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A Cloak In Time's Trials

Summary:

"For every age, there is a time of trial."

 

A cloak-wearing child has spent the past few months recovering from a sickness, while drifting in space with a hat-wearing shipmate, and self-proclaimed captain. After their ship loses all their Time Pieces, Cloak Kid will have to learn to place his trust in others, including Hat Kid, if they want to save time itself from ruin...

Notes:

Hello, and welcome to my newest project. This will be the first time I’m uploading a full project completely in third person. I’m still not sure if first or third is better, but I thought third would be best for this one. So, here we go.

Chapter 1: When Time Falls

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

Chapter 2: One Piece At A Time

Chapter Text

Once, next to a grand building, there stood a tall tower. A large telescope pointed to the sky, ever observing the stars. Beside it, and attached to the side of it was a giant library. And the one behind this grand scheme of a building was an old man. He had white hair and quite the small white beard. His eyes matched the color of the clear open skies and he wore a gray suit.

Far below, at the bottom of the tower, out of access to the public of course. He was just a curious man in a small, curious space for a home. In his spare time, he was at work in his study. A small room with rows of a private collection of books, not available to the public. A couch was set near a fireplace for the rare occasion he had a visitor, or when he just wanted to relax. His desk was littered with maps and books, and there he was, whiling away the hours at his work.

Suddenly, the wooden door swung open, startling him, as loud crying was heard. He looked to see a crying boy, with brown hair, a red tunic, and purple cloak draped over his back, covering his eyes with his hands.

“Grandfather! I-”

The man stood, his height looming over the smaller person.

“Cloaky, I told you not to come in here without asking!”

The child wiped his eyes, hiccuping through his sobs, trying to speak.

“I’m s-sorry…”

The elder knelt down and pulled the boy into his arms. He kept crying, shivering in fear. “It’s alright. What happened?”

“I-I was… s-studying… in the library,” Cloak Kid said. “A-And…”

The man turned to the crying child. His tone made him quite concerned. “And what?”

“A kid pushed me down and took my lunch!” the child sobbed. “I hit my arm on the desk. I-I was so scared, I-I just sat there on the floor.”

The man held the child in front of him. Cloak’s face was still wet with tears. “Are you hurt?” The boy shook his head. “It’s okay,” the man said. “What matters is that you’re safe. I’ll make you another lunch, okay?”

Cloak Kid sniffled. He was still clinging to him. “Okay…”

“Do you know what they looked like?”

“Uh-huh…” the child nodded. “Her hair was brown, and she tied it back in a ponytail.”

“Anything else?”

“Uh… She wore a purple top hat.”

“Hmm…” The man thought to himself for a second. “I’ll make sure to look at the cameras in case she comes back. Now, how about I make you your favorite soup instead and you can eat that for lunch?”

The child sniffed, wiping his nose. Then he nodded. “Okay…” The man took his hand and they walked out of the study together.

“Is child dead?”

“Grandfather…?” Cloak Kid whispered, softly, as he opened his eyes. He realized that had been gripping sand.

Wait… sand?! he thought.

“Child can’t pay toll if dead.”

The child pushed himself onto his knees and found himself on a beach. The ocean was blue, reflecting the image of many hot air balloons that were in the sky. There were several palm trees, music could be heard faintly from a radio, surfing boards were near the rocky slope, and tables with some umbrella giving shade were set up.

“How did I…” The second Cloak Kid l laid eyes on another Mafia man, it all came back to him. Arguing with Hat Kid, seeing an intruder, the glass door breaking and…

The hourglasses…

“You!” Cloak Kid snapped. He covered his mouth to cough, causing several Mafiosos to back away.

“Is child sick?!” one of them said. “Mafia can’t have child spreading sickness!”

Cloak Kid gasped. With a clump of sand still in his grip he stood up, and threw a shroud of sand, getting some of it in their eyes. Several of them yelled and others started coughing. The child stood up and backed away, pulling up his hood.

“Hey, kid! Over here!” a voice called.

Turning around, a red hooded girl was on some nearby stairs near a local residence. “Come with me if you want to not get clobbered!”

The child rushed towards the girl, jumping onto an umbrella covering a table and bouncing him onto the staircase before a Mafia man could grab him. He almost tripped on the stairs, but the girl grabbed his wrist and they kept running.

As the two ran through the town, Cloak Kid took in the place he had found himself in. There were many white buildings with blue roofs. Orange stone paving was on the ground and Mafiosos were everywhere. He was led into an alleyway, and started to feel uneasy. Sure, his rescuer was a kid like him, but still a stranger, no less.

She kept looking out onto the street for a bit and then turned back to the cloaked child.

“I think we lost them,” she said. Upon closer inspection, it looked like she had blond hair. Two long locks were hanging on the sides of her head. Her eyes were golden and she had a small mustache on her face. Her tunic was pink and she wore green shoes. Cloak Kid couldn’t help but notice that the edges of her tunic were a little torn. “What’s up with you?” the mustached girl said, putting her hands on her hips. “Why are you wearing a hood like me?”

“It’s not a hood!” said Cloak Kid. “It’s a cloak! See?” He made it cover the rest of his body.

“Okay, don’t overreact,” said the girl. “I was looking over at the beach after seeing you, you know, FALL FROM THE SKY! Also these shiny things were falling, too. Do you know anything about that?”

“Th-that?!” Cloak Kid said. He jolted, looking around like he’d find any sign of them. “Uh, they’re…” He paused for a second to sneeze.

“You sick or something?” said the mustache girl.

“Yes…” the boy said, wiping his nose. “Well, no… It’s a long story… It doesn’t matter. Have you seen any of those… shiny things?”

“Those are yours?” the girl said, leaning forward, golden eyes widened in disbelief. “Yikes! Sounds like you have a lot of cleaning up to do.”

Cloak Kid rolled his eyes. He knew that, he didn’t need this mustached girl rubbing it in. “It wasn’t me! It was… Look, the point is, I need those things before something bad happens.”

“Hmm… Come with me. I know a good vantage point.”

Mustache Girl guided Cloak Kid to a tower near a construction sight. The two grabbed onto a crane to reach the top floor where there was a bell. From there, Cloak Kid could see the tops of buildings.

“Here we are,” the girl, who Cloak Kid had just decided to dub Mustache Girl, said. “Those Mafia brutes are too dumb to get up here.”

“Uh huh…” Cloak Kid said, watching Mafia pass by.

“So, did you fall from that spaceship that’s up in the sky?”

“Yeah.”

“Wait, so you’re from off planet?”

Cloak Kid gasped, seeing a Mafia man walking down the alleyway with an hourglass. Holding his hood in place, he jumped off the tower. Mustache Girl watched as he landed on a Mafia’s head knocking him out and running after the one with the hourglass.’

“Geez, that kid is crazy!” She cracked a little smile. “I like it.”

Cloak Kid made it to a market place. Some building was selling juice at a stall and another place was condemned. The fountain was smashed and a Mafia Man was holding an hourglass in one hand and a blue umbrella in the other. That was Hat Kid’s umbrella! The child stomped over to the man.

“HEY!”

The mafioso turned around to see the kid walking towards him. He held out the umbrella held him back. Cloak Kid growled, trying to reach for the hourglass and he held it away with a smug smile. Then he just snatched the umbrella from him, and the Mafioso started running.

“Get back here!” the child yelled.

Hat Kid got her bearings, finding herself in a dark alley. It looks like she fell through a tarp. The man who had shattered the hatch had also fallen nearby and was completely passed out. She checked herself, seeing that nothing was broken and leapt onto her feet. She stomped past the Mafia man, trying to figure out where she was.

It looked like she had fallen into the middle of the city. She left the dark alley and found the planet’s sun shining down on her. At least the brim of her top hat did a good job shading her eyes from it.

Then she remembered. All those hourglasses fell out of the ship. They zoomed passed her as fell towards the planet.

Oh, boy… Had Kid thought. Cloak is never gonna let me hear the end of… Wait! Cloak! Where is he?! Did he land in the city?! She started running into the town looking up, down and all around. She nearly tripped over a red safe. Gotta find him! she thought. He’d better not have gotten into trouble! Arrgh!

Hat Kid made it to a construction sight, but didn’t really see much of the Mafia actually working. One of them was balancing on a giant hunk of meat while rolling it up and down the street.

What is this place? Hat Kid thought. She looked up at the nearby bell tower and saw a girl up there. Upon making eye contact, the hatted child looked away.

“Hey you, down there!” the girl then called from above. Her voice made Hat Kid look back up. “Don’t think I didn’t see you stalking me!”

“Uh, sorry?” said Hat Kid. “I was… looking for someone.”

“Really? Who?” said Mustache Girl. “I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before either.”

“He’s a kid around my age. Wears a cloak. Have you seen him?”

“Ohhh, yeah. He was just here. Us kids should stick together not stalk one another. Come up here, and I’ll show you where he went.”

“Uh… okay,” Hat Kid said, looking around. She saw moving crane lifting a stack of boxes and jumped on as it went up. Then she jumped into the tower. The girl leaned back against the frame of the window. “Is that who you’re looking for?”

Hat Kid looked down and saw Cloak Kid swinging her umbrella at the Mafia.

“Cloak!” The girl turned to the mustached girl. “Who are those people?”

“They’re the Mafia,” said Mustache Girl. “They’re pretty much everywhere in the city.”

Cloak Kid was holding something close to him. The girl was already relieved to see him with one of the hourglasses, but there were too many Mafia, and they were surrounding him.

“Oh no! We have to help him!”

“You read my mind!” Mustache Girl said, leaping on the frame of the window. “Follow me, rebel squad!”

Hat Kid, smile on her face, jumped down following the red hooded girl as they landed on a wireline with blue and white tapestries and landed on the ground, rushing forth towards the commotion, which was in the marketplace’s fountains. Shops were set up, including a building that sold something called spicy buns, but the yellow tape told Hat Kid that it was closed.

“Where did little punk go?! Take shiny hourglass!”

“Uh…” Hat Kid almost spoke up when the mustached girl, pulled her along.

“Don’t make eye contact,” she said. “We’ll find him.” The two made towards the other side of the market area, when they saw a bit of purple fabric sticking out from the corner of a blue safe.

“Cloak?”

Suddenly, Cloak Kid rose up from behind, raising Hat Kid’s umbrella and pointing it at the two girls.

“Easy, kid,” said Mustache Girl. “It’s just us.”

The boy’s eyes darted around, looking at the two girls. “Hattie?”

“Cloak!” Hat Kid exclaimed. She jumped, almost knocking over the other child, when hugged him.

“Easy, easy!” Cloak Kid said, pushing Hat Kid back. “You’re gonna break it!” Tucked under his cloak was one of the shiny hourglasses. Hat Kid sighed, wiping her brow.

“Sorry…” Hat Kid said, timidly, stepping back.

“And they’ll probably break it they get their hands on it!” said Mustache Girl.

The two kids looked in the girl’s direction and saw a bunch of angry Mafia men walking towards them. Suddenly, Mustache Girl snatched Hat Kid’s umbrella and threw in the face of one of them, before jumping and kicking said Mafioso in the face, making him fall flat backwards. The umbrella landed by Hat Kid’s feet.

“Leave them to me! Now get that thing out of here!” she said.

“B-But-” Hat Kid said, before Cloak Kid grabbed her arm, just after she picked up her umbrella. The boy rolled up his sleeve, revealing a device strapped around his wrist.

“Two to beam up!” he said into it.

Before the remaining Mafia could close in, a yellow light shined down upon the two children, a force of wind knocking their enemies away as they floated back up, past the tall buildings, past the clouds, and into space itself, until they were finally back in the ship’s airlock. The two landed in a small empty room, the doors closing to prevent them from getting sucked back into space.

“W-What are you doing?!” Hat Kid said, practically pouncing on Cloak Kid and pinning him on the ground. His hood fell down, revealing his brown hair on impact after a tiny yelp. “We can’t just leave that girl there alone.”

“She said she had it!” Cloak Kid grunted, pushing the girl off. He got up and stumbled to the door, stifling a cough.

“How did the ship even get us in here?”

“The ship has an emergency generator, but it can only run small basic functions.” The boy walked up to a panel and pressed a small green button. “Activate space forcefield.” The sound of something whirring could be heard before the door out of the airlock opened and they made their way back to the ship’s lobby. A bright yellow forcefield had surrounded the ship, keeping them inside, despite the shattered door.

The room was dark, as expected. Hat Kid took in her surroundings while Cloak Kid ran up to the screen up the stairs and on the back wall of the lobby. Rumbi was still okay, and flipped around upon seeing that they were back.

“No, no, no, no no!” Cloak Kid then pleaded. “It can’t be!”

The hatted girl turned around to see her ship companion pressing his hands on the screen, trembling, unable to stand on his own two feet, and she could see why. The screen read that there were no hourglasses on the ship.

Even though he knew they were gone, seeing that it said on the screen made Cloak Kid’s legs give out and he fell on his knees.

"We're stranded here..."

Rumbi had zoomed slowly up the stairs and bumped into Hat Kid’s ankle, making timid little “boop” noises.

“I-I…” Cloak Kid started to shake even more. Hat Kid ran up and quickly put her hands on his shoulders.

“H-Hey, hey…” she said, gently. “We got one back. That’s something.” The girl frowned upon seeing the boy wipe his eyes. “I… I shouldn’t have opened that door. I should’ve just drove us away. I-”

Cloak Kid then just brushed Hat Kid’s hands away and stood up, clutching the one hourglass he had and walked over to the vault. He motioned for Hat Kid to turn around and she did, sighing sadly. Rumbi did, as well.

Cloak Kid gazed solemnly into the empty vault. His heart dropped at the sight of it. He put the only hourglass he had in, and locked it shut.

“I, uh… I need to make improvements to the vault, I guess.” The boy laid his hands on the vault, gazing up at the orange clock. “What are we going to do? The Time Pieces got scattered all around the planet…” The child sniffed, letting his eyes water, “but if we don’t get the Time Pieces back-”

Hat Kid turned around and shook her head. She took a deep breath, ignoring how pale Cloak Kid was. “It won’t come to that, I promise! I know it seems impossible, but let’s just go slowly.”

The boy turned his head towards the hat-wearing child. “Slowly?”

“Don’t think of it as one big goal,” said Hat Kid. “We’ll just take one at a time. But, right now, can we please go back and help that girl?”

Suddenly, the two heard the ship whirring back to life. The lights turned back on in the lobby. Cloak Kid, as if he snapped out of a trance, immediately wiped away any more tears he had and dashed towards the captain’s chair.

He started pressing buttons, but then was stuck on what to press next. Hat Kid came up from behind him and hit a tiny blue button with a little, “boop.”

A screen showed them the surface of the planet picking up signals.

“Here’s the town we were in,” said Cloak Kid. “It looks like there’s still Time Pieces there. There’s one in the Mafia Town Plaza.”

“Yeah…”

“We have to…” The boy covered his mouth before sneezing.

“You mean I have to,” said Hat Kid. She was given a glare in return, but Cloak Kid let her touch his forehead. “Please, you still have a fever, and it could get worse if you leave. Let me take care of it.”

Cloak Kid sat down in the captain’s chair, leaning against the pillows Hat Kid set up on it. “I… I guess don’t really have a choice, do I?”

The girl walked up and neatly wrapped the boy’s cloak around him. She knew he was upset with her, but probably more about their current situation.

“Just get warm and relax,” said Hat Kid. “I’ll go get it and bring it back here.”

“Fine…” He covered his mouth, coughing into his red sleeve. He jolted upon the hatted child hugging him.

“I’ll be back really soon, okay?”

Cloak Kid sighed letting his head rest on her shoulder. “Just… be careful, Hattie.”

Hat Kid sighed. Nickname. That probably meant good. “I will…” And she leaned him back against the pillows.

Umbrella in hand, Hat Kid walked over to where the glass door used to be. She was sure they had some spare ones in storage. She turned to Rumbi, who stopped zooming around to look at the girl.

“Look after him, okay?” she said. And the Rumbi did two flips before getting back to work. Hat Kid readied her umbrella, promising to Cloak Kid and herself that she wouldn’t let anyone stop her.

Even though she knew… she already failed him… again.

Chapter 3: Barrels of Fun and Friction

Chapter Text

Using her umbrella, Hat Kid descended back into “Mafia Town,” as Mustache Girl had called it. On the way, she took notice of a building that was being held up in the air by a giant water spout. Maybe, if she had left the ship in a different spot, she could’ve landed up there.

She ended up back in the marketplace, where Cloak had found their first Time Piece. First things first, was to find the next one that the ship found on it’s radars, but the fate of that red hooded girl was distracting the hat-wearing child. Since her shipmate was forced into bedrest, or in this case, “chair rest,” Hat Kid was sure he wouldn’t mind if she took a quick detour. With a deep breath she focused, her top hat making her vision dim, minus the one place where she wanted to go: Her goal.

Hat Kid shook her head, her vision readjusting back to normal and ran towards her goal. As she got closer, she heard a voice in the wind.

“I’m not going anywhere with you! Let go!” a voice shouted.

Hat Kid’s heart started racing. It had to be that red hooded girl.

“Dude, get off me!”

Hat Kid’s jaw dropped once she reached the plaza. Brown and orange stone paving covered the area in a circular shape, with a grassy area surrounding it. There were some stalls that appeared empty at the moment, and she could see why. At the center of town was the biggest pyramid of TNT she had ever seen. Mafia were dancing in celebration, and at the top was one of them restraining Mustache Girl. The blonde was feisty, though. She was yelling and kick

“If you don’t drop me right now, I’ll bite!” she shouted.

Hat Kid held her umbrella close. She had to take action, before something bad happened. Pulling down a gulp, she approached the men.

“This looks safe,” she mumbled. Her tiny voice immediately caught the gang’s attention, though.

“Hey! Child! Shoo!” one of them ordered. “Mafia can’t have child witness when Mafia teaching lesson.”

Unfortunately, Hat Kid had no intention of moving from her spot. She stood there, silently staring at the Mafia man who had already told her to go away until it got awkward. Then she stuck her tongue out blowing raspberries, which made the Mafia’s jaw drop.

“This awkward for Mafia! Mafia not sure what to do.” He turned to the one on top of the barrels, holding Mustache Girl.

“Boss! What do we do with eyewitness?” the Mafia beside the first said.

“Teach her lesson, boys!” their boss said.

The two Mafia jumped down and dashed towards her. “Come to papa Mafia!” one of them said.

Hat Kid snickered, a mischievous smile on her face. One Mafioso lunged at her but she jumped, stomping on his bald head, and knocking him into the ground.

“You can jump?!” the other said, bewildered. That was a big mistake. Him being distracted allowed the girl with the hat to smack him in the face with her umbrella. Two Mafia men laid on the ground in a pile, while Hat Kid stood on top of them triumphantly.

“ENOUGH!” the Mafia at the top of the barrel pile said. “Mafia won’t bow to little girl! Prepare to feel Mafia’s wrath!” He tossed Mustache Girl aside and picked up one of the barrels of TNT.

Hat Kid yelped when he tossed at her. Quickly, she ran out of the way, but stayed close to the pile, as she wanted to get this guy before he caused any more trouble.

“Stand still!”

Naturally, Hat Kid didn’t listen, even when he started throwing spiked barrels, that danced around her running space. The Mafioso threw several of them and Hat Kid almost ran into a barrel that exploded in her face. Luckily, she blocked any shrapnel from hitting her with her umbrella.

“This lead nowhere!” the Mafia decided. “Mafia need to take care of this Mafia style! Prepare to feel what Mafia do to old ladies!”

“Old lady? I’m only-”

The boss jumped down, marching towards Hat Kid. The agile child jumped over the Mafioso whacking him, until he started blocking her swings.

“Child is predictable!” is what the Mafia said, until Hat Kid jumped and stomped on his head. “OW! MY HEAD!”

Hat Kid snickered when she landed on her feet, but her laughter was halted when she was smacked by the Mafia’s fist into a stall. When the girl stood, scratches on her clothes, she saw the man throwing a barrel of TNT at her.

Hat Kid held her feet apart and her umbrella back. She yelled, hitting the barrel of TNT with all her might and launched it back at the Mafia. The impact sent him into the pile and all of it exploded, sending him flying into the sky, screaming.

A huge crater was left in the center of the plaza, and Hat Kid stood. Tired and shaken up, but triumphant. She looked up, seeing something shiny falling down from the sky. The girl gasped running into the center of the crater and holding out her hands, and to her luck, it was a Time Piece. Hat Kid fumbled when the hourglass touched her hands, but she caught, sighing with relief that she didn’t break it. Among the wreckage, the girl saw a bit of red and white. To her surprise, it was a ball of yarn that looked ready to sprint, causing a smile to grow across her face.

“Pfft. Can you believe them?” said a voice. “What a bunch of losers.”

The red hooded girl came back, looking around at the crime scene. Seeing her approach, Hat Kid quickly hid the Time Piece behind her.

“Thanks for helping me out, by the way. I guess you and cloak boy are all right. Do you have a name?”

“U-Um…” Hat Kid, chuckled softly. Heat began filling her cheeks. She couldn’t dare answer. She just met this girl earlier today.

“No?” Mustache Girl said with a raised brow. “You shy? You’re a ‘less talk, more fighting’ kind of girl, I take it.” And with that, she smiled instead. Hat Kid was just relieved she didn’t press any further. “So, that thing you picked up… are you and that other kid collecting them? Because I know where there’s more of them.”

Hat Kid gasped. Holding the shiny hourglass tightly, she ran up to the hooded girl.

“You do?!” she said. “You’ll tell me, right?!”

Mustache girl laughed. “Of course, I will. Just calm down. You did save me, after all.” She looked over Hat Kid’s shoulder where more Mafia were coming. Hat Kid lifted her umbrella, but they were coming from every direction.

“Uh, maybe we could go somewhere safer first?” Mustache Girl said.

“Uh…” Hat Kid looked for any openings, but couldn’t find any. Well, she had one idea, but Cloak Kid would probably get mad. “Do you trust me?”

“I don’t really have a choice right now!”

“Grab my hand!”

Once Mustache Girl took hold of one Hat Kid’s hand, she pulled up her sleeve and talked into a device. “Two to beam up!”

“WHOOOAAA!” Mustache Girl screamed. A yellow spotlight shined down on the two girls, as a gust of wind blew the enemy Mafia away and the girls started floating into the sky and beyond the clouds and into space.

Once they were in the ship, Hat Kid guided her red hooded acquaintance out of the airlock and into the ship’s lobby. Mustache Girl looked around, her mouth opened and eyes fixated on the walls, the windows, and the other ship features.

“Whoooaaaa…” Mustache Girl said once again, except more calmly. “This place is-” She was interrupted when Hat Kid covered her mouth.

“Shh…”

Mustache Girl looked in the direction of the hat-wearing child. Cloak Kid was still in the captain’s chair, but he was asleep, snuggled up against the pillows. His arms were tucked under his cloak that was still wrapped around him.

“Can I draw on his face?” Mustache Girl whispered.

“No!” Hat Kid said, even though she started giggling. Holding the Time Piece close, she walked up to the sleeping child and felt his forehead, and breathed a sigh of relief. “His fever’s gone.”

“What’s wrong with him?” said the red hooded girl.

“It’s a long story…” Hat Kid said, rubbing the back of her head. She looked over when she saw her shipmate stirring, muttering softly. His eyes opened slowly, and the first thing he saw was a glittering Time Piece. Immediately, Cloak Kid jolted and snatched the hourglass from his shipmate.

“You found another one!” he exclaimed.

“See? I told you I’d get it.”

Cloak Kid laid back in the chair, holding the Time Piece gently, but firmly. “I…” He gazed into the hourglass, seeing his reflection in the glass, and also noticing the green swirl on the frame that matched his cloak pin… along with the top hat that matched Hat Kid’s hat. “I guess you did, Hattie.”

“Oh, so that’s your name?” said Mustache Girl.

“Nope,” Hat Kid chimed, happily.

Cloak Kid gasped, and he looked around the back of the chair.

“Hey, it’s you…” he said. “Wait.” He then turned to Hat Kid. “Hattie, you brought an outsider onto the ship?!”

“I had to, Cloak!” said Hat Kid.

“I’m guessing that’s not your name, either…” said Mustache Girl.

“Nope,” the cloaked child said.

The Mafia were everywhere and one of them grabbed her. So I whacked a barrel of TNT into him and saved the day!”

“You should’ve been there!” said Mustache Girl. “He flew so far, I think he went to another island.”

“Yeah,” Cloak Kid grumbled. “I wish.” Hat Kid just shrugged.

“You can’t help it when you have a fever,” said Hat Kid. “Can we please just let her stay until the Mafia calm down from what we did today?”

Cloak Kid, realizing he still had his hood up from napping earlier, turned to Mustache Girl looking into her golden eyes, blinked a few times and then pulled his hood down.

“Okay. She can stay.”

“Hooraaay!” Hat Kid cheered.

“Just make sure she doesn’t break anything.”

“Pfft. Unless there’s Mafia up here, nothing’s getting broken.”

Cloak Kid held the Time Piece with even more of a firm grip. “Uh… Hattie, why don’t take her to get something to eat.”

“Okay!” Hat Kid said, excitedly. “C’mon, I’ll show you the kitchen.”

“Uh… Okay.” The red hooded girl followed Hat Kid up the ladder shortcut and to the swinging blue doors that led into the kitchen.

Cloak Kid hugged the Time Piece like it was a stuffed toy, blinking, trying to process what he saw when he looked into Mustache Girl’s golden eyes. He stood up, and decided to store away the Time Piece while they weren’t in the room.

Meanwhile, Hat Kid hopped over to the counter where the stove was and tried to think about what she could make for tonight’s guest. Mustache Girl was too busy staring at something that was making her mouth water: FOOD. EVERYWHERE.

Hat Kid hopped to open the top cupboard and then again to grab a box of cookie dough.

“Okay, I’ve got something. It might take a bit, so if you’re hungry, help yourself to something in the…” She looked over to see Mustache Girl already running to the fridge and rummaging through it. “...fridge.” Hat Kid softly finished her sentence.

While Mustache Girl was stuffing her face, the two girls jolted at the sound of something slamming shut.

“That’s probably Cloak,” said Hat Kid. “Can you check on him?”

“Mm-hmm,” Mustache Girl out before swallowing some food in her mouth. She walked out of the kitchen to find Cloak Kid backing away from the vault.

“Oh, don’t mind me,” the boy shifted awkwardly.

“Did you put that hourglass in that thing?”

“Uh… yeah. They’re really valuable… to us. So, we keep them in there. I’m the only one who knows how to open it, though.”

“So… do you have a name?” Mustache Girl said, hands on her hips.

Cloak Kid raised a brow. “Of course I do, but don’t see why I need to tell you.”

“So… I know what to call you?”

The boy thought for a moment, and then an idea switched on like a light.

“Ohhh… you’re from that planet, right? Well…” He tucked away his hands, his cloak covering the rest of his body, with only his boots showing at his feet, before he faced the giant window in the lobby facing space and the planet that was foreign to Cloak Kid and his shipmate. “Where we’re from, we come up with nicknames for each other. Telling someone your real name is a sign of deep trust and respect.”

“Or like, a profession of love, or something?”

“Huh?” Cloak Kid brushed aside from his trail of thought. “Oh yeah. I think I was told that at one point, too.”

“Wow. Off planet customs are weird,” said Mustache Girl. “But, I kind of like it. It brings an air of mystery. I guess you and that Hat Kid know each other’s names, right?”

That sentence, finally forced the boy to look at the guest in question. He tried to find the right words, but had trouble making the words come out.

“W-Well, I-”

“Cookies are ready!” Hat Kid exclaimed, triumphantly as she bust through the doors to the kitchen. She was holding a tray of fully baked cookies and marched past the two other children. “C’mon! Let’s go talk and eat in my room. But I don’t want crumbs in my pillow fort!”

“Didn’t you have something on the stove, too?” said Cloak Kid.

“Yeah, but it shouldn’t be ready for about…” Hat Kid turned back to see smoke coming out from the kitchen. “Oh no! Oh no!” She dashed right back in, almost dropping the tray, only for it to be caught by the cloak-wearing boy. He picked up a cookie and showed it too Mustache Girl, who had been eyeing them the whole time.

“Um… Want-” He didn’t even finish his sentence, before Mustache Girl had taken it and was already munching down on it. Cloak Kid shyly walked past her, heading towards the ramp back to the ground level of the lobby. “Well, we should head to Hat Kid’s room.” The red hooded girl followed behind her, not knowing how nervously the boys eyes were darting around. She looked up from a red platform with an hourglass symbol on it. It looked like it went up somewhere, but she had no idea how to get up there. She also was suspicious of how he kept looking over his shoulder to look at her.

“Um, sorry. I know we’re kind of a bit of a mess,” Cloak Kid said, as they entered the hallway to Hat Kid’s room. “We don’t normally have guests in here.”

“Eh, that’s okay, I guess,” said Mustache Girl. “Anyone who’s an enemy of the Mafia is a friend of mine.”

Cloak Kid nervously laughed and they entered Hat Kid’s bedroom.

“So, you can probably sleep in Hat Kid’s pillow fort.”

“Oh my gosh!” Mustache Girl said, staring at the pile of pillows before her. Cloak Kid had just set the cookies down at Hat Kid’s desk, when Mustache was already trying to swim in it. “I can sleep in this?!”

“If you want, I guess,” said Cloak Kid. “I doubt Hattie will mind. Oh, just stay out of her secret fort.” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “That's where she keeps her diary. Oof!” The boy flinched upon feeling a pillow hit him.

Mustache Girl stood on the pillow fort masterpiece, cackling to herself. Instead of getting mad, Cloak Kid actually started laughing. He took the pillow that hit him and ran back towards her.

“Oh, you’re gonna get it now!”

Laughter echoed throughout the room, when suddenly the doors slid open and Hat Kid walked dusting some soot off herself. While cushions were flying everywhere.

“Okay, so we have desert, but bad news about din-” She was then hit by a stray pillow, flying through the air, and fell flat on her back.

Hat Kid slowly sat up and took the yellow cushion off her face and stood up slowly, seeing the other two kids staring.

“Big mistake…” She lifted her pillow and yelled running into the fray.

Their pillow war went on into the night, and by the next morning there was an empty plate of cookies and three children, sleeping among a pile that was Hat Kid’s pillow pile masterpiece.

