a monster that looks like a raccoon?"

"Um…yes… There is some kind of raccoon-like… creature laying on the school grounds. Would that be…"

Mason bit his lip and glanced at Sheila. Her eyes, normally full of passionate light, were merely flickering, unsure how to feel. "Hey, what about that leprechaun bastard?!" Squam suddenly asked. "Is he around?!"

"Y-Yes. …Lucky appears to be… rubbing the creature unpleasantly."

Squam flinched, thinking he shouldn't have asked. …However, just the idea sparked an image in the Inkling's mind, remembering what Lucky did to his sister. "Sheila, let's go drown that leprechaun in ink. We'll worry about Grandma later."

"…Yeh." Sheila replied lowly, eyes narrowing. "Let's do it."

"We've got coordinates for the Shiny Pirates." Aurora said. "Split up and back them up." She assigned groups and matches for the operatives, and they began their venture through the marsh. (Play "Hot Head Bop" by PPF.)

Stage 46: Cinnamon Marshlands

Mission: Subdue the Breakfast Club and "save" Mrs. Frantic.

Artie and Squam led a route through the jungle, Sheila, Mason, and Haruka close behind. Apple Piranha Plants slithered out of holes in the ground, curling around the area at various angles, but shooting ink would cause them to retract. They shot consistently to keep them retracted, allowing them to proceed. They approached the swamp, a pool of cinnamon quicksand. There were Chocodiles floating in it, Twinkie crocodiles. With a cautious look, Artie slowly set foot on the first Chocodile, but it didn't react. Figuring they were safe platforms, the group jumped along the crocs. When Artie landed on a gold croc, it shot its mouth open and sprung him up. "Whoa!" He flew 10 feet before landing back on, but with this height, they could jump to other gold crocs.

The last croc ended at a dead-end beside a cliff wall. Squam bounced on that croc as he shot ink up that wall, then submerged inside it to swim above the cliff. He found a vine and dropped it down for the others to climb. They entered a garden of large Cinnamon Toast Crunch—the Crunchies grew eyes and mouths, screaming as they ran to bite the group. Though they had few and blunt teeth, the gunners yelped from being bit and quickly shot them to pieces. Some of the Crunchies came for Sheila, and Mason expected her to crush them no problem. …Sheila was mindlessly letting the creatures bite her and lazily punching them off.

"Uh…Sheila, you okay?" Mason asked.

"They don't hurt that much." she replied in a low voice.

Past the garden, they arrived at another marsh, jumping Chocodiles that moved in set paths. An Apple Piranha emerged from the marsh and munched toward them, the gunners keeping it back until the Chocodile floated past. The spiked body of another Piranha stretched over the path of the next Chocodile. Squam boarded that croc himself, shot ink on it, and hid in to go underneath the Piranha. Once past it, Squam had view of its head, emerging to shoot the plant so it would retract. The Chocodile returned to let the others on, carrying them forward. They leapt on a croc that was floating in a circle with three others. They floated by three different cogs, the gunners shooting them to make three platforms rise from the swamp, forming a stairway to a ledge.

They found a path that seemed carved out and straightforward. Squam walked first—he fell in a pitfall and landed on spikes. Artie quickly pulled him out, and luckily Squam's feet would naturally regenerate. "I'm guessing this area is littered with traps." Artie figured. "Probably the doings of Trix, that silly rabbit…eh?" Sheila was walking forward nonchalantly. "Sheila, don't just-!"

Sheila stepped on a wire, causing arrows to shoot out, which she backed up to evade. She hit a buried lever that sprung a powerful fan up, but she stayed to the left, got around, and turned it off. An axe swung at her from that point, but she dodged, and she casually evaded an Apple Piranha, a Whomp-Tart that flew out and tried to crush her, and a bag of cinnamon that ripped open above to try and bury her. "Eh…good work?" With the traps uncovered, the group followed her path and made it across.

The path sloped down and became narrow as it led over a spike pit. Thin gaps, clearly carved there intentionally, were lined along the path, but they were simple to step over—a baby Whomp-Tart shot out of one and tried to squish them, but Artie jumped back and shot its exposed back to destroy it. A taller Whomp sprung out of a later gap, refusing to fall or lean. Squam shot ink just underneath the Whomp's bottom, allowing him to swim under it. He shot the weak back of the tart and crumbled it for his team to pass. The path led to a wider platform over a swamp.

Whomp-Tarts were carefreely wandering the area, and there were open-mouthed Chocodiles in the swamp. Already figuring out the solution, Sheila walked behind a tart to lift it up, and she uncaringly threw it into the croc's mouth. It sealed and munched, and they could now jump it. The following croc was gold and bounced them high, but the one after had its mouth open. They noticed a Whomp-Tart swinging a vine above it, so Artie shot that vine to snap it, making the tart fall into the croc. It was safe to jump, and from there they landed on a normal croc that would carry them.

