H.O.T.S.T.U.F.F. Redux

Kirie Dunfree never understood why her grandparents kept the thermostat so low. Anytime her family visited them, she'd always need to wear a few extra sweaters. All her mom would say, "It gets pretty hot in here, kids. Don't worry, it's just a little cold." And her dad said, "Heh, my team went on a whole operation just to get Kuki out of her toasty house! Sure wasn't fun to have Grandpa Kani staying at the treehouse. He turned the thermos so low, the whole place froze!"

It didn't feel much different as a grown-up. Visiting her grandparents' home to help move stuff out, the chill of the house's interior was making her nose run… and the drippage freeze. Hmmm…maybe just one degree. Kirie saw no issue with tapping the up arrow once. She quietly approached the device and lifted her finger-

"NO!" Immediately, a skinny old man ambushed her from out of nowhere and swat her hand with a cane. "THE THERMOSTAT IS NOT A TOY!"

Geez, Grandpa. Isn't all this cold bad for you? It was amazing enough he was still kicking after all this time, but more so that he was still fixated on this blasted thing.

"Cold is what keeps our food fresh! Cold is what keeps our sweat from running! Don't you realize that, Kuki?!"

I'm Kirie, Grandpa. Ki…rie.

"How dare you rename yourself after the girl from that stupid 'Heart' game?!"

I think you're thinking of Kairi, Gramps.

"WWWWWHAT?! Someone's drinking on my diary?! Mushi! Keep your juice off my pages!" The old man stormed away.

If it wasn't clear his eyesight was going bad, that was it. Kani had no trouble reading Kirie's sign language before, but he had forgotten the different signs… and the fact his eldest daughter had long been gone. Along with his wife, Genki, who died of heart problems after a certain zombie crisis. Well, nothing she could do about it. Kirie returned to work—after briefly flicking the up arrow.

A neighborhood in Cleveland

The lone leaf had all spring and summer to grow green and beautiful… but it was fated to drift to the ground as a lush, brownish color. Then it would meet its end under a foot of the same hue. "Man, the leaves are already changing." Isabelle Rivera frowned, feeling the crunch beneath her. "Won't you just miss summer, Trella? All that warm weather to run around in?"

It's not a big deal. We can go anywhere in the universe! signed the pink-haired and green-skinned alien. Her socks matched her hair and an orange dress covered her. We can visit somewhere warm if we want to!

"Hee hee, you're right! And besides, running around piles of crunching leaves is fun, too!" Isabelle danced under the shade of a tree.

Just don't run into a rock!

"Hahahaha!" Isabelle took Trella's hand and let her join in the dance, strumming her harp to welcome autumn with a song.

Booooooooom! But the rumbling earth was often the sign of a crisis afoot. Trella faced the sound's direction, appearing as a spire of orange amidst her dark vision. She directed Isabelle's gaze to where she heard the sound… and Isabelle's sharp eyes drew to a spire of fire and a small cloud of ash forming from it. "Huh…I wonder if Christina got in a fight? Wanna make sure she's okay?" Trella nodded.

The Shandian's natural speed carried them across the neighborhood in no time, even while carrying Trella's light weight. Worryingly, it seemed that a thinnish spire had risen in that very spot, and it didn't seem like something Christina could do. "…!" What they found was almost like… a small volcano, lava oozing down. A single house was situated atop the summit, and other surrounding houses had been curved up with the slope. "What in the…" Isabelle's first thought was that lavabending was involved… "W-Wait! Trella!" Isabelle panicked at the sight of a wrecked purple car with a Rainbow Monkey hood. "That looks like your mom's car!"

"!!!" Horror struck the Silent Dancer.

"Hey, guy!" Isabelle called to a nearby man. "What happened here? Where'd this volcano come from?"

"I-I dunno. It just rose up from under Old Man Sanban's house…"

"S…Sanban?"

Wait! My mom said she was going to my great-grandpa's today! Is that… his house up there?!

"Trella, let's call the others. Sigh…it sure got warmer all of a sudden."