Mustache Girl was the first to wake up the next morning, and leapt down to wander into the lobby. Hat Kid woke up next, rubbing her eyes and seeing how messy her hair was. Her top hat had fallen from the pile onto the floor, and Cloak Kid was still asleep near her, curled up in his cloak nestled in some pillows. She felt his forehead and sighed in relief. No fever today. The girl climbed down, leaving her shipmate to rest a little while longer and headed into the kitchen.

When she got there, Hat Kid saw Mustache Girl staring at the open fridge.

“Oh, hey. Are you hungry?”

“Yeah, but I don’t know what to get…” the red hooded girl said.

“Well, I could reheat that soup I made for Cloak yesterday, but it might take a while on the stove.”

“Can’t you just put it in the microwave?”

“That’s only for food that’s been bad!” Hat Kid said, hands on her hips.

“Is that another one of your weird customs?” the blonde question as the hat wearing child climbed up on a barrel that was against the counter and jumped to the cabinet to reach a medicine bottle. “What’s that?”

“It’s for Cloak.” Hat Kid jumped back down. “He has to take it every morning or he could get really sick, but since he hates taking medicine, I have to give it to him.”

“Hmm. Sound like a handful when it comes to that. How do you do it?”

A mischievous smile grew across the Hat Kid’s face. “I have several methods.”

“Come on, kiddo. It’s time for today’s lesson.”

Cloak Kid stirred, snuggling tighter onto his pillows.

“Can’t it wait just a little longer, Gran…” The child cracked one eye open, being pulled back from the world of dreams and saw Hat Kid shaking him gently as they were in her bedroom. “Huh?”

“Morning,” she said, softly.

Cloak Kid sat up, rubbing his eyes. “Wh-Where’s that other girl?”

“She was in the kitchen, but I thought she followed me in here…” Hat Kid looked back at the door, but didn’t see her coming. Since they were alone, she decided to ask about the way he looked at her yesterday. “So… what did you see when you looked at her? You were using your cloak power right?”

“I… Images, really…” her shipmate mumbled. “It was just her beating the Mafia up. I barely know her, Hattie. I have to get to know her, if you want me to know more about her. Why are you asking?”

“N-No reason…” That was a lie.

Cloak Kid closed his eyes, and stretched starting to yawn, when Hat Kid shoved a spoonful of medicine in mouth. The boy’s reflexes made him swallow, but his face scrunched up from the taste, and he shuddered. Hat Kid giggled and hopped off the pillow pile.

“Now that that’s taken care of, I’ll make breakfast,” said Hat Kid.

“Hattie, why?” Cloak Kid whined, flopping back on the pillow pile.

“Oh, come on. It’s not that bad.”

“Y-You try it, then…” the boy whimpered, softly.

Actually, Hat Kid could smell that it was pretty bitter, just from holding the cap open, but that really couldn’t be helped. Against Cloak’s whining, Hat Kid dragged him from her room through the lobby and into the kitchen. Luckily for them, Mustache Girl actually went ahead and made toasted jelly sandwiches for everyone.

“Are you ready to take down some Mafia?! Let’s do it! I’m psyched!” She took a bite out her sandwich and ran out of the kitchen.

“Hey, where are you going?” Cloak Kid was the first one out and saw her going down the hallway that led to his room. Upon reaching there, they saw that Mustache GIrl had approached his chalkboard, but there were a bunch of drawings on it. “Hey, my board!”

“Hey, it’s fine,” said Mustache Girl. “There was just some math on it.”

“My equations…” Cloak Kid mumbled. Hat Kid patted his shoulder, but was given no response in return.

Mustache Girl walked back up to the chalkboard and started pointing at things with a peculiar cane. It was brown, made of the finest wood, stripped subtly with gold, and the ends contained a green sphere with a swirl matching the clip on Cloak Kid’s cloak clip.

“Hey, that’s-”

“Oh, I’ll give it back,” said Mustache Girl. “Calm down.” She pointed at one of her doodles. It was of her choking a Mafioso, with his own tie. “First, we strangle them!” she said. “Choke ‘em and watch ‘em beg for mercy! That’ll show them.” Her tone made Cloak Kid wince. Hat Kid opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted. “No, wait, strangling is too kind…”

“Wait, wha-” Cloak Kid almost said, before Mustache Girl quickly erased her doodle and drew something else. Now it was of her stomping on a Mafia and then there was a jar.

“We smash them together into mush, put their remains in a jar! Then we sell the jar for pocket money! That’ll be the ultimate salt in the wound.”

“Um, I think we should stay focused,” Cloak Kid spoke up. “We need our hourglasses back first.

Mustache Girl sighed. “Right, right… First, we have to make it through their Mafia HQ. That junk has been raining from the sky every since you guys arrived. They’ve taken them to their headquarters which is up really high and somehow held up by a giant water spout.” She pointed at the next picture which was a doodle of a large man with a mustache, a red coat and a chef’s hat. There were tiny notes around like, “Bad,” “Dumb,” and “Probably smells.” “Once we find and dethrone the Mafia Boss, the rest will follow. Then our mush and jar part will be no problem!”

Hat Kid grimaced. “A-And we’ll get the Time Pie- Ow!” Cloak Kid elbowed her arm. “I mean, we’ll our hourglasses back?”

“Hm?” Mustache Girl snapped out of her thoughts. “Oh, right. Well, we’ll need to find a way up there first. There is a cannon near an observatory, but it’s not working right now.

“Oh, I can probably fix that,” said Cloak Kid. “I do help keep this ship working.” He then glanced at his shipmate. “Well, when Hattie isn’t making me stay in bed.”

“Hey, when you're sick, someone gotta let you know, because you certainly don’t,” Hat Kid pouted.

“I guess fixing the cannon will have to be first,” said Mustache Girl. “Okay, cloak boy. Let’s see if you can fix that thing.” She tossed him the cane she was holding and he caught it immediately.

Cloak Kid still wasn’t sure about this girl. She seemed pretty bent on violence. He held the cane close, almost like he never wanted to let go of it again. It was almost the same height as him so to him it was kind of like a staff.

“She didn’t break it…” Hat Kid said, as they made their way back to the lobby.

“It belonged to my grandfather…” Cloak Kid grumbled. “C-Can we just go fix the cannon?”

The two made it to the lobby and the two kids raced to get into the captain’s seat. Cloak Kid practically jumped and hopped into the chair.

“I win!” he proclaimed, as the chair spun around with the child in it. Hat Kid merely formed a pout on her lips and just walked up to the giant window at the front. Cloak Kid checked the scanners, and saw multiple Time Piece signals. Mustache Girl was right about Time Pieces with the Mafia, but there appeared to be one near the Town’s observatory. “There’s an hourglass near the observatory.”

Mustache Girl shrugged. “Well, that’s where the canon is.”

Cloak Kid turned around immediately. “Then, we can go there right now?”

“I guess… The Mafia must’ve moved on by now from yesterday’s fight. They’re so forgetful it’s almost sad… but not really. They’re stupid.”

“What’s the weather?” Hat Kid then interjected.

“What do you mean? Who cares?” said Cloak Kid.

“The weather.” Hat Kid glanced over. “Is it raining?”

Cloak Kid huffed, looking back at his screen. “I can get my tools and head down there in-”

“Cloak!”

The boy turned away, but kept his eyes fixed on the screen.

“The sky… seems to be perspirating…” he said. “But I have a waterproof cloa-”

“Nope." Hat Kid crossed her arms. "You’re staying here. It’ll be cold and wet which is bad for you.”

Cloak Kid stood up immediately. “It’s bad for you, too, you know.”

“But even more for you, Cloak!” Hat Kid yelled. “When will you understand?!”

“Let it go, Hattie! I can take care of myself!” The boy took his staff. Hat Kid reached for her umbrella.

Mustache Girl looked back and forth at the two, unsure of what to say. “Um…” Rumbi, who was zooming by, cleaning away, stopped upon seeing what was going on and started backing away slowly.

“Are you seriously going to fight me over this?!” Cloak Kid argued.

“I don’t want to… but I have before! Remember all those times I’ve chased you around the ship, to get you take your medicine? It’s not good for you to go out when it’s raining, even if you are well today.”

“And the-”

“I’ll go get it!” Hat Kid said, sternly. She then stared into his eyes, even when the cloak-wearing boy walked right up to her.

“Yeah, you’d like that, wouldn’t you?” He walked past her, ignoring her glare. Hat Kid then felt one of her feet get hooked and she fell onto the ground. She sat up, and stared that the boy had tripped her with his grandfather’s cane. “And just because I won’t fight you, doesn’t mean I can’t!” he yelled. His voice was loud, but it slowly sounded like he was struggling to get the words out.

Cloak Kid had just made it to the door Hat Kid stood, starting to frown, her face growing soft. “Your health is more important than those hourglasses.”

The boy stopped at the entrance of the hallway to his room. He turned back to her, his emerald eyes full of tears and fury.

“Then you haven’t learned anything in the time we’ve been drifting on this ship together!” he yelled. The boy stormed into the hall, the doors slamming shut, and lights on it turning red, meaning that it was locked.

Hat Kid sat down in the captain’s chair, with Mustache Girl unaware that the hatted child also had tears in her eyes, which she quickly wiped away.

“What was that about?” said Mustache Girl.

“It’s n-nothing…” Hat Kid said, setting her umbrella down in her lap.

“I mean clearly it’s something…”

“It’s… well, he has this condition, and well, it’s a bit complicated and it’s hard when he chooses to ignore it when he’s sick. When he isn’t feeling well, he refuses to stay in bed. He needs his rest, but he’s always walking around or reading.” She stood up. “Do you think you can watch him for me?”

“Are you sure you want to go out there, kid?” said Mustache Girl. “I mean, I know you need all that junk back, but even I know not to go out when it’s raining. The rooftops are slippery, but it is also fun to watch the Mafia be even stupider than usual just because it’s raining.”

“It’s fine,” said Hat Kid. “I’ll be wearing my raincoat.” And she stepped into her room to find it in her wardrobe.

Chapter 4: A String of Kindness

Chapter Text

Cloak Kid sat on his bed, legs pulled up to his chest, and his hood pulled over his head. No one was around, but still he fought to contain his sobs. He straightened out his legs, pulling out the book he read from the other night. It was made of brown leather, and it was strapped shut, and a golden hourglass crest was on the cover. A single tear fell from the child’s eye and landed on it.

He felt like a prisoner in his own ship. He wasn’t allowed to do or go anywhere because of Hat Kid and his stupid condition. She got them here, lost the Time Pieces, brought a complete stranger onto the ship, and yet, here she was, thinking she was the one in charge. And yet, no matter how confident Cloak Kid had become with his grandfather’s weapon, he could never find it in himself to actually have a battle with her.

“Hey, uh… can I come in?” It sounded like Mustache Girl talking from the mic outside of the room. “That Hat Kid is gone.”

Cloak Kid, holding his book, closed it and walked up to one of the draws at his desk. He slid the book into one of them before locking it shut. Then he sighed, and walked up to the panel next to the door, pressing the green button. The lights on the door turned back to green and Mustache Girl walked in.

“So, you want to fight some Mafia?” she said.

“You heard what Hattie said…” Cloak Kid grumbled, as he searched through some rolls of fabric.

“Yeah…” Mustache Girl said, waltzing her way over. “But, she’s not here right now, is she?”

“The rain is still bad for me, especially…” the boy admitted. “And even if it wasn’t, Hattie won’t stop doting on me.”

“And are you gonna let that stop you?”

Cloak Kid looked over at her. Mustache Girl’s hands were on her hips and she had a mischievous smile on her face.

“If I was like you with the Mafia, I wouldn’t be kicking their butts everyday. I know you don’t want to fight her, so why don’t you just go without asking her, and then come back before she notices.”

“Um, I don’t know…” Cloak Kid mumbled

“Besides, you’re a kid. Kids need to have fun, you know. I’ll make sure you get back before Hat Kid notices.”

Cloak Kid looked at the fabric before him. He had to get those Time Pieces back, and if he wanted to get to the Mafia HQ, he needed to get that cannon fixed. His hood was still up, and when he looked at the red hooded girl, he saw the same things he saw from when he saw her the first time she came onto the ship: Images of a girl happily beating up the Mafia. It wasn’t the most hopeful image in terms of trust, but she was the best he had.

“Uh… Let’s wait until it’s late,” he said. “Hopefully, the rain will have passed.”

The ship’s weather report was accurate, as always. Rain was falling down from the sky and the clouds had the town in their dark shade.

Hat Kid landed by the docks. She was dressed in a nice yellow raincoat, buttoned up with indigo buttons, with two pockets. The hood and the edges of her sleeves were also the same color as the buttons, and of course she was still wearing her signature top hat.

With her hat, she could see that she had landed far from her goal. The Time Piece was up high on the observatory, and the kid sighed, seeing she had missed. So, she began the walk up. She made sure to avoid any Mafia. When she passed by the plaza, she saw that there was still a huge crater in the center.

She looked at the white brick buildings, the orange, paving roads and the blue doors at every residence with a warm yellow light shining out from the windows. The fountain in the market area was still smashed and no one seemed to be working on fixing it already. Hat Kid thought that for a town overrun by a huge group of burly people they sure were lazy.

There were many things she had never seen before. This planet was strange, but the rain and the tall buildings were bringing back old memories. The words from her shipmate were still weighing heavily on her mind…

“No, it’s true! I’m telling you, Bow!”

Hat Kid was on the rickety stairs in her house, telling the story to a girl with curly brown hair. She had lavender eyes and wore a white shirt with a light blue frilly skirt. A green coat made of yarn kept her warm, with cat shaped pockets, and black boots with a blue stripe around the edges were on her feet. Lastly she had a blue bow tied onto her head, slightly pulling her hair back.

“Are you talking about the old man who runs Time’s End Library?” said Bow.

“Yeah, him!” said Hat Kid. She tore into a paper bag. Inside was some fruit and a box that had a sandwich that had been cut into four perfect triangles. And, there was a juicebox.

“He doesn’t have any kids.”

“But there’s one living at the library! I saw him run into the staff area and no one said anything.”

“Are you sure it wasn’t just Take Your Kid to Work Day?” Bow said, shrugging.

“No! He had a staff key! I saw him when I…” She paused for a moment to think, “tried to talk to him.”

Bow rolled her eyes. “Then how come I’ve never seen him at school?”

“Pfft! Who needs school, when all the information you need is all around you where you live?”

“Fine.” Bow crossed her arms. “Let’s go to the library tomorrow and find that mythical kid.”

Hat Kid stood up and put her hands on her hips. “We’ll see who’s feeling silly tomorrow.” The two girls were then startled by a loud clap of thunder.

“Uh-oh!” Bow hopped down from the steps and grabbed her backpack. “I’d better get home before it starts raining.”

The hat-wearing girl frowned. “A-Are you sure?” she said, as Bow packed her things.

“My parents will start worrying if I don’t…” She dashed towards the door, but once her hand was on the knob, she stopped to look back at her friend. “I’ll try and come back in the morning, and bring you a snack or something.”

Hat Kid sighed. “O-Okay…”

Bow opened the door and adjusted her backpack. “Well, bye…”

As the door closed, Hat Kid almost jumped at a flash of lightning. She sat back down on the stairs, her hands in her lap, staring downward… alone. The thunder and lightning raged on.

“WAH!”

Hat Kid had been so caught up in thinking, that she slipped in the rain and landed face first into some mud. The girl grumbled to herself, moaning softly while trying to wipe away whatever was in her eyes. At least she was almost to the observatory. It was blue with a telescope staring up into the sky. The tower was covered in small twinkling lights like stars.

In the gloomy dark and the pouring rain, Hat Kid made it to the top of the building and made it to the observatory and saw a Mafia man with green glasses that had a stripe pattern on the lenses. His bowtie was red with white stripes and his shirt was red with yellow diamond patterns. One of his sleeves was torn with some of the cotton sticking out. In his hand, however, was a Time Piece. He was looking up and all around and twitching with nervousness, so Hat Kid thought that she wouldn’t have too much trouble. If there was, she had her trusty umbrella.

The Mafioso heard tiny footsteps getting louder behind him. He turned around and saw a small creature reaching out towards the shiny hourglass in his hand.

“What the… HUH?” the man flinched, seeing a muddy, gloopy creature reaching out towards him. “It’s… IT’S SLIMY SPACE ALIEN!”

Hat Kid looked around, seeing no one, but then she looked at herself, and saw how she was mostly covered in mud. She was the slimy space alien! Granted, she wasn’t from this planet. So, that technically made her an alien.

“MAFIA SAW SPACESHIP! MAFIA KNEW ALL ALONG! MAFIA IS BEING INVADED BY ALIENS! AHHHH!”

The Mafia man ran for his life, following a high pitched scream. He jumped over a gap onto a construction site. Hat Kid wasn’t going to let him go until she got the Time Piece. So, she chased after him.

High pitched screams continued to echo throughout the town. Hat Kid continued jumping and running after the man, ignoring his screaming. She just wanted the Time Piece. Finally, they reached a dead end near a pile of boxes and a giant roll of meat. The Mafioso fell onto his knees and looked as if he were pleading to the heavens.

“Leave Mafia alone, you monster!” He pleaded. “Here, if Mafia give you this, will you go away?”

Shaking, he held out the Time Piece for the creature. Hat Kid jumped up and took from his hand. The Mafia man was kind of surprised to hear such a tiny little voice say, “Thank-you,” but at least the monster was gone. Hat Kid waited until she was a good distance away from the man before beaming back to the ship.

Mustache Girl was chasing Rumbi around for exercise, when she saw a muddy Hat Kid walk back in from the ships.

“Whoa! What happened to you?!” she said.

“I fell in some mud…” Hat Kid mumbled. “Cloak, I got another one!” she then yelled.

There was a few seconds of silence, before Cloak Kid walked out from the hallway to his room, and took the hourglass. He then saw Hat Kid and stared for a moment.

“I don’t wanna know.”

“U-Um, I just wanna-”

“Not now…” Cloak Kid then grumbled. He turned back towards his room but stopped after a few steps. “Um… Make sure you take a bath and change. Don’t catch a cold.” He then went back into his room and the doors shut.

“He’s speaking to me again…” Hat Kid said, relieved. He was probably going to wait until everyone was asleep to put the Time Piece back in the vault. “Kind of…” She turned back to Mustache Girl. “Well, I’m gonna wash up.” Hat Kid left muddy footsteps as she made her way to her room. Rumbi was already chasing after her to clean up the mud staining the carpet.

Hours of silence passed on the ship. Mustache Girl spent her time, wandering the ship, feeling that she could cut the tension in the ship with a knife, if she had one. She wasn’t really experienced when it came to dealing with people and their problems, especially when she wasn’t completely in the know of what was going on. All she knew was beating up the Mafia, but if they were in on beating them up, too, it was nice to know she wouldn’t be all alone anymore.

Eventually, Cloak Kid came out, holding his grandfather’s cane that he used as s staff.

“Are you sure you’re gonna need that thing?” said Mustache Girl.

“I know, it’s weird, but it has some tricks to it,” said Cloak Kid. “Besides, those Mafia could still bother us.”

“I guess…” said Mustache Girl. “Let’s go!”

Made of the finest cloth, Cloak Kid’s cloak protected him from the cold that was the aftermath of the rain. The sun had set and everything was still quiet. Mustache Girl wasn’t expecting to just jump off like Cloak Kid had, but she did. The problem was, how were they going to land?

“WHY DID I AGREE TO THIS?!” she shouted.

“Grab onto me!” Cloak Kid yelled.

Mustache Girl listened, and once she had a grip on his leg, he pulled out his staff and a parachute extended from it, letting them float down gently and they landed on a platform near the observatory.

Once Mustache Girl was on her feet, she noticed Cloak Kid staring at the observatory ahead of them. He held his cane close, before turning to her. His hood was up, keeping him warm, and he was holding a small red toolbox.

“What’s up?” she said.

“Nothing…” Cloak Kid said. “Just… I didn’t expect this town to have an observatory… So, where’s the cannon?”

“Right. This way!”

The two kids ran across the top of the building and came across the canon. It was red, with the cannon end looking like it had been fired many times, since the ends looked busted. There was an explosion symbol on the side of it.

Cloak Kid went around the back and took a look after opening a small panel. “Oh. It looks like there’s just some burnt wires. Well, that can be easily replaced.” The child reached into his tool box, pulled out some fresh ones and got work repairing the cannon with his tools. “What the… He pulled out something red from within the cannon. Yarn? Did they think this was wire?”

Mustache Girl was leaning against the cannon, with her arms crossed. “Psh. Why am I not surprised?”

By the time he was done, his hands were covered in soot, but it was all sorted out. He stood up brushing his palms together. “Okay,” he said. “It should work now.” He had pulled out enough yarn that he made a ball of it. It looked ready to sprint.

“Yes!” Mustache GIrl, said excitedly, with a jump. “You go get Hat Kid, I’ll get the jars, and we’ll-”

“Hey! I wasn’t doing anything!”

Mustache Girl was the first to look off from the roof, down on the street they could see an orange cat with darker orange spots on the street. She was wearing a chef’s outfit, alone with a hat, but the Mafia were kicking dirt at her.

“Oh no,” said Cloak Kid. “We should get out of here before they see us?” He made a move to leave, but Mustache Girl grabbed his arm.

“Are you serious?!” she said. “We have to help her!” She jumped down, falling towards the head of one of the Mafiosos.

“I…” Cloak Kid sighed, and jumped down, as well. He landed on an umbrella and then onto the ground, where the first thing he saw was a fist flying at his face. The child jumped back and tripped the Mafioso with the cane end of his staff, before jumping onto his chest and knocking him out with a swift swing. He jabbed the last one in the stomach with the other end, before Mustache Girl leapt off Cloak Kid’s back and kicked the last one in the face. The Mafioso fell flat on his back, motionless.

Cloak Kid was out of breath, but he smiled. This was actually really fun.

“There. Happy?” Cloak Kid, grumbled.

“You’re safe now, ma’am!” Mustache Girl said to the cat, triumphantly.

“Thank-you, dearies,” the cat said. “I was just minding my own business, when they decided to bother me. “Are you two hungry? Have no fear, Cooking Cat is here!”

“Actually, I’m not hungry right now,” said Cloak Kid. “But, maybe some other time?”

Cooking Cat nodded. “Of course, dearie. If you’re ever in the neighborhood, just check the rafters in the Mafia HQ. There’s probably a vent or two I’m sure you’re small enough to crawl through. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some shopping to get back to.”

“No problem, ma’am!” Mustache Girl waved to the cat as she walked away. “This town is under my watch, now.” The girl turned to Cloak Kid upon seeing his smile. “Hey, what are you smiling for?”

“It… It was fun!” Cloak Kid shrugged his shoulders. “Is this what you do all the time?”

Mustache Girl stretched for a moment. “Yep, and it’s a great way to let off steam? Wanna go beat up some more?”

Cloak Kid nodded. “Yes! But… only a few!” He hid his hands behind his back. “W-We really need to get those hourglasses back.”

“Relax, it’ll only be a few,” said Mustache Girl. “You might even find one on one of those losers. Now, let’s go!”

When Hat Kid woke up, she felt warm, clean and refreshed. She was able to wake up and stretch whenever she wanted now that the morning announcements were offline. Mustache Girl wasn’t sleeping in the pillow pile, so she assumed she got up first, but when she walked out into the lobby after dressing, she wasn’t there, either.

Flustered, Hat Kid rushed into Cloak Kid’s room. She was relieved that it was unlocked, because she was hoping to speak to him.

“Cloak! Have you seen that girl?” said Hat Kid. She rushed to the lump on the beds and started shaking him. “Cloak, come on! I know you’re still mad, but I was only thinking of-”

The second Hat Kid pulled down the sheets, she found a bunch of pillows and blankets bunched up beneath.

“You little…” Hat Kid was almost red, fuming mad. “Where have you gone?!”

Hat Kid, after grabbing Cloak Kid’s medicine from the kitchen, grabbed her umbrella and rushed towards the door to jump down towards Mafia Town.

“You’ve better not have gone in the middle of the rain!” she pouted. “Arrgh! What’s that girl up to?!”

Hat Kid floated down towards Mafia Town once again, and landed in the plaza. Immediately, she started searching around. Her vision dimmed as she tapped into the power of her top hat, pointing her towards her goal: Cloak Kid.

The girl was careful not to slip on the rock cliff on the island’s edges as she found her past the docks. It was when she made it to a tiny beach, that she saw a few signs. They said a few various things that were written in red letters.

“GO AWAY!”

“I’M SERIOUS!”

“SOD OFF!”

Hat Kid rounded a rocky corner and found a small cave with a campfire lit. There was red marking in back that red “MAFIA SABOTAGE” and there were a bunch of tally marks. Mustache Girl was there, tending to an unconscious Cloak Kid who had a bruise on his forehead, while he laid motionless on the sand beneath him. His staff was next to him.

“CLOAK!”

“Aw, peck…” Mustache Girl muttered. She reached out once she saw the boy shifting, moaning softly and rubbing his head.

Hat Kid was at his side first, shaking him first and helping him to sit up. “What did you do?!” said Hat Kid.

“Nothing!” said Mustache Girl. “He just got punched in the face by some Mafia?”

“Wha?” Cloak Kid muttered, rubbing the bruise. Hat Kid had him lean against the rocks behind him.

“Easy, kid. You took a pretty bad bump to the head, but you’re okay…” said Mustache Girl.

Hat Kid growled, but held Cloak Kid by his shoulders. “Are you okay?” She held up her fingers. “How many fingers am I holding up?”

“Three?” Hat Kid sighed in relief that he was alright but, then she huffed.

“You know better than this!” she scolded. “You just left without telling me? What if something even worse happened?” She almost shook him, her voice shrilling up from pure terror. “You wouldn’t be the only one hurt!”

After some time rubbing his head, Cloak Kid pushed her away. “I didn’t ask for your help! I’m fine…” he grumbled. He moved away the cloak covering his torso, and revealed a recovered Time Piece. “I thought you’d be happy. Guess I’m the only one!”

“I wouldn’t be if you were dead!” she shouted. “You were out here all night?!”

“I told you, I can take care of myself!”

Hat Kid growled. She reached into her pocket and pulled out his medicine. “Okay, then. Here! Take this medicine yourself!”

“Um… guys?” Mustache Girl tried to interject.

Cloak Kid took the bottle, poured it into the tiny cup, and brought it up to his lips. He knew the bitter taste that awaited him, but he couldn’t just do it. His mouth trembled, and so did the hand holding the stupid cup. He tossed the medicine onto the ground, stood with the Time Piece in one hand and his staff in the other, and walked past her while rubbing his sore forehead, while holding back tears.

“I wouldn’t have to take this, if it wasn’t for YOU!” he shouted.

Hat Kid flinched, tears filling her eyes as she stared at the spilled medicine in the sand. She shivered.

“Yeah…” she stuttered. “I guess you’re right…”

Cloak Kid froze for a second. He stared onward into the ocean and then at the Time Piece. He saw his reflection within the shiny glass, before pulling up his hood. His eyes landed on Hat Kid, while he saw the same thing when he looked into her eyes every time.

“One to beam up…” he mumbled. And a ray of light took him back into the skies and onto his ship.

Hat Kid stood there, silently. She bent down to pick up his medicine, with her lip trembling. Why was she doing this to herself? He never appreciated anything she did for him!

“Um, he left this here, by the way,” Mustache Girl said, awkwardly.

The hatted child turned around, and in the red hooded girl’s hands was a ball of yarn that looked ready to sprint.

“W-Wait.” Hat Kid stepped forward slowly and took it from her. “Did he get this for… me?”

After securing the Time Piece in the vault, Cloak Kid wandered the ship for a while, an ice pack on his head. Hat Kid hadn’t come back, and neither had Mustache Girl. Rumbi had followed Cloak Kid around, sensing that he wasn’t himself.

Eventually, Cloak Kid just walked back into his room. He sat on his bed and began to sob.

A few hours later, Cloak Kid woke up laying on his bed, facing the ceiling, gazing at the many stars painted above. He felt exhausted, but he could only blame himself for staying up all night. His eyes were still heavy, puffed up from crying, and his throat was a bit dry. A small cough escaped his lips. He knew what it meant and sniffled. His eyes started drooping shut again.

A hand started shaking him and took the melted ice pack off his head then raised it. A terribly bitter taste entered his mouth, but Cloak Kid swallowed it, despite his shuddering. He knew who was there, and despite what had happened, was still there to force the medicine he needed down his throat. His head lolled to the side after he was let back down. He stifled a sob, trying to stop another crying fit, but tears still flowed down from his eyes.

“I’m sorry…” said Hat Kid.

Cloak Kid sniffled, while Hat Kid placed a new ice pack over the bruise. It was probably for the small fever he had, as well.

I’m sorry, too…” he whispered. He felt his boots come off and a nice blanket over him. Then there was a gentle hand petting his hair.

“Sleep…” he heard, simply. And he did.

Chapter 5: Trust Understanding

Chapter Text

The whole day was kind of a haze for Cloak Kid after he got back on the ship. He did remember his apology, but he was incredibly tired after that. Hat Kid came in every few hours to check on him, getting him to eat at least a little, before he fell asleep again. And, unknown to him, Mustache Girl was on the ship with them once again.

Hat Kid allowed her to do what she wanted and explore the ship, but after seeing everything she could on it for the fifteenth time, the red-hooded girl was getting bored.

Hat Kid had put Cloak Kid’s gift to good use, and got to work stitching. Despite telling Cloak Kid constantly to stick to a good sleep schedule, she had stayed up late working. She was almost done with her creation, when she heard her shipmate stirring a little. His eyes opened and his green eyes met with Hat Kid’s teal ones. After an afternoon of waking up and sleeping his mind was finally clear. He sat up slowly, the damp cloth on his head, falling into his palm.

“Wh-What time is it?” he said, trembling. His voice was small and shaky. Hat Kid gasped, when Cloak Kid swung his feet off the bed. She ran over and held him back, gently, but firmly.

“What are you doing?” Hat Kid said, using her inside voice. “Get back in bed.”

“Really?” Mustache Girl walked in, almost stomping on the floor beneath her.

“Huh?”

“We have Mafia to beat up! We can’t stop for you to play doctor. He looks fine.”