Looking ahead, they would travel along a wall leading to a closed gate. The Chocodile started close to the wall, so Artie shot it with ink so Squam could jump into it. The croc drew farther from the wall, but close enough for Artie to keep shooting, making an ink trail for Squam. Artie also had to shoot Piranhas biting the wall, making this a bit trickier, but he was able to ink a full trail to the gate. Squam could then slip through it and land on a ledge with a lever, pulling it to open the gate.

The others held onto Artie as he used a grapple-shot to hit a branch past the gate, pulling them to land on a new croc. Squam rejoined them as they continued across some bouncing crocs, but toaster cannons tried to shoot toast at the Chocodiles to make their mouths open. The gunners shot the toast down, but one of the toasters was rapidly shooting toast at the next croc. Once more, Sheila half-heartedly punched Light Spheres to destroy that toaster. They landed on a normal Chocodile that carried them up a river, on which cinnamon rolls were spinning left-and-right. They would naturally threaten to feed the Chocodile, so the gunners shot them back to keep their ride's mouth closed.

To their slight terror, they were nearing a giant Chocodile with a gaping mouth. Their own ride halted before it, and numerous Whomp-Tarts were ramp-jumping on motorbikes from either side. Artie switched to a non-ink weapon to shoot the bikes and make the Whomps fall onto the Chocodile's tongue. Squam, meanwhile, shot cinnamon rolls that were threatening to open their own croc's mouth. Once enough Whomp-Tarts fell in, the giant croc shut its mouth, and it was safe to jump onto. Their foothold shifted as the Chocodile chewed; there was nowhere else to go, but there was a holographic Riddler ring above one spot.

Haruka alerted them to an incoming cinnamon roll, which floated toward the croc. The group huddled under that Riddler ring, so when the Chocodile's mouth opened, they were sprung across the jungle at high speed. They could see Luna Nova in the distance, growing nearer as they flew, but rather than land in the school grounds, they hit the top of a flagpole precisely. "Haha! That was amazing, huh, Sheila?!" Mason asked giddily.

"Aye. He made it a lot easier to get here." Sheila replied.

Mason frowned from her lack of enthusiasm. "…So, wanna swap the flag."

"Oh, right." Still clinging the pole, Sheila uninterestedly took the Big Mom flag down and fit on the gold Raccoon flag. Mason sighed in dismay as they proceeded. They found a pile of beaten Milkling and Toad pirates, with Akko and Diana standing over them. (End song.)

"Ah, so you've made it." Diana acknowledged. "Luna Nova is just ahead, but as I've stated, Queen Sherbet appears to be surveying the area."

"Hey, Sheila." Akko greeted. "Are you… feeling okay?" She had already noticed the glum aura around the usually-sunny captain.

"Hm? Oh, yeh. Let's just… go see how Mum is doing." She walked forward-

"Sheila, wait!" Mason held her back. "C'mon, Grandma is obviously setting a trap! She expected you to come, and we aren't ready to take her, yet."

"We ain't gonna take her, mate. I just wanna see my mum."

"No!" Mason ran in her way. "I just… Sheila, I don't want you to end up like Chris. I… If she really did become a Titan, I'm not sure if you should see her. I don't know if this whole thing is true or not, but I'm afraid to find out as much as you are, so… m-maybe we shouldn't go."

"What if the same bloody thing happened to your mum? Or me? Would you just wanna not look at us?"

"N-No, that's not what I… I just don't want you to change, Sheila." Mason began welling with tears. "After everything this war has done to us, you're still the only person that makes me feel warm."

"If you don't let me see my mum, I ain't gonna be warm either way."

"Sheila…"

"Look, maybe we'll just go first to see if this is true or not." Artie offered. "If we see your mom there, for real… we'll give you a call, Sheila. Is that okay?"

"… … …Fine."

"Truth or not, Sherbet is still dangerous!" Diana reminded.

"If I learned anything about these Emperors, it's that they don't like small fry. We'll be fine." So, Artie and Squam bravely walked forward. Akko and Diana exchanged a determined nod and followed.

Elsewhere in the swamp, George King found Jasminka panting and injured on the ground. "Are you one of the LN operatives?"

"W-Watch out!" Jasminka gasped. "He's somewhere-"

"YOW!" George yelped when an orange blur zipped by and cut his back.

"YOU! You're the boy that Ernesto was supposed to take." Sonny the Cuckoo Bird halted beside them. "You're cuckoo to come back here! Cuckoo, I tell you!"