A volcano sprouting up in the middle of town was a cause of attraction for most residents. Especially if their house wound up stuck on the incline. The ops of Sector V responded to the call. "Th-This volcano… just showed up?" Mali stuttered. "Under your grandpa's house?"

"Great-grandpa." Isabelle corrected. "And we think Trella's mom is in there…"

A villain's gotta be behind this! Some kind of lavabending villain!

"I don't know who else could do this." Laruta partially agreed. "Silica, what do you think?"

"Eh? Oh, I dunno, sure." The gamer's eyes were preoccupied.

"You realize I'm asking you 'cause you aren't paying attention, right?"

"Myuh muh, yeah, there's a volcano and Trella's mom, blah blah… If it's a lavabender thing, get Sector W. They got those."

"They only got one." Jason reminded. "Heh, and I don't think Spike's puny sand grains can last in there! Orright, team, we got an adventure! Into the volcano we go!"

"Hoooold-do-do-do on, man." Ralph shook his head. "As much as I'd love to get so sweaty, my pants stick to my butt, I reckon calling Sector W ain't a bad idea. At least bring over Kent, his bending could be a big help."

"Ugh, we can't just call another sector for a mission that should be ours." Christina scoffed. "This should be our job, man. This is Trella's mom, and it's our turf!"

"The KND isn't a contest." Laruta stated reprovingly. "There may be a ranking system, but all of us are inclined to work together. I think calling Sector W's a great idea."

"You just don't wanna go in either. Heh, your bending would be hazardous in there, plus you'd sweat more than Tubby. We'd need a spatula to get the pants off your butt!"

"Hooooohh!"

"Welp, you guys have fun with this convo, I'mma go call them." So, Isabelle ran off before she could get any more grossed. "I'll call Moonbase, too! Can't just go volcano-diving without letting the boss know!"

KND Moonbase

Supreme Leader Perry welcomed a pair of twins into his office. They were not only his cousins, but his personal guards, Jasmine and Frasmine Drilovsky. Frasmine had blue hair with the front brushed upward and freckles, his hoodie light-blue with darker pants. Jasmine had fiery orange hair hung down in bangs, wearing a red shirt with a flaming skirt.

"Tell Sector V to have any nearby citizens leave." Perry ordered. "There's no telling if the volcano won't grow any taller."

"And me dad said volcano insurance was pointless." Jasmine said, her Irish tongue a bit more refined than her mom's.

"Yep. We're in some pretty hot stuff now." Frasmine replied with a smirk.

"How was that even clever?"

"Hot stuff?" Perry asked. "Huh…that almost sounds familiar." The black-haired child looked up old mission files on his computer. "I remember I was boredly scrolling through missions… and I found this one." He clicked the file.

Jas and Fras viewed the image on it. "That looks like the picture they sent us!" Jas gasped. "You actually remembered this from boredly scrolling?!"

"Offhand words save the day!" Fras cheered.

"Yeah, and… that's how it happened?" Perry cocked a brow in confusion. "And they used a…wow."

"Quit cuttin' yourself off, boy!" Jas glared. "Can Sector V go in there or can't they?"

"Well, tell them that enlisting Kent is a wise idea. But I'm also calling another operative to come help them. I think a shred of ice oughta be good for cooling this house~"

"You want me to go down and help?" Fras asked.

"No, not you! We'll need… a bigger shred of ice."

"Hah!" Jas snorted. Fras returned an eye-roll of frustration.

Kani's House

Since only Kent's assistance was needed, the suntanned lavabender of Sector W flew to Virginia. Walking a safe distance to the volcano, Kent Taylor put a hand to the ground. "From the feel of it, the lava seems to flow up from several dozen meters! And down that far, there's a cavern… but all the way up through the house itself is flooded."

I-i-is… Mom down there…?

Laruta conveyed her words. "I couldn't really tell ya."

Trella hung her head. If her mom had been inside the molten house when it happened, then… "Hey, guys!" Isabelle came dashing. "Just got the call from Perry! According to the mission files, this same thing happened a long time ago!"