Hat Kid felt his forehead briefly. “Hattie…” Cloak Kid said. He moved forward, only for Hat Kid to hold him back.

“He’s better, but he’s still weak,” said Hat Kid.

“We need the hourglasses…” the boy pleaded.

“Yeah,” said Mustache Girl. “If we don’t get them back, it’s only matter of time before one of them is stupid and breaks one.”

The statement made Cloak Kid gasp. Hat Kid patted his hand when he shivered. She grabbed his cloak off the nearby chair and handed it to him.

“Now that the cannon is fixed, it’s the perfect time to strike at their base with an all out offensive!” The blonde continued. “We’ll take out their boss and defeat them once and for all!”

Hat Kid sighed, snapping the clip in place and pulling up the hood on her shipmate’s cloak. “Okay, that’s true. Let’s get a reading on our current status before we go.”

Cloak Kid looked at Mustache Girl. The image of her beating Mafiosos was still there, but it was increasingly violent. He could feel his heart beating in his chest. This wasn’t good. He had to tell Hat Kid, but he couldn’t with the red-hooded girl around.

Cloak Kid, much to Hat Kid’s annoyance, got out of bed and followed them out of his room. He was convinced to at least relax in the captain’s chair while they scoped out what they had to.

“Cloak, uh…” Hat Kid still felt shy to speak to him, since he was fully aware of himself now. “Can you tell me the status?”

The boy was typing on the computer and then he spoke after tucking his hands back under his cloak. “Mafia Town. It’s raining tonight. Population 739.”

“Tsk. There’s about to be one less after we’re done tonight,” said Mustache Girl.

Cloak Kid almost opened his mouth to speak, but Hat Kid held his arm and shook her head. Mustache Girl looked at the screen, seeing the ship’s giant scope zooming in on the Mafia Headquarters.

“With the cannon fixed, we can get up there.”

“Right,” said Cloak Kid. “If we drop from the ship straight there, they might see us.”

“Fine with me!” Mustache Girl grabbed one of the ship’s parachute’s, opened the door and made the jump. “Follow me, rebel squad.”

Cloak Kid almost got up, but Hat Kid got up. “Come on,” she said. “You really shouldn’t right now.” The boy growled at her, almost ready to yell. “No, you won’t be doing nothing!” Hat Kid said, holding her hands out gently. “I don’t know how it’s going to be down there, so I need you to use the ship to scan the inside of the building.”

The boy gazed down. He shook, shivering slightly at how cold he felt. The ship had picked up a Time Piece inside, so they had to have it. But, the rain was pouring hard, and it didn’t look like it was letting up soon. He had felt terrible all day, inside and out.

“Sit down, Cloak,” Hat Kid said, gently. And he did. Hat Kid gave him a pat on the head. “I’ll be back really soon with Time Piece, okay?”

Cloak Kid nodded, not even able to bring himself to speak.

Raincoat on, Hat Kid jumped down into Mafia Town, and used her umbrella to descend carefully. Past the clouds, she saw the rainy streets of the town. It was dark from the clouds, and a cold breeze was blowing through the city.

Hat Kid landed on the highest deck of the observatory and saw the cannon fixed. It looked almost as good as new. It was something that she admired when Cloak Kid was well enough to work on the ship, or anything really. The thought of him wouldn’t leave her mind. She looked up, seeing the structure held above by a water spout, and hopped into the cannon.

The girl shot up into the air, hanging onto her hat. She landed on the high up structure, where she saw a white building with many arched windows. There were golden statues of Mafioso’s at the front and on the walls on the front of the building. There was huge sign with a picture of some Mafia with some aquatic creatures, like a whale, an octopus, a squid and a swordfish, and at the bottom was a red sign with lights that said, “GO AWAY” and in tiny letters, she could see the word “please” in parentheses.

Mustache Girl was looking up at it, with a glare. Hat Kid, on the other hand, saw determination.

“You took your time!” she huffed. “Let’s go! It’s showtime, baby!”

The red hooded girl raced forward, with a happy little march. Hat Kid sighed, holding her umbrella close, along with the new hat she made from the yarn Cloak Kid gave her. Hopefully, she wouldn’t cause too much trouble. Despite her sneaking out Cloak Kid the other day, she was kind of fun to be around.

Cloak Kid had almost fallen asleep while working with some black fabric in the captain’s chair. It was some material that he had gathered while they were cruising around from the last planet. Suddenly, he heard a buzzer going off. This woke the boy almost immediately.

“Huh?! Wha?” Cloak Kid sat up immediately, seeing a red light flaring at the control panel. The scanner which was focused on the Mafia headquarters, showing a blueprint-like layout, had picked up multiple heat signatures. The boy leaned forward, seeing that there were many gathered in a large space in one of the rooms. They were in rows, which could mean that it was just some kind of performance or movie, but what made the child gasp, was the huge signal it picked up. It was that of a Time Piece.

Cloak Kid could see Hat Kid and Mustache Girl’s heat signatures getting closer to it. The fact that it didn’t look like anyone was trying to stop them was alarming.

“No!” He stood up on his wobbly legs and headed towards his room for his water proof cloak. It was kind of like his normal cloak, but it was a bit longer and the outside had a shiny and smooth layer.

It was a trap! It had to be! He made the finishing touches on his new cloak and tucked it away on his person, before grabbing his cane.

With his rain cloak wrapped around him, he pulled up his hood, and took in the crisp chill of space before descending towards the planet below.

“Mafia not take kindly to intruders!”

“Go home with you!”

Hat Kid had lost sight of Mustache Girl when they entered the headquarters. The place looked like a casino. The floors were covered in red carpet with gentle warm lights hanging down from above. Dodging and and hopping onto some Mafia heads, she could see a seating area with green dice flooring and a slot machine section.

Several Mafia were lying around on the ground. It seemed to be a normal occurrence, because after that, most of them were just keeping their distance, acting like she wasn’t there.

Hat Kid was relieved, but she still couldn’t find Mustache Girl. No one was looking at her, which she thought she’d be relieved about, but it just made feel smaller than she already was for a girl her age. Cloak Kid was suddenly on her mind again and she made her way to the bar. The child sat down on a chair for a small break.

Then, to her surprise, a Mafioso who was working there came over. Her hand reached for her umbrella. She didn’t pull it out, but she just had it ready. She didn’t move, but felt her mouth open a little.

“What’s troubling you, little girl? Mafia not know what child drink. Whatever problem is, Mafia sure you can deal with it.”

Hat Kid thought that once herself. She had thought that many times, and wondered if anything would work out at this point.

“You look like tenacious type, not leave problem alone,” the Mafioso continued. “Other little girl run into kitchen, if you are looking for her. She look like unruly type. Keep eye on her.”

Hearing those words perked up the girl a little. There was no way she could give now. If anyone wrong got their hands on the Time Pieces, Cloak Kid would never forgive her. No! She couldn’t forgive herself. She still can’t now…

Meanwhile, up in the rafters Cooking Cat, was there, away at her stove when she heard something peculiar. It sounded like something hitting metal in the walls. Then there was a child-like scream and then a thud.

Cloak Kid opened his eyes to see two yellow eyes staring back at him. At first he flinched, but then he saw it was just Cooking Cat, the same feline he and Mustache Girl helped out the previous day.

“Hey… It’s you…” He sat up seeing that he had landed in a pile of fish. So that was the smell.

“Ugh…” The boy pinched his nose and stood briefly before sitting on the floor with his cane and wrapping his rain cloak around himself. “Sorry.”

“Not to worry, dear,” said Cooking Cat. “I’m just glad you made it without those Mafia bothering you. What brings you by anyway?”

Cloak Kid squeezed parts of his hair and clothes, letting rainwater drip off his person. “I’m uh, l-looking for someone. H-Have you s-seen a g-girl wearing a t-top hat?”

“So, that’s who made all that ruckus a little bit ago!” the cat said, hands on her hips. “I think I saw her pass in here below us.”

Cloak Kid gazed down from where they were and he breathed a sigh of relief to see her at the bar. She was drinking or anything, but she looked fine. His arms shook, though, and held his cloak tighter.

“Goodness, dearie! You’re shaking like a leaf! Let me get you something to warm you up! Nothing warms the heart like a good meal.”

The boy shook his head. “I-I don’t think I have t-time… The g-girl...”

“Well, we can still see her,” said Cooking Cat. She walked over to her stove and poured some soup in a bowl. “If she can toss those Mafia around like frisbees, then she’ll be fine for a few more minutes.”

Reluctantly, Cloak Kid took the bowl and the spoon. Surprisingly, it was pretty good. As he observed, he saw that the cat had a large supply of crustaceans, an octopus in a barrel and the pile of fish he had landed in earlier.

“Um, why are you cooking up here?” he said.

“The Mafia are terrible at cooking! But fear not, Cooking Cat is here!” the cat said, triumphantly. “I prepare the actual dinner up here, and swap the food before anybody eats the Mafia’s cooking. I’m fairly certain someone would die if they ate the Mafia-prepared food!”

The boy looked over to the bar, seeing the door to the kitchen. He gulped at how much black smoke was coming out of there.

“Why would you do that?” he said. “I’ve only been on this planet for a few days, and I can see that the Mafia pretty much take great pleasure in pushing people around and making them suffer.”

“Hold on. On this planet? Did you come from space, little boy?”

“Um… Yeah. ”

The cat’s eyes shined with excitement. “So that probably explains those shiny things falling from the sky. Why, that makes you a little alien! No wonder I haven’t seen you around these parts before. You’re… not at all what I expected.”

Cloak Kid’s eyes darted to left, a tiny blush appearing on his face while he slurped away at his soup. “What do you mean?”

“I sort of expected aliens to be green, and with a thirst for flesh…” Cooking Cat said, awkwardly. “But, I guess they come in all shapes and sizes. So, that little girl is your alien friend?”

The child had another spoonful ready to lift into his mouth when he set the utensil back down briefly. “Well, I wouldn’t put it like that. We’re shipmates. I look at maps, and do maintenance, and lots of other stuff… in the ship. While she thinks she can boss me around and make me stay in bed... and only lets me go out when I feel well… And the weather’s nice… And forces me to take my medicine.” The kid drank the rest of the broth and set the bowl down. “Thank-you.”

“Any time, dearie,” Cooking Cat said, taking the bowl back. “You look a lot warmer now. Not shivering. It sounds like, to me, though, that little girl is just looking out for you.”

Cloak Kid formed a pout, about to go on a rant, but hesitated. “We had a fight last night… and… I said some things to her, and I meant it, but… I feel…” He looked up at Cooking Cat, feeling silly for opening his heart out to someone he just met. “Bad… Despite that, she still took care of me that night.”

“Oh, dearie, anyone can get mad at someone who’s just trying to help,” said Cooking Cat. “I work here, so that no one dies from eating the Mafia-prepared food, and I don’t expect any appreciation. But, you on the other hand, have a choice to give her that appreciation, even if it seems like the little hat girl is doting a little.” Cloak Kid wiped his eyes, earning himself a little pat on the head. “Don’t you think that maybe - just maybe - you’ve been just a little too hard on her?”

“M-Maybe…” the boy muttered. “I…” He gasped. When he looked down from above the rafters, he saw that Hat Kid was gone.

Cloak Kid stood up, cane in his hand.

“W-Wait! Where did she go?!”

The only way forward was the theater was blocked by a Mafioso. Not wanting to draw any more attention than she already had, she slipped into the kitchen where the bartender told Hat Kid where Mustache Girl had snuck away to.

The girl almost gagged upon entering the kitchen. She checked under her boot and saw that she had stepped on a roach. The red checkered floor was filthy with dirt and grime, along with tons of different stains for spilled food and ingredients. The countertops were uncleaned, and full of unwashed dishes and food that was either old, burnt or raw… maybe all three! The walls were falling apart and the roof had some kind of mold growing on it. It smelled so bad, that Hat Kid was sure she could see black particles floating in the air of how awful it was in the kitchen. Either that, or she was on the verge of passing out from the mere smell.

The girl made her way to the back where she saw Mustache Girl, waving at her to come over. She was standing in front of a steel door.

“There you are!” she whispered. “Took you long enough to get here!”

“I lost you when those Mafia were attacking me!” said Hat Kid.

“I knew you could handle it! That’s why I snuck in here. This door can take us to where the Boss of the Mafia is.”

“Wait, you used me as a distraction to get in here?” said Hat Kid.

“Like I said!” Mustache Girl put her hands on her hips. “I knew you could handle it. You seem to have a better time taking on those losers than I do.”

“But-”

The red hooded girl rolled her eyes. “Look, we can chat later. There’s a vent in the back of the freezer that can sneak us into the theater. From the looks of it, he’s holding a big show tonight, so he’ll be distracted. Think you can find it?”

Hat Kid nodded. “Of course I can. If I can find a boy hiding from medicine time, I can find anything!”

Mustache Girl laughed, which made the hatted child smile. It was the first time she had heard a genuine laugh from her, along with a smile.

“Well, go ahead, kid. I’ll keep guard here until you find the entrance and make sure no one bothers you.”

“Okay…”

Hat Kid stepped through the metal door and was freed from the horrid smell of the kitchen. The only con she saw about the freezer was it was super cold, and there were a few roaches still crawling around. There were also tons of fish being stored in there.

Hat Kid resisted the urge to think of any fish puns. It’s tough, (hali)but she managed to hold them back.

The girl walked around a bit, until she found her way to the back and saw a stack of crates, but she could see cold air coming out. She climbed up the boxes and found a vent. It was irresponsibly left open, but that would just make things easier.

“Hey! What are you-! WAH!”

The girl gasped, looked back at the door and saw it slam shut. Hat Kid jumped down from atop the boxes. The door wouldn’t budge, but through the window, she could see Mustache Girl struggling violently while she was dragged away by Mafioso.

“HEY! LET HER GO!” Hat Kid shouted. Even when she pounded the door with her tiny fists, she knew that even if they heard her through the thick door, they wouldn’t listen. She looked back at the vent and put on her new hat. It was red and looked like a sports visor, but it had white feathery wings on it. She had dubbed it the Sprint Hat. With lightning speed she ran towards the vent and crawled through.

The passage was narrow and dark, but she had to press on. And it was also her only way out. The little girl got on her hands and knees and crawled through the vent. It was super dark.

“WAH!”

The metal underneath Hat Kid gave out and she landed in a lit room on something hard. Upon rubbing and opening her eyes she found herself on a pile of beautiful gold coins with stars on them. There were also many shiny jewels.

Walking on the white and black checkered floor, she passed through some plush red curtains that took her to a grand hallway. There was more treasure lying around and a red carpet leading up to a throne. There was a man in a chef’s outfit and a red coat sitting in it. Unlike most of the Mafia in the town, he actually had hair growing on his head.

The fact that no one was around to stop her was a bit alarming. But, all of her questions were set aside when she saw a Time Piece in his hand. Hat Kid rushed forward, when she suddenly heard footsteps… from above. When she turned around she swore almost saw a shadow leave the corner of her eye.

“Who’s there?” Hat Kid said, grabbing her umbrella. She turned back towards her goal only to see some Mafia charging at her. Luckily, she had some skill dealing with these losers at this point. Umbrella in hand, and her agility evading them she dealt with them with merely a few whacks.

Hat Kid made it to the throne and put her top hat back on. It looked like this man was the one in charge. He hopped down from his throne and stared down at the child before her.

“So... it is you! Ever you since you landed in Mafia Town, it’s been raining with these magical hourglasses.”

Hat Kid was eying the Time Piece the whole time, even as he presented it in front of her.

“W-well, I wouldn’t be here, if one of your own men didn’t break open my door!” she pouted. All of the men in the room were staring down at her. She shook a little.

“I come in peace!” Hat Kid said, through her nerves. “These hourglasses are the only things that power the ship my companion and I ride in. Without them, we’re stranded here. Just give them back and we’ll stop bothering you!”

Suddenly, every single Mafioso started laughing out loud. The child felt so… small and insignificant.

“What are you doing here, thief?”

“Why is she like that?”

“Did she get that out of the trash?”

“You must be very lost, kid with the hat,” the Boss of the Mafia said. “You’re in the heart of our town, standing before the most powerful man you will ever witness. Everything you’ve ever owned belongs to me now. Including this hourglass.”

Hat Kid glared. He was wrong. She had once met someone far more powerful than he or anyone else could ever hope to be. The man must’ve caught her intention because he continued.

“If you want it, we’ll have to settle it in true Mafia style!”

The lights went out, and Hat Kid felt herself get picked up and moved someplace else.

“Lights!”

When the lights came on, Hat Kid found herself on a stage, with many Mafiosos watching from the auditorium.

“Action!” the Boss of the Mafia announced. “It is… showtime.”

The audience roared as the Mafia Boss pulled out two machetes and charged at her while spinning. With her Sprint Hat she jumped into the air with lightning speed and stomped on his head before landing behind him and giving him a few good whacks with her umbrella.

The man jumped to the edge of the stage whistling loudly. Sandbags fell from above the stage, making that hat-wearing child close her eyes, and dodge from being hit.

“SUPER CHARGE!” The boss spun again, electricity surging through his body as he sent out sparks towards her, but she managed to jump over them. She dashed towards him while he was dizzy and gave him another whack before being shoved away.

Suddenly, Hat Kid gasped. She saw Mustache Girl tied up, suspended in the air on a rope.

“I’ve got your friend captured,” the Mafia Boss taunted, “and soon, you will both perish!”

“Let go of me, you psycho!” the red hooded girl shouted, while the Mafia boss leapt to the other side of the stage.

Hat Kid’s jaw dropped. A bunch of Mafia gathered onto the stage, joining arms and elbows forming an actual ball. The boss was on the top and Hat Kid scrambled to get out of the way, but she only managed to find a small gap underneath to escape. Quick on her feet she rode the gap as it raised up to the top and knocked him off the ball, causing a huge collapse.

“WHOA!” Mustache Girl said, as the huge amount of people fell.

Hat Kid climbed her way out, tightly gripping her Sprint Hat, when she screamed. The child felt a bolt of electricity and fell to the ground. She fell near her top hat, and the Mafia Boss was standing over her.

“Hattie!”

The Mafia Boss jolted, seeing Cloak Kid jump down from the rafters and land in front of Hat Kid. She raised her head slightly, seeing that he was wearing a black cloak. It didn’t have a hood, but the collar and the ends of it were wavy, and shadow-like.

There was a yell, and a machete swung through the child.

“CLOOOOAK!” Hat Kid shrieked. Suddenly, she saw white.

Mustache Girl was stunned, staring in shock, while Hat Kid had screamed in terror. But suddenly, the child who was standing there had just vanished, like he was never there.

“What the?!” The Mafia Boss looked around and heard someone blowing raspberries. Cloak Kid was right behind him, and so was another, and another and another. The man ran forward, swinging at each of them but they were just shadowy clones.

“Hat Kid!” Mustache Girl yelled. Her voice snapped the girl from her shock. She swore she saw some kind of light. “Hit him already!”

But that didn’t matter right now. Wiping away her tears, she stood up and dashed towards the Mafia Boss, dizzy from Cloak Kid’s fake clones, and gave him one last good smack with her umbrella.

“IT… CANNOT BE!” And the man fell over. The girl raced forward and caught the hourglass he dropped before it hit grounded. She fell to her knees and breathed a sigh of relief.

Suddenly, the rope holding Mustache Girl lowered to the ground and once she was there she managed to wriggle free. The curtain was moved and the real Cloak Kid stepped forward, holding his staff.

“Anyone else?!” he boomed to the audience of Mafioso.

Having seen their leader fall, they rushed away, screaming in terror.

“CLOAK!” Hat Kid wiped her eyes and showed him the Time Piece. “I-I got it. S-See? I-I-”

Cloak Kid frowned at how Hat Kid was shaking, trembling with the hourglass in her hands. He felt even worse than when he felt sick last night.

“Hattie…” His word made her stop talking and fall into silence. Her teal colored eyes stared at him, waiting for an answer. As quietly, but calmly, he spoke again. “You okay?”

Hat Kid then smiled, tears entering her eyes again, when suddenly, a blur of red passed through them. The girl looked at her palms and then the two turned in the direction of where the red blur went. It was Mustache Girl, who had taken the hourglass and was just tossing it in the air like a toy. Cloak Kid let out an audible yelp, starting to shake, and this time it wasn’t from the cold.

“So what do things do, anyway?” the red hooded girl asked. “Are they some sort of rare collector’s item for nerds?”

Suddenly, the hourglass slipped from her hands. Just as Cloak Kid cried out, the hourglass shattered on the floor. And suddenly it felt like everything had just stopped for a moment.

“Are they some sort of rare c… wait, huh?” Mustache Girl swore she just accidentally dropped the hourglass and was just tossing it before it happened. When she stared at the ground, however, she saw that it was completely intact.

“Whoa, WHAT?!” she then yelled. She bent down and picked it up. “What.. did, uhm… did you guys know about this?”

Cloak Kid suddenly raced forward and snatched the hourglass from her hands. He clutched under his cloak and backed away. There was no way he was going to let her touch them again. It was already enough that Hat Kid had to hold them sometimes whenever he was sick, too busy, or incapacitated.

Hat Kid, sensing his shivering gave him a soft pat on the shoulder, and admittedly nodded. “Y-Yeah…” she said, softly.

Mustache Girl thought to herself and for the first time she had a genuine smile.

“This is crazy!” she exclaimed. “Do you realize what could even be done with these? We could make it so that Cloak never got punched in the face by the Mafia that one time! We could beat up the Mafia, travel back in time, and then beat them up again!” She rushed forward and put her arms around the two. “No, wait, we could make it so the Mafia never arrived on the island!” She gasped and suddenly exclaimed even louder. “Wait, wait, wait, even better! We could be crime-fighting time travellers!”

“NO!”

The shrill voice of terror came from Cloak Kid, who struggled out of the Mustache Girl’s grasp and back away, clutching the Time Piece gingerly in his palms. This was the one thing that Hattie, and especially himself were afraid of: other people finding out about the power of the Time Pieces.

“We can’t do that!” he said.

“Wait, what?!” Mustache Girl raised a brow. “This doesn’t make any sense!” Her eyes narrowed as she pointed an inquisitive finger at him. “You have all of this power, and you’re not going to use it to fight evil?”

Hat Kid raced out and stepped in between them. “You have to listen to us!” she pleaded. “Yes, these things are powerful, but we can’t use them. It’s not right. To disrupt time-”

“But-”

“We can’t alter time!” Cloak Kid yelled. “No matter what you say! We’re not doing it and that’s final!”

The blonde then fell silent, her mouth hanging open. Hat Kid, seeing how harsh Cloak had sounded was quick to speak up.

“Listen, I know how you feel, but-”

Mustache Girl had already heard enough. She growled and stamped her foot, before turning her back to them and crossing her arms.

“If you’re not going to use them to fight evil... then I will!” Her voice was sinister with desire. She turned back around and made the two children flinch as she pointed an accusing finger at them. Cloak Kid couldn’t have held the Time Piece any tighter. “I’m not gonna let this island remain as Mafia Town! I’ll collect all the Time Pieces for myself! You both have my word on it!”

“Wait!” Hat Kid said. But, the red hooded child had already hopped off the stage and dashed out of the auditorium. She there, confused.

“Well, goodness me! Thank goodness you’re both okay!”

Cloak Kid quickly tucked away the Time Piece, when Cooking Cat had managed to find her way into the auditorium.

“Oh, i-it’s you!” he said. “Did you follow me?”

“Well, of course I did, dearie! I was worried when you just ran off.” She looked past the boy to see the Mafia Boss out cold, nearby. “But, from the looks of it, you had this handled.”

Hat Kid was staring the whole time. “Um, who are you?”

“Never fear! Cooking Cat is here!”

Cloak Kid rubbed the back of his head. “I found her cooking the real food that the Mafia eat in the rafters.”

Hat Kid turned to her. “Um, we’re sorry for bothering you tonight, but the Mafia had something that we needed back. We have it now, but we need to go put it back on the ship.”

“That’s quite alright, dearie,” Cooking Cat said. “All I ask is that you let me come on your ship for a little while, if you don’t mind. I’ve always wondered what cooking on an alien stove is like.”

“U-Um…” The Cloak wearing child shivered a little, hands on the Time Piece. Hat Kid was quick to put a hand on his shoulder.

“Cloak, it’s okay. Look at her.” She gestured at the feline who gave a warm smile in return. “She wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

Cloak Kid was hesitant, but he nodded. Hat Kid smiled, but only a little. “C-Come on. We’ll take to our ship, but we have to be outside to do it.”

The group began to walk out. Hat Kid kept her hand on her shipmate’s shoulder, easing his fearful shaking. She knew what was scaring him, and she knew there wasn’t much she could do about it. What mattered now, was just getting back to the ship. Despite this, she couldn’t stop thinking about Mustache Girl.

For once, she had thought they were going to be friends.

But now, her first friend, since she and Cloak Kid found themselves wandering through space, had become their first enemy…

Chapter 6: The Rifts

Chapter Text

The two children made it back onto their ship, with Cooking Cat as a guest. Since Cooking Cat was in the main room, Cloak Kid just raced into his bedroom and the doors were shut, the lights on it red.

“If you’re not going to use them to fight evil... then I will!”

Cloak Kid set the Time Piece down on his study table and sat down, staring at the sparkling hourglass. His head was resting on his arms.

“I’ll collect all the Time Pieces for myself!”

He hid his face in his arms, shivering at the memory. He wanted to cry out for his grandfather, even though he knew he would get no response in return.

Cloak Kid tried to get some sleep, but the thought of Mustache Girl was keeping him awake. The shining hourglass was still on the desk. Eventually, he had enough and got up. Hopefully, Cooking Cat had gone to sleep by now, so he took the Time Piece and went towards the lobby.

The lights were out, seeing that no one was in the room. Cooking Cat was probably sleeping on Hat Kid’s pillow fort. Cloak Kid walked up to the giant safe, doing what he did to unlock it, and safely put the Time Piece away.

“I thought you were sleeping.”

Cloak Kid turned around and saw Hat Kid catching up with him, once the vault was closed. As much as he wanted to talk back, he didn’t have the energy right now. Cooking Cat’s words were still fresh in his head, too.

“Sorry…” he then said. “I couldn’t sleep.” He leaned against the wall, away from the safe and sank down to a sitting position. Hat Kid walked over quietly. “I can’t get my mind off Mustache Girl.”

“Oh.” Hat Kid sat down next to him.

“Do you think she’ll find any Time Pieces?”

“Well, she doesn’t have the ship, which picks up where Time Pieces are.”

“But… there’s still a chance she could find one…” Cloak Kid gathered his normal cloak around himself. “If she finds one…”

“We’ll stop her… She doesn’t know how to use one properly.”

“None of us do. No one should use them to alter time.” He looked out the window, seeing the endless vastness of space. “That’s why my grandfather had to keep them hidden. He wanted to learn all their secrets… without endangering everyone of their existence.”

“Then… maybe the fact that she doesn’t know how to use them is a good thing.” Hat Kid then smiled. “If she finds one, she won’t be able to do anything with it.”

Cloak Kid formed a fist while gripping his cloak. “I guess…”

“There’s no point in getting worried, if you’re tired.” Hat Kid patted his arm. Then she felt him leaning on her shoulder. “It’s gonna be okay… even though… I… We’ll do our best to get them back, okay. I won’t leave your side.”

Hat Kid turned and saw that her shipmate had fallen fast asleep leaning against her. His legs were stretched out and his head was leaning on her shoulder. The girl sighed, held him close and stared out into space until she fell asleep, as well.

“Good morning, dearies!”

Hat Kid was woken up first by Cooking Cat. Something smelled good, and was coming from the kitchen.

“Mmm, sorry,” said Hat Kid. “Cloak couldn’t sleep, so I stayed out here with him.”

“Why are you worried? It’s your ship, isn’t it? I thought I’d thank your friend for helping me the other day by giving you a nice breakfast.” She put a paw on her chin to think. “Y’know, I kind of thought an alien stove would be a little more… technologically advanced.”

Hat Kid almost let out a huff. Why was that sometimes the assumption of some people who have never left their planet before?

The girl gently shook Cloak Kid awake, and upon feeling that he had no fever today, she breathed a sigh of relief that the storm hadn’t affected him. After softly rubbing his eyes, Cloak was pulled by Hat Kid into the kitchen and guided into a chair. He put his head down on his arms briefly, resting his eyes, and let Hat Kid pet his hair with her hand. The boy sighed, but couldn’t help but smile at the feeling.

Once Cloak Kid was awake enough he lit up with a smile at what Cooking Cat had made for them: They were pancakes. Hat Kid was cheering and had a huge smile on her face as she chowed down with some syrup. They would never be as good as her favorite snack, which was cookies, but they were a close second.

“Thank-you, Cooking Cat,” said Cloak Kid.

“Oh, just call me Cookie, dearie,” the cat quipped. “And, anytime for the kid who helped me.”

The boy reached for the glass of milk that was out for him. Just as he opened his mouth to drink it, Hat Kid grabbed his wrist.

“Not yet,” Hat Kid quipped, holding a small spoonful of medicine. She sighed and held his hand, sensing that he was shifting in his chair, and Hat Kid really didn’t want to play hide and seek like this today. Cloak Kid nodded, and shut his eyes tightly, letting the bitter medicine enter his mouth. “Thank-you…” Hat Kid chimed, patting the top of his head, as he shivered from the taste and swallowed. Her shipmate reached for the milk quickly and chugged it immediately.

Then, he almost spit it out, when the room started flashing with red lights. Hat Kid gasped. “What is that?”

Cloak Kid was staring up. He had heard this sound once before, but he only was told about this, only after his grandfather had dealt with it.

“To the bridge!” the boy stood up and dashed out of the room. Staff in hand, he vaulted over the railing and landed on his feet on the first floor of the bridge, jumped over Rumbi who spun around trying to avoid crashing into him and landed in the pillow covered swivel chair. Hat Kid was quick to catch up with him. She had almost forgotten how much energy her shipmate had when he was feeling well.

Cloak Kid switched off the alarm, giving the ship a relieving silence, but as he typed away, the screen showed him what was going on. There were powerful, shaky signals from two parts of Mafia Town.

“What’s going on?” said Hat Kid.

“This is bad,” said Cloak Kid. “Time rifts. Two of them.”