"One of you again." George glared. "You shouldn't be so hard without your backup."

"Hoohoohoo! Think you're faster than me! You're cuckoo for a cuttin', cuckoo for a cuttin'-!" George Stopped him in time and ran to lay punches on the bird. The effect quickly wore off on the hyper bird, but he felt the forceful punches and zipped away.

"Hey, can you stand?" George asked. "Let's work together to beat him, like we planned during the break."

"I've been saving my special donuts ever since!" Jasminka withdrew a box of tasty pastries!

Dillon and Lola Stork found an area where the trees had all been eaten. Amanda O'Neill was on the ground with bleeding legs, with Cap'n Crunch not far behind, his Titan teeth grinning creepily. "Guys…ow…" Amanda grunted. "That bastard nearly ate my legs… I shot fire down his throat in time to knock him off, but… I can't…"

"'Guess someone forgot to remove the bones, eh heh heh heh~" Crunch laughed. "You young'uns look mighty tasty, too."

"Let's see whose teeth bite harder." Lola grinned, showing her vampire fangs. "Dillon, darken things up and I'll take it from here."

"You got it."

Miyuki saw the back of a pink-haired witch in a robe. She assumed this to be Sucy, whom befriended Lola during Heroes Day. "Hey! Are you ok-"

"YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT ME!" Trix the Rabbit flew out of his Sucy disguise and tried to stab Miyuki, the timebender barely dodging and taking a light cut.

The real Sucy threw a potion to make a smokescreen, running to pull Miyuki away. "Sorry about that. We've kinda been having a Prank War." Sucy poured a green potion over Miyuki's wound to heal it.

"Mind if I contribute?"

"I don't see why not." Sucy smiled. They looked to the smokescreen with guards raised, seeing five wavy Trix illusions. Miyuki shot a Chrono Beam across them all, but they all faded, the girls dodging when Trix shot a yogurt cannon.

Within a round gorge in the swamp, Barbara Parker lay unconscious, her face indented to a basketball shape. Tony the Tiger cockily driveled his ball, grinning at a glaring Lotte and Hannah England. "You girrrls better step up your game! Or you're gonna have a terrrrrible day!"

"I've never been a fan of sports, but I'm not against dressing for the occasion." With that, Hannah waved her wand over herself, changing her clothes into a football jersey with a helmet and shoulder pads.

"Hey! That's the wrrrrrrong uniform!"

"I think I can make it work."

"We can't play sports without a team." Lotte smirked. "Let me call up the Rainbow Monkeys!"

Sub-boss: BREAKFAST CLUB

Sonny zipped rampantly around the trees, George quickly turning and keeping Jasminka guarded. The bird zipped out from behind them, but George whipped around in time with palm open. "STOP!" Sonny froze in place, so Jasminka threw a brutal punch to his beak, and was able to get in two more before Sonny shook free. The bird decided to keep away from the duo, running out from random trees to spit bullet-nuts that nearly punctured their skin. George couldn't Stop him from such a distance, so he poured his chi into Rewind. He watched carefully for where Sonny would appear and reacted to smack the nuts, Rewinding them back to their origin with the same speed to hit Sonny. The bird was punctured 10 times by his own nuts before choosing to change tactics.

Sonny guzzled a bowl of Cocoa Puffs, his sugar levels rising wildly. Overflowing with energy, he bellowed "CUCKOO FOR COCOA PUFFS" repeatedly, sending a soundwave that deafened them each time. He would also zip around to bellow from multiple angles. Jasminka cast the Silencio spell around them, blocking the soundwaves as they rested their ears. When Sonny saw his attack was ineffective, the bird suddenly dove at them, beak aimed at Jasminka's back—George Stopped him in midair as Jasminka squeezed his beak and bent it. Sonny broke free and guzzled another bowl, growing more frantic as he zipped miles away, cutting a trail through the trees. Jasminka inflated herself and began to roll in place, George speeding her time to increase her momentum. A cloud of smoke was growing as Sonny was returning up the path, with such speed that he would be un-Stoppable. When the time came, George released Jasminka, who launched forward with incredible momentum. Sonny drilled against her bulbous figure, sparks flying, but Sonny's beak shattered as he was crushed.

Dillon channeled all chi to his breath to blow Shadow Fog over the area, encasing himself, Lola, and Crunch in darkness. Crunch was not bothered, for he smelled the kids and munched the ground toward them. Lola dodged around the captain and threw Spank Hands at his rear when the chance presented; the vampire naturally had no trouble seeing in the dark, and her attacks were enhanced. Taking enough hits, Crunch faced Lola, chucked chocolate cannonballs in his mouth, and spat them. He refused to show Lola his back, so the vampire enhanced her teeth to catch the choco-balls, infect them with Dark Chi, and throw them back into Crunch's mouth. He would munch and swallow the chocolate with an upset feeling.