"Why'd you run back instead of just calling us?" Ralph asked.

"More fun! Anyway, this happened to Trella's grandma. Apparently, she turned the thermostat too high, and then… this happened. It… really doesn't make sense, but we're seeing it. Old Sector V had to go down there with a boat inside a giant ice cube, and they saw Trella's grandma turned into some kinda fiery monster."

"'ey, not bad." Christina smirked. "So, if history's repeating itself, I guess that means her mom is a monster now?"

"At least that means she isn't dead!" Laruta cheered. "We know your grandma survived, so that means Mom will survive, too!"

A hopeful smile returned to the alien. "Then I guess I better cook us up a lava-proof boat." Ralph figured. "And… freeze it?"

"Haha, about that." Isabelle blushed. "Perry said he'd be calling someone else to help us. And it looks like they're here!"

A bronze-colored ship with large clocks attached to it landed nearby. They recognized it as Sector IC's. "Hellooooooo!" The first to come skiing out of it was Juki Crystal, leaving a trail of ice and filling the air with her cheer. She had ice-blue eyes on pale-yellow skin, her black hair damp and messy. She had a black jacket over a light-blue shirt with a white tie, a vanilla skirt, and boney legs. "Wait… you want me to go in a REAL volcano?! I thought it was gonna be an ice cream one!"

"Juki!" Laruta perked. "That makes sense. Well, I guess with you and Kent working together, we should be able to solve this."

"'Guess I'm going in after all…" Kent sighed.

"Hey, Kent-chan! You're here, too!" Juki skied to the lavabender. "Can't you just harden this lava or something? It's so hot…"

"I'm not good enough to harden all this. And besides… there's something unusual about this volcano. It feels unnatural in more ways than one…"

"Then let's get on in there, huh?!" Shimmy clapped.

"Er, just a sec." Ralph rejected. "So, if the place we're trying to reach is that deep underground, it sounds like we'll have to get in through that crater." He pointed at the chimney-like crater atop the Sanban house. "So, we'll need a fair-sized boat. And I don't reckon I can fit on everybody here."

"Just squeeze us in an Infi-Cube." Isabelle shrugged.

"No way, that's boring!" Jason stated. "I need to see the adventure happening around me!"

"Besides, I think we should only send operatives who are best suited for this environment." Laruta reasoned. "No need to risk all our lives, right? So, that would be Kent, Juki, I guess Christina…"

I need to go, too! Trella bobbed on her tippy-toes, a hand raised.

"Trella, I get why you want to, but… it's not like you're exactly suited for-"

Let me go with them! Please please please please pleeeaaaa-

"Just let 'er come!" Chris huffed. "If her mom became a fire monster, maybe the love of her daughter will snap her out of it! …I still reserve the right to fight her a little."

"Well, Jason?" Isabelle asked.

"I approve!" the captain decided. "So, let's get diving down that crater!"

"Christina's already going, so risking you is unnecessary." Laruta declined.

"NOOOOooooo…" Jason froze up in dejection.

"Before we go in," Kent said, "you guys are gonna need the right shoes. So, while Ralph's working on that ship, I'll fly to Hawaii and get ya some real quick." (Play "Heart of the Mountain" from Celeste!)

During the couple hours it took to prepare, the volcano showed no other activity. Ralph had gotten his mom's help to construct, not just the boat, but a cannon to shoot it into the crater. The other operatives would watch as a huge block of ice was loaded into the cannon. "Mmmmmm…" Jason moaned, sitting on the ground grumpily.

"Chill, Jason, it's just a magically appearing volcano." Isabelle consoled. "It probably isn't even that cool inside. Literally!"

"Hmph…Silica, let me watch." Jason went to stand behind her, deciding to at least partake in the goth's gaming adventures.

"Okay… cannon lined up with crater." Ralph announced, manning the cockpit. "Beginning launch in 5…4…3…2—GO!"

The chunk of ice was beneath the lava in a great splash! The four operatives inside hung tight to their seats as nothing more than a mass of lava filled the windshield beyond the ice. "Kent-chan! The ice is almost gone!"