“Time rift?!” Hat Kid turned away from the screen and to her shipmate. “Are we in danger?”

“Not now. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his grandfather’s book. After opening it, he started flipping through pages. It might have been the landing, but we need to take care of them as soon as possible. If we don’t it could cause some real damage to the fabric of time.”

Hat Kid gasped. She shivered slightly, but then the sound of the system whirring snapped her out of it. Cloak Kid snatched two photos that came from the small slot on the side of the control panel. They looked like they were some shot taken from somewhere in Mafia Town. Both of them had an ominous blue ball of light at the center of it. Those had to be the Time Rifts.

“Grandfather told me that we had to find these,” said Cloak Kid. “Touching them will take us to the rift. We have to find the source of it and break it to stop the rift.”

“So… I’ll go to one… and you’ll get the other?” said Hat Kid.

Cloak Kid grimaced. He then looked over at the girl, looking into her eyes and saw an image of her guarding him and the Time Pieces. The boy sighed.

“It…” He held the two photos and remembered what Cooking Cat said to him last night. “It’s risky… but we need to stop these Time Rifts before they get too unstable. I’ll take one.” She held out one photo to Hat Kid. “You get the other one.”

Hat Kid smirked. She held her umbrella on her back and nodded. “I got this!”

Once they were in town, Hat Kid and Cloak Kid went in their separate directions. Hat Kid just had to find a match in the photo she took. So far she could see water, and since the ocean was being pulled into the town to keep the Mafia HQ up where it is, all she had to do was look in the streams.

The girl eventually saw a blue glowing ball of light, radiating with bolt like electricity. What confused her now was, what was she supposed to do. It was higher up than she had hoped, but all Hat Kid to do was jump. So, she did, leaping into the air and touching it with her hand.

Suddenly, she couldn’t move. The girl was frozen in midair, along with the stream beneath her, the clouds above her and the seagulls flying overhead. The timerift began to shine, engulfing everything in a white light.

When Hat Kid opened her eyes, she found herself standing on a white platform jeweled with a blue crystal. There were tons more up ahead, and she was standing next to a lamp post. Around her, she saw nothing of Mafia Town, but it was blue and in the distance she could make out the faint silhouettes of buildings, many of them were giant clock towers. The girl laid a hand on her chest. It was like a taste of home.

So this is the inside of Time Rift… the girl thought. Hat Kid adjusted her hat, and made her way towards the familiar light of Time Piece in the distance.

She jumped her way up platforms that would jut out from a white wall only briefly, so Hat Kid had to time her jumps carefully. It wasn’t too hard. The only part that made her nervous was when she made it to the top and had to balance on a narrow stretch of a path forward. Then up ahead, where the girl could see the light shining, the path ahead was rotating constantly. The girl caught her breath, daring to brave what was ahead. The Time Piece had to be secured, no matter the cost.

The hat-wearing child ran across, making sure to hop really quick when the surface was turning and she was about to slip. Then she made it to the other side onto some gear shaped ground and forced herself up with her umbrella, swaying as it spun. She climbed making her way to the top and jumped for the Time Piece, grabbing it as tight as she could. The hourglass shimmered and sparkled, taking Hat Kid back out of the Time Rift and back to Mafia Town.

The photo in Cloak Kid’s hand led him to a dim place. It was Mafia Town Bazaar sequestered beneath the market in the shadows. As much as the boy expected that a bazaar would have unique items, this place wasn’t really. Who would only sell cheese wedges and fish. It was already typical, considering this island was known for its seafood, no matter how notorious subpar it was.

“What are you doing here?”

Cloak Kid tightened his grip on his staff. He then saw Mustache Girl hiding behind one of the barrels by one of the shops.

“Get lost, blondie,” the boy grumbled, continuing his walk. That’s when Mustache Girl came out and started following him.

“So, I’m not friendly with the Hat Brat anymore, and your true colors show!” she said. “You’re just as rude and selfish as her!”

“True colors?” the boy turned around just in time to stop Mustache Girl from smacking him by grabbing her wrist. “I’ve seen your true colors since day one!”

“Huh?”

“My cloak, idiot!” Cloak Kid hissed. “I can see the true emotions and desires of one’s heart.” Upon looking into Mustache Girl eyes, he still saw the same thing. “You don’t crave justice! You crave revenge!” Upon reaching the end of the market, he saw a tunnel that looked like it was just getting started on being dug into, but what caught his attention was the ball of light. It was the time rift. “Now, get lost!” He pushed the girl away and she fell on the floor.

Mustache Girl sat up seeing Cloak Kid walking away from him. She blinked vaguely being reminded of a similar image of people walking away from her.

Cloak Kid approached the Time Rift and jumped up to touch it. Just as he did, and time froze in its place, he felt Mustache Girl grabbing the tip of his cloak as everything turned white.

The two found themselves in a Time Rift. The path ahead was kind of similar to what Hat Kid experienced. Mustache Girl looked around, confused, eyes looking up and around.

“Where the peck are we?!” she yelled.

“What did you say?” said Cloak Kid. “Peck?”

“Where are we?!” the red hooded girl shouted.

“None of your business. I’ll get us out so wait here.” He started walking ahead, but Mustache Girl was never one to listen to people, especially her enemy.

Cloak Kid hopped forward, and up a steep slope. All of the platforms were white with blue crystals, like before. Hearing footsteps, he noticed Mustache Girl following him.

“What are you doing?” he hissed. “You’ll-”

Suddenly, the slope spun around to face the other way, but it was so sudden that the two lost their balance, and went tumbling down to the bottom where another platform awaited them. Fearing falling off the edge, the boy pulled out his staff and managed to hook to a nearby streetlamp, stopping his rolling once he was at the bottom.

Upon seeing Mustache Girl rolling down too, he reached out and grabbed her hand, stopping her movement. After a few deep breaths, Cloak Kid stood up and kept walking. Ahead were a few square panels to jump on.

“What was that?!” Mustache Girl said. “Why did you save me? I thought you hated my guts!”

“I do!” the boy hissed. “Does that mean I’ll let you die?” He huffed and started jumping over the gaps. Mustache Girl rolled her eyes.

He made it to the other side and grabbed the Time Piece. Everything turned white and then they were back at Mafia Town’s bazaar.

Mustache Girl looked around, but saw no sign of the boy anywhere.

“Mustache brat!” a Mafioso yelled. “Get her!”

This was nothing new to the red hooded girl. All of them tried to jump on her, but she jumped first, hopping off their backs and out of the bazaar. Once out by the plaza, where the giant crater was.

“One to beam up…” Cloak Kid muttered.

Just as light shined down on him on Mustache Girl managed to catch up. He tucked the Time Piece away under his cloak.

“What was that?!” she said. “Why did you save me?”

Cloak Kid looked up towards the sky as he was lifted off the ground.

“I hate you, but that doesn’t mean I want you to die,” he said simply. “Now, go away.”

Mustache Girl looked up as he ascended towards space where the ship was. To her, this was a foriegn concept. And to her, she thought Cloak Kid was an idiot.

So why did she feel a small bit of happiness?

Chapter 7: Can't Take the Heat

Chapter Text

Cloak Kid wondered if he should tell Hat Kid what happened when he went after that Time Piece. He was worried when she had followed him into the Time Rift, but he knew better than to leave people in one, regardless of what a threat they are.

The boy laid in his bed. It was the next morning, and while he had a decent night’s sleep, Mustache Girl was still weighing heavily in his mind. If he were still on his home planet, his grandfather would have done something about her. What she was planning and trying to do was unacceptable, but he wasn’t with him anymore and neither were the proper authorities. He always knew what to do, but Cloak Kid didn’t.

Brushing out his hair from the bedhead he achieved while sleeping, Cloak Kid made his way towards the kitchen and saw what Cooking Cat had made him for breakfast today. Unfortunately, this would be her last day visiting, since she had to go back and make sure no one died eating the Mafia’s cooking. Regardless, he was still happy to have her around. It looked like Hat Kid let the kind cat in on his regular routine, though.

“Alright, dearie.” Cooking Cat walked up to him with his medicine. “No fuss, now.” The boy was about to put up a protest, when he saw a fresh chocolate chip cookie in her hand. Eyes lighting up, he sat still and downed the medicine quickly. After that he looked at the kitty with his eyes staring at her and his lip trembling. With a smile, Cooking Cat gave the boy his reward, and he was allowed seconds.

“Thanks, Cooking Cat!” The boy suddenly covered his mouth, remembering it was rude to talk with his mouth full. “Where’s Hattie?”

“Oh, yeah… I think she was down in your ship’s laboratory. Well, I think the little dearie called it the science lab.”

“Wait…” Cloak Kid suddenly, flinched. “The science lab?”

There was a girlish scream, followed by a loud explosion.

“Ah, no!” He immediately leaped out of the chair and started racing out of the kitchen. “HATTIE!”

Cloak Kid ran into the ship’s engine room which led into another hallway. That’s where he ran into the science lab and found Hat Kid laughing to herself, while she had put out a fire on one of the tables.

“Hattie, what are you doing?”

“I was trying to cook up mad concoctions!” Hat Kid exclaimed. “Imagine if we had these while we were fighting the Mafia?”

“Ummm… That could be dangerous…” said Cloak Kid. He poked both his index fingers together nervously.

“It’ll scare them away, hopefully. I took some of their TNT to make these smaller explosion potions!”

“I don’t think they’re scared of explosions, considering they were throwing an avalanche of TNT at you.”

“But you don’t know what else could be out there?” She stood on her tippy toes, with her hands behind her back. “If something sneaks on us, whamo! I’ll blow them up and save us!”

With Hat Kid’s smile and the confidence in her voice, Cloak Kid could tell that she was at least trying. It did sound useful, even if a bit noisy… and dangerous.

“Maybe… you can make a new hat?” he said.

Hat Kid gasped, her teal colored eyes sparkling with inspiration. “Yes! Yes! I’m gonna go find some yarn!”

For once, as Hat Kid zipped past him with ideas sparking her head, Cloak Kid actually laughed a little. The girl ran into the hallway, and upon hearing his soft laughter, she stopped once she was out of view, and smiled herself before she continued towards her room.

Cloak Kid made his way back to the ship's lobby and hopped into the captain’s chair. The ship detected another Time Piece at Mafia HQ. He recalibrated the ship’s sensors several times, because every time the ship was revealing a weird status on Mafia Town. So with a press of a button he sent some tiny drones to take a closer look.

The boy’s jaw dropped at what he saw.

Mafia Town was flooded with lava! The once beautiful ocean now casted a horizon of lava. Half the city was submerged and most of the Mafia had evacuated to the town’s observatory.

All the while, Cloak Kid had gone into a full state of panic. His chest felt tight making him grab it, and he sucked in painful gasps of air.

“No… She… The Time Pieces…” Cloak Kid stood up quickly, only to fall forward on the control panel. “NO! NO…” He was shaking, unable to avert his eyes, seeing a sea of flames and still able to hear screams. He saw blackened water, broken shards and a knife in the air. He heard a voice, and then hands were on him, lowering him to the floor.

“Cloak! Cloak! It’s me!”

“M-Mafia… T-Town… T-Time Pieces…” Cloak Kid shrieked, as tears streamed down his eyes. He found himself struggling in someone’s grasp. “SHE’S GOING TO-” A hand touched his face and his head was turned to meet with Hat Kid’s. Rumbi had also zoomed over but was spinning in circles, unsure of what to do.

“Cloak! Cloak! It’s not the Time Pieces.” Hat Kid yelled through his fearful screaming and squirming. She pointed at the image before them. “Look! The lava’s coming out of those weird giant faucets.”

Cloak Kid couldn’t believe it until he forced himself to look, and when he did, he went completely still. Somehow, Hat Kid was right. Why someone would have lava faucets was beyond him, but that didn’t matter right now. He barely realized how tightly he was clutching his shipmate. More tears were racing down from his eyes.

“It’s okay. Just breathe,” Hat Kid said. She yelped upon feeling Cloak Kid grip her tighter, his heavy breathing dissolving into painful sobbing. He hid his face away from the image of Mafia Town, with Hat Kid holding him gently and rubbing his back. She pulled up his hood, holding back a gasp as soon as he started coughing and shaking like a leaf, muttering for his grandfather between hiccups of air.

Hat Kid heard enough and helped the boy onto his feet. Shaking and coughing, Cloak Kid couldn’t prevent the girl from guiding him back to his room and laying him down on his bed, making sure he was snug in his cloak before pulling the blanket over him. He struggled under the sheets covering his mouth as he coughed.

Slowly, Cloak Kid’s coughing fit subsided and he laid on his side exhausted. Hat Kid grabbed a rag and wiped the sweat from his forehead as he breathed deeply, still shaking and whimpering.

“Hattie… The Time Piece…” He covered his mouth and let out a small cough. “Mafia Town… I need…”

“Shh… Look at you. You need to rest,” said Hat Kid. “You’ve stressed yourself out too much.”

“NO!” he cried, grabbing her wrists. “I need… to get it.” As much as he pleaded, he knew she wouldn’t let him go, and even if he made it out of the ship, he knew he wouldn’t get far. He teared up, shivering. His head sank down into the blankets below him. Even now, he felt so helpless. “Please…”

“I’m gonna get it,” Hat Kid then said, pushing him back against the pillows. Cloak Kid’s whimpers were heard once again. “Shhh… I’ll be fine. Just relax, and I’ll be back in a jiffy. Okay?” Hat Kid stayed with him, patting his head and offering soothing words to calm him down. Right before she turned to leave, Cloak Kid grabbed her wrist again.

“W-Wait…” Cloak Kid sniffled a bit, fresh tears leaving his eyes. “B-Be careful. Please.”

Hat Kid gasped, shocked to hear those words come out from his mouth, especially to her. She nodded. “I will.” And the boy let her go. She dimmed the lights before she left, the star patterns on the roof of his bedroom started glowing, knowing they would help calm him down.

Rumbi had made their way over to Hat Kid. They nudged her foot softly, pink glowing eyes gazing up at her and soft booping noises were heard.

“Take care of him for me, okay Rumbi?”

The girl, umbrella in hand ran towards the lobby. The drones had returned to the ship, so now Hat Kid had to find the Time Piece and figure out what the heck was going on. She opened the newly repaired hatch and made the jump.

“Here goes nothing!” she said.

Mafia Town


Population: Lots of fried Mafia


Mission: Cool things down!


Perspiration: Yes, unfortunately

Hat Kid once again plummeted into Mafia Town. She knew that given the way Mafia Town was, it’d be hot, she just didn’t anticipate how hot it would be. The magnitude of how much lava had flooded the place could only truly be seen in person. The roads were completely impassible, and going to the lower parts of the island was impossible.

The girl landed on the observatory, where a lot of the Mafia had gathered. Hat Kid could only guess that the rest were up in their base.

The heat, along with the lava and the fact that several of the buildings were on fire shook her a bit. She remembered the images of flames and shattered glass, but she pulled down a gulp and walked into the crowd of Mafioso. This time, it wasn’t to fight them, but to figure out what was going on, and it looked like they had the same idea. The man that Hat Kid chased through the town as an “slimey space alien” was there.

“Look at mess! This is terrible!” he said. “Someone turn on all faucets in Mafia Town… same faucets that control the town volcano! Was it you, child?”

Hat Kid shook her head. “No…” she said, shyly. It was awkward to have a normal conversation with an enemy.

“Mafia think he saw a little girl turn on all faucets…” the man responded.

The girl gasped. She had returned to the spaceship once she had gotten a Time Piece yesterday, and she and Cloak Kid were there the rest of the day.

That would mean… Mustache Girl turned them on! To what end? If this kept going the whole town would be burned to a crisp.

“So… what do we do?” said Hat Kid.

“Maybe if you close all faucets, water start flowing again?”

Hat Kid looked over the railing, seeing the lava land before her. It looked dangerous, but she couldn’t look for the Time Piece if there was lava everywhere. Plus, she could see a few places that were within jumping distance.

“Okay… I’ll make it quick,” she said, sighing. After all, she had seen worse…

Hat Kid didn’t have to go far to find the first faucet. It was hanging off the side of a building with a blue roof that was just below the observatory. The problem was that it was over a lava flooded road. So she was careful, climbing down, so that she landed on top of it. It looked like a faucet one would hook up to a hose, except way bigger.

The girl tried pushing it with her palms, but not only was the metal hot from the heat, it was super heavy. Hat Kid yelped, tucking her burned palms near herself. She pushed with her back, but it didn’t budge. Already, she was starting to feel the heat of this place wearing her down. Then she screamed, giving it a good whack with her umbrella and surprisingly it worked. The key spun around until it was locked shut and the lava stopped flowing.

“Phew…” Hat Kid said, wiping her brow. “That’s one…”

The next one was by the beach. Hat Kid had made her way there by climbing down the beach’s viewing platform. Unfortunately, the beach was covered completely in lava. Hat Kid recalled Cloak Kid telling her that this was where he woke up when they were flung from their spaceship. It had only been about a week since then, but it already felt like they’ve been on this planet for a month. Hat Kid pushed through the heat tiring her and closed the next faucet.

Hat Kid was already used to jumping across buildings to sneaking around all the time, so this was almost nothing new to her. The next one was hanging off the bell tower where she had first met Mustache Girl. She tip-toed on the one of the many lines of blue and white streamers hanging around the city.

Suddenly, a burnt fish skeleton jumped near her before going back into the lava. The girl yelped, only managing to get a slight burn on her arm, and landing on the line and clinging on. She saw the fish… or what was left of it, fall back into the lava. Shaking she scooted closer to the clock tower, praying that the line would give away before she made it.

Once she was in the bell tower, she collapsed on her back and caught her breath. She hated how sweaty she was feeling. It was on her palms and her forehead and around it from the top hat she was wearing, and her cape wasn’t helping.

It looked like Mustache Girl had been here a lot, seeing that there were snacks and rations still left lying around. After a brief break, Hat Kid put her back on and stood. Then her foot stepped on something. It was a map of Mafia Town and it was pointing to where all the faucets were. Hat Kid had suspicions, but this just confirmed it. She tucked the map away in her hat and climbed down to turn off the next lava faucet.

The next one was by the docks. Hat Kid didn’t find climbing too hard, but it was getting difficult to concentrate from all the heat. Climbing down rocks while constantly wiping away sweat was starting to get her face dirty, along with her clothes when she wiped her palms on them. At least she made it. There were only two left.

The fifth one was just off the shore on the back of the island. This was the closest Hat Kid had ever gotten to the lava, and it was very hot. The heat had made her tired, but seeing how close she was to it this time, woke her up enough to make her focus. There were some conveniently placed platforms for her to jump on. She pictured the lava as just gaps between buildings to cross, controlled her breathing, and remember not to let the adrenaline get to her.

The sixth and final one was at the lighthouse. It was completely surrounded by lava, but seeing the streamers hung near it just above gave Hat Kid a dangerous idea to tightrope across it, dodging burnt fish after burnt fist. She shrieked when one jumped and shivered, fearing that another would jump.

Finally she leaped to the last one. Clinging onto it with her sweaty palms. Standing on her tired legs, she put all her might into whacking the last faucet and it was done.

Water began to shoot up from the volcano instead of lava again. It would probably be some time before everything was back to normal, but Hat Kid was happy. She looked up, letting small water droplets land on her face, enjoying while she made her way back to the observatory.

Everyone had gone, but the cannon was sitting there open for her. Once she was launched to the front of Mafia HQ, she was shocked to see a whole banquet laid out for her, along with Mafia cheering her arrival. The quirky Mafioso walked up to her with a smile on his face.

“You did it!” he exclaimed. “Small child saved Mafia Town! Now Mafia no longer need to eat lava for breakfast… amazing! Please, take this as trophy. You are truly the hero of Mafia Town!”

Hat Kid’s heart skipped a beat at the word “hero.” She walked up to the main table where the Mafia willingly handed over the Time Piece to her. She was met with cheers and praise. People were clapping for her, and her alone. The girl could only manage a small smile. As she gazed into the shiny glass of the Time Piece it faded.

“Thank-you…” she spoke softly. “But I’m no hero…”

Hat Kid returned to the ship, feeling sweaty, gross and mostly dizzy and exhausted. Luckily, the spaceship’s air conditioner was already there doing wonders for her. She hobbled in, grabbing on to the ship’s control panel and other things and made her way towards Cloak Kid’s room.

Rumbi was just cleaning up the floors in Cloak Kid’s room. The lights were still dimmed, but Hat Kid was relieved to hear it was quiet. She used her wobbly legs and made her way over to her shipmate’s bedside where he laid fast asleep, still looking a bit disheveled and weak. Once the Time Piece was safely on the nightstand she sank down to a sitting position on the floor with a sigh. She stared up at the stars, not realizing how tired she was until she was already asleep.

“H-Hattie? H-Hattie!”

Hat Kid groaned softly, and flinched upon feeling something cold on her face. She opened her eyes and found Cloak Kid kneeling in front of her, wiping her dirty face with a cool rag.

“A-Are… Are you okay?” he said.

“Mafia Town… lava…” Hat Kid mumbled. She stared, seeing how he was still trembling and a bit shaky. She flinched upon feeling the water on her arm. Her sleeve had been rolled up.

“You got b-burned, so… hang on…” Cloak Kid stuttered. Once the wound was clean, he wrapped it in bandages. “Th-There…”

Hat Kid rolled her sleeve back down. She never thought Cloak Kid could be so sweet and gentle. She knew he was still fragile from earlier, but she greatly liked this version of him. Upon hearing him stifle a cough she lifted her patched up arm and put it on his shoulder, feeling him still trembling.

“You should get back in bed,” said Hat Kid. Cloak Kid ran his hands up and down his own arms as he held himself. He was either cold, nervous, or still exhausted. She wasn’t sure.

“Will you stay?” he asked softly. With a smile, the girl nodded and let her shipmate help her up and onto the bed. Off the nightstand, Cloak Kid gave her a glass of water he had gotten for her before she woke up. Upon seeing it, Hat Kid realized how thirsty she was and drank it without hesitation. She also saw that the Time Piece still wasn’t put away yet. When she got on the bed, she did see that Cloak Kid had sat down, but was still staring at it.

“You can put it away later, okay?” She helped unclip his cloak and laid him down against the pillows. She got up briefly to lock the door for Cloak Kid to feel secure about the Time Piece still not being in the vault.

Once her boots were off, she set her hat down by the nightstand and crawled into the bed with Cloak Kid. He had stayed where he was, his eyes fixated on the stars still glowing above them. His eyes were drooping shut slowly. Hat Kid pulled him into her arms, and for once, he didn’t struggle or squirm. He smiled while Hat Kid brushed his hair, feeling himself relax.

“Get some sleep,” Hat Kid said. “I’ll be here when you wake up. I promise.”

Hat Kid’s only reply was a soft mumble. She pulled the blanket over the both of them and laid down, drifting off. Despite being burned, tired, and probably smelling like an old sock draw, the Time Piece was safe and Cloak Kid was also safe and where she could watch him.

Cloak Kid opened his eyes a bit, seeing his shipmate had fallen asleep so easily. If anything, he could at least admire her dedication. Despite everything they had been through, she was trying, at the very least… and she was all that he had now. Since she was safe, he could finally relax. So with that, he closed his eyes once more.

Chapter 8: Mafia's Memory Lane

Summary:

After recovering from yesterday's events, Hat Kid and Cloak Kid find themselves facing yet another Time Rift. This one, however was different, and they end up seeing the past of Mafia Town... and piecing together the past of a certain red-hooded girl.

Chapter Text

The lights in the room began to turn up in brightness the next morning. The ship was quiet with machines and systems still going. Roombi had booted up for the day and started zooming across the carpets cleaning them up.

Hat Kid was the first to wake. She found her shipmate curled up next her, his breathing soft and steady. He didn’t seem to be having any nightmares and he had no fever upon placing a hand on his forehead.

The girl breathed a sigh of relief, wiping her eyes from a fresh batch of tears, remembering what had happened. Cloak Kid hadn’t been that way since they first found themselves travelling on the ship together. He was distraught, the days were filled with crying, sniffling and coughing, while the nights were filled with more crying and nightmares. Hat Kid feared he would’ve gone back to his habits, but was relieved that he hadn’t… at least not now. After all, she had nightmares of her own to deal with.

Hat Kid simply pet his hair a bit and left him to rest some more while she got up. The Time Piece was still on the nightstand, still able to sparkle and shine, without needing to be wiped or dusted. She wandered out into the kitchen and decided to make something simple. She just slapped some jelly on some toast and made some jelly sandwiches. She got them on a tray, along with some juice and started making her way back towards Cloak Kid’s room.

The boy hadn’t moved an inch since Hat Kid left him. Hat Kid had to move a few empty medicine bottles to set the tray down on the nightstand. Then, she made her way to Cloak Kid’s sleeping form.
`
“Hey…” she said, softly. Rubbing his back, she managed to get her shipmate to wake up. He responded with soft mumbles, before rolling onto his back. Just to double check, Hat Kid felt his forehead again and smiled, as he opened his eyes halfway, still full of sleepiness. “Are you hungry?”

“You didn’t…” Cloak Kid sat up slowly, his body still a bit shaky. “You didn’t have to…” he spoke, softly.

“Don’t be silly!” Hat Kid chirped. She handed Cloak Kid his plate and then took her own. The girl was happy to see her shipmate digging in already, and she certainly wasn’t surprised to see that he finished first. When Hat Kid finished her toasted jelly sandwich, she saw him spacing out, but before she could speak, he already did.

“I’m sorry…” he said, softly.

“What are you sorry for?” said Hat Kid.

“For making you do all of this.”

Hat Kid smiled. “Whether you can do it alone or not, I want to do this.”

Cloak Kid pulled down a gulp. “You… want to take care of me?”

“I want to help you. That’s what I’ve been doing.” Hat Kid looked down at her feet. Remembering how he clung to her desperately yesterday made her feel the sting of tears forming again in her eyes. “It’s what I owe you… and so much more…”

“Hattie…”

The lights started flashing again, along with a siren. It wasn’t blue like last time. The lights were pink.

“No…” Cloak Kid leapt out of bed and dashed towards the lobby. Hat Kid quickly followed him, but not before grabbing his bottle of medicine.

The captain’s chair spun as he leapt into and he caught the control panel while the chair was still sideways. After shutting off the alarm, the scanners picked up yet another Time Rift.

It was pink.

“Pink?” Hat Kid caught up just in time. “What does pink mean?”

“This is a Time Rift, but it’s a little more unstable,” Cloak Kid explained. “We have to get to it so-”

Cloak Kid was interrupted when a spoonful of medicine entered his mouth. Hat Kid smiled briefly before turning back to the screen. Normally, he’d be mad, but after forcing himself to swallow, and Hat Kid rubbing his back as he shuddered, held back his daily anger and focused on what was important.

“Now, we can go get it together!” Hat Kid chimed. Cloak Kid gasped when he felt something on his back, but smiled to see that it was just the girl putting on his cloak. He reached over and snapped the clip into place. Then, he nodded.

“Okay, let me put the other Time Piece away first.”

The two descended together towards Mafia Town once again. Since they had been there quite a few times at this point, they thought it wouldn’t be too hard to find their way around without a guide. Mustache Girl had told them a few things, but since they had gone their separate ways, they were on their own.

Hat Kid used her umbrella and landed safely. Cloak Kid’s staff hat a small hatch open that led out a parachute for him to safely float down. Luckily, it folded back into the thing with a push of a button. They found themselves atop the observatory.

“It’s on a beach,” Cloak Kid said, glossing over the photo the ship printed out. Hat Kid was over in an instant to take a look. “Actually, it looks like the place where I woke up when we first got here.”

“Oh. Then, you probably know where it is, right?”

Cloak Kid tried not to think about their first day… yesterday, and that horrible day…

“Yeah… It’s not far from here. A long way down, though. Let’s just try to avoid the Mafia the best we can.”

“Oh. We don’t have to. They’re happy because I stopped the lava.”

“Really?”

Hat Kid nodded. “Yeah. That’s how I got that Time Piece. They gave it to me.”

“Oh. Okay…” Cloak Kid shrugged it off. Maybe for once they could just walk around on the normal streets.

Since Mafia Town was built on a volcano, judging from yesterday’s… incident, the way to the beach was by climbing down. Luckily, there were ramps, stairs and ladders to make the trip easier.

Passing by some resident houses, the two noticed how the area they were entering looked a little more deserted. The white paint that was usually slapped onto the outsides of the brick buildings, were faded, but the Mafia graffiti was still noticeable, along with doodles from Mustache Girl drawing the Mafia Boss with both eyes pointing in different directions, along with random mustaches. Windows were shattered, and while they did their best to avoid making eye contact, there were still Mafiosos around patrolling, chatting, roasting meat over fire that was lit in a trash can.

Hat Kid tapped into her hat powers, her goal pointing them forward. Passing by a resident house on the edge of a cliff, they found a ladder to take them down. As they went descended, the cloak-wearing boy could hear the tingling noise of a Time Rift.

They stopped in front of an apartment, but below they could see the beach. There were many Mafiosos relaxing, grilling meat, and doing other things. Cloak Kid could see the Time Rift floating just above one of the tents they had set up. More likely than not, they might have chosen to just ignore it, since the two kids knew how simple-minded they were.

“There it is,” said Cloak Kid. “Come on, Hattie.”

When Cloak Kid got no response, he turned back and saw his shipmate staring at the apartment before them. She had reached for the doorknob, only to find it open with a mere push of a hand. Upon looking himself, he saw that despite the shattered windows and peeling paint off the walls, this place hadn’t been vandalized with graffiti at all. In fact, the same red writing from Mustache Girl’s cave was all over the place.

“Was she here?” Cloak Kid asked. Hat Kid shrugged and she stepped inside before he could say anything.

The living room smelled of dust… or what was left of it. All of the furniture was gone, except for the fireplace that was built into the building. Just above it, though, on the mantle, was the image of a little girl with a hood and two adults: A man and a woman, but their faces had been ripped off in the wreckage. The girl who remained, was positively beaming. Her golden eyes sparkled. The last scrap of paper was leaning forward, barely hanging on to the old, rusted and dusty frame.

“It’s that girl…” Hat Kid spoke softly. She turned to her shipmate slowly, her eyes shiny, like she could burst into tears.