Crunch ate a tunnel to go underground, and Lola flapped up before he shot up to bite from underneath. Crunch repeated his strategy (filling up the holes as well), and when Lola thought she was safe at her height, Crunch shot up that high and munched, the bat barely dodging. She conjured mini bat clones of Dark Chi and had them flutter over an area. Crunch was tricked into biting them, for they bore the same scent, and Lola quickly flew underneath for a giant spank to the bottom. A furious Crunch landed and started to suck Lola in like a vacuum. She failed to flap away, going into the mouth as Crunch CHOMPED.

Lola was on the verge of flattening, her hands and feet smack against his Titan teeth. She channeled chi to both areas and used all her vampire strength to push the teeth open. "Hnnnnngg!" Lola's eyes brimmed with malice and her teeth sharpened as her anger and frustration rose. She stretched up and bit the top layer of teeth. The Titan teeth that could easily munch through earth were cracking under Lola's bite. They ultimately shattered, Lola escaping and biting the lower layer. Crunch tried to bite her, but her head was safe in the emptied gap, and she ruined the bottom layer as well. Lola mounted herself in the gums and threw an array of Spank Hands down Crunch's throat. He would become the first to experience a reverse-spank.

Tony dunked a basketball with cannon speed, but Hannah caught it and used magic to make it a football. Hannah ran from a charging Tony and set the football on fire with magic. She couldn't get far enough for a strong throw, but Tony was suddenly held back by Rainbow Monkey spirits. Lotte was jovially singing the theme song, the strength of her voice equal to that of the apes. Hannah was able to focus and hurl the flaming football straight into Tony's face. The tiger ferociously shook the monkeys off and bent his basketball to normal shape.

Tony blew more air into the ball to make it twice his height. He leapt 30 feet up and slammed the ball down with such power that it made a shockwave. The witches used Ascendio to jump it, but Tony bounced up using the returning ball and slammed it down again. The ball hit Hannah while she was in the air and smashed her. Lotte struck Tony with a magnet spell, and Hannah hit the ball with her own spell, causing the ball to fly up against the tiger. Tony couldn't push it off before it fell to the ground, and Lotte sang for two monkey spirits to pummel him with punches. The magnetism wore off, and Tony firmly grabbed the ball before spinning.

He hardened his ball with Haki, and once enough momentum was built, he threw it against the gorge wall, and it began bouncing everywhere with no sign of stopping. Tony rode the ball as well, trying to direct it into the girls. Lotte sang for some smaller monkeys to grab onto Hannah's arms to increase her strength, while also casting the Arms spell on her friend. When Tony flew at them, Hannah leapt and socked him in the nose, knocking him off the ball, but grabbing hold of it herself. She kept the momentum and bouncing going, but the Haki was fading. She was able to steer it toward Tony and slam it into the tiger's face before the Haki fully faded.

Trix flew at Sucy with a double-kick, but the illusion dispersed into mist as Trix landed in a pitfall full of agro fleas. Sucy cackled at her successful trick, but in backing out, she tripped a wire that tipped over a vat of yogurt, smothering her as the yogurt hardened. Trix hopped out, sprayed himself with gas to kill the fleas, and approached Sucy's exposed head, but Miyuki Rewinded Trix back into the pit, then used Rewind on the yogurt, allowing Sucy to recover. Sucy threw a potion into the pit, but Trix hopped out, caught it, and threw it elsewhere before running. Sucy pursued, nimbly dodging the axes Trix set up. After clearing them, she spotted an obvious cutout of Trix, so she readied her wand and searched for the real one. From the trees above her, Trix dropped—Sucy dodged, and he stepped on a blue potion she had spilled, causing Trix to zoom toward his own cutout and suffer darts to the face.

Trix angrily ripped them out, but saw Miyuki shoot a Chrono Beam, so he leapt left—he stepped on an explosive potion. Trix growled and tugged on a root near him, causing the surrounding trees to close in and crush the girls. Sucy transformed into a snake and slithered out before changing back, but Trix landed a kick and slammed her against the trees. He grabbed and strangled her neck, but Sucy hacked out a pink ball of goop that splattered over him. Trix was giggling from tickling, his grip on Sucy weakening as she blasted him away with a spell. The trees spread apart as Miyuki got free.