"We'll make it!" Kent assured, manning the pilot's seat as he focused bending through the shield to spread some of the lava away. "Just… a few more… METERS!"

To everyone's extreme relief, their boat, the H.O.T.S.H.O.T., splashed out of the lava, surfaced inside a cavern. The inside of said cavern was reminiscent of a house, the walls and furniture melting. "HOOOO, BABY!" Christina eagerly stepped out onto the deck, allowing herself to absorb the heat and sweat away. "That's how I like it, baby!"

Trella walked out after her. It had actually been her first visit to Great Grandpa's home… and it made sense now why they never visited. But it didn't make sense why he would never move out of such a dangerous house. "So, Kenny, how're these woolly shoes gonna help us?" Chris asked. The three had been fit with the same shoes as Kent, brown with lava crack designs. "They immune to lava or something?"

"They can walk on hard surfaces without melting, and they can take a bit of shallow lava. These two needed 'em, but I sort of debated if you needed 'em, Chrissy."

"A little volcanic heat never hurt, but I'll accept the offer."

"Juki, get out here." Kent called. "We need your ice to keep the area around the ship cool. It can hold up for now, but it has a durability limit."

"But I don't wanna get ooouuuuut." Juki had tucked herself inside the built-in freezer. "I can feel the heat from here."

"Just get out, Frostbite." Chris ordered.

Juki begrudgingly complied. The cold from the freezer kept her chi paths fresh, allowing her to release a wave of ice around the boat. The chilly air was freshing in the intense heat, though it was a bit hard to see through the steam. With his bending, Kent willed the flow of lava to move them along. "Ugh…intruders again… Probably here to change my thermostat."

Trella perked up. She tapped Chris's shoulder and asked, Chris, did you hear that?

"Girl, you know I don't understand you."

UGH, WE SHOULDA BROUGHT ISABELLE!

"Hey… that one looks REALLY good. Yeah… this might actually work out."

It didn't seem like the others were reacting to this voice. Curious, Trella called out in a voice mortals couldn't hear. "HEY! Who's in there?! Where's my mom and grandpa?!"

"Huh? Did she hear me? …Hey, if you hear me, then turn around and leave! I've been asleep for almost 50 years, I ain't gonna let you put me back! Lava Bubbles, get them!"

"Whoa there!" Christina yelped as fire spirits with angry eyes rose from the magma. The spirits zoomed about like comets, spitting bullets at them or ramming the ship directly. Juki tried to aim and shoot icicles at the flames, dousing them in one shot each. The Bubbles tried to focus bullets on the icebender, but Christina bent them away. After the spirits were doused, the lava rose into columns, requiring Kent's power to press them down. "Hey, there's a gate blocking that tunnel." Chris pointed. "Think you can just melt it?"

Trella shook her head. That feels like a spiritual gate. We have to find a way to… no one understands me.

"I'm assuming Trella's saying… we can't melt it down?"

"Hey, check out those platforms." Kent pointed at a sequence of floating, cracked rock platforms. "And they lead to that crystal. I wonder if that's what we need?"

"These platforms are too far apart." Chris jumped to the first one. "WHOA!" It pressed down from the angle she landed and flung her into the air. Chris used a fire boost to land back on the boat, watching as the platform respawned. "Ah…think I get it! This should be fun!" Chris did a boost jump to land on the platform at an angle where it could shoot her to a floating one. She hit the side of it to be flung to the next, landing on top and launching against the underside of another. She hit it at the appropriate angle to bounce to the next one, but she had to jump off it before being flung. She jumped up a stairway of the platforms before the top one shot her to a vertical one, using boost to grab a higher part of it. This would fling her to the crystal's platform. A direct punch turned its red color blue, and the gate opened.

Christina returned, so the team could sail through the tunnel. It sloped downward and curved right, with Kent bending the waves to keep their turn consistent. Stalactites dropped, but Chris could shoot fireballs to knock them off course. The slope flattened out into a river, and their H.O.T.S.H.O.T. would come to park at a shore. "That's as far as this'll go." Kent said, jumping down first. "Juki, better refresh yourself in that freezer."