“Maybe… this was her home?” Cloak Kid said.

“But what happened?”

Cloak Kid looked outside. The breeze that came in was the final straw that tore the photo scrap from the frame. Hat Kid, on impulse, caught it in her hands. She stared up at the walls, wallpaper torn, dust was settling on everything, she could even see from the kitchen without having to walk in there. It felt so lonely… She vaguely remembered that time when she sat alone in that stairwell.

“The rift is pink,” said Cloak Kid. His voice pulled Hat Kid back to the present. The Mafia are nearby. “The Time Piece may have hit one of them.”

“So?”

“I mean, the rift could contain something important if it’s already that unstable.”

Hat Kid tilted her head slightly. “I don’t get it.”

“Just follow me. And be careful. Pink Time Rifts are a little more tricky to get through. That’s what my grandfather told me.”

Hat Kid stared down at the photo scrap. She tucked away in her hat and quickly followed the boy. They jumped off the ledge and the two landed right on the pink glowing orb. All around them everything stopped, and a blinding white light engulfed them both.

Unlike the previous Time Rifts, this one was different. The two kids found themselves on a dock. It wasn’t Mafia Town, but they weren’t sure. The area around them was surrounded by water and it was unclear what was over the horizons. It was too dark and blurry when staring out to really see anything. There were crates, of course, seagulls flying overhead, and the smell of fish and the salty sea air.

“Just as I thought,” said Cloak Kid. “The Time Piece probably hit someone.”

“Where are we?” said Hat Kid.

“A fragmented piece of the past. This place is filled with the Mafia's thoughts and dreams.” The boy looked forward to seeing an open hatch ahead. “There. We have to go deeper. Maybe your hat can show us the way forward.”

“Can do!” the girl chimed.

The two jumped down, finding themselves at the same dock again, but there was more. A bunch of the crates had been pushed near the edge. Up ahead, they saw a ship, but it was too far away to get over the water. The ship was pretty big, carrying tons of cargo stacked on top of each other. On the side the ship read the “S.S. ‘None-of-your-business.’”

“Hmph!” Hat Kid only huffed. Using her hat, her vision dimmed and landed on the target: The next hatch.

Hat Kid yelped when they landed in the next area. They were on the ship now, but it was moving, cutting through the waves of the open sea. Mafia were dancing and cheering. It also smelled like fish which made her pinch her nose.

“Easy!” Cloak Kid said, catching from her swaying. “That’s not real water around us. Fall in, and beneath us is an endless abyss.”

“Okay…” said Hat Kid. “Do you see anything?” She squinted as she tapped into her hat power, but all she saw in terms of her goal was the next hatch.

“No.” Cloak Kid shook his head.

“Aww… Why is it so far…?” Hat Kid whined.

“I think the Time Piece is trying to show us something. It’s not sentient, of course. It’s just serving its function.”

“Oh. What about you?”

“I’m okay,” said Cloak Kid. “Let’s just keep moving. Sea sickness is way different than space sickness.”

Cloak Kid headed forward, while Hat Kid’s eyes drifted around for a bit. She remembered she saw a dock and now they were on a ship. She then saw the Mafia Boss standing proudly at the front of the ship. She pulled out her umbrella, but then recalled how this was the past. So from the looks of it, the Mafia had come from somewhere and briefly she remembered Mustache Girl’s house.

“You must be very lost, kid with the hat. You’re in the heart of our town, standing before the most powerful man you will ever witness.”

The words rang through Hat Kid’s head, like a familiar song. She gripped her umbrella tighter. She knew it wasn’t really him, but a memory of him. It didn’t stop the tension, though.

Once they went through the next hatch, they started seeing the familiar brick buildings and stone streets of Mafia Town. It didn’t look like anywhere in the town though. Cloak Kid found himself colliding with Hat Kid backwards. They were at a fountain, and the Mafia were walking on giant rolling pieces of meat.

“Well, things are looking a bit more unstable…” Cloak Kid stuttered, shaking a bit. “I think we’re getting close.”

Hat Kid looked across from where they were and saw the next hatch over a gap of water. Luckily, there was a clothesline they could get to.

“This way!” Hat Kid pulled her partner by the hand and the boy was swung and yanked, dodging huge hunks of meat until they made it to the palm tree the clothesline was tied to.

“Okay!” Cloak Kid hooked the end of his staff on the line. He turned to Hat Kid and extended his arm. She ran over and embracing each other they ziplined across the hidden abyss. Hat Kid clung desperately, while the boy was trying his best not to look down.

Hat Kid landed on the stone pavement on the other side first and it took some coaxing to get Cloak Kid to land next. The end of his staff detached, releasing a wire to keep it together and lowered him to the ground slowly. With a tug, he got the hook end of the line and retracted the hook back into place.

Once they passed through the next hatch they found themselves in a lone space. It was just them and a pink glowing ball of light that was sitting safely in a bird’s nest. The waters around them were calm and there was no Mafioso for miles.

“Uh… It’s the rift?” said Hat Kid.

Cloak Kid, holding his shaky hands close to himself, walked up to it slowly. “This is it.”

“But where’s the Time Piece?”

The boy pulled out his staff. “We have to break the rift.”

Hat Kid gasped. “A-Are you s-sure? What about the Time Piece?”

“For once, the hourglass will be fine. We have to do it before the Rift gets any worse.”

The girl nodded and carefully gripped her umbrella. “Okay…”

Cloak Kid gave the rift the first whack, launching it into the air with several cracks now on it, already. Hat Kid was waiting with her umbrella to hit it again, sending it back in the boy’s direction. He hit it upward and Hat Kid jumped in for the final strike. The rift landed in the nest again, shattering in the Rift in a blaze of light. Floating up, without a strike on it was the Time Piece.

Hat Kid smiled in relief, as Cloak Kid ran up and grabbed it. For once breaking things was the answer. A light enveloped them, taking them back to the beach where they first found the rift.

Cloak Kid held the Time Piece carefully as they went back to the ship. The hourglass was pulsing with an odd light, but he refused to say anything until they were back on the ship.

Once the ship was secure, Cloak Kid sat in the captain’s chair, holding the hourglass.

“Is it okay?” said Hat Kid. She had walked up to him with Rumbi following closely behind. They probably tracked in some dirt from today’s adventure.

“This one was in a rift,” said Cloak Kid. “I think it has something to show us.”

“Is that why it’s glowing?” Her teal eyes were focusing on the shiny glass.

“Hmm… Grandpa could get it to work without any powers, but I think I can just do this…” The boy pulled up his hood and gazed into the sparkling hourglass. It shimmered and began to float in his hand. Images began to appear on the glass.

The first thing they saw were a bunch of Mafia marching towards some kind of factory. The logo had the Mafia Boss’ face on it and a happy looking fish. The skies above were dark with smoke and smog and all of it was coming out of the building.

The next thing they say were the Mafia working in the dingy environment. It looked unclean. Fish were lying on the stained floor, the walls were dirty and no amount of mopping they or the boss did was helping. In fact the boss seemed down in the dumbs. As he thought, the two could see what he was thinking. He was picturing a tropical island, with crystal clear waters, blue skies and happy sea creatures.

Next, they saw the proud Mafia Boss on a ship with many of his best men. There were women waving goodbye to them with their hankies. As they set out the men enjoyed themselves on the ocean, soaking up the sun, playing with beach balls and seagulls were flying overhead. If they got hungry they had all the meat they could ever want to hold themselves over.

Then, the ship came across an island. It looked just like Mafia Town, but much cleaner and clearer. That was where the Mafia landed, staked their claim with a flag that said, “Mafia Town #1,” and now there was trash, TNT and meat everywhere, including the giant water spout that held up their HQ.

The hourglass’ luminous light faded, having shown what it saw landed safely, back in Cloak Kid’s hands.

“The Mafia weren’t originally from that island…” the boy said.

Hat Kid was clutching the small photo scrap in her hands. “Mustache Girl… They wanted a new home, but they took hers.”

Cloak Kid saw the girl running her fingers over the photo scrap gently. He knew what she was thinking. He saw it when he looked into her eyes, before she even spoke. “Is that why she…”

“We still can’t let her find them, Hattie…” Though, the thought of what they had done, did make his blood boil. Coming to her home, taking it as their own...

“When this is over… maybe we can help her…” Hat Kid said. “Without the Time Piece, of course.”

Cloak Kid shrugged and turned back to the ship’s controls. He wasn’t sure. What happened in Mafia Town was terrible, but they had to save the very fabric of time. It was already enough that the Time Pieces were scattered across the planet, but they couldn’t stop to help every problem, and they especially couldn’t use the Time Pieces to do so.

“I’m not seeing any signals in Mafia Town anymore…” he said. Hat Kid stood up slowly.

“But, we don’t have all the Time Pieces. Does that mean they’re somewhere else on the planet?”

Cloak Kid nodded. “I have enough power to at least move the ship a little. So, I’ll recalibrate our sensors once I see something.”

Hat Kid was already at the window, her palms pressing against the glass. With the pull of a lever, Hat Kid could hear the powerful engines whirr on and the ship began to move. They moved away from the view of the waters and the island of “Mafia Town” and saw a view of what looked like a desert. They could see tons of train tracks, though.

The scanners immediately went to work and began to pick up multiple signals. All them, however, were centered in one location.

“Whoa…” said Cloak Kid. “This is either really good, or really bad.”

“If we’re careful we could get them all at once,” said Hat Kid. “Where do we have to go?”

Cloak Kid sent out the probes and were given an image minutes later of a big building. Cars were parked up in a huge parking lot and the giant doors were shiny and made of glass.

“A place called…” Cloak Kid wasn’t sure if he was reading correctly. “Deadbird Studio?”

Chapter 9: the Conductor and the DJ

Chapter Text

There was something about that new hat Hat Kid had made that caught Cloak Kid’s attention. It sat newly finished in the science lab on a table. It looked like a pointed witch hat, that was a dark shade of indigo. It had a yellow band with orange stripes and the edges of the hat were stripped, as well. Then there were two tiny vials of that potion attached to the side.

Hat Kid had tested it out in Mafia Town. She was careful not to hit any Mafia, since they thought of her as a hero now. In fact, it seemed they loved it. It was almost as explosive as their TNT. Cloak Kid made sure Hat Kid didn’t use too much of that bomb powder in her potions, so that the blasts were more controlled.

That in mind, the boy wondered if he could use it for a less destructive purpose. He was in a light blue mood for this cloak design and got to work, sewing into the night until he was slumped on his desk, fast asleep.

Now that they had some Time Pieces back, Hat Kid could get back into the engine room. The upper part of the walls were green, with the lower part a cool brown color. Gears were all over the walls turning away in different directions and speeds. It’s also where they kept a lot of their systems.

Near the back by the book shelves was a 7-Stage Tri-Calculationg Quantum Harmoniser. It was pretty expensive, but who doesn’t deserve to treat themselves every now and then? Cloak Kid had so many books that some of them had to be stored in the engine room. So there were shelves in the back. While Cloak Kid called it the “cool word zone,” Hat Kid called it a “Thing you can’t even slightly fill yourself, Steven, you’ll never find a publisher, and all that time you spend in your study is time you could spend with your kids,’ to which Cloak Kid had asked, “Who the heck is Steven?”

Then there was the VGS 1 - fastest, most complex supercomputer ever to be built. Hat and Cloak Kid loved using it. Then, one day they had to leave the orbit of the planet fast, because they searched up something, and then their search history got submitted for federal review by the nearby planet.

At the center of the room was a platform, with a set of stairs to get up to it, so Hat Kid could access the ship’s main power supply, and check the batteries. Since they didn’t have a lot of power at the moment, Hat Kid just diverted most of the power to making their rooms, the lobby and the kitchen function. However, she wondered where Cloak Kid had gotten himself off too. The ship was kind of big, so it was easy to lose track of one another.

She had to manually push the doors open to get into the lab, but she didn’t mind. It was past their bedtime, but her shipmate was already asleep. Next to him, she found a newly made cloak made with a light blue cloth. Hat Kid sighed, and started shaking him gently. A small mumble left him, and he slowly opened his eyes and sat up, swaying a bit, before Hat Kid steadied him.

“Hattie?” he said, rubbing one of his eyes. He looked at her, but his eyes were unfocused.

“Come on…” she said, helping him to his feet. He stumbled, so she let him lean on her, and she guided him to bed. She sighed again as she tucked him in once more as if he were still a young child. Technically, they both still were, so she couldn’t blame him. While he was still very ill, she had to step up and do most of the work. She was scared for a while, but once things got better, it warmed her heart to see that her shipmate was well taken care of and was more than happy to make sure he was well fed and rested to avoid him getting as sick as he was all that time ago.

Now, as she tucked him in, and rubbed his shoulder, she felt all fuzzy inside to hear his soft sigh and see him smile.

“I’m sorry. I hope I didn’t worry you…” Cloak Kid mumbled.

“It’s okay,” said Hat Kid. “Just go to sleep.” And she stayed with him until he did just that, before turning off the lights and heading to her room to sleep, as well.

The next morning was going by nicely. Today the two would head down to a new area on this mysterious planet. The signals left by the Time Pieces were clustered close together and were at a place called Deadbird Studio. Cloak Kid already had his new cloak out. It was light blue with a white edging, but the ends were spread out like a flower, and the hood had a floppy end with a white puffball on it. For now, he had his regular cloak on.

He was waiting for Hat Kid, staring blankly at the planet below, ever curious and also nervous about what would be ahead for them.

“Deadbird Studio…” he read. He was tapped on the shoulder and saw Hat Kid next to him with that bottle of medicine he disliked so much. He was too busy with worry to care about the taste at the moment. So he took his medicine like a big boy and now they were ready to go.

Outside, it was kind of humid once they landed in what was a giant parking lot. All the cars looked the same, just in a different color. What mattered was the big building ahead.

“What do you think a place called Deadbird Studio does?” said Hat Kid.

“I don’t know…” said Cloak Kid. “Let’s go in, and ask around, but try not to mention anything about what the Time Pieces do…” He rubbed his arm, and Hat Kid frowned, remembering his fear about Mustache Girl. As they walked in through the glass door, she wondered what that girl was up to?

The two walked into the lobby and were there to witness an argument between two people. The first was a bit taller than then and was dressed in a black suit, with a purple tie and had a conductor hat on his head. His feathers were yellow, making them wonder if he was some kind of bird. His teeth were jagged and he had winged hands, but no eyes were visible on his face. The other was a penguin. He was way taller with those high rise red shoes. His matching red coat with the puffed out collar had stars on it, as well as his pants. He had big star-shaped shades over his eyes and his eyebrows were so long they leaned against the big afro on his head.

“This movie studio is too big for the both of us, DJ Grooves!” the bird in the conductor’s uniform proclaimed. “The movie should be made by REAL birds! You Moon Penguins are just gonna write some loud, noisy drivel! If I wanted a bunch of peck necks to dance around while on bird seed, ha! I’d visit me grandchildren!”

“Nonsense, darling, nonsense!” the penguin dismissed the remarks. “You Owl Express birds are just going to record another boring train-related western! You’ve done so for the last ten years, darling!”

“What?! No we haven’t, yer buffoon!” But the movie pictures on the wall said otherwise.

“Conductor, darling, this year we’ll be winning the annual bird movie award as our new movie props will bring in the audiences!”

Cloak Kid covered his mouth as he gasped. Moon Penguins walked up behind this “DJ Grooves” holding a display case. Within it, were none other than two Time Pieces.

“These shiny things fell from the sky!” said DJ Grooves. “They will light our move sets and fill them with glimmer!”

“Oh yeah?” said the Conductor. “Well, this time around, we’re ALSO spicing it up with our newest movie props!” Hat Kid tugged her shipmates sleeves at what she saw. Some Owl Express Birds were carrying a display case and there more Time Pieces inside. “These hourglass thingies will be the grand jewel in our train heist western!”

The two birds locked eyes, both eying their so-called “props.”

“WHADDA WHAT?!” the Conductor yelled. “You no-good dirty peck necks! You copied our props!”

“I would never, darling!” DJ Grooves scoffed. “Clearly you’re the one who took inspiration in my flashy new props.”

“That does it!” the Conductor growled. “Get outta here with ye, I’ve got a movie to record!”

“Fine by me, darling. But we’ll be the ones who win the annual bird movie award, mark my word!” And with that he went through some double doors on the right side of the reception room and he was gone, taking the Time Pieces with him. The Conductor had stormed up to the closed door with some boards, a hammer and nails.

“Oh yeah?! Let’s see how well ye do when you can’t get into the reception!” he said, barricading the door shut. “GWAHAHAHAHA!” He stepped away and then stopped after thinking to himself. “Of wait, shutting the peck necks inside the studio will force them to work harder.” He huffed and and walked back towards the owls on the other side of the room. “Alright, time to go, owls! Let’s make our killer movie!” An owl opened the door and they left with the display case of Time Pieces. “Oh, and receptionist, can yer PLEASE close off that vent already? I don’t want the smell of penguin to come anywhere near my crew!” Before he could answer he was already gone.

“So, they make movies here?” said Hat Kid. “Cool!” She was already walking off to check things out. Cloak Kid on the other hand, really wanted those Time Pieces back, so he decided to ask around a bit, and maybe talk to the receptionist, who was also a fellow bird among this building of birds. Despite being inside, the boy still kept his hood up.

Cloak Kid was still, in fact, a child, so he could barely see the receptionist when he walked up to the counter. He had to stand on tiptoes. Even though he was on a serious mission, he could already tell that this wasn’t going to be easy with these adults already seeing him as just a child and nothing more… Well, an alien child, no less. He and Hat Kid were not from this planet, after all.

“Hello, mister,” said Cloak Kid.

The bird in question looked down at him and smiled. “Oh, hey lil’ chirper. They’re recording right now, so no one is allowed in. We’re only insured for bird staff. Letting you would be a liability!”

“Um, okay. But… I have a question. Do you know anything about those, uh… shiny things that were in here.”

“Oh, you’re curious about those, huh? Not really sure where they came from. People saw shiny things falling down from the sky, and then I guess those directors found them. Those hourglass things are pretty shiny. What’s with the interest?”

“Oh, uh… I’m… collecting them…”

“Well, you’ll have to wait until they’re done filming to talk to them. You can call our service and make an appointment. If not, there’s also…”

While Cloak Kid was getting his ear talked off, Hat Kid walked up to the trophy case on the right side of the reception office, where that DJ Grooves penguin had gone off through the door that was now boarded up. There were a lot of trophies, but they were all silver colored, but on the top shelf, she could see one gold one sitting proudly inside. She turned around, seeing the other display case and saw that Conductor’s trophy case had all the gold ones, with only one silver.

Cloak Kid had finished talking to the receptionist, remembering to be polite and say thank-you, but then he sat down on the nearby bench in a pout. He could go through the proper channels. If those foolish directors weren’t careful they could break one while filming! His breath hitched. It was already warm in the room, his cloak becoming too hot, all of a sudden.

“Pssst!”

Then Hat Kid had walked over to a small dispenser that spat out shades with a pull of a letter. She pulled out a pair and placed it over her eyes. Then she smiled, showing her pearly whites, and pointed at Cloak Kid. The boy giggled, his shaking dying down. Hat Kid gasped, happy that she made him laugh. She pulled the lever again, and only thought that what was funnier than one pair of shades was two, and she put them on while putting her hands on her hips. She let out a giggle herself, upon seeing her shipmate laughing a bit louder.

Reaching for a third pair, she pulled the lever, only for the machine to explode from overuse. The unused pairs of shades flew everywhere and the parts of the machine were all over the place and only the empty shattered case remained.

“HEY!” the receptionist squawked at the young girl. “That’s a three thousand Pon fine, young lady!”

“Wh-What are Pons?” Hat Kid could only mumble as the receptionist started marching out from behind his desk and walked towards her.

“H-Hattie?” Cloak Kid’s hesitant and quiet voice, snapped Hat Kid out from her trance. Before she was grabbed, she jumped onto DJ Grooves’ trophy case and ran to the loose vent. She managed to rip it off and climbed inside.

The receptionist got out his walkie-talkie. “Trespassing… That’s gotta be seven thousand Pons…” he grumbled. While he was distracted at the vent, Cloak Kid saw that his back was turned away from the other double doors. He remembered how that Conductor bird said something about that vent leading to DJ Grooves’ studio, so the other doors must lead to him.

Cloak Kid sighed. He snuck away on his tip toes and quietly pushed the doors open into the Conductor’s studio.

Sneaking around was nothing new. He had been taught to be as quiet and swift from a young age. It’s one of the reasons he was home-schooled.

“Be fast and swift. Hide and stay in the shadows, just like how we work.”

The studio was dark, but Hat Kid could see a stage up ahead. There were colorful lights, dancing holograms, UFOs, and lots of Moon Penguins. They were all wearing black suits and fedoras with a blue stripe on the band. There were a lot of backdrops to sneak behind, so she tried to slip past while they weren’t looking. DJ Grooves was sitting in the director’s chair.

“Cameras! Lights! Action!”

The music was loud as Hat Kid snuck by the backdrops. All the cameras were focused on the set, and the noise quieted her footsteps. She reached a conveyor belt. Her hat power was pointing in the same direction, so she pulled the lever, hoping it would take her to the right place.

“Let’s make this movie happen! Owls! In position… ACTION!”

Cloak Kid walked in to hear the loud voice of the Conductor. Immediately, he ducked and hid behind some crates.

The Conductor was focused on his Express Owls. They typically wore long tailcoats and a hat, their collared t-shirts were stripped and their pants were nice slacks. The ones on the stage were dressed up like bandits, riding on fake horses with a moving background.

“What scene are we on?” the Conductor said to an owl, as Cloak Kid found a backdrop of a train on the stage to sneak past. “Forty-two? Oh, because you’re not supposed to be in frame for SCENE FORTY-TWO!”

Cloak Kid shivered and covered his mouth to stifle some coughs. Smoke was coming from the top of the fake train. It was probably fake from a fog machine.

“Oi! You in the background!” Upon hearing that Cloak Kid nearly jumped out of his cloak. He hid behind a train backdrop, under a window. “What the peck is wrong with ye?!”

The boy peeked just a little, and saw he was just chewing out one of the background actors. He got back down on his hands and knees and kept crawling until he made it to a fake building. A fake cactus was in the way so he just pushed it aside, but it fell down. Hoping no one heard he walked forward, trying to stay out of sight and praying he wouldn’t get charged for assaulting a cactus.

Hat Kid found herself checking rooms. One room had green walls, and the floor reminded her of a room. She shook her head and left. Another had a counter with shiny lights on the mirrors frames. There were many costumes on a cart of racks, and lots of fan letters on the floors. Still, she saw no sign of the Time Pieces.

“If I was a DJ…” Hat Kid mumbled. She was thinking deeply to herself. She also hoped Cloak Kid was okay.

“Magnificent! Stunning!” she then heard. She ran towards the source of the noise. Her hat power was pointing in the voice’s direction all of a sudden. Maybe they had the Time Pieces on them.

The girl walked into a room that had red curtains around the whole room. She walked on the red carpet with bright stars, up to none other than DJ Grooves. He was admiring a giant golden version of those awards that was in front of him.

“This trophy is everything I desire… on the shelf in my living room!” said the DJ. “Of course, this big trophy is just a plastic replica! The actual trophy is really tiny!”

Hat Kid was just curiously staring, until he turned around and saw her. She let out a tiny yelp and backed away a little, but she didn’t move after that.

“Oh my! Oh my! What is that I see?” DJ Grooves suddenly said, astonished. “Is it true inner beauty? An innocent soul with a heart of gold?”

Hat Kid reached up and removed her two pairs of glasses. She hadn’t been called that before. As she revealed her teal colored eyes, she was happy to hear that maybe she did have inner beauty… but she certainly wasn’t innocent.

“Oh, no. It’s just a little girl,” the DJ then said. “Hello! Oh, wait, you’re not a penguin.”

“U-Um…” Hat Kid could barely mumble.

“That’s good! I could use some non-penguin company around here, as all my penguins are frankly terrible actors!”

“R-Really?” said Hat Kid.

“Of course, darling! Here’s the biz: I need your help. I’m on a terrible losing streak, and just HAVE to win this next annual bird movie award.”

“M-Me? I don’t know anything about making movies.”

“Maybe, but there is no doubt; I absolutely MUST have you as the star!”

“W-Wait.” The girl tried to stay calm, but her heart was racing what he just said. “M-Me? A star!” Her eyes were glittering, but then she remembered Cloak Kid’s worried face. “W-Wait! I’ll… I’ll do it, but… I need something from you in return.”

“What is it darling? Say the word!”

“I saw you walk into the reception with those shiny hourglass thingies. I’m… collecting them.”

“Oh, must you, darling? We absolutely must use them to shine up the movie with glimmer!”

“Um… Okay, we can use them for the movie, but after that, can I have them?”

“Of course darling! So, you’ll be our star?”

Hat Kid formed fists and nodded excitedly. “YES!”

“Wonderful, darling!” DJ Grooves exclaimed. “Just wonderful! Meet me at the movie set tomorrow and we’ll make you a star!”

“Bring a better performance than the penguins, at least…”

Cloak Kid had escaped the set, and the endless onslaught of the Conductor’s constant yelling… at least in the terms of the noise. He could still hear his voice somewhat through the walls of the hallway he found himself in. The boy looked in some dressing rooms, and found nothing. He went into a room where there were tons of props for a good old fashion western movie. There were cowboy hats, bandanas, fake pistols, boots, and other items.

With a huff, Cloak Kid formed a pout with his lips. There was still no sign of the Time Pieces. If the Conductor called them “props” why were they in the room with the other ones? He stormed out of the hallway and saw an unusual amount of something gold coming from another room.

When he walked in, he was shocked to see many, many golden trophies everywhere. The shine was almost blinding. It was clear that he must have won many times, but through the gold, he saw a white glittering light. Any lead was something, and to his surprise, he saw the Time Pieces in the case. He sighed in relief. They seemed to be okay. He could only hope that Hat Kid was fine, but they had to find a way to get the ones DJ Grooves had, as well.

“HEY! WHATCHA THINK YER DOIN?!”

Just as Cloak Kid was about to try and open the case, the Conductor had come and stormed over towards him. The boy stumbled away, his back meeting with the case. He held his hands near himself.

“Yer can’t just jump in and fiddle with my props! That’s fraud! FRAUD!” Cloak Kid covered his ears at how high his voice had gone in that moment. “Hey everyone, we’ve got a FRAUDSTER OVER HERE!”

He yelled that, but no one was coming. Cloak Kid didn’t hear any footsteps running towards them or anything. So, they stood there in silence, and the Conductor turned to the door.

“WHERE ARE MY OWL GUARDS AT?! Why are the owls so darn useless?!” He turned back to the kid only to find him, trying to reach for a Time Piece. The owl had enough and roughly grabbed the child by the arm and yanked him away. He landed on the floor on his bottom, with his hood coming down, revealing his chestnut locks of hair. “What the peck do ya think yer doin’?!”

“The… Those things. I need them,” said Cloak Kid. “I’m… a collector, and… they’re really rare.”

“I don’t give a peck what they are! Those things are going to make sure that I win against that no-good DJ Grooves! Oi, wait a minute! Yer not even an owl or a blasted penguin!”

Cloak Kid reached for his hood. “U-Um…”

“Listen here, laddie. Yer in big trouble. If I can’t take ye to jail, then you’ve got to help me win this year’s annual bird movie awards.”

Cloak Kid stood up slowly, dusting himself off. He laid a hand on his staff. It was retracted and hidden away in his pocket. “I don’t know anything about making movies.”

“I didn’t ask if ye did, laddie, now did I?!” Cloak Kid winced at the Conductor’s voice. “I’m telling ye that yer got to star in my movies.”

Cloak Kid huffed. As if he was going to listen to this loudmouth.

“And why would I do…”

“Because yer need these, don’t ya?” the Conductor opened the case and tossed a Time Piece at him. Cloak Kid lunged forward, and caught it before it hit the ground. “Help me win against that no good DJ Grooves, and yer can have your dumb thingy majigies ya like so much.”

Cloak Kid held the Time Piece protectively. As much as he didn’t want to leave the other two Time Pieces in there, he didn’t really have a choice other than fighting against an entire studio of birds.

“Okay, fine,” the boy grumbled. “I’ll help with your movies.”

“Good. Now go practice showing off that shiny movie prop and meet me on the set tomorrow! Don’t be late!” he almost hissed at the child.

Cloak Kid was led out of the room, but he saw the other two Time Pieces still sitting there.

I’ll get them… he thought. And I won’t fail again!

Chapter 10: Justice In A Darkest Hour

Chapter Text

“Hattie, stop!”

“You stop! Hold still, and I’ll be done quicker.”

As soon as Cloak Kid had returned to the ship and stowed away the one time piece he managed to get back today, Hat Kid immediately wanted them to eat dinner and sleep. Then, the next morning, he was dragged out of bed and Hat Kid demanded he’d shower. Now he was in Hat Kid’s room, while she was trying to brush his hair.

“You’re going to be on camera!” Hat Kid insisted. “It’s not everyday we become stars!”

“Is that how the DJ guy put it?” said Cloak Kid. “And I didn’t come to this planet to be a star! I shouldn’t be!” The boy crossed his arms, as his shipmate patted his head. “Grandfather told me to maintain our discretion.”

The girl sat down, brush resting in her lap. “Is that why at first you avoided me?”

“Well that, and you mugged me.”

“Oh.” She was about to frown, but then smiled upon seeing him laugh instead of showing any anger.

“It wasn’t just for me… it was because of my grandfather. We had to…” He shook his head. “Doesn’t matter now…” He stood, but Hat Kid stood in his way as he tried to exit.

“Well, let’s just make the most of it.” She went up and down on the tips of her feet. “No one on the planet knows about what Time Pieces can do. Well, except that Mustache Girl.”

“Do you ever wonder what she’s up to?” Hat Kid could feel his eyes on her own… Then he looked down and sighed. He wasn’t reading her deepest thoughts. His hood had to be up to do so.

“Yeah, but we’re making good progress. If getting the Time Pieces means we’re on camera, we should go for it. Besides, it could be fun.”

“U-Um… I’m just not good… Being exposed like this…” Cloak Kid said, nervously.