Trix shook the Tickle Goop off and ran around the trees. The girls carefully followed, finding a small field of pies with rabbit ears sticking out. They all smelled real, yet all were likely traps. Miyuki willed a Time Bubble to cover the area, aging the pies. They all grew rotten, and Trix climbed out of one, gasping from its awful smell and taste. However, a pleasant smell healed his nostrils: it seems one pie hadn't been affected. Trix tossed a rope to pull it away from his own trap—the pie's steam formed arms and grabbed Trix, clawing his eyes and wrapping his own ears around his neck. Sucy snickered, happy that her Die Pie did the trick.

Squam, Artie, Akko, and Diana raced out onto the school grounds, the witches casting spells at all the pirate soldiers. "DIANA IS HERE!" Wangari called.

"So am I!" Akko reminded.

"Ehhhh?!" Sherry frowned, looking to them from the rooftop with repulse. "Oh, dear. It's the mean Akko who doesn't like friendship."

"My GOD, you're a deluded old hag!"

"You're the deluded one!" Akko's soul shouted. "Sherry, don't bother with this whiny bully!"

"Where is Sunny Fist?!" Sherry demanded. "I know she's close by! I can smell her…"

"Diana, please tell us you have a way outta here!" Teresa asked. "The pirates injured all the teachers, and those Breakfast creeps have been harassing us nonstop! Especially that leprechaun there."

When Diana and Akko turned to the indicated direction… they shirked in disgust.

"Scrapin' mah tooty-booty, baby." Lucky was brushing his rear against the Marine Titan's eye. "Scrapin' mah booty, and it's tooty. Yo' know yo' wanna go with this booty, though."

Artie and Squam had already noticed Lucky and made the approach… but upon realizing what, exactly, he was brushing against… They hesitated to get closer. "Is that… Sheila's mom?"

Marine was as disgusting as Pawtucket implied. Her head was round and inflated with rather small, lidless eyes. Her mouth was locked in a forced grin, and her naked body was horridly disfigured in multiple areas. "Hey, I see yo' starin' at mah play-bitch." Lucky pointed, approaching the duo and drawing guns from his crotch. "You oughta find your own 'lessen you wanna be mah own."

"What in hell's name did you do to this person?!" Squam rasped.

"We stuffed ol' Coony full of Grandma's juicy-juice." Lucky replied. "But she ain't take any of them 'NHC10' drugs, if you know what I'm sayin'. She's whatcha call a 'defect Titan.' Dumb little bitches like her don't get to serve Grandma's fammy-whammo."

"Shut up." Squam cocked his gun at the hipster. "I'm sick of the way you talk… and that ugly face of yours. You'll be damn lucky if I don't kill you for everything you did!"

"Nah-nah-nah. Heyuh's how it's gonna go down." Lucky lifted his sunglasses, flashing a sharp stare. "I'm gonna build me a mountain of Titan hoes, and they all's gonna love me forever. And when Lucky's done gunkin' yo' asses, he's gonna make you Titans, too. And he'll love you the very best. That sound diddily to you?"

Artie swapped his ink gun for 4x4. "Sorry, Squam. I won't be satisfied with just ink, anymore."

"Fine by me if you fill him with holes." (Play "Bad Luck Charm" from RWBY.)

Boss fight: Minister of Cereal, LUCKY

Lucky spun like a Tasmanian devil, marshmallows squirting out like a sprinkler, so the boys hastily backed away and evaded. Some marshmallows hit them and inflated, but Squam's ink could knock them off. Lucky ran away as well, linking his guns to a sniper. They dodged the first shot—it was a stretched mallow branch, which Lucky swung around to stick the boys. He then retracted the mallow, pulling them as well, and thrusted his legs to kick them painfully. Lucky spun to Squam and stuck his gun in his mouth, but he became a squid to dodge, then Artie shot a F.R.A.P.P.E. to freeze Lucky. He broke out quickly, but the boys were able to get away.

Lucky erected another marshmallow branch, but Squam inked it up and submerged onto the branch. When Lucky retracted it, Squam shot out and grabbed the leprechaun, sticking his gun down Lucky's throat to fill him with ink. Lucky's head swelled and he shook frantically, but a pot of green dung appeared above Squam and fell on him, allowing Lucky to escape. "Don't ya know catchin' a Lepper gets you a pot o' gold? And mah 'gold' is fresh from the mine." He jumped on the pot to smoosh it against Squam, but Artie shot him off with a gum gun, sticking him to the ground. The boy shoved a M.U.S.K.E.T. in Lucky's nose to fill him up further. His head reached maximum swelling point until all the ink and mustard exploded out of him, escaping the gum as he blew around the air.