Once she did so, the four kids traveled the molten caverns on foot. There were several more platform sequences involving the same kinds, wherein they'd have to land at the right angles and launch appropriately, but the four ops in question handled the segments well. In areas where they'd have to cross segments of lava, Kent could harden paths over it. They reached a vertical shaft they would need to ascend, but the only things available were large, floating fireballs traveling along set paths. Juki cast her ice up the shaft, turning the flames into balls of ice. Said balls were safe to bounce on, but one bounce would break them back into fireballs, so the operatives planned and made their jumps quickly. However, they didn't crack under Trella's light weight, nor did they under Juki herself. "Hee hee, I wonder if it's because you're hotheads or you're heavy!" Juki joked.

"I'd be willing to accept both." Kent complied. The following room had a similar segment, except this time there were stationary, sun-like rocks. When Juki shot ice at them, they turned into round tiki-like figures. Christina jumped on one first, and it bounced her upward with good force. She could jump on it repeatedly without it changing back. It was certainly more fun and manageable to bounce on than the prior platforms, but they would also be flung in whichever angle they struck the Bumpers. Christina used her bending to push back fire blockades. Once past the Bumpers, the four would have to Wall Jump up twin lavafalls. Kent would go first, and the others would stay close as he kept the segments solid. They reached a safe platform, but would have to make horizontal Wall Jumps along a series of lava columns, which would only pour out during intervals. They began their combined jumping when the closest column poured and could work from there, but Trella felt safer holding onto Christina's back.

After this heart-pounding segment, the friends entered a calm, quiet room with a couch and chair. "Hey, a nice break." Christina sighed, resting on the couch. "Hoo!" She grabbed a soda from her Infi-Cube. "I'm glad we didn't bring the others, this platforming don't come easy. Unless we just carry them in the cube."

"Can't really gain experience like that." Kent said, resting on the chair. "Besides, did you know that if you stay in those things long enough, you'll get sleepy and your stamina will drop?"

"Really? No wonder I wouldn't like staying in them either. Plus, the whole idea of putting my life in someone else's… Hey, Trell, you want a drink?"

The alien ignored her, standing before and staring at a wall. Chris cocked a brow: Trella was blind, but she knew better than to mistake a wall for someone talking. She put a hand to the wall; it wasn't too hot. Kent said this place didn't feel normal… and now I see why. This place is spiritual. And for some reason, turning up the thermostat pulled it into this world. But why?

"Hellooooo? Earth to Trella?"

She turned to Chris. I was just thinking that… But she brushed her hand in realizing it was pointless.

"Ah-right, ah-right." Chris got up and approached her. "We shoulda brought Laruta or somebody, I know. I'd say Isabelle, but she wouldn't wear these shoes. Then again, Lar would seriously stink through all that sweat. But look, I know you're upset, but we're gonna get your mom back, okay?" She plopped a hand on Trella's pink hair.

Trella's blank eyes bore a semblance of gratitude. Chris had never come off as the consoling type, and she never paid Trella that much mind since she couldn't speak. Trella couldn't really spark a dynamic with any of her teammates because of it; most just thought of her as the nice, quiet girl whom you really couldn't get mad at. But with no one else to translate her, it felt nice that Chris was trying to be a good friend. "Now, do you want a drink or not?" She offered Trella her soda. Trella smiled and took a drink… but there was a repugnant taste. "Heh, sorry. Aftertaste." But she was still inconsiderate so as to not offer a fresh drink.

"Huff, I hope this is almost over…" Juki sighed, melting on the couch. "My bending's almost dry… How hot is it, anyway?"

"Firebenders should be able to discern hot temperatures with instinct." Kent replied. "Have you reached that level, Chris?"

"I could always experiment on your head."

"Hey, Ken-chan." Juki began. "You know how we wear these shoes so the lava doesn't hurt? When we were in training, you said lavabenders could walk on hot ground without getting hurt. Like icies can on ice! So, how come you're wearing those?"