“No! We’re going to be famous!” Hat Kid exclaimed. She turned around and started walking towards the door. Her shipmate followed behind her. “I just hope I don’t have to sing…”

“I thought we were making movies.”

“And hopefully it’s not the musical kind.”

The Owl Express was basically the only train on the strange planet. Of course, Cloak Kid knew what a train was, but what he didn’t count on was that it was the only one. It made it easier for him to spot it, on the other hand.

The train was really big, with many carts. All of them were black like the Conductor’s suit. It was chugging along through the desert when he landed on the roof of the last cart. He wasn’t actually sure where the train would stop, so he just jumped down while it was moving. After all, the Conductor just said to meet him on the train with no other specific instructions. He could only hope that Hat Kid would have better luck with DJ Grooves. Whoever won didn’t matter to him. He just wanted those Time Pieces, before something bad happened.

As Cloak Kid climbed down to the back of the last cart, he was surprised to see the Conductor there.

“What the-? How did you get here? And what’s with yer hair?”

Cloak Kid remembered Hat Kid brushing it and ruffled it all up again with hands. “If I told you, would you believe me?”

“Nah, I guess not.” The Conductor sighed with a huff. “I didn’t think you’d actually come, laddie. I haven’t completed the script for the movie, so we’re not recording yet. I’ll call for yer when the script is ready. So, get inside before yer fall off. And yer better not break anything on the train. It’s my baby!”

Cloak Kid sighed. “Yes, sir.” And he went inside to check things out.

He wasn’t surprised to see Express Owls on the train. What he didn’t expect were crows. They were taller and more slender than the Express Owls, and they wore brown overcoats with matching fedoras. With his hood up, he could only see their desire of keeping an eye on the people on the train, which was what they were doing. They seemed to be pestering them, asking personal questions. Maybe the crows were some kind of security for the set?

The boy thought of that, but they didn’t seem to stop him from going into the other carts, or looking around. He went through the diner and they were just sitting around, talking about who knows what and laughing. Perhaps he could find the Time Piece without having to be put on camera.

Cloak Kid’s eyes sparkled when he got to the front of the train. It was functioning with the latest and greatest in train technology. He ran up to the controls and admired all the cools, buttons and levers, and then sat down in the Conductor’s chair. It was a bit big, but considering that he wasn’t much shorter than the Conductor, it didn’t bother him. He found a spare conductor’s hat and put it on his head, and giggled at the thought of himself as the Conductor. He kicked the desk and made the chair spin around, laughing.

As the chair stopped, he held his head from the world still spinning and leaned back in the chair to regain his senses. Just as he did, he saw a box under the control panel. So, he got down on his knees and pulled it out from under. Instead of a Time Piece, or a tool kit, or whatever a train engineer or conductor would have, he found a detective outfit instead. It was sized just for him, which was strange enough.

Before he could do anything else, he heard the sound of a phone ringing. With the box in hand, he ran up to an old timey telephone. He took what he assumed was the thing to listen with off and spoke.

“Um… hello?”

“Is this the kid with the cloak?” the deep scary voice, made the boy flinch. “I hope you like my present… he he he.”

Cloak Kid looked down at the box of clothes. Did this mystery person leave it for him?

“Go to the back of the train. Your uncle’s sister has come to visit you. You better your fam’ some love, or I’ll be talking to a corpse next time.” And before the boy could answer, the mystery caller hung up.

Fam’? There’s no way anyone besides Hat Kid knew he was on this planet. The only family he had ever known was his grandfather and he wasn’t here! But, that last part sent shivers down his spine. “Talking to a corpse”? He had to get to the bottom of this. Maybe he could tell the Conductor?

Cloak Kid rushed from cart to cart, heading towards the back of the train. Yes, he was listening to the strange caller, but it was where he last saw the Conductor. With any luck, he would still be there.

When he ran into the last train car, he was greeted with a horrifying sight.

There was an Express Owl laying on the floor in a pool of blood. There was a knife stuck into his back and he wasn’t moving. Also, there was a cardboard cut out of a woman, but that mattered, so little to the boy at the moment.

Immediately, he shook. He remembered broken glass, flames, a knife in the air…

There was no one to help him. No safety. No Hat Kid to calm him down. Cloak Kid took a deep breath and let out a scream that shook every passenger on board.

“A-A A MURDER? On MY Owl Express!?”

The shrill yell of the Conductor, made Cloak Kid flinch. He found himself on the ground of the room still hazy and swaying a bit, rocking from the movement of the train. The groan he let out, caught the Conductor’s attention, and then he was in his line of sight.

“Laddie! There yer are!” Never in the short time Cloak Kid had known the Conductor did he think he would be concerned about him like this… or at all. “I walked in and found ye passed out.”

Cloak Kid sat up, slowly, being eased up by the Conductor. It appeared that the other passengers had come in and saw the scene as well. All the Express Owls were gathered around. Upon seeing the Express Owl’s body still there, Cloak Kid shrieked, and hid his face in his hands. He tried to reach for his cloak, but upon feeling no fabric, he saw that his cloak was gone.

“Wh-Where’s…”

“I can’t believe someone would murder one of the Express Owls!” said the Conductor. “And I can’t believe even more, that it’s yer uncle’s sister!”

Cloak Kid forced himself to look, fighting the tears gathering in eyes and remembered seeing some kind of cardboard cutout of a woman. Obviously, that wasn’t his uncle’s sister, nor did he have one.

“U-Um…” he tried to speak up.

“What do yer have to say for yerself?!” the Conductor yelled at the cutout, like it was a real person. Since it was just that, he got no response. “Oh. Yer giving me the quiet treatment, eh?! That’s what a murderer would do!”

Cloak Kid was watching the Conductor closely as he rolled his r’s. He wanted to speak up about the cardboard cutout, but wondered if he didn’t see what was going on, because of his lack of visible eyes.

“Leave this case to us.”

Just then, a squad of crows stormed into the wagon. The one leading the charger held out a wing, holding out their wallet, which unfolded to reveal a badge.

“We’re CAW, the Crow Agent Watch. We’ve been monitoring everyone on this train since the last station. We’ll be searching the entire train for evidence. No one is allowed to go outside of this wagon.”

“WHAT?!” the Conductor yelled. “I can’t even walk around in me own train!? How dare yer!” The crow agents didn’t seem phased by the Conductor’s tone, however.

“Once the clock hits midnight, we’ll get off at the station with the murderer in cuffs,” the CAW agent declared. “Stay here while we investigate further.”

“M-Midnight?!” Cloak Kid said. Was he unconscious that long? He looked around, but couldn’t find a clock anywhere. He should’ve been home in bed by now. Hat Kid was going to kill him.

The Conductor growled, while the crowd of Express Owls stared in horror at the body laying before them.

“Those C.A.W. peck necks can’t tell me what to do! I bet they committed the murder, and are destroying all the evidence!”

Once again, Cloak Kid’s hands were covering his mouth. As the many owls squabble amongst themselves, he was too focused on the poor Express Owl lying there on the ground. His body still shook, and now that his cloak was gone, he couldn’t read people’s thoughts to try and find the murderer, not to mention that they were confined to the train car they now stood in.

As tears flowed down from his eyes, and his body trembled in terror, he felt the same way he had felt once in a long time: A pure sense of helplessness. The way he was able to do nothing, but run… But if he ran, it would make him look guilty, wouldn’t it?

Cloak Kid swallowed hard, and wiped the tears from his eyes. No! He wasn’t as sick as he was back then. So now, maybe he could do something! He never got it, but he could at least give this poor Express Owl the very thing he craved at this very moment: Justice!

The Conductor turned around from yelling at the other owls, to find that the cloak-wearing boy had put on the detective clothes.

“Lad, what are yer doing?” he said.

“I’m going to find the murderer!” Cloak Kid declared. “So… watch my clothes for me?” He put his tunic and other belongings in the box he was given, but kept his staff with him, as he rushed out of the wagon.

Besides, he never really listened to anyone’s rules…

11:00

The CAW birds were already out and about searching, while others were just making sure that no one had wandered out of the wagon everyone else was in. Cloak Kid could only conclude that the murderer was the one who stole his cloak, so he could read people’s desires. So, they had to know about his powers.

However, just because they stole that cloak, didn’t mean they had taken the two other ones he made. Now he could put the new one he made to the test: The Rocket Cloak. With it, he could use it for a short explosion of speed and launch himself into the air with a high jump. It also made for quick getaway if he needed it. He jumped over some boxes and bookshelves with it to avoid some crows and ran into the next wagon.

How could the crows still be talking and laughing in the dining area like nothing happened? Cloak Kid wondered. They seemed to not notice him, as long as he snuck by while they were caught up in their laughter. Maybe the Conductor was right? Maybe they were the culprits? No. It’s too early to be certain.

Cloak Kid entered another train car, and it seemed to be the rec room. There were poker machines, gambling tables, pool tables and dart boards. To his surprise, the room was empty, but on one of the pool tables, he found a file that was labeled “confidential” in all red letters. He opened it, and it was a file. It looked like CAW really were taking note of everyone on the train. This file was about the Conductor himself.

Suddenly, Cloak Kid heard footsteps. He rushed to the door and entered the next train car.

11:10

Luggage room. The boy could tell from all the suitcases stacked up in bunches. In fact, they were tall enough to jump on and stay out of sight. But, before he did any of that, he heard the ringing of a telephone again. Another one of those old timey phones had been stationed in the luggage.

“You!” Cloak Kid snapped. But the mystery caller was already speaking before he could say more.

“So you think you can just sneak around the train like this? Just drop the detective act. You’ll never catch the real murderer… he he he. You can’t point your finger at someone without clues. The clock is ticking. Will you be able to find enough clues to point your finger at the murderer?

“Yes, but I’m wasting time talking to you!” And Cloak Kid hung before the caller could respond. A few Crows were skulking around in the luggage room. Maybe they were searching the suitcases for things the murderer could’ve brought in, like a spare knife, or something?

In the back, however, he found another file, but it was about CAW themselves. Why would the crows point the finger at themselves? At least they were thorough. Their need to know everything about everything was almost on the creepy side. Still, Cloak Kid needed more evidence.

11:20

He entered the luxury suite. The carpet was plush and red, golden framed chairs and tables were at the entrance. There was a glass divider with an archway into the rest of the suite. The glass itself was blurry, so no crow agents could see through it, which was great, because there were some of them about. When one of them wasn’t looking he snuck into the rest of the suite to look around.

On a lone table, he could see a file. With the Cloak of Shadows on, his footsteps were quieter. He grabbed the file and then ducked under the table briefly so he could see who it was and it was on his so-called “uncle’s sister.” He sighed, seeing it as nothing but a waste of time. Still, it was better than nothing, so he kept it on himself.

The CAW bird walked up to the table, seeing that evidence was missing. Upon looking underneath, Cloak Kid was no longer there.

11:30

Cloak Kid didn’t think the train would have a security room, but it did. CAW birds were gazing at a whole bunch of screens. Perhaps they were reviewing the footage from before the murder happened. That was smart, but it didn’t look like they were finding anything. Plus, there was barely anyone in the back.

With his footsteps quieter, he was able to sneak past them.

The boy then entered the lounge, but no one was relaxing. They were most likely patrolling for any stragglers who didn’t listen to their orders to stay in the last train car. The walls were decorated with portraits taken from different parts of the planet. He saw Mafia Town, the desert, some weird spooky-looking forest, and some mountains. The couches looked so comfortable, and the carpets so soft. Plus, he could use the furniture as stuff to hide under, or behind.

On a cart, he found yet another file. It was on the Express Owls themselves. They seemed to be a timid bunch, but who knew what they were capable of when put together.

As he left the lounge, he found another phone, and he wasn’t surprised that it was ringing at this point.

“You don’t give up do you?”

“If I did, I wouldn’t be here right now,” said Cloak Kid.

“It seems the only way I can get rid of you… is to make you run out of time.”

Cloak Kid gasped. “What do you mean?”

“So here’s a fun time-eater: It seems that a friend of yours has gotten themself in an unusual situation. They appear to be… hanging on a thin rope… for dear life. What an odd coincidence!”

“N-No!” Suddenly, he didn’t care if he raised his voice. “No! Don’t you dare bring Hattie into this! Cooking Cat? Who is it?”

“What are you gonna do? Save them from becoming saw dust, or figure out who the murderer is?”

Tears gathered in the corner of the boy's eyes. It also appeared someone had heard them, because he could hear footsteps approaching.

“How about, I’ll do both?!” And Cloak Kid hung up, and launched himself out of sight with his Rocket Cloak.

11:40

“Man, this is the life. Nothing beats a hot sauna.”

It was times like these were the only times that Cloak Kid wished his clothes weren’t so thick. The sauna was hot, as he expected, but he could use the fog to stay hidden. There were Express Owls in there, and he didn’t want to worry them.

“Did you hear some noise outside?” one of them said. He turned around when he saw an odd shadow, but it was gone, before he could investigate further.

“Eh, peck it! I don’t wanna bother with it.”

To his relief, when he entered the engine room, the so-called “friend” of his that was in trouble, was nothing more than a cardboard cut-out of a dog. He would have left, if it weren’t for the fact that he saw a file taped to its body. Luckily, Cloak Kid was able to find the controls. All it took was the pull of a lever to safely get the “dog” to safety.

“Thank-you kind human for saving me. Woof woof.” Shockingly, the cardboard thing was talking. It did have a mic attached to it, and it sounded like the voice of the strange caller. “I found this clue on the murderer. Hope it helps. Woof woof.”

Cloak Kid took the file and upon inspecting it, he saw it was on the victim himself? Why would they collect information on him? CAW was thorough, but the dead Express Owl was the murderer, wouldn’t that make it a suicide?

11:50

He snuck past more CAW agents, going further up the train. Then, he found a lone area. On the board were drawings and pictures, plastered on the walls. What freaked him out was the X-Ray of Hat Kid on the far wall. Somehow they knew she liked to keep things in her hat, like small items and snacks. Sometimes she forgot about them, because one time he was doing laundry and found a roach in her hat.

No! he thought. He didn’t want Hattie involved in this mess. A lone file was on a small table. It made sense about the notes on the wall. For some reason, he was now a suspect? Most of it were witness statements and photos of him in Mafia Town and sneaking around the studio a few days ago. It also made notes of his condition, but they weren’t certain of what it was.

Cloak Kid shook his head. He certainly didn’t do it, but he could see why CAW would be suspicious. They found him passed out near the body, after all, but he had no reason to murder an innocent owl.

The boy gasped. How long had he been reading through his own file? There wasn’t much time left. He had to get back before the crows saw that he was gone.

12:00

“So, who dun it?!” said the Conductor.

Everyone was once again gathered back at the scene of the crime. The crows had come back to share what they had… which, unfortunately wasn’t much.

“We don’t know,” said one of the crows. “We couldn’t find any conclusive evidence. We have no idea who murdered this owl.”

“What! So you’ve done peck all to solve the case?!” the Conductor yelled. “Who’s the murderer? Which one of you did it?!”

Cloak Kid was in the corner reading over all of the files, while hiding behind a desk. All of them were very interesting. It wasn’t until he read over the final file, that he reached a conclusion.

The boy came into the light, and suddenly all eyes were on him.

“I think I know who the murderer is…”

“Well, if ya got something, spill it, lad!” said the Conductor.

“‘I bet they committed the murder, and are destroying all the evidence!’” Cloak Kid quoted. “That was the first thing I thought of when I was looking around.”

“So, the crows did it?”

“No,” he said sternly. “They are sworn to protect and serve at all costs.” And he threw the crows file on to the floor and it laid open. “Even if they’re all crammed into living in a single one-room apartment. Whoever did this, had eyes, everywhere.”

“The Express Owls?”

“They love the peace and quiet of card games… If they did do it, they would never blame their own, but I know they’re also quite timid. Why would they do such a thing?” And then he threw their file on the floor.

“Y-Yeah, we wouldn’t kill Robin just for chewing with his mouth open,” said one of them.

“Exactly!” Cloak Kid turned towards the dead body before him, before throwing his file aside as well. “All it said was that Robin was quite lazy. It was also his turn to clean the Owl Express today, and he’s quite lazy. Is it worth dying over it? If it was to him, it was impossible, seeing as the owl was stabbed in the back.”

“So, then, the only one left, is yer uncle’s sister!” the Conductor declared.

Cloak Kid sighed. “Conductor…” He threw the file of her into the air and hit it with his staff like it was a baseball. It hit the standee and knocked it over. “It’s a pecking cardboard cut-out!”

“Wuzzah what?!” he jumped back, like he didn’t even see that. Everyone else just seemed surprised that the child just said a swear word like that.

“No. Whoever did this was pulling the strings this whole time…” the boy said, as he paced back and forth. “Someone that no one would grow suspicious of, no matter where they were, someone they would listen to, and allow to get close, and someone with the authority to cover it up afterwards!”

Subconsciously, Cloak Kid pulled on the tip of his hood, which was no longer there, as his main cloak was still missing. He turned around and pointed the finger.

“And that someone is you!”

Everyone, the Express Owls, and Crows looked in the direction that Cloak Kid was pointing.

“...ME?!” said the Conductor. “I can’t be the murderer! I’m the Conductorrrrr!”

With one hand, Cloak Kid took out the Conductor’s file and pulled out a newspaper clipping. It was an old photo of the 42nd Annual Bird Movie Awards.

“You, Conductor, devastated at the loss of the 42nd Annual Bird Movie Award, swore never to lose again.”

“What?”

Cloak Kid pulled out a single photo from Robin’s discarded file, showing a photo of him with a Time Piece.

“Seriously, what?”

“But then you saw this. You this could dazzle the audience with this glittering thing that fell from the sky. So you took it…”

“It wasn’t me!” said the Conductor. Cloak Kid glared only grew deeper.

“Don’t peck with me!” the boy yelled, pointing his staff at him. “I’ve seen what these hourglasses do to people! You’d do anything to win the Annual Bird Movie Award, wouldn’t you?!”

“Stop.”

“Would you cry fraud just because a kid was sneaking around a studio?”

“Cut it out!”

“Would you grab a knife and stab an Express Owl just to get a hold of the hourglass?!”

The Conductor was struck silent. The boy was ready to start swinging, even his staff shook, and tears were almost ready to burst from his eyes. He was serious!

“Well, would you?!” the boy shrieked.

“ALRIGHT, FINE!” the Conductor shouted. “It was me. I did it. There, yer happy?”

Cloak Kid let out a gasp. He wasn’t sure why, since he was so certain. Even though it was midnight, he felt like a light was finally shining down on the situation.

“How’d you figure out it was me?” said the Conductor. “I tried really hard to avoid being the villain in me own movie.”

Cloak Kid lowered his hand. “M-Movie?”

“Did ya forget why yer here, lad? The Express Owl isn’t even dead, I just gave him the rubber knife and asked him to play dead for a few hours.”

The boy gasped. “R-Rubber knife?”

“Yeah, can I go now? I’m kinda sore from playing dead for so long.”

Suddenly, the “victim” in question was standing and the knife that he had was just a prop that he put on to make it look like he was stabbed.

“This rubber knife is also a bit uncomfortable.”

Cloak Kid took a step back. Everyone was breathing a sigh of relief. “B-But… the…” He felt a lump in his throat and it hurt to swallow. Everything was… fine? He didn’t even realize that tears were streaming down from his eyes until he started until everyone was staring at him.

The Conductor couldn’t believe his eyes. The kid was actually crying. He actually thought this was all real?! He walked up to him, reaching into his coat and pulling out the cloak he stole from him.

“Laddie, it’s alright,” he then said. The child looked at him once the Conductor put the cloak back on him. The boy had almost never heard the Conductor sounding this gentle towards him… or anyone for that matter. “This ain’t even blood on the floor. It’s just some greasepaint, is all.”

Cloak Kid sniffled. “I-I know… I just…”

“What? You think I’d let a murder happen on MY Owl Express? Think again! It was all just a setup for my newest Owl Express movie: Murder on the Owl Express! Not only did you reveal the murderer, you also revealed that the victim was never harmed.”

With gentle pats on his back, the boy’s tears began to subside, but he was still a bit shaky.

“Now, let’s just finish this last scene,” said the Conductor. “I’ll give yer that thingamajig you like and you can get out of here.”

Cloak Kid nodded. “Okay.” He took off his cloak momentarily and pointed at the “murderer” once again. “Now hand over the item! It belongs to it’s rightful owner!”

“I’ll get ya for this, ya peck neck! Just you wait and see!”

Cloak Kid’s rapidly beating heart was soothed as soon as he saw the Time Piece in his hand. He took it, made sure the cameras saw its glittering and shining self, before they shut off.

Cloak Kid didn’t care that it was late. He was just glad he was back on the spaceship again.

He changed back into his regular clothes. Surprisingly enough, the Conductor had been nice enough to let him keep the detective outfit. He wasn’t really sure what he would do with it, but maybe wear it if he ever had another “murder” to solve.

It had been a long day, and once the Time Piece was secured in the vault, Cloak Kid wanted nothing more than to lie down and sleep it off. But unsurprisingly, Hat Kid had stormed out from her room and was marching towards him.

“There you are! What happened today! You were supposed to be in-” Hat Kid gasped when her shipmate just, without a word, raced over and pulled her into a hug tight enough to squeeze the air out of her body. She was shocked. This was probably the first time Cloak Kid had been the one to initiate a hug with her. “Um, are you okay?”

“I’m just… glad you're okay,” Cloak Kid said in response.

“Um, sure,” she said. “Why wouldn’t I be? More importantly, you need to get your sleep. Now, come on.”

“C-Can I… sleep in your room tonight?” her shipmate asked sheepishly.

Hat Kid smiled and began to hug him back. “Of course.” After pulling away from the hug, she held him by his shoulders and guided him towards her room. Once they were there, she got him settled in a bunch of pillows on her pillow pile masterpiece and tucked into his blankets that she quickly took from his room. Cloak Kid was tired and settled down in his substitute bed with an exhausted sigh.

“So did something happen?” said Hat Kid. “Was that Conductor being mean to you?”

“No…” Cloak Kid said. “I was on the train… and he wanted me to solve a murder…”

“Wait, what?”

“The Express Owl wasn’t actually dead. It was part of the movie.”

“Oh…” Hat Kid sat down next to him, deciding to stay with him until he fell asleep. He was so glad she decided to, as he felt more at ease with her nearby right now. Sleep was already weighing heavily on him, but he wanted to know what Hat Kid did today.

“So, how was your day with DJ Grooves?”

The girl suddenly had a huge grin grow on her face. She pulled out the Time Piece she got from the DJ. “My day?”

Chapter 11: the Light of the Night

Chapter Text

Hat Kid was staring in awe when she floated down towards the place she was supposed to shoot today. Not so surprisingly to her, because she and Cloak Kid explored space, the set was on the moon that orbited around the strange planet. The town where the Moon Penguins lived, was dazzling with lights shined down on the streets, hung from the tall buildings, and were even strung on some of the potted plants around the town.

In the town’s plaza, she saw many Moon Penguins gathered around a stage, with a giant photo of DJ Grooves as the backdrop. The DJ himself was on stage, and Hat Kid landed as if she came from the sky. The Moon Penguins were so impressed they started taking photos as she landed. The lights were so bright, she covered her eyes, but tried to wave until her little feet touched the stage. They started cheering.

“Marvelous, darling!” the DJ exclaimed. “Just marvelous! Welcome to the first day of shooting, darling. We need to transform you into the biggest movie start the bird world has ever seen! You need to become… a diva!”

“Huh?” Hat Kid hoped she wouldn’t have to sing. “Me? A star?”

“Just like I promised yesterday! That’s why I’ve called for a press conference here on our moon set. You need to get out there in front of the cameras and electrify the public, darling! Get ‘em really up and going for your movies. Once you’ve got them going crazy, come back here and we’ll show off our new prop! That’s right we’ll unveil our new movie prop to the masses!”

Hat Kid blushed at the thought. Her shipmate was certainly not going to be happy that the Time Piece was going to be on camera and now a bunch of people were going to see it. But, the penguins seemed happy and excited to see her. She waved and they only got more excited.

“Okay!” Hat Kid said. “Let’s do this!”

Cameras were gathered around the plaza’s fountain. Hat Kid wasn’t really sure how these endorsements worked, but she decided to just follow the DJ’s lead.

“All you penguins out there know my name… DJ Grooves! And I’m telling you, this young girl here is the next hot thing. Guaranteed!” Hat Kid blushed as everyone’s eyes fell onto her, and heard the murmuring of the crowd. The DJ gestured to the top of the tall fountain. There was a cardboard cutout of a dog. “Just look, as she’ll climb up this statue and rescue the poor puppy that has gotten stuck! Right, darling?”

Hat Kid’s mind put the pieces together immediately. This was all part of the plan to get her popular. Heroism usually begets popularity. After all, the Mafia tolerated her being around since she put out the lava faucets in Mafia Town. She climbed up the slipper statues of music notes and penguins on the fountain. Once she was at the top, her clothes were soaked with water, but she was really close to the dog. Using her umbrella to steady herself, she reached for the cardboard, but it slipped out from her grip and fell down on the floor. Hat Kid pulled down a gulp. The thing had shattered.

“Look at that! She helped the puppy down, safe and sound!” Grooves exclaimed. “Too bad it ran off, and definitely didn’t break into multiple pieces.”

Hat Kid smiled for the cameras, and jumped off the top and floated down safely.

“This is truly a diva I can get behind. Let it be known that this lil’ girl about animals! Make sure you join her fanclub! DJ Grooves out!”

Hat Kid continued her tour around the city. She would greet them and Moon Penguins would take her picture. Her eyes sparkled as she gazed at the lights, the townspeople would watch in awe as she jumped around the city with grace and floated down safely with her umbrella.

Hat Kid didn’t really know why there were cameras in a random dark alley, but she just kept her mouth shut and let DJ Grooves do the talking.

“Look at how street-smart this diva is. She’s standing in this sinister alleyway, right next to some potential wrongdoers.”

The only people there were two Moon Penguins and they looked over kind of confused.

“Danger is her middle name, and she’s not afraid to step outside of her comfort zone! Make sure you join her fanclub!”

Hat Kid continued her pursuit of becoming a diva, wandering around, showing off her skills. For the time being she put on her Sprint Hat and Brewing Hat to show off her skills. She used her speed to outrun other cars, only occasionally having to dart out of the way of a car that could’ve hit her otherwise, and used her brewing hat to throw concoctions and blow up piles of debris that were in the road.

As the penguins were going crazy for her, Hat Kid’s heart was swelling with joy, but there was something in the back of her head that was telling her that this was wrong. Her whole life she had been usually alone, but now she was the center of attention!

Finally, it was time for the press conference. All the Moon Penguins in town were gathered around the stage, asking questions, wondering and wanting to know about this strange alien girl that DJ Grooves proclaimed was going to be the next big thing.

“She’s got it all, everyone! She’s got talent, she’s got street smarts, and she loves animals. She is going to be the shining light of our movies, much like this thing. Grab it, darling.”

Hat Kid gasped as the DJ tossed a Time Piece forward. The girl rushed to catch it before it fell on the ground and shattered. She jumped straight up and the hourglass sparkles from all the lights everywhere. The penguins were amazed. Their cameras were out and were quick to take photos of both her and the hourglass.

Hat Kid blushed. She had never been so loved before. In the back, however, she could make out the figure of something red. It was glaring at her. At first, she gasped, but when the onslaught of flashing cameras continued she finally remembered something vital.

Cloak Kid was going to kill her for this…

“Hattie…” she remembered.

“Yes…?”

“If you’re going to stay with us, then you need to promise me to maintain your discretion. You have been with us for a year now, and I am placing my trust in you.”

“So… I can’t have friends? What about Bow?”

“Oh, Hattie. It’s alright. You can still see her. What I mean, is that you are a part of our mission, now: To keep these relics out of the wrong hands. This is why my grandson and I rarely leave the tower, let alone the library. If the wrong person knew…”

“I… I understand. Thank-you…”

Hat Kid gazed down at the Time Piece, safe and sound in her hands. Then she looked back at the audience cheering and applauding. The strange figure she saw was suddenly gone.

“What’s the matter, darling?” said DJ Grooves. “Don’t forget to give your fans a smile!”

The girl nodded. “Right! Sorry!” She pulled down a gulp, but her mind continued to be troubled. With him gone, she could only hope for his understanding.

Forgive me, Tim…

“Who was it?”

Hat Kid was still at Cloak’s side, and she held the Time Piece from today in her hands.

“The strange figure?” said Cloak Kid. “Do you think it was that Mustache Girl?”

Hat Kid didn’t want to scare him, but she couldn’t lie. “Maybe. There were too many cameras flashing.”

“We can’t be exposing the Time Piece to the masses, Hattie!” Cloak Kid said. “It’s gonna endanger everyone.”

Hat Kid nodded. “I know, but this is just until we’re done with the movies. They don’t even know what they do.” Her shipmates still shook.

“Until someone breaks one…”

Hat Kid sighed. “Let’s pray it doesn’t come to that…”

Cloak Kid just sighed. He felt so helpless with all those Time Pieces scattered on that planet. His grandfather would have blown a fuse over it.

“I’ve never had so many people happy for me…” Hat Kid then said.

“What?”

“They were all happy to see me… The Moon Penguins. I don’t really know what I did to gain their attention. I’m sure it was just DJ Grooves getting everyone worked up over me. It felt… weird.”

“Like, a good weird? Or… a bad weird?”

Hat Kid smiled. “Good. I don’t know. I was just using my hat powers, at my umbrella. I guess our abilities aren’t really a thing on this planet. So to them… it’s exciting.” The girl frowned and pulled her knees close to herself. “I know we shouldn’t draw attention to ourselves, but today made me feel… I don’t know… special. Do you ever feel that way?”

The girl turned to her shipmate, and found him fast asleep. There was a smile on his face, like he enjoyed listening to what she was saying. With a smirk, she laid down, the Time Piece secure in her arms, and fell asleep, as well.

Chapter 12: Intermissions

Chapter Text

Cloak Kid felt a headache upon waking up. He moved the covers off himself, but suddenly felt cold. He was also sluggish, and as much as he wanted to just lay down and go back to sleep, the sound of the ship’s alarms going off forced him to get up.

Groaning, he got up, and stumbled into the living room and sat himself down in the captain’s chair. He still needed to perform his duty. Tired and cold or not.