Lucky landed, but jumped to his feet. He got out some horseshoes and stuck them to his shoes, and they formed wheels as he rolled around. His upper body flailed back while guns stuck out of his pants, and would shoot as he jiggled. He zoomed to them, but they dodged as Artie switched on roller-blades, and Squam entered his Baller. Both devices helped in chasing Lucky, who rolled backwards to shoot them. Artie got closer and shot a G.U.M.Z.O.O.K.A. with sticky balls, getting them latched to Lucky's horseshoes. Eventually, they stopped rolling, the leprechaun flipping upright while still shooting. Squam's Baller endured the shots as he got close and made the sphere explode with ink, blowing Lucky out of his shoes.

He landed upside-down, legs spread. Artie rolled up, drew a S.P.L.A.N.K.E.R., and slammed it against his crotch. "YAAAAAII milk tiddies!" Lucky flew up, holding his crotch as he then bounced around on his rear. Lucky ceased and blew into his thumbs, which resulted in a red balloon inflating from his rear. He began to shoot his foes from the sky, so Artie donned his Fly Suit while Squam used the Inkjet. Lucky was surprisingly evasive with the balloon, and he blew other balloons. The balloons wore sunglasses and grinned just like Lucky, flying toward the boys to explode.

Artie used a vacuum gun to suck in five balloons, leaving Squam to blast down others to clear a path to Lucky. Once he had the chance, Artie shot the condensed balloons to smother Lucky in marshmallow. He fell to the ground with his head exposed; Artie grabbed his head to hold him while Squam pumped his mouth with ink, and they dodged the pot o' dung. Lucky was still smiling, as though he were delighted from swallowing ink. The ink exploded out of him, freeing Lucky as he flew around, having to vomit some remaining gallons out.

Lucky spread some Rainbow Dust on the ground and whiffed it into his nose. "SNIIIIIIIIIFF!" His eyes inflated with each second, becoming so shiny that his shades couldn't block it. Rainbows stretched from them, pushing Lucky to the air as a minigun unloaded from his crotch. Artie and Lucky could slide up the rainbows, switching left or right to evade his bullets, but in such a tight space, it was a tricky maneuver. Their hearts raced as they were nearing Lucky, where it became harder to dodge. They pelted his face with ink and mustard to blot his eyes and stop the rainbows.

Lucky fell, and the gunners jumped after to land on him and crush him against the—Lucky barfed a shooting star to blast them away before they could succeed. Lucky flipped upright, washed his face with milk, and surfed a shooting star to the sky. He flew through the rainbow he had conjured, dispersing it as Lucky clones were created from each color. The real Lucky was distinguishable from the one-color clones, but their light-bullets were still deadly as they swooped down to hurt the boys. Artie pulled out a S.T.R.O.B.E., a flashlight weapon he could charge and flash for bursts of light. He would wait for the clones to surf close and flash them, ruining the rainbow as they faded.

He tried to flash the real Lucky, but his sunglasses wouldn't allow it as he rammed them over. Lucky flipped off and sat on Artie's face, blowing a red balloon into his mouth. A furious Squam drew out his roller and bashed it on Lucky, but the commander refused to budge off Artie. Artie grabbed Lucky to push him off, but still failed—but his real intention was to spawn a dung pot above him, falling on Lucky to make him eat his own crap. He reactively sucked the balloon back in, allowing Artie to escape. Squam whacked the pot to knock it upright with Lucky upside-down, and Artie's S.P.L.A.N.K.E.R. dealt punishment to his crotch.

Lucky shot out and bounced away. He whipped out large four-leaf clovers, twirling them before slapping them over his nipples. They spun rapidly, and Lucky leaned toward the ground as they shot green lasers. The lasers pushed him up, and he flew around while burning the lasers along. The boys dodged him, but Lucky quickly turned for a rebound. "OW!" Squam's right foot was burned off. Artie lifted his friend to help dodge further returns. Unfortunately, Lucky got directly above them, lasers spread and spinning. Their escape was blocked, so they quickly shot up at his chest.

The clovers fortunately broke with enough shots, so Lucky landed. The boys jumped him, shoved ink/mustard in his mouth, dodged a dung pot, pumped up his nose, dodged, then pumped his ears. The substances were trying to escape from his exits, but they refused to give him a break and refilled him over and over. After all the crap Lucky had put them through, the people he's hurt, they were taking no more chances with this bastard. Lucky's squirming faltered, he was choking on the goop… and his resolve was lost. "Bliiiip…blaaaaap…" He puked the ink out, feeling like his intestines had melted. "Fliiiip…flowwwww…briiiib…" The Breakfast Commander fainted. (End song.)

"Huff…huff… Lay there and die." Squam panted.

"Easy, squiddo." Artie consoled. "I think he got the message."

"Yeah… I guess…"

"Your Majesty!" Goomnut yelled, mounted on the queen's shoulder. "Lucky has been beaten! You must punish those fools at once! …Your Majesty?"

