Chapter Text
“For every age there is a time of trial.”
A small figure sat at a desk in the darkness, with a pair of small, childlike hands were shining a flashlight over old leather book with one hand and holding down the book with the other. The pages were worn, but the ink writing still showed as the light shined down.
“In all my life I have dedicated myself to keeping the things most important things in existence safe. My grandson, my home, and everyone who lives there. As well, the very thing that controls… that is time itself. Even as peaceful as things are, that can change in an instant. And out all things I fear, that is the thing I fear the most. For nothing can escape the trials made by time itself. But, time is also something to rejoice over, to feel sorrow over, to-”
The figure gasped a little upon hearing the door swing open. Quickly, the small figure shut the book immediately, hiding under a bunch of papers.
“Are you still awake? I told you to go to bed!”
“I-I was just reading, Hattie. I-It’s a... new book, and-”
“Bed. Now.”
“Fine.”
In the vastness of space, flew a peculiar looking ship. It was big, made of wood, and framed with gold. The rooms were quiet, still and dark, and the bedroom of one, a bed was covering a small figure’s sleeping form.
“Good morning!”
“Wah!”
A little girl, startled by the sudden speakers and the lights flickering on fell out of her blue color canopy bed and onto the floor. She was wearing a blue tunic with some white leggings.
“And welcome to yet another day of space adventure!”
The girl groaned. She thought she was never going to get used to the announcements every morning, but her dang space mate thought it was best to keep to a schedule, at least at dawn. She stood up, noticed how messy her brown hair was from sleeping, and that her blue top hat with a yellow band had landed on her head, from the nightstand.
“You are only five lightyears away from your destination: home. The fuel tank is full and the ship is flying at full speed.”
The child, who people throughout her life have come to call “Hat Kid” let out a yawn and slowly walked towards her table to adjust her hair.
“Today’s to-do list contains: Waking up, adjusting the engine, eating a nutritious meal…”
Hat Kid let the announcements continue as she brushed her brown hair and tied it back into her usual ponytail. Two locks of hair hung down on the sides of her head in front of her ears. She pulled her cape out from the wardrobe and put it on, liking the sound the clip snapping into place. Finally, after putting on her boots she placed her signature top hat over her head.
The girl wandered out of her room going down down her purple walled and sparkled floored hallway and went into the main room. The walls were made of wood and framed with gold. A giant meteor proof glass displayed a beautiful view of the vast open space. Despite the numerous doors, one leading to the kitchen, engine room, and other places, there was a large open space for a pink and white striped carpet, a TV for video games and a little Rumbi Hat Kid found that was keeping the floors clean.
Hat Kid had almost forgotten what to do today. She ran into the kitchen and took a pot of soup she made last night out of the fridge. The floors were checkered white and black. The dishes were in the sink, stacked neatly, but still messy. Some cooking tools were still left out. Soup cans were sitting in the corner of the counter unused. The toaster still had toast that she forgot to eat last night, a sausage chain was stuck in the back, and she still wasn’t sure what to do with it. The counter was still too high for her height so, she had to get a crate or a barrel, before moving the pot onto the stove. A tiny note was on it.
Please try not to start a fire again. -CK
Hat Kid grumbled, tossing the note aside and made sure the stove was on a low flame. Not sure if she should make more tonight, the little girl grabbed one of the soup cans and read the back, briefly.
Nutrition facts:
Um, I wouldn’t eat this if I were you.
Hat Kid sighed and tossed it aside. “Wrong one.” She shrugged, thinking to just buy some soup that wasn’t some joke cans at another stop. She climbed down the chair and ran out of the kitchen, heading towards another bedroom.
The doors slid open and Hat Kid was met with the sight of that usually messy bedroom. The walls were painted dark blue with star patterns. The roof had the same result. The lights weren’t on, so the stars were glowing. There were a bunch of book shelves holding many books and little trinkets from planets they’ve visited. Books were also spilled on the floor and papers were scattered. The carpet had was circular, but designed like a moon. A telescope faced a giant window sitting in the middle of the two giant book shelves that were against the walls. Hat Kid walked over to a bed like hers, except it was red. Brown tufts of hair was sticking up from under the covers.
Hat Kid pulled the covers away slightly, revealing a boy around her age, sleeping peacefully. He wore a red tunic, with darker red leggings. His hair was short, but long enough for Hat Kid to mess with it. She turned to the nightstand, quickly glancing over the many medicine bottles near the lamp before turning it on.
“Hey, time to wake up, Cloaky!” Her playfulness brought out a soft moan from the boy. He waved her away and sat up slowly, opening his lime green eyes.
“Please don’t call me that…” the boy mumbled, straightening out his hair. He tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes. “Just because I call you ‘Hattie’ sometimes, doesn’t mean it sounds good the other way around.”
“Grumble, grumble…” Hat Kid mocked, walking back up to him. “Guess you’re feeling good today.”
“Yeah,” the boy said. People on their travels had referred to him as “Cloak Kid,” for the cloak he always wore no matter where he went, or how hot or cold it was. “Is the ship running-” He flinched when at Hat Kid put a hand on his forehead.