"Well… that was before the accident."

"Huh?"

"I was lavabending one time, and… I sort of burned my soles on the hot ground. I don't wanna show you, but that's sorta why I need to wear these shoes all the time."

"Ow…" Christina cringed.

"Poor Kenny…" Juki's brows curved in sympathy.

"We figured it was because my mom's Imuchakk."

"Imu-what?" Chris asked.

"She's from a water tribe on Glacia. They have high cold tolerance. Heh, you would think I'd be able to handle both temperatures, but I can't really handle either. At least not the same way Dad can."

"Heh, then I'm surprised you weren't all, 'No way, I'm not going in there!' or 'I never wanna lavabend again!' before we did this mission."

Way to be understanding, Chris. Trella remarked.

"Well, my dad's policy is, 'Man up, get over it, and be careful next time.' Honestly, I really didn't wanna come in here, but who else were you gonna ask? Obviously, a lavabender is important for a volcano mission."

"Awe, Kenny!" Juki came to give him a hug. "You're so brave! Thanks for helping us!"

"Heh…" He grew red from a different reason than the heat. Juki was the sweatiest of all of them, and her body possessed only a lukewarm coolness. The icebender's hug was welcoming, comforting… but kind of not. "Juki, you're kind of smelly and sticky."

"And you're burning me~"

"Then let go."

"I can't. Uhnnnnn!" Juki's skin had glued to Kent's. "Nnn!" But they ripped apart. "Owie!"

The volcano rumbled. "You guys were idiots to come this far. Soon, this volcano will erupt, flooding the entire cavern and you along with it. And it'll take more than you to stop my new vessel!"

"Who was that?!" Christina wondered. Trella recognized it as the voice from before, but was surprised she acknowledged it this time.

"And what was that about a vessel?" Kent wondered. "You don't think it's talking about her mom, do you?"

"Then it's… the fire monster?" Juki asked.

"Let's go find out!" The firebender cracked her knuckles. Their break time concluded, the four operatives rushed through the rest of the tunnel, arriving at a wider room with a tall throne across a molten pool. "LOOK! Trella, there's your mom!"

W-Where?!

"Up there!" Chris faced her in the throne's direction. "Er…I guess you can't tell. She's just sitting there, but it looks like she's breathing." Trella could faintly sense a panting presence up on the throne. The knowledge that it was her mother filled her with hope and relief. "But… she doesn't look like a monster either." (Play "Here Comes Trouble" from Banjo!)

"Ahahahahaha!" A column of fire erupted from the pool. "Even though it was a harder version of my lair, you made it through! You're more impressive than the last group I dealt with. I am the master of this volcano!" A figure jumped out of the fire: an impish, red devil with horns on its round head and a tail. "Hotstuff!"

He was only one-fourth the height of the kids. "Hahahahahaha!" Chris held her stomach in laughter. "This is the monster I was looking forward to? You're punier than Laruta!"

"Silence!" His voice was monstrous and intimidating. "If I'm laughable, why did the gods feel the need to trap me in that sub-dimension?! I was a fiery little devil who set everything to blazes, and when I found this little volcano a couple centuries ago, I decided to check it out. But God Groudon set this volcano here on purpose to trap me! As soon as I was inside, he sealed the volcano in a spirit vein, and Lord Polaris applied a coating of snow to keep me nice and cozy. I was forced into slumber… but eventually, a house was built on this spot, and indoor heating was invented. That heating broke my seal and revived my volcano! I thought I was free until… an annoying, white-haired snow spirit cooled me up again with a blizzard and put me back asleep. And ever since then, tenants of this house were warned not to turn up the heat… and a thermostat was eventually installed to keep the temp consistently cold."

"Well, hate to break this to you, but we're turning the temp right back down." Chris said. "Or maybe just beating you up will fix things."

"Just try to take me!" The spirit lunged at Chris, who tried to force him back with a counter flame… but the fire phased right through the spirit, who in turn phased into Chris's body.

"Hey! W—WAAAAAAHHH!" Christina flashed orange, her hair becoming flames, as did her eyes, and her clothes partially burned. "HAHAHAHA! You fool! When I mentioned my 'vessel,' you didn't think I meant that weak little woman up there?! The only good vessel for me is one with Fire Chi!"

"What?!" Trella gasped, her voice heard by the monster. "Then, when you possessed my grandma back then… it was because she was a firebender?!"

"That was your grandma, huh? Yes, but this girl feels MUCH hotter! Almost like that other firebender back then… I may be the hottest in this volcano, but outside, I'm not so hot, anymore. I need a vessel to set the outside world to ashes! And this one will do just fine!" (Play "King Coal" from Banjo!)

Juki cast an ice wave, but it was blocked by a spire of flame, which Hotstuff then pushed toward the icebender. Juki slid in evasion and blasted icicles that he easily blocked with Christina's fists. Kent bent out and lava fist and risked throwing it, but Hotstuff conjured a giant fist of fire strong enough to force it back. Kent jumped back in panic and dodged the lava. Hotstuff found a blizzard blowing around him, but heated himself to easily melt it. A wall of flame erected around him, spreading it out against the kids. Kent shielded himself with a stone wall, Trella jumping beside him, and Juki tried to shield with an ice wall, but some fire got through and burned the icebender.

"Hey, icebender… you kind of remind me of that snow spirit from back then. I wonder if you're-"

A large, red fist socked Christina's head, phasing through and punching Hotstuff directly. Though he remained inside Chris, his vessel went tumbling several yards. "First my mom and grandpa, and now my friend?!" Trella's face burned with a new resolve. "You angered me three too many times! So, I need enough Sunny Monkeys to hold that anger!" Around her were three fiery Rainbow Monkey-like spirits: a large sumo one, a skinny karate one, and a gangster one.

Trella drew a pair of Japanese fans to instruct the monkeys. The karate one swiped swift chops that Hotstuff blocked with Christina's arms, but as the spirit's chops phased through the arms, Hotstuff felt himself being hurt underneath. He unleashed a fiery burst and blew the ape back, but dodged the gang ape's fist. He channeled heat to Christina's to counter his fists, succeeding in holding the gangster back. The ape seemed to wince from pain in his knuckles, but the sumo ape hugged Hotstuff from behind, binding him in his strength. The gangster ape socked Hotstuff in the face several times, before he channeled a great sum of fire to Chris's feet. Rapid kicks against the sumo's stomach forced him off, then he blasted a beam at the gangster.

"Juki, look!" Kent pointed upward. "There's the thermostat!" It was high on the wall near the ceiling. "We just gotta click it and this place should-"

Hotstuff willed a wall of fire to rise from the wall and block the way up. The karate monkey thrusted chops through Christina's back, hurting Hotstuff some before he kicked back and banished him. He then blasted giant fireballs at Kent and Juki, the two struggling to block with their elements. They were quickly forced to dodge, growing fatigued from the rising heat. "It's already too late!" Hotstuff declared under the volcano's rumbling. "In a few minutes, this place will erupt, and I'll be leaving with my new vessel! Have fun boiling ali-"

Trella danced around Hotstuff and dealt chi-blocks on Christina's body, shrinking her flames. Hotstuff was still able to heat himself and shoot flames at her, but Gangster Monkey jumped to grab Chris's arms. Sumo Monkey clasped the waist and Karate Monkey touched fingers to the back of her head. "Even in Chris's body, you still aren't that strong. She's probably trying to resist you right now. You should be just weak enough… so, it's time for beddy-bye." (End song.)

Trella softly twirled her fans in a hypnotic manner. She sang a sweet, soothing melody. "Hush… my baby, don't cry a peep. The moon's in the sky… let's count the sheeeeeeep, one… two… three… four… Hush… shush… shhhh…snore~" Repeating the verse, small, spirit sheep briefly bounced by. With each word, Trella stepped forward. "One… two… three… four… Sleep tight… not a sound… 'til morn~"

Trella dealt a swift palm thrust at Christina's head, cleanly pushing the sleepy spirit right out. "And now… a friendly friend, Rainbow Monkey good-bye hug." And she softly embraced him. "It works on cranky souls, too! And now, you can return to the world you came from… and never bother this place again."

The devil dissolved into tiny golden particles and ascended through the stalactite ceiling. The rumbling slowed into stillness, the flames fading. "Ugh…Trella?" Christina woke up. "Dang, did I just get possessed? Where did he go?"

"Yeah, Trella, what'd you do?" Juki asked.

I sung him to sleep and used an exorcism technique! He's going back to the Spirit World… and this place should go back to normal soon. But I'll get someone to tell you this later.

The entire cavern glowed a soft orange and wavy. Before their eyes, it morphed back into the intact, ordinary interior of Kani's house. Kirie Dunfree was able to relax under the cooling air, the blonde-haired woman waking on a kitchen chair. Yawn… man, I have a headache…? Trella? What are you kids doing here?

Mommyyyyy! Trella joyfully jumped into Kirie's sweater. Compared to the volcano, this warmth was far more welcoming.

"EYAAAAAHHH!" Kani Sanban burst out of a closest, furiously bashing Kent with a frying pan. "I TOLD YOU NOT TO TOUCH IT! Get away, you foul little monster, LEAVE MY FAMILY ALONE!"

"OUCH! HEY, OLD MAN, I'M NOT A MONSTER, I'M—OW!"

Grandpa, relax! Kirie restrained him. He's just a redhead!

"Who's dead on my bed?!"

"Hey, old man, didn't you know there was a dangerous fire spirit in this house?" Christina asked. "Why'd you buy this place?"

"You don't get a good house like this at such a cheap price! I could tolerate a little cold if we could afford this!"

Great Grandpaaaaaa!

"TRELLA!" They heard the front door open. Isabelle dashed in and caught her best friend in a hug, Laruta following her in. "You did it! We were starting to panic when the volcano was rumbling!"

"Nobody got hurt, did they?" Laruta asked.

"Just a few burns, but A-OK!" Juki saluted.

"That's great! Now, would you all please hop in the shower?" The gymnast pinched her nose. "You smell horrific!"

"Ugh, we SHOULDA brought you!" Christina stomped. "You would've been smelling WAY worse if you came!"

Can someone tell me what you're all talking about? What's this about a fire spirit? Kirie signed.

"Well, Mrs. Dunfree, apparently this place was haunted." Isabelle shrugged. From there, Trella proceeded to recap the story.

…

The budding autumn air was a real refreshment. The life and color of the outside world soothed their hearts after a heated mission. On second thought, Isabelle… I think I've had my fill of warm weather this year.

"I'll say. We'll just wait for it to get really cold!"

"Haha, I can't wait to roll in the snow after this!" Juki cheered, happy to be free of the hefty shoes. "Wanna join me, Ken-chan?"

"Getting really cold after being really hot ain't a cool feeling."

"Awwwwwww."

"But we'll see how I feel after a bath."

"Yaaaaaaay!"

I can't believe Mom spent her whole childhood in this freezing house… all because of a fire monster. Kirie signed. I'd be quick to move out, too, if I was her. But it's over now… thanks to you, Trella. She and her daughter shared a smile. We always knew you kids would be special!

Only 'cause we have the specialest parents!

Hee hee hee!

Kirie's phone rang. Seeing it was from her husband, she answered. "Kirie! You there? I've been trying to call for hours! Listen, another gateway appeared. I was waiting to ask if you wanted to go in together. If you're too tired, I could just go in myself; others are probably there. So, what's happening over there?"

Kirie's expression dropped. She didn't have the energy for that right now and wanted to respond with that, but not with her daughter around. I got wrapped up in a little crisis, but I'm fine now. I think I'll just take a bath and nap when I get home.

"I get ya. Well, I guess I'll see you in a couple hours."

Okay. Be careful, Tronta.