Sherry's attention had been taken by something else. Based on the grin spread across her features, there was only one thing that could have. (Play "Sorrow" from Xenoblade.)

Having become tired of waiting, Sheila Frantic marched onto the field, her instincts drawing her in one direction. She, Mason, and Haruka stopped a full 30 feet from the defect Titan. Sheila was afraid to get any closer, afraid to fully confirm her fears. "MA HAHAHAHA! THERE YOU ARE, Sunny Fist!" The Titan queen leapt the full distance from the roof to Marine, bouncing the mutant upon impact. "Take a long look! THIS is the woman that birthed you! A form most fitting for such a disgusting lineage!" Sherry lifted Marine by the head and shook her.

"…Is she dead…"

"What's that?" Sherry dropped Marine and held a hand by her ear. "You'll have to speak louder, dear, these old ears aren't what they used to be."

"Why would you do a thing like this, you ugly bitch?!" Mason shouted.

"MY WORD!" Sherry gasped. "You are speaking of Sunny Fist's mother, right? Yes, of course!" She planted her foot on Marine. "This is exactly what you are on the inside: a brainless, cold-blooded monster who kills precious friends and family. You killed my granddaughter, Charlotte, you tried to corrupt the heart of my sweet Akko, you are a plague on this world, Sunny Fist! Open your eyes to the truth!"

Too many repressed emotions tried to breach the top of Sheila's mind. The sadness and rage she did her best to hide every day saw no other way, and her mind ultimately stopped working. "Ma ha ha… I can feel it. I can feel your heart crumbling. And now, you will join your mother!" Sherry willed her cupcakes to fly up in her psychic, swirling them before her. "I will make you a Titan and string both of you up for the universe to see! This is the true legacy of the Sunny and Golden—waah!"

The Marine Titan rolled her head out from under Sherry's foot and, with a burst of light, shot up to catch all the cupcakes in her gaping mouth. She landed with a thud, twisting her head grotesquely. The drooling beast's blurry eyes focused only on Sheila. She cared not for Mason, Haruka, or anyone else… only Sheila was her target. Rasping horrifically, Marine twisted her head along the ground, pulling her disfigured form to Sheila.

"Oh?" Sherry cocked a brow. "What a disgusting creature, going to eat its own daughter! I suppose this end is slightly fitting."

Mason and Haruka ran—but stopped when Sheila refused to follow. It was already clear that the Titan desired only to eat, so why wouldn't anyone run?

Why did Sheila feel no reason to run from or fight the monster that was once her mother? Her thoughts were too disorganized to make any sort of action, so she instead chose to let her mother act. The Titan swung its horrendous, disproportioned hand and grasped Sheila. There was an explosion of Light Chi, erecting a pillar of light that waved like a fluid, liquid geyser, with a bubbling, brewing sun at the tip.

"SHEILA!" Mason cried, rushing to help—the light became too bright, so he shut his eyes. The sun morphed to different colors like orange, brown, white, green, blue; all the colors that had composed Marine's person. They concluded with a pure, sunny gold, the sun compressing as the pillar retracted into Sheila's body. The young captain was burning in great flames of gold light, flaring wildly. "SHEILA! Quick, someone bring water! Never mind, I'll pour soda!" He cracked open a can—Haruka grabbed his arm and stopped him, mouthing 'no.'

Upon further observation, Sheila didn't seem to be in any pain from the 'flames.' They were wider and taller than her body and enveloped all her clothes, so it was dangerous to stare at her long. However, they possessed a warm, gentle heat, and touching the flames may warm their souls. Sheila and Marine looked each other in the eye, saying nothing. However, a voice echoed in Sheila's mind.

'ey there, Sheila. Sorry ya 'ad to see me this way… Bloody pirates got the jump on me. 'Guess I'm gettin' too old for this, eh? What I did just now was a lightbending move I studied ages ago, and I'm glad I was able to do it right. It's called "Dying Sun." I've given you every last ounce of my Light Chi. You'll need some time to let your body adapt to it, but that'll fly by like a fly's lifespan! But the name ain't just for show… in a minute or two, I'll die. I was hopin' I'd never have to do this, but I reckon these scoundrels woulda killed me, anyway. I'm just glad I got to see you… before that happened.

Sheila's tears sparkled in the dancing flares. The color began to dissolve on Marine's body. You've gotten so strong, Sheila… You're an amazing girl. Promise me you'll keep livin' and be happy. But please, try to do better in school. I know I was a bad influence on you, but… all the more reason you'll shine brighter. And when you get around to kickin' that fat hag's arse… know that I'll be fightin' right beside you.