“Bit of a fever today, though,” she said. “Well, whatever. I bet it’ll go down after you eat breakfast and take your medicine. Until then, you stay in bed.”
“What?! But, there was this really cool moon near our target destination! I wanted to see it!”
“Sorry, but I’m the doctor!” Hat Kid proclaimed, putting her little hands on her hips. “And the doctor says you need to stay in bed!”
Cloak Kid crossed his arms, his mouth forming a pout.
“Now stay here, and I’ll go get some soup,” said Hat Kid. “Be right back.”
“Fine…” the boy grumbled.
Hat Kid ran back into the spacious lobby and climbed the ladder into the kitchen. She had done this enough that she could get soup into a bowl without spilling now, finally figuring out the use of trays.
Cloak Kid, clearly bored, was staring up at the ceiling, tracing constellations by pointing upward with his finger, when Hat Kid came back. He sat up slowly, letting Hat Kid set his breakfast in front of him.
“There you go!” she said. “And don’t forget!” She said a tiny plastic cup on the tray with with blue liquid in it. The boy rolled his eyes, crossing his arms with a huff.
“Fine!” he pouted.
“Good!” said Hat Kid. “I’m gonna check our course.” She began to skip towards the door. “I’m gonna come back and check on you and you better have taken it! No tricks! Do you hear me?!”
“Yes!” Cloak Kid yelled, grabbing his spoon. “Geez…”
Hat Kid huffed and kept walking. She made her way back to the main lobby almost stomping.
“Ungrateful…” she grumbled, as she walked up the steps to get to get to a giant screen in the back. “Boop!” she said tapping it with her finger. There was an image of an hourglass which read that it was full. The course was still set and they appeared to almost be there. Hat Kid smiled, but after thinking about it for a while, she started to frown, knowing that their time wandering in space was going to be over, once they got to their destination. Well, if they get there and it was actually the right place.
“Whoa!” Hat Kid yelped upon hearing a huge slamming noise. It sounded like someone pounding on the glass. She jumped into the air a little before turning around, seeing someone pounding the glass panel outside. “Huh?”
The girl walked up to the window, which was at the front of the ship, of course, near the steering wheel. There appeared to be a man just outside, knocking. He looked pretty tall, but also hunched over and he was bald. Thick eyebrows were over his eyes and he wore a blue suit with a red tie. An apron was tied around him that said, “Kiss the cook” in red letters. His arms were big and burly.
“What is this, flying boat?” he said.
“Uh…” Hat Kid tried to say.
“All boats need to pay toll in Mafia Town… even in space!”
“Hattie?” a slightly tired voice said. “Who’s there?”
Hat Kid looked back briefly to see Cloak Kid standing in the doorway to his room. He was wearing a purple cloak that went down to his ankles. It was held on by a green clip with a swirl design. He coughed a little.
“Cloak! I told you to stay in bed!” Hat Kid hissed.
“Two passengers?!” the man said. “Toll is now double!”
“What the heck? Who’s that?!” the boy said, pointing.
“Nobody in a second!” Hat Kid said, walking over to the captain’s seat for her umbrella. “Now go back to bed!”
The boy facepalmed. Sign of trouble? Whack it aside. That was her solution?
“A trespasser is my problem, too,” Cloak Kid snapped, stomping his foot.
“Not while you’re ill! I’m not gonna tell you again!”
“What are you? My mom? We’re the same age, genius!”
“Uh… Mafia just come in to collect,” the man said, awkwardly. Cloak Kid gasped when the man put his hand on the handle, starting to open the door.
Hat Kid rushed forward, jumping onto the gold frame of the window and grabbed the handle. She pulled it shut, making the man let go. He began floating away. The boy sighed in relief. The girl jumped back down and brushed her fingers. Faintly, they could hear the man said, “How rude!”
“See? That’s why I protect us! Now go back to bed!” she said, triumphantly.
“Uh, Hattie?” Cloak said, pointing back at the window.
Hat Kid turned around just in time to see this supposed “Mafia” man double back and throw himself forward.
“NO!” Cloak Kid yelled.
It was too late. With one punch, the glass on the window shattered as he punched inside. Immediately, he was sucked back out by the vacuum of space. With that, everything started getting pulled out, as well. Hat Kid, who was near the door, covering her face from the glass shards, screamed as she was pulled out into space, sent hurtling towards the planet. She lost her grip on her umbrella.
Meanwhile, Cloak Kid rushed towards the giant vault, upon hearing the locks coming loose. It was enormous, locked shut with many turnable valves with a big orange hand clock that read the hours in Roman Numerals. The cloaked boy clung to the door, trying to keep it shut, but the pull of space was too strong. The boy yelped when shiny looking hourglasses started flying out. He jumped for one and grabbed it, but more were pouring out. The child realized he let go of the vault and was sucked outside as well, screaming. Each hourglass that passed his gaze was a pull on the heartstrings, as he descended towards the planet below...
ElectricBlaster Presents...
A Hat In Time - A Cloak In Time’s Trials