The ship picked up two signals. Two Time Pieces had created a Time Rift. One was pink and was on the DJ’s set and the other was on the Conductor’s train. He straightened out his messy hair with his hands the best he could.

“What wrong?” Hat Kid was up in no time to join him.

“Time Rifts,” said Cloak Kid. “Two of them.”

Hat Kid looked at the screen. “I can get the one where DJ Grooves shoots.”

Cloak Kid turned to her immediately. “But, it’s pink. It’s too unstable!”

“You showed me how to get through one. I can handle it, I promise.”

“I know, but…”

“And besides, what if you get spotted? They’re expecting to see a girl with a top hat, not a boy in a cloak.”

“I-I, uh…” His hands shook from the cold, so he tucked them under his cloak. Somehow it was settled when his shipmate embraced him.

“I’ll get the Time Piece and come straight back to the ship, okay?”

Cloak Kid nodded. “Okay… Just… uh…”

“What?”

“Be…” The boy drew a shaky breath. “Be careful.”

Hat Kid’s jaw almost dropped. She was appalled to hear those words come out from his mouth.

“O… Okay.”

After taking his medicine, the boy did feel much better, so he decided to not tell Hat Kid how he was feeling at the moment. They went their separate ways and Cloak Kid landed down where the ship detected where the Conductors train was. It had stopped at a nearby station, so he managed to sneak into the crowd and board the train without anyone noticing.

The ship had printed out a photo of the approximate location of where the Time Rift was detected. Once he was on the train, Cloak Kid felt a bit chilly, but assumed it was just the train’s air conditioner. The desert area was pretty hot outside.

There were some CAW agents on the train, as well, but it looked like they needed a means of transportation, as well. As far as he knew, these birds couldn’t fly themselves.

In the lounging area, he saw many crows talking and laughing out loud at the tables, so surely they wouldn’t notice a thing. In fact, it didn’t look like they noticed the Time Rift that was at an empty boothe. It sat empty, hidden away in a little nook where there was an unattended bar. At least the Rift was blue, so it wasn’t too much of a threat. Still, he had to take care of it. Cloak Kid jumped into the air and touched it. Everything around him stopped, and white light enveloped him.

Hat Kid descended from the spaceship back to the planet’s moon. She landed into the groovy, bright town where they had shot the movie that DJ Grooves had dubbed “Picture Perfect.”

This time, however, she kept a close eye on things, making sure that whatever she saw yesterday she would be able to see it without all those flashing lights in her face.

The buildings were tall and the balconies were shaded with colored tarps. Hat Kid kept looking at the photo and then up, until she finally found one under a green tarp. She looked around for ways to get up there, and found her way up by climbing up on a trash can and then hanging onto a street lamp. Once she wiggled her way to the top of it, she stood on her two feet and jumped on the balcony. Before anyone could see her there she ran up to the pink Time Rift as quick as she could.

Cloak Kid looked around, seeing the usual sights he saw in a normal blue time rift: Distant clock towers, tall buildings, a whale flying in the distance. He walked along the white platform and stepped on a switch that glowed green raising a platform ahead. He stood on it and jumped onto one that was spinning. Two red wires were connected to it, so while trying to hold on to something, the boy gathered his courage. Then, he ran to the end of a wall and used it to give himself a boost to the platform above and stood on the button.

Putting on his Rocket Cloak, Cloak Kid jumped across the gap and landed on the other button. Finally, there was a way forward.

Staff in hand, the boy jumped down and used his parachute to land safely and make his way forward.

Suddenly, a whole file full of paper smacked him in the face. He looked and saw Express Owls throwing office supplies at them. Clearly, they weren’t experienced in combat, and they were using whatever they had. Given that this was a Time Rift, he knew they weren’t real, as they exploded into nothing upon defeating them. Time Rifts tended to be filled with things that were near it when it formed.

Once he made it down the path, Cloak Kid was at the bottom of a pile of platforms that looked like gears. They all spun, as if they were pushing something, or making something work. What was it? He wasn’t sure. All he knew was that this spinning was doing any favors for his headache, but he wasn’t about to get embarrassed by spilling his guts in a time rift. Once he activated the two switches nearby the stack of gears up ahead turned, making it so that he could climb them to the top.

Finally, and strangely out of breath, he saw the shining Time Piece before him. Holding it in hands, the light enveloped him, taking him back to where the Time Rift was located.

Hat Kid first registered how musical this Time Rift was, but she was having fun.

It was playing throughout the Time Rift and she saw the flashing light floors, and Moon Penguins dancing around a giant fountain. It was the very same that she climbed up yesterday to get down a cardboard cutout of a dog. She could see the hatch to the next area up ahead, but the platforms that led there were constantly appearing and disappearing. Some were blue and others were a dark shade of pink.

As the girl observed them for a while, she began to see that they switched every time the main beat of the music would hit. It sounded fun, but also dangerous.

One beat, she landed on the pink platform, then she jumped onto the blue one as the next beat landed. She repeated this until she jumped into the open hatch.

In the next area, she found more penguins dancing. The next hatch was all the way across from where she was standing. The tall buildings were still around her and she could see those shining stars that hung from the walls.

There were golden disco balls swinging back and forth on the wires, Hat Kid to balance on. She had her arms out, waiting for the right moment to cross. Instead, she found herself jumping between the two wires to stand on, gracefully making her away on to a spinning platform and then to a colorful dance floor. The hatch into the next area was just up ahead.

She looked up at a giant silver trophy when she landed in the next area. The buildings were even taller than normal. It was actually kind of intimidating and the Moon Penguins were still dancing everywhere with the same music playing in the background. The Moon Penguin didn’t really seem to acknowledge that she was there.

In the final area, she was in that room that resembled the place at Deadbird Studio where she met DJ Grooves. The area surrounding the red carpet she was following was mostly a vague void of clouds and distance pink crystals. The girl ran up the red carpet and found the source of the pink Time Rift where the giant gold trophy had stood in the studio.

Hat Kid knew what to do from last time. She gave the Time Rift a few good whacks with her umbrella and it shattered. The Time Pieces flew into the air, and the girl caught it before it could hit the floor. A bright light took her back to where she had come from.

Cloak Kid sighed, holding the newly rescued Time Piece in his hands. His headache had come back, but when he tried to walk, he felt like he was about to fall over. So, he sat down, tucking the hourglass away in his pocket.

No time passed while he was in that Time Rift, and it had disappeared now that he retrieved the Time Piece. He decided that once he regained himself, he would head back before anyone noticed.

Then, he heard the train’s horn going off. It looked like it was about the leave. With a groan, the boy made to get up, but then through the window he made out a red shape still standing on the station. He saw it walking towards the train, and then, once he saw those golden eyes making eye contact, Cloak Kid’s heart almost jumped out from his chest.

“Mustache…” the boy said. He stood on his two feet and tried to walk but only achieved stumbling to the floor. He heard some yelling outside, which only increased his worries. He grabbed his staff, trying to get onto his feet, but his legs were too wobbly and everything was swaying. He fell flat on his bottom, unable to move. He felt so cold and Hat Kid wasn’t here. Trying to get up only made him continue stumbling to the floor. He called out for his shipmate, even though she couldn’t hear him.

Some of the Express Owls came in eventually, but found only a boy curled up on the floor with his cloak wrapped around him. They were at a loss of what to do.

“ALRIGHT! What the peck is all the commotion?!”

Cloak Kid gasped. He knew that voice, and he covered his ears, knowing he would get yelled at for being on the train during the day off.

“This ain’t stand around time! Get to yer seats, now!”

The boy opened one eye and saw the Express Owls leaving, but he saw the Conductor quickly approaching him. “And you, laddie. What the peck are ye-”

The Conductor stopped himself, seeing the boy on the ground, shivering and sweating.

“I… I f-forgot something here,” said Cloak Kid. “I-I w-was j-just here to g-get it back. S-Sorry.” He stood on his shaking feet, but when he took a step, the Conductor placed a hand to his forehead.

“What are yer doing, laddie?!” he suddenly raised his voice again. “Yer burning up! Why did yer come out here?! I already had some craziness of a red hooded lass trying to get on me train without a ticket!”

“S-Sorry…” Cloak Kid mumbled. “I-I’ll go back n-now!”

“Oh, no yer don’t!”

The boy suddenly yelped, finding himself getting picked up from the ground. He kicked and squirmed, but nothing was working. He had to get the Time Piece to safety, but he couldn’t say anything to the Conductor as to why. Eventually, he just gave up and tears entered the corner of his eyes.

Thanks to Cloak Kid’s help, Hat Kid knew how to use the Time Piece to see what it saw. It was glowing once again. Her vision narrowing, she focused on the hourglass, seeing a vision of DJ Grooves in the glittering glass. It was a story known as the Groovy Underdog.

The first image was of DJ Grooves about to show a movie to the audience. He looked happy and excited. Unfortunately, the audience didn’t seem so happy. Once it got to the end, the girl saw an image of people throwing tomatoes at the screen and at him. The Moon Penguins saw him running away from the angry mob and then stood in front of the DJ to protect him from any incoming produce being thrown. They stepped and scared the audience away clearing a path for DJ Grooves to get away.

Once they were safe, the DJ was brought to tears and he was extremely thankful and expressed his admiration to his fellow Moon Penguins.

“Grooves…” Hat Kid said, softly. She peeked around the corner and saw all the Moon Penguins having a small chat with DJ Grooves on the stage she was on yesterday. She remembered how he said he was on a terrible losing streak. In fact, she saw how he only had one golden trophy in his trophy case at the studio.

With a huff, she made her way out of the alleyway. She was determined to do all she can to help this DJ win the annual movie award.

After all, she knew what it meant to be an outcast.

“What’s with the waterworks, lad?” the Conductor had told Cloak Kid. “A fever ain’t nothin’ to cry about.”

The boy had been dragged to a private living cabin and he was in bed under several layers. Granted, he felt much better now that he was in bed, and knowing that Mustache Girl didn’t even get on the train, but his greatest fear was almost realized if she had gotten on.

“Now, what made ye come out here, if yer weren’t feeling well?”

“I, uh… forgot something here…” There was no way the boy could tell the truth. The last thing he needed was more people knowing about the Time Pieces and the power they possess.

“Well, ye could’ve come get it after this was over with, lad,” the Conductor told him. He didn’t seem too mad, according to his tone, which was surprising to Cloak Kid. “Just take this.” He handed him a glass of water. “And I don’t want ye leaving this bed for any reason… except to use the restroom, of course.”

Upon taking the glass, Cloak Kid realized how thirsty he was and drank it down as quickly as he could. He still felt shaky and tired and succumbed to laying back down.

“Um… Conductor?” Cloak Kid asked, shyly. “Could you… stay until I fall asleep?”

The Conductor was at the door and sighed. Shockingly, he turned back and sat down in a chair near the kid’s bedside. “Alright, lad. But yer better fall asleep.”

The boy just nodded, stifling a sniffle. Hat Kid was the only one he had, but seeing someone he barely knew show some kindness was pulling at his heartstrings.

“Thank-you…” he mumbled. And he fell asleep within minutes.

A few hours would pass, before Cloak Kid awoke. The train was still moving, and the boy wasn’t sure how long the train had been travelling, but he felt so much better. He walked out of the room, and found the Conductor shouting at Express Owls, as usual. Shrugging, Cloak Kid made his way to leave.

“Oh, there yer are, laddie!” he said. “You look much better.”

“Yes, I’m sorry for bothering you on your day off. I’ll be on my way.”

“You get more rest when yer home, lad!” the Conductor said, sternly. “I don’t want yer getting sick on the set tomorrow.”

Cloak Kid nodded. He couldn’t believe that he was just making sure he was fine. Of course, he still had a movie to shoot, so he couldn’t let him down. There was still a Time Piece waiting for him that he needed to get.

“Yes, sir.”

The Conductor watched him as he went outside to the back train car and beamed himself back into the sky. It was exactly where those shining hourglasses had come from and he began to wonder if there was some sort of connection.

On the other hand, he could hear the Express Owls talking about what just happened… They had never seen the Conductor be kind to anyone for that matter. He shook his head. Damn, child! He would show them that his work was still dedicated to making the best films and movies.

And there was no way he was going to lose to DJ Peck Neck!

Chapter 13: Determination On A Time Limit

Chapter Text

Another day. Another Time Piece.

Cloak Kid felt on top of the world when he got up this morning. It was another day of shooting, and he just wondered what was waiting for him. He and Hat Kid were ready for work. She went to meet up with the Moon Penguins, and Cloak Kid went to meet up with the Express Owls.

Cloak Kid saw the Time Piece signal and it was all the way at the front of the train. When he went out, he saw that he wouldn’t be able to land on the front of it safely, since it was moving at the moment. Plus, he made a promise to make the movies, and so far, the Conductor was keeping his word.

He landed on the roof of the last cart, and then climbed down to the little balcony. The Conductor was less shocked than the last time.

“Welcome back, lad! Yer feelin better, I hope.”

“Yes, sir!” Cloak Kid chirped. “What are we shooting today?”

“Go on in,” the Conductor gestured to the door that led into the train’s wagon. “We’re getting ready to shoot the BIGGEST action movie in bird history! The movie is gonna be THE BOMB!” Cloak Kid suddenly flinched when he started laughing out loud. “...And I mean bomb in the good way, peck neck!”

Finding himself leaning against the door. With his up he tried to see what he was implying, but all he could see was a person’s deepest desire. And his desire was to win the annual bird movie award no matter what. Cloak Kid reached for the knob and then walked inside.

There was nothing out of the ordinary within. He looked around, seeing a couple of Express Owls, and he also saw that the door to the next wagon was locked.

“Did we load more explosives than usual today?” an Express Owl mumbled.

“What are we filming today? There’s no stops on the schedule…” said another.

“I hope today’s flmin doesn’t run late…”

Cloak Kid walked up to the door. It wasn’t budging and there were chains keeping it shut. On the side he saw a lever with a sign.

“To break lock, simply pull the lever.”

The boy would immediately come to regret pulling the lever without thinking. The screen on the wall came on and he saw the Conductor who had somehow got to the front of the train. He could tell because he could see the buttons and switches.

“Alright laddie, listen up. I have some news! That lever you just pulled… it starts the train’s self-destruct sequence, and that ain’t no joke. It’ll blow up!”

“Wh-What?!” Cloak Kid backed away, but then tried to pull the lever back. It was stuck. He struggled more and more, but it just wouldn’t budge. Despite this, he kept talking.

“I need a movie with some REAL intense action, so that’s what we’re gonna do! The train’s gonna blow in a few minutes! But you can save us all, laddie! Get to the switch at the front of the train to turn it off!”

After those words, Cloak Kid just stopped, his brain registered his new destination.

“AND YER BETTER MAKE IT IN TIME, ALRIGHT? I don’t care about the owls or yerself, but you don’t DARE blow up me train for real! It’s my baby! The cameras are gonna be rollin’ laddie, you hurry now! Go! Over and out!”

“Two minutes and zero seconds until self-destruct. Oh no.”

Throwing on his Rocket Cloak, the boy ran through the door that just came unlocked. The Express Owls were running around, screaming and panicking. The peaceful rooms were gone. When Cloak Kid ran ahead, he had to jump over pits of what he thought was nuclear waste. His heart nearly jumped out of his chest. The green hue in the room made him shiver. There were cannons shooting explosives. He stepped on one in midair and used his cloak and the explosion to launch himself forward. He screamed at the speed, but he landed on a metal crate that was still surrounded by nuclear waste, but he counted himself lucky. Panels on the walls and the roof were falling down. Once Cloak Kid was on solid ground he found more Express Owls in a panic while he escaped outside.

Outside, the two train carts ahead just broke from the tracks and Cloak Kid ducked as they flew past him. He had to get to the front before the back cars that were now cut off drifted too far away.

The boy pulled out his staff and swung it forward. The end extended, revealing a chain. It grabbed on a piece of metal that was still hanging and he swung over to it. He climbed up and ran across the rooftops.

“One minute and twenty seconds until self-destruct. Better hurry.”

Cloak Kid kept going. Then the one cart he was on, became unhinged from the train carts ahead. Quickly, Cloak Kid did the same trick last time, but it was too far, so when he swung forward, he went too fast, towards the window.

The boy closed his eyes and screamed. He held his feet forward and crashed through the window, glass flying everywhere, as he tumbled inside.

Cloak KId stood up quickly, but found his back aching. He tried to retract his grappling hook, but the chain was loose, so he had to just carry the whole thing and fix it later. He was already sweating. His fever hadn’t come back, but when he looked around, he wished it had. The floor was literally lava ahead of him, and cannons were spewing bombs. The boy’s breath sped up. He saw flames again… and a knife.

His mind was going blank. He didn’t know what to do. It was so hot, and his deep breathes weren’t helping.

“Forty seconds until self-destruct. We’re doomed.”

Then he remembered his goal: The Time Piece. He had to get it. Get them all! Protect them from the wrongs hands, the knowledge of them had to be locked away, and hidden from existence.

Cloak Kid began to run again, jumping onto the platforms that were suspended over the lava with metal chains. He jumped, and launched himself, trying to stay out of the path of the flames and the explosions. Using the blast of cannons to propel himself forward. He didn’t care about the cuts he had from the glass, the slight burns on his clothes, or the burns he had on his skin. He had to get that Time Piece. He would die before he let something happen with them.

“Ten seconds until self-destruct.”

Cloak nearly fell over as he entered the front of the train. He ran forward a few steps seeing the red button on the floor and fell right on it. He didn’t move for a while, and just took in the sounds of all the alarms shutting off. The boy looked up and saw the Conductor looking over all the footage.

“OH! You made it!” he said, as the kid stood up on his shaky feet. “And in time! Oh ho ho hooo… look at all this raw footage we got! Look at how yer runnin’ for dear life!” He began to laugh in delight.

Cloak Kid held his broken staff tighter. He wiped his eyes, making sure he wasn’t looking. There was no way he was going to give the Conductor the chance of seeing him cry.

“What?” the Conductor said, noticing how quiet the kid was being. “We did in the name of cinematography! And to beat that no-good DJ Grooves! I bet he won’t be able to make HALF the movie we just made!” He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a Time Piece. “Alright here, take one of these thingamajigs you like. You deserve it!”

The chain on Cloak Kid’s grappling hook was too long so he just wrapped it around his arm to lighten the load a little. He sighed. Seeing the Time Piece was somehow numbing the burns and cuts he had. He took the Time Piece.

“Thanks,” he said, flatly. On the way out, Cloak Kid just slammed the door. He pressed the button to beam himself back and as he flew upward, he just was too tired and upset to be angry. He should’ve known better than to trust in someone who basically forces his passengers to participate in his movies. He didn’t take care of him because he wanted to, he just wanted him in shape to almost get blown up.

The Conductor was left by himself. He wanted to say something, but what could he say. Even if Cloak Kid didn’t make it, he would’ve just pressed the button himself. But, no! He couldn’t let the Express Owls think he had gone soft. He would do anything to beat DJ Grooves… even if it meant that two carts had gone flying off and parts of his train were wrecked from the fire, lava and nuclear waste.

Why was the kid upset? It was just for the movie. Surely, he would understand? Though, seeing that he falls from the sky every time he met with him, made him wonder if maybe… he came from space? Was that kid an alien? Were customs different where he was from? Did he not know about the power of cinematography?

The Conductor would have to worry about it later. He had a movie to edit!

Cloak Kid suddenly saw the corner of his cloak was still on fire so he had to pat it with his hands to put it out. He grumbled to himself, but then thought he could probably use the burnt cloth for something...

Part of him wished he was in DJ Grooves movies instead. With a Time Piece safe he could just look forward to cooling himself with some of the ice in the fridge back on the ship. It couldn’t be that bad for Hat Kid, right?

Chapter 14: Big Bang Parade

Chapter Text

Hat Kid was right on time to record the next movie on the planet’s moon. DJ Grooves had attracted quite the crowd, because when she landed on the roof of one of the many buildings in town, there were so many people, she couldn’t see the ground below. Upon walking up to DJ Grooves, she saw a whole band of birds with instruments.

“Hello, darling!” he said. “Welcome to the largest studio set you’ll ever see! We’re about to start recording The Big Parade, the movie that’ll take the breath away from audiences worldwide! You’ll be the star, as always!”

Hat Kid’s eyes lit up upon hearing. “Sure! Anything to help you!” She was more determined than ever after viewing his past the previous night, but she wasn’t sure if she should tell him. Besides, that would be revealing the power of the Time Pieces, and she wasn’t sure how she could tell him without lying.

DJ Grooves pointed up at the giant disco ball above them. “For this movie, we’ll need to use our special prop! It’ll pop out at the very end!”

The girl nodded. “Okay! Let’s do it!”

“But wait, darling! Your current outfit really isn’t fit for a parade. Can you go over there and get dressed?”

Hat Kid walked up to a box that was wrapped neatly with a ribbon. Hat Kid opened it and found nothing other than a parade outfit. She was dressed in red and white. It was a long white collared tunic and red coat with decorated shoulders. The pants and boots were white and the hat she wore was red with sharp yellow bird eyes and black beak.

“You look great, darling!” DJ Grooves exclaimed. “Don’t worry, this movie is really easy. Keep moving around and the band will follow you! Just don’t bump into them! We’ll let you know once we’ve got enough footage. Don’t lose spirit!”

Hat Kid saluted. “Yes, sir!”

As soon as she heard the sound of party poppers, the girl started walking, adding a skip in her step. She held up her umbrella like a baton, rallying her new troop of musicians as they followed along. There were moving platforms with speakers that were making the music the band was playing louder.

She knew she could march around on one building, though. Surprisingly, the band was just as agile as her, and managed to follow her as she jumped onto other rooftops. She walked around, past and between Moon Penguins that were hanging out on the high places and they seemed to love it.

“It’s time to turn the heat up in this movie!” DJ Grooves announced. He was on top of a moving platform surrounded by a drum set, two keyboards and some turntables. “Darling, can you turn on the pyrotechnics?”

Hat Kid had seen them while walking around. Surely enough, the music that the musicians were playing started getting more intense. It wasn’t going to stop her, despite her nerves. She ran up to some of the giant dials. They kind of reminded her of the lava faucets in Mafia Town because they were almost impossible to move. Plus, she had to keep moving for the band. So instead, she gave the dial a good whack with her umbrella and it worked. She jumped around, balancing on wires and jumping off them to get to the other ones.

Once the girl turned the last of the dials, the fireworks started shooting off from certain rooftops. The DJ seemed happy, so she just continued her wandering around. Hat Kid used her umbrella and twirled it around like a baton.

Hearing the audience cheer made her feel on top of the world. She tried to avoid some of the rooftops when the fireworks went off. She looked down occasionally just to see the audience briefly, and the girl was never really afraid of heights.

However, for a moment, she swore she saw a small blob of red in the audience. She had to keep moving, and was unable to get a good look.

“This movie needs more action!” DJ Grooves declared. “Darling, turn on the firework cannons for the big firework show!”

The moving platforms had power buttons on the top of the floats. They made a huge noise, as well as flashing with huge light when she jumped on them. Suddenly these firework rockets started launching from the cannons beside the moving platforms. Hat Kid continued moving, but started avoiding the Moon Penguins. In fact, she started running. Too many times it looked like the rocket fireworks almost hit her.

Hat Kid kept moving, even as the rockets were landing near her. The band looked nervous, but their job was to keep following the girl no matter what, and Hat Kid, more than ever, wasn’t going to slow them down, by bumping into them.

“Time to release the parade surprise!” said DJ Grooves. “Grab it, darling!”

Hat Kid stopped her herself only slightly, just as a rocket exploded in front of her. Remembering to keep moving, she grabbed onto her parade hat and jumped over the blast. At the center of town, the Time Piece fell out from a yellow party balloon. She leapt into the air, and took the Time Piece, holding it up for the cameras to see. The band concluded their song as they assembled around her and the crowd went wild.

Once the cameras were cut, DJ Grooves ran over to Hat Kid. She was fine, albeit a bit burned on the corners of her parade outfit.

“Darling! Are you alright? You’re not hurt, are you?”

Hat Kid shoved the Time Piece away under her hat. “No, I’m fine. The fireworks were a bit close, though.”

“That’s what I was worried about, darling,” said the DJ. “I never meant for that to happen. I have my penguins looking into it right now. I have no doubt that the Conductor is playing dirty to make sure I don’t win.”

Hat Kid huffed. “Well, I wouldn’t if I were him. Cloaky, wouldn’t let him hear the end of it if that was the case. He’s my shipmate.”

“Shipmate?”

“Yeah, we live in a spaceship,” said Hat Kid. “That’s why when I come to see you, I fall from the sky.”

“I see!” DJ Grooves seemed excited to hear that. “Let it be known, that our diva here is literally out of this world!” Hat Kid giggled as the audience cheered even louder. At least she had one more Time Piece for the vault.

DJ Grooves looked up as Hat Kid beamed herself back to the ship, once the celebration was over. When he had found those hourglasses they had fallen from the sky. So, he couldn’t help, but wonder about that girl.

Hat Kid really felt like a star, and she was humming the tune the band had played on the way back to the spaceship.

“I’m back!” she called out into the lobby. Rumbi did some flips upon seeing her. “Cloak! Where are you?!” Her voice echoed, but she didn’t hear a response. The little machine bumped into her foot a few times and then led her through the ship.

In the ship’s basement, was another hallway that led into the science lab. It was where she would typically find Cloak Kid. His grandfather also had a science room where he would spend his time, if he wasn’t in his study back home. She found him slumped over a table, with a broken grappling hook attachment on his staff. His clothes were a bit torn and burnt. Upon seeing that, Hat Kid ran over and shook him awake.

The two looked at each other assessing the damage on one another.

“What the heck happened to you?!” they both said at each other.

Later, the two were settled in Hat Kid’s room, resting on the epic pillow pile with cold glasses of apple juice. Cloak Kid’s burns were doused with something to soothe the pain and bandaged, along with Hat Kid’s. The radio was on and they were listening to tunes such as Two Brothers And Then Also A Third Additional Brother, Myself.

Cloak Kid was just staring up at the ceiling with a soft sigh. “Thank-you, Hattie…” he said, quietly.

“I can’t believe the Conductor put you through that!” said Hat Kid.

“What about the DJ?”

“He said he didn’t intend for those fireworks to be missiles.”

“Are you sure?” He locked eyes with her.

“I’m sure. He’s been really nice to me since we met. At least we’re both done with the movies.”

Cloak Kid nodded. He frowned at the sight of his torn and burnt cloak. Hopefully he could just hem it a little to make it good as new. Then, the two heard the siren go off. The boy sat up immediately, some of the many ice packs slipping off of his body.

“Who’s there?”

Hat Kid was already on her feet. “I’ll get it! You relax some more.” She was already out the door, but picked up some pillows to throw just in case.

Umbrella in hand, the girl ran into the lobby. To her relief it was just Cooking Cat. She probably launched herself into space from one of the Mafia’s cannons. Hat Kid let her in, opening the door very briefly to avoid a repeat of last time. This time she had an entire bag of ingredients in a grocery bag.

“Cooking Cat?” she said. “What are you doing here?”

“Hello, dearie. I was picking up some more things, and I thought I’d like to try making some more meals in that alien kitchen of yours, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course I don’t mind!” Hat Kid exclaimed, happily. She could already think of the time she’d save from having to cook herself. Plus, her shipmate seemed in better spirits after trying her cooking.

“Thank-you, dearie!” said Cooking Cat. “I was hoping to get away from Mafia Town for a little while. It’s gone all kinds of crazy!”

“Why? Did someone open the lava faucets again?”

“No, it’s something else. I think that blond girl with the hood is up to something. But somehow she’s causing a lot of trouble so fast.”

Hat Kid gasped. A red-hooded blond girl. It could be the work of Mustache Girl...

Chapter 15: Mustached Mayhem

Chapter Text

Hat Kid let Cooking Cat into the kitchen and let her get to work. She knew her shipmate would love a good dinner. The girl hopped into the captain’s chair and pulled a scan of the planet, trying to check on Mafia Town. Among all the activity in the city, Hat Kid could only pick up one new signal from a Time Piece.

She managed to send out scouts to capture footage of what was going on, and it was a mess. There was graffiti on almost every wall, trash cans were on fire, paint and ingredients from the shops had been ruined and spilled on the ground.

At first, the girl thought she’d understood if Mustache Girl had done this, but what she didn’t understand was how did she do so much in just one night, as Cooking Cat explained to her.

With no other choice, being as there was a Time Piece there, they would have to set out and investigate. She was worried, but she didn’t want her shipmate to worry. Luckily, she found him already falling asleep after dinner. As much as she wanted to give the Conductor a piece of her mind for putting Cloak Kid in danger, they had to figure out some stuff in Mafia Town. They had a few days before the awards ceremony, so they had to act on the situation as soon as possible.

Hat Kid walked up to the table and tapped his shoulder. “Come on, Cloak. Let’s get you to bed. It’s already pretty late.”

“But…”

“No buts!” And Hat Kid pulled the tired kid to his bedroom. He pouted as he was pushed to bed. Once he was there, he didn’t really argue with her and climbed in.

“I’m not a little kid anymore…” Cloak Kid grumbled. Despite his resistance, his eyes were already drooping shut.

“But I’m the doctor!” Hat Kid declared once again. “And the doctor says to rest.”

Her shipmate grumbled some more, but it quickly went quiet, once he drifted off. After that, Hat Kid went to her room to get some shut eye, herself.

The next morning, the burns they had from their escapades recording movies had all but healed. Hat Kid woke up, ready to start the day, and find out what the heck was happening in Mafia Town, and more importantly, find that Time Piece.

Cloak Kid was awake already, eating breakfast, so Hat Kid took the time to give him his medicine after he was finished. While he was pouting about it, the girl told him of the situation and then went to the lobby before hopping into the captain’s seat to check on the town’s status.

The weather report told her that the sky appeared to be perspiring. Luckily, her raincoat was at the ready. She went to go get it, but found that her umbrella was missing.

“Cloak! Where’s my umbrella?!” she yelled from her room. When she didn’t get a response, she walked down the hallway back to the lobby calling for him. “Cloak! Where are you?” He wasn’t in the kitchen and Cooking Cat was enjoying some breakfast herself. It would probably be safer for her to stay on the ship until the situation in Mafia Town had settled.

Finally, she found her shipmate in the science room once again. It looked like he finished fixing his grandfather’s staff and was now working on Hat Kid’s umbrella.

“Hey, what are you doing?” she said, racing over.

“You said the Time Piece was in Mafia Town?” said Cloak Kid. She passed the umbrella to her. To the girl’s shock, she saw a button on the handle now, and when she pressed it a grappling hook extended from the tip and grabbed on to the currently moving ceiling fan. Hat Kid screamed as she was suddenly yanked off the ground and was swung around the room. The boy ducked under the desk, ready to apologize, but then he quickly realized he was sure she was okay, because she started laughing.

“This is amazing!” she exclaimed. She retracted the grappling hook and landed on her feet. “That should make getting around Mafia Town much easier.”

“S-So… You’re okay with it?” Cloak Kid said, shyly. “We have to be fast and find that Time Piece.”

Hat Kid nodded. “Okay. But the moment you start feeling unwell, you tell me, okay?”

“I don’t-”

“Cloak!”

The boy huffed, but nodded. “Fine.”

Descending from the ship, the two fell through the darkened clouds above Mafia Town and found themselves in the currently rainy town. Cloak Kid’s waterproof cloak was doing a good job keeping him dry. They landed atop the island’s observatory. Hat Kid squinted, tapping into her hat powers and tried to concentrate.

The boy shook at what he saw below. The vandalism and Mafia and regular townspeople alike, had been hurt. Houses were trashed, graffiti was on the walls, trash cans were on fire and those tiny black birds that had proved to be annoying to whack at were running around.

If Mustache Girl was really out here, he dreaded what could be happening.

“I’ll collect all the Time Pieces for myself! You both have my word on it!”

“Down,” said Hat Kid.

“Huh?” A pale Cloak Kid snapped out from her thoughts.

“It’s this way!” said Hat Kid. “That’s what my hat’s telling me.”

“How much?”

“To the right, and I guess we’ll see…” She leapt into the air. “Now follow me!” she chimed and before grappling onto something with her umbrella. The boy sighed. She had just gotten this new weapon and was already having fun with it like it was nothing new. With that, he grabbed his grandfather's staff and followed her, just like she commanded.

They kept going downward, until they had reached the lowest part of the island and were on the beaches. Hat Kid kept up her concentration and soon they had ended up at Mustache Girl’s tiny hideout. The signs were still everywhere, but it looked pretty much abandoned. Even the campfire looked like it hadn’t been lit in a long time.

“Hello?” a small voice called out. “Is anyone there?”

“What was that?” said Cloak Kid.

“It came from this way!” said Hat Kid. Surprisingly, her hat was pointing her towards the source and they went into the small cave, only to find something shocking… or someone. Or, what was left of them. There were just eyes in pink mush put in a jar. At least they had a nose and mustache on the outside and a chef hat on top of the jar.

“U-Uh, can we help you?” said Hat Kid.

“So… we meet again. My arch nemesis!” the jar yelled.

“Wait, what?”

“...WHAT?! You don’t remember me?! How rude!”

“U-Um…” Cloak Kid tried to say something, but didn’t know what to say. Now that he mentioned it, his voice sounded familiar.

“It’s me, Boss of the Mafia! Remember!” the jar said. “You beat me in our little indiscretion, and then your young friend smashed me into nothing and put my remains in the jar!”

“Wh-What?!” said Hat Kid. Suddenly, she remembered the stuff that Mustache Girl had mentioned.

“We smash them together into mush, put their remains in a jar! Then we sell the jar for pocket money! That’ll be the ultimate salt in the wound.”

The children were shocked. The red-hooded girl actually went through with the mush-in-jar thing?!

“U-Um, we didn’t know…” said Cloak Kid. “Though, you were keeping our things from us, so-”

“Cloak!” Hat Kid snapped. “Sorry, about him. And we apologize!” Her partner only made a tiny “hmph” in response.

“Hm. I’m without a body!” said the Mafia Boss. “I should be furious! But, it’s okay. The past is that past, and I’ll accept one of your carcasses as an apology.”

Cloak Kid winced in response. Hat Kid, ever the doting shipmate, pulled the boy behind her. “Yeah, not gonna happen!”

“YOU WON’T HAND IT OVER?! Such nerve on a small child! If I had hands, I would slap you both! I’ll just buy a new body then! There has to be some poor soul out there who would be willing to trade his corpse for money!”

“That sounds great,” Cloak Kid said, poking his head over Hat Kid’s shoulder, “but since it looks like that Mustache Girl brought you here, do you happen to know if she found one of those hourglasses we’re looking for.”

“Perhaps…” said the Mafia Boss. “But why would I say that to a mere child, let alone the one who had a hand in destroying my body?!”

“Because, in case you didn’t notice, she’s causing a ruckus in your town… and more than usual.”

The Mafia Boss huffed. “Fine. Just return me to my men! They’re probably worried about me!”

“Uh… Okay. Hattie, maybe… Can you carry him?”

Hat Kid huffed. “Fine.” She picked up the jar and they started their climb. The Mafia Boss demanded that they take him to the plaza. It was fine, as the children thought it wouldn’t be a good idea to stick around Mustache Girl’s tiny Mafia hate cave.

“She came out of nowhere!” the Mafia Boss said, as they walked along the tiny beach to the one of the docks. “I don’t know what she’s been doing, since I’ve been stuck in that cave, but three nights ago, she came into the cave with something shiny. She hasn’t been back yet.”

Cloak Kid shook. It couldn’t be… If she had a Time Piece, it could only be trouble… especially if she knows how the Time Piece works.

They walked past the docks, going around boxes and giant cartoonishly pieces of meat and then went up the stairs that took them to the higher parts of the island. Once they were there, they saw multiple Mafia men running away from the plaza, screaming for their lives. They ran faster, hearing the laughter of the red-hooded blonde girl, who stood atop the roof of an abandoned, boarded up tailor.

Hat Kid squinted, her hat pointing her to Mustache Girl. She and Cloak Kid desired the Time Pieces, and that fact that it was pointing towards her, only confirmed the shiny object she had, despite the oncoming rainfall.

“GIVE IT BACK!” Cloak Kid yelled. It was rare to hear the boy being so loud. Immediately, Mustache Girl started running and the boy, putting on his rocket cloak launched himself towards the roof to chase after.

“Hey, wait!” Hat Kid said. She tossed the remains of the Mafia Boss to one of his henchmen, put on her Sprint Hat to catch up with him and chase that red-hooded girl. Luckily, the three kids were out of range to hear the Mafia Boss’ minions cry out in terror over the fate of their boss.

Mustache Girl jumped away and climbed up two sets of ladders, trying to get herself higher and higher on the island. Cloak and Hat Kid were on her trail, though.

“Just give it up!” said the red-hooded girl. “It’s mine!”

“It doesn’t belong to anyone!” Cloak Kid shouted.

“Then why are you chasing me?” She jumped over rooftops and from one palm tree to another. On a rooftop, she slipped in some mud, but quickly got up. Then she ran past the giant clock tower and down a flight of stairs into the market area. The fountain was still broken, but nobody was surprised, given how the Mafia only cared about themselves.

The Time Piece glowed when Mustache Girl tried to jump over a gap where a bridge, surprisingly her jump speed increased and she landed safely on the other side. Hat Kid almost fell trying to stop herself from running straight into the gap and falling into the river below.

“Give it up!” said Mustache Girl. She stuck her tongue out and pulled down the bottom part of one of her eyelids. Then Cloak Kid grappled a nearby lamppost and swung across. Hat Kid followed him shortly after and they continued their chase.

Mustache Girl tipped over a nearby cart and a bunch of produce fell on the Cloak Kid. He was covered in tomatoes, but yelled at Hat Kid to keep going. So she did. Chasing to the ship docking area, where the red-hooded girl used the ship to her advantage. Hat Kid was searching around, knowing she was playing the hiding game with her. She wasn’t going to give up! Not now, not ever!

Suddenly, the red-hooded girl snuck up from behind the hat-wearing child, and in the madness of their struggle, she snatched Hat Kid’s umbrella. The blonde swung at her, pushing her closer and closer to the edge of the boat. Granted, she could swim, but there’d be no way to catch up with her if she fell. She tried to reach for her brewing hat, but Mustache Girl would keep hitting her.

Suddenly she hit the edge of the boat, and her own umbrella was being used against. Mustache Girl pointed it at the hat-wearing child like a sword.

“Stop!” Hat Kid could only say.

“I’m stopping you from being selfish! I’m going to use this to save Mafia town!” Mustache Girl yelled. “I’ll be a hero. And like a hero, I defeat the bad-”

A yell came from above, and then Mustache Girl was kicked aside by Cloak Kid who came swinging in using his staff’s grappling hook to grab onto the ship's flag pole. The Time Piece went flying into the air, and Mustache Girl went flying into the water. Hat Kid raced forward and fell flat on her stomach, but managed to catch the Time Piece before it could shatter on the deck.

Meanwhile, the swing made Cloak Kid land flat on his back, just as his staff grappling hook retracted. He sat up, groaning and was able to see the relieving sight of Hat Kid holding the Time Piece. The boy grabbed her umbrella and tossed back to her.

“Are you happy now?”

The two looked into the water, and saw the girl had swam to the surface. “Are you happy leaving this town the way it is.”

“You tried to fill it with lava,” said Hat Kid. “The city looks worse than ever.”

“Because I’m trying to get those brutes out of here!”

“Uh… you smashed the Mafia Boss into mush…” Cloak Kid mumbled.

“He had it coming! Let’s see him lead without a body! I’m trying to make this world better and you’re just as bad as they are.”

“It’s this way of thinking which is why we tried to keep these things hidden away,” said Cloak Kid. “This is why I’m the only one who knows how to open that vault on our ship.” He looked into her eyes still seeing her desires, but it seemed that her ambitions were growing. She really did crave vengeance. “We’re kids, but you still have greed!”

Hat Kid flinched at the word “greed.”

“If the Time Pieces hadn’t fallen, you never would’ve known any of this. Now, look at you! You’re descended into your own chao-”

“SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!” Mustache Girl shouted. “You’re just making excuses! You weren’t here when the island was normal! You can’t pretend you’ve never wanted to change how things turned out! You haven’t had your home taken away from you!”

Cloak Kid frowned. “Actually, yes, we do.” And with that, he pressed the button on a device to beam both himself and Hat Kid back to the ship. Mustache Girl could only sit there, staring with her drenched clothes as they faded out of her sight.

Hat Kid was silent when they returned to the ship. She hadn’t been thinking about what her shipmate had said, and he was right.

“I’m sorry…” she said, softly. “I don’t know how many times I can say it…”

Cloak was just trying to get to his room to warm up when he heard her speak. He knew what she was talking about. If it had been months ago, he probably would’ve yelled at her, but it had been too long, and now because of this whole mess, he just didn’t have the energy.

“There’s no way to change fate…” Cloak Kid said, “No matter how much we want to.”

Hat Kid wiped her eyes. “I’m-”

“I… need to be alone for a while,” the boy then said. “If that’s okay…”

Hat Kid nodded and left him to put the Time Piece away, knowing he’d head to his room after. The girl went to her room, sat at the table in her room and scribbled away on her crayons. She drew a vivid picture with green leaves and giant trees. It was a large forest, and at the center of them was a home...

Chapter 16: the Winner - Part I

Chapter Text

Hats. Seeing it sitting on the top of his closet, always reminded Cloak Kid of home. Seeing Hat Kid’s top hat would remind him of home.

And he, like mostly everyone back home, had one. He just… hadn’t worn one in what felt like ages. It sat on top of the highest shelf in his wardrobe, untouched and now covered in dust. HIs grandfather would have scolded him if he saw any part of his room in that condition.

Hat Kid was lucky that her powers came from hats and not cloaks and capes. It made her look less suspicious, at least in Cloak Kid’s opinion.

“Are you ready?!” came the familiarly excited voice of his shipmate.

Hat Kid had respected Cloak Kid’s wishes and left him alone for the rest of the day. The Time Piece was safely secured and away from Mustache Girl, but the fact that she had one yesterday worried him. What if she had more?

He was dressed up for tonight, wearing a small black suit and took the top hat down from the top of his wardrobe. All the dust had been cleared away, but he still hadn’t put it on. Despite having to be dressed for the awards show, he still found a black cape to wear, stored away with his belongings. He felt safer being covered, anyway.

Hat Kid was dressed herself in a suit, but her coat was long enough to still act as a tunic that she was so used to wearing. Unlike him, she didn’t feel the need to wear a cape or cloak constantly.

The boy checked into Mafia Town and saw no other signs of Time Pieces there, but considering what happened yesterday, that could be subject to change. As for the desert area where Deadbird Studio was, there was only one signal of a Time Piece left. It didn’t matter who one. They would get the Time Piece from one director or the other.

Soon, it was time. It was getting a bit late, and Cooking Cat wondered if they wanted some dinner, but they would probably have food at the event, which was fine either way, but she was actually going to cook for the event. So the three went down to the awards ceremony together!

It seemed that only people that were really feuding were the Conductor and DJ Grooves. When the two kids showed up to the event, the Moon Penguins and the Express Owls were all interacting with each other like they were just normal people. Even the crows had showed up. They were already running a bit late, and while Hat Kid really wanted to see who one, Cloak Kid just wanted the Time Piece. There was only one signal left and if one of the directors didn’t have it.

On the stage was no one other than DJ Grooves himself. He was on the stage, waving to the audience. Cloak Kid’s lips formed a pout, and Hat Kid just grinned. The boy was quickly over it, from what the girl had told him, the DJ was far nicer to her than the Conductor.

“Thank-you darling, thank you!” the DJ waved, as he held the golden award in his flippers. Hat Kid approached Grooves, her face beaming. “You secured our victory, darling! We won the annual bird movie award trophy! The Conductor is probably awfully sour from his second loss ever, but don’t worry, he’ll come around.”

Hat Kid was a little relieved to hear that. It was nice that he didn’t really harbor any ill will towards his rival.

“Anyway, we’re done here! No more movies until next year. You can take my final movie prop as your last movie start payment.”

The girl smiled. She held up the Time Piece, and Cloak Kid, who was watching among the crowd of birds, smiled back at her. That was the last one. She made her way back towards him, once she safely pocketed it away.

“We did it!” the boy said, excitedly. “Now come on! Let’s go!”

“Awww…” said Hat Kid. “But we just got here! Can’t we relax a little?”

“There’s still other hourglasses, Hattie. We can’t rest until they’re all safe.”

“But you’ve been resting a lot, I’ve been doing work, and by the way, we both got burns the other day.” The girl huffed and crossed her arms.

“You want to relax, after we almost died trying to make a parade and stopping a train from exploding?”

“YES!” Hat Kid hissed. “We’ve done nothing but search for these hourglasses since we got here. I know what they do, but-”

“Which is exactly why we can’t rest,” said Cloak Kid. “It’s my job to keep them safe! I promised gramps I would!”

“Not at the expense of our lives!”

“If we don’t get them back, there might not be any lives to save…”

“Will you calm down?”

“Will you actually take this seriously?”

The two were caught up in their arguing that they had forgotten where they were. They stopped arguing and just looked at each other.

“So, you didn’t have fun making movies at all?” said Hat Kid.

The boy couldn’t answer yes to that question. Of course he didn’t like getting burned, and running for his life. He didn’t like that the Conductor made him think that someone was actually murdered, but when he found out it was staged, and he felt that sense of justice, and feeling of capturing it on camera did fill him with energy, even if he was exhausted and came down with a small fever because of it.

But it was for the Time Piece. There was no time for that...

“I’m going back to the ship…” Cloak Kid muttered.

“Well, I’m staying here…” the girl muttered back. She turned away from him.

“Fine…”

The Conductor wasn’t present for the awards show, not that Cloak Kid was surprised. He was obsessed with winning the Annual Bird Movie Award, he was willing to blow up his own train to do it. Maybe people weren’t too keen on endangering a child’s life.

The boy sighed as he stood alone on the ship. Cooking Cat had left some food in case he was hungry, but he could barely eat any of it. He ate what he could and then changed back into his regular clothes, before relaxing in the captain’s chair.

It wasn’t that he wanted to yell at Hat Kid, but sometimes, it felt like he was the only one taking this seriously. After everything they had been through, he thought she would get it.

Then, as his ship did it’s usual scans, he noticed that Deadbird Studio still had one more signal. It was in the same area, where the awards ceremony was held. Perhaps the Time Pieces were so close to one another that one signal was on top of the other one.

Cloak Kid glared. This wasn’t a night to relax, at all. If they were done making movies, how were they supposed to get the last one? If he ran into the Conductor, it could go badly. It didn’t matter. There was a Time Piece that needed saving. If he ran into him, he’d come up with a good excuse.

The boy made it down to the studio. No one was in tonight, not even the receptionist. Without Hat Kid to point where the Time Piece was, it was going to be tricky to find it.

Seeing as he was working for the Conductor at one point, he decided to check that studio first. No Express Owls were running around, there was no one in sight and nothing was moving, not even the dust that settled on any long unused props. He throws on his illusion cloak to blend in with the darkness.

He found the room that was filled with the golden awards. The container that held the Time Pieces he searched for were all gone. It was strange. He recalled there being three, but now they were all gone. Perhaps the last one was moved.

The boy sighed. He didn’t think it would be easy, but where else could it be?

Cloak Kid continued his search going down the hallway towards some of the other dressing rooms and offices, when he came across the familiar smell of what he assumed was alcohol. He peeked into the nearest door and found the Conductor in his office, hunched over his desk, hands covering his head.

For a moment the boy just stood there, reminded of a familiar sight of a girl in the same position. It was late. The stormy weather was letting up anytime soon, and yet she had been there, sleeping the night away.

“Wut are yer doin’ here, lad?”

Cloak Kid suddenly blinked away the memory and realized he’d been spotted.

“Well, I…” He reached into his pocket, his hand touching the fabric of his regular cloak. Through this, he was able to tap into his ability. He wasn’t sure if the Conductor had any eyes, since he couldn’t see them, but when looked at his face, he could still see his heart’s desires. All the Conductor wanted was that award. The Time Piece wasn’t anywhere in his thoughts. “Just wanted to see how you were doing.”

The Conductor just sighed and grabbed his unfinished drink. “And why would ye do that, lad?”

“Well, you weren’t at the event, and… you did look after me when I wasn’t… feeling well…” the boy said, quietly.

The owl scoffed. “Didn’t matter in the end… Even after all that… it just wasn’t enough for those… pecks…” He looked and the child staring with his wide eyes. “And I ain’t lookin’ fer pity! Yer actin’ wasn’t good enough for the award, wasn’t it?”

“B-But…”

“Now get out of here…” The Conductor lowered his head back into his arms. “And leave me be, lad…”

Cloak Kid frowned. He didn’t think he had the Time Piece on him. Why would he want it? He didn’t know it’s true powers, and Cloak Kid hoped with all of his heart it stayed that way. There was no way he would learn to understand these strange directors, anyway.

He sighed. He didn’t expect his work to be appreciated, but the Time Pieces he got from him were safe. That was all that mattered.

Walking down the hallway, he began to hear some footsteps, and he realized he was being followed. He only turned his head slightly to see that it was just a Moon Penguin. As he kept exploring the halls, however, he started to see more following behind him.

It was at this point that Cloak Kid’s heart began to beat faster and faster. He turned the corner and saw more Moon Penguins coming towards him from the opposite direction. Before he knew it, they were running towards him. They jumped to grab him, but right as they did the illusion of him vanished into thin air.

Cloak Kid had jumped into the vent above them. He covered his mouth and fled out of sight of where he had gone. His breath was heavy. The gunning for him. But why?

For a while, the boy crawled through the vents, trying to be as quiet as possible. As he did, he saw Penguins chasing after any Express Owls, pinning them down and tying them up. Sweat was trickling down Cloak Kid’s face. What was going on?

He continued to sneak around, seeing the Moon Penguins keeping Express Owls in some of the dressing rooms. If he wanted to get out of here, he’d need strength in numbers. So he kicked open the vent that he was using to spy on things and jumped down.

“K-Kid!” one of the Express Owls said, shaking.

“It’s okay…” the boy whispered. “I’ll help you, but…”

Suddenly, a pair of flippers grabbed Cloak Kid. Just as that happened, he pulled out his staff and jabbed the end of it on the penguin’s head. The boy freed himself while his enemy fell to the floor. More were coming. Cloak Kid threw on his Rocket Cloak and used it to launch himself into the air. He grappled onto the room’s ceiling fan and used it to jump over the Moon Penguins and out the door. Quickly, he closed the door and shoved a moving cart of hanging clothes in front of it. He knew it wouldn’t hold long, but it would at least buy him some time.

He couldn’t leave until he found the Time Piece.

Cloak Kid ran down the hallway, only for a door to open right in his face. He cried out, falling backwards onto the floor, clutching his face.

He saw a set of green shoes and purple pants and the ends of a red hood. A glittering light was near her, and he knew what it was.

“Looking for something, idiot?”

Hat Kid came back to the ship. She was exhausted from all of that dancing. It was getting pretty late, so she decided to go to bed. When the girl checked Cloak Kid’s room, she saw that he wasn’t in bed. In fact, when she went back to the captain’s chair the ship didn’t even detect that he was aboard.

The girl pulled down a gulp. She went into the kitchen to see Cooking Cat cleaning up after dinner.

“Well, hello, dearie,” she said. “Did you have fun?”

“Yeah, but… Did you see Cloak anywhere?”

“No, I haven’t,” said Cooking Cat. “Is something wrong?”

“Well, no…” the girl muttered, “but…” She huffed. Where in the galaxy could he have gone at this hour?

The two were interrupted when they heard the sound of ringing. Was it the phone? Hat Kid didn’t remember the last time anyone called the ship like that.

“I’ll be right back.”

The girl ran down to the machine room, hearing the sound of the telephone going off. She took the receiver off the handle and answered it.

“Hello?”

What answered her was a very deep voice. Hat Kid could not identify it.

“The annual bird movie award was rigged. It was an inside job. The winner knows about the power of the Time Pieces. He’s been keeping one, and he’s gonna break it!”

“Wh-What?!” Hat Kid’s heart skipped several beats before beating faster. Her hand that gripped the receiver began to sweat. “S-So… Cloak…” She couldn’t even finish her sentence before the voice continued.

“The truth is in Dead Bird Studio. What goes on in Dead Bird Studio when no one is around? Blow the cover on this thing, lassie.”

The signal went dead after that. Hat Kid put the receiver back where it was. The call was anonymous, so she had every reason to take whatever the caller said with a grain of salt.

Still, she couldn’t find her shipmate anywhere.

Hat Kid wandered back into the lobby and then to her shock, she saw a signal coming from Dead Bird Studio.

Cloak Kid’s one objective had been to get all of the Time Pieces back. If it was there… he wouldn’t waste the opportunity. So, she wouldn’t either. She changed back into regular clothes and went towards Dead Bird Studio.

Once she got in through the front doors, she felt a sense of unease. The lobby was dark and not a soul was stirring in sight.

“Hello?” Hat Kid’s voice echoed. She squinted, her top hat showing her objective. The Time Piece could wait, even if Cloak Kid demanded her to, she couldn’t do it. She had to find him first! He would never just run off unless something was wrong, and she had a feeling in the pit of her stomach that there was.

Was the caller right? Did DJ Grooves know something about the Time Pieces?

Luckily, it seemed that Cloak Kid was on the DJ’s side of the studio. She quickly headed in that direction, past the empty stages and sets and down the hallway of offices and dressing rooms.

“Cloak?” she called out. “Cloak? Where are you?” She still got no answer, but with the powers of her hat, she was getting closer. It was pointing her towards DJ Grooves’ office.

Hat Kid was about to knock on the door, but her tapping the door caused it to open on it’s own. She peeked in, seeing the walls of the office covered in stars and sparkles. Then upon seeing a shape moving on the floor, she finally opened the door, and saw Cloak Kid lying there. His hands were tied behind his back and mouth was covered with a handkerchief, while his cries only came out muffled.

“Cloak!” Hat Kid cried. She began to run to his side, when she felt someone behind her. Just then, she narrowly managed to avoid a swing from Cloak Kid’s staff. She turned around just in time to see Mustache Girl holding her shipmate’s weapon.

Hat Kid pulled out her umbrella, when suddenly Moon Penguins dropped down from above. The girl jumped onto the DJ’s desk.

“Oh, it’s you…” said Mustache Girl.

“What are you doing?”

“I told the DJ the truth. That’s what happened. And I know where there’s more, but your friend won’t tell me how to open it!”

Hat Kid held up her umbrella towards the red hooded girl. Still, she shook. She knew about the vault, but only Cloak Kid knew how to open it.

But how did she know that?

“Now if you’ll excuse us, we’re going to find out!”

Cloak Kid let out a muffled scream, as the Moon Penguins forced him onto his feet. He shook his head and struggled, but they were dragging him away.

“NO!” Hat Kid yelled. She raced forward, but with Cloak Kid’s staff the two girls’ weapons clashed. Mustache Girl wasn’t fair, she kicked Hat Kid in the stomach and the force hit her head on the DJ Groove’s desk.

“I’ll deal with you later…” the red hooded girl said.

Before Hat Kid could get up, the door was shut. The girl twisted the doorknob, but the door wouldn’t budge.

“OPEN THE DOOR!” Hat Kid shouted, banging her fists on the door, but to no avail. Brewing Hat on her head, she began tossing explosive concoctions on it, but it was surprisingly durable. It was upon closer inspection that she saw it was made of some sort of durable metal. The other doors didn’t have that.

It was like they were prepared for her to go in there.

“CLOAK!” the girl yelled. “Leave him alone! Leave him alone!” She shouted it over and over until she sank down to the floor.

She didn’t care that it was still dark. She couldn’t escape the room. She laid on the floor with tears streaming down from her eyes. They fell near her balled up fists, giving her a vague memory of a similar place. The ground was dry and cracked and the grass was dead. She blinked it away and her head sank into her arms.

She had failed him… again.

She didn’t know how much time had passed, but suddenly, like a light that began to shine, the door opened. Hat Kid quickly sat up and her eyes met with the figure of the reckless director.

“Lassie, there ye are!”

Chapter 17: the Winner - Part II

Chapter Text

Hat Kid’s eyes sparkled. Never in her life did she think she would be so glad to see the Conductor. She stood up slowly, wiping the tears from her eyes.

“H-How did you-”

“Did you think someone like me wouldn’t have the keys to his own studio?” said the Conductor. “Ha! Think again! I had a feelin’ DJ Peck Neck had something to do with what was going on in the studio.”

“Okay, okay!” Hat Kid was still shaking. “They took Cloak! We have to go get him.”

“What?!” For a moment, the owl’s mind paused. The kid had come down to the studio to see him, and he pushed him away.

“Well, I ain’t gonna let him get away with fraud and kidnapping!” WIth that, he took the little girl’s arm and dragged her out of the office and into the hallway. “Let’s blow the cover on this, lassie!”

Hat Kid never expected to team up with this hotheaded owl with a loose tongue, but she wasn’t going to say no.

The two rushed through hallways, making their way back towards the Conductor’s side of the studio. There was an elevator past the many sets of desert scenes and fake horses.

“They might have taken him down a few floors to the basement,” said the Conductor.

“Why did we go to your side of the studio to do this?” said Hat Kid. The girl was still shaking, and she had her umbrella in her hands.

“Because there’s Moon Penguins all over the DJ Peck Neck’s side of the studio! They’ve taken all me Express Owls!” he yelled while stamping on the ground. “This is the safest way. I told that lad that DJ Grooves was up to no good.”

The girl nodded. “I’m sorry. I helped him. I didn’t think-”

The Conductor shook his head. “Don’t matter now! Let’s save the lad, before this gets even more out of hand.

Umbrella in hand, the girl and the Conductor hopped into the elevator. Hat Kid had never been underneath Deadbird Studio, so she didn’t know what awaited her down there. Why did it have to be DJ Grooves? He had been so nice to her.

Were those explosions really by accident?

She had to do this! To save her shipmate and secure the Time Piece.

Cloak Kid wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but he could be certain that it had been enough that he skipped his daily dose of medicine. Already, despite sleeping most of the night, he was feeling run down and the room was a bit colder than usual. He shook his head, trying to ignore it, but the motion of doing that just made him dizzy.

They took away all of his cloaks, knowing that he could use abilities when he had them on. But without the small sense of security of being covered, Cloak Kid felt more vulnerable without one. It also didn’t help that he was in a small room, with his hands tied behind a chair and his feet to the legs of it.

He sniffled. He had been told before to be careful and to expect to end up in situations like these. His grandfather had been before, because he was careless, and perhaps, so was he.

The boy shut his eyes tightly, fighting back the tears. He wouldn’t let his captors have the satisfaction of seeing or hearing him cry.

For now, he focused on trying to wiggle out of the ropes. If he could get his hands loose, he could untie his legs.

Just then, the door opened and then it was Mustache Girl who came in. She was smiling with her hands behind her back. Then, she frowned a little, seeing the sweat that was on his face.

“Nervous?” she said. “You should be.” Mustache Girl rolled her eyes. Then she sighed. “I’m sorry it’s come to this, but I’m trying to save the world.”

“Really?!” The boy wanted to just scream at her. “By messing with time?! You have no idea what consequences await if you use them like that!”

“Well, it’s better than what you’re doing, you greedy jerk!”

“Greed?! I’m trying to keep them away from people! People like you, who are using them to change things to benefit themselves!”

“I’m trying to save everyone! Make it so there are no more bad guys.”

“You kidnapped me! You smashed a man into mush and put his remains in a jar.” If Cloak Kid was any sicker, he probably would’ve thrown up at the memory of that. “The only bad guy I see right now is you!”

Cloak Kid cried out when Mustache Girl smacked him across the face. Her hand hit his cheek, hitting the bruise where the door had hit him earlier.

“Darling! That’s enough!”

Cloak Kid shook. He raised his head slowly, and saw DJ Grooves walking into the tiny room.

“He is vital to our plan, darling. Don’t damage him.”

Mustache Girl shrugged. “Whatever.” She stormed out of the room and the DJ shut the door.

Cloak Kid squeaked a little when DJ Grooves lifted his head a little and saw the bruise on his face. “You alright, darling?” When he let go, the boy shrugged