Sheila smiled from the warmth of her mother's final gift. She opened her arms and hugged the Titan's head, sharing this warmth in her final moments. "I will, Mum."

"Hnnnnn?" Sherry cocked her head. "That doesn't look like emotional trauma. Goomnut, what's happening?"

"This…This is terrible, Your Majesty!" Goomnut panicked. "A minute ago, Sheila's Power Level was 7,527. But now it's risen to… t-t-t-t-TWELVE THOUSAND!"

Orright, Sheila… I'll be goin' soon… but I reckon I can take somethin' with me.

Lucky wiped the ink off his glasses as he awoke. "Wom?" He cocked a brow as Marine lazily crawled to him. "Yaw, fin'ly scootchin' on yo' milk jugs, honky-monkey? Ol' Lucky knew you ain't passin' on the gassin'. Yo, come on. Come Taser mah money-makers." Marine's gaping mouth grew wide, drooling. "Whoa, you givin' Lucky a big ol' sucky. Just careful y'all don't get his veggie-juice. 'ey, that ain't what ya do for a sucky—don't go gettin' yo' stanky-ass breath all over mah—BOOOLLOOOOOL!" The Titan's teeth sealed on him like a guillotine.

"LUCKY!!" Queen Sherry leapt, sword drawn, and stabbed Marine in the neck. A scorching steam released as the Golden Fist began to dissolve into dust. Sheila stared at her mother to her very last seconds, smiling with gratitude. As the steam rose to the heavens, Marine's golden spirit appeared, grinning with a thumbs-up.

Lucky the Leprechaun had become a bloody, half-eaten, half-chewed mess. "Lucky…" Sherry's heart began to beat with despair. Quivering, she knelt down and scooped his remains in her hands. "Oh…Lucky… My sweet… little… Lucky…" Her giant tears drenched his corpse, forming a puddle of blood on her palms. "You… How could… you do this…?" Sherry showed them her tearing face. "Does your kind show no remorse for any-"

Sheila's lightspeed kick stabbed right into Sherry's fragile heart. Great pain coursed through the queen as she hacked goop and fell on her back. "Darn right I killed Charlotte." The queen pushed herself up, glaring at the Sunny Flame. "She was a crazy monster, just like you. My mum weren't the one makin' monsters outta people. I'm gonna kill you just the same… so me mates and I can smile again."

"No! You're tearing up inside! Just the sight of her has destroyed your mind! You'll never be able to face me in such a state."

"Take a look, Great Grandma." Sheila smirked proudly. "I ain't broken one bit. I'm happier than ever, in fact. 'Cause now me and Mum get to destroy you together!"

"LIES! Your mother is dead, power-up or not! I will see you destroyed and CRYING!"

"Sorry, lady. But you don't get to see me cry. Only one'll be crying is you, once we take your cake."

Sherry's heart skipped. Could the cake be in danger?! "…Hnn! Ma ma ma!" She grinned and hid her concern. "As if a 12,000 Level will make any difference! My power is more than twice that, and once I eat my cake, it'll be triple! But I haven't time to waste on such useless brats, I've a wedding to get to! I'll let the Titans dispose of you… SUNNY FIST!" Sherry took Lucky's body and leapt onto Zeus, ascending and soaring away.

"This is Aurora to all operatives! Titans have moved into the swamp!"

"This is Dillon, we've apprehended all Breakfast Club members. Mason, how are things over there?!"

Mason turned to Sheila, her smile shining with confidence again. …He could tell that she was restraining her feelings, for here wasn't the place to let them out. "…I think we've done our part." Mason answered.

"Diana," Akko rushed over to her leader, "I found the injured teachers inside the school!"

"Then let's go in and take them, we have to flee the school grounds now."

"Oi, how many of you witches can fight?!" Sheila asked the students. "You all might as well contribute if we're savin' your arses!"

"Hell yeah!" Wangari cheered. "I was gettin' sick of these guys!"

"Lead us to victory, Diana!" Verde yelled.

"Seriously, why only you?" Akko sighed.

"This is Aurora, I've just contacted Rawberry. She's sending a group of New Galaxian operatives to our location, they'll help us take care of the Titans."

"Good on ya, Aurora." Sheila replied. "We've got a wedding to get to and we don't wanna be late. Whaddya say, Mason?" She extended a hand. "If we're lucky, we get to be the ring-bearer and flower girl."

With a smile, Mason took her hand, his heart growing sunny from her warmth. She ran with invigorating speed, a speed that Mason would stumble to match as she guided him. For a moment, he was afraid he would never get to run like this again. He was so thankful to be wrong. He wanted to follow Sheila's light for the rest of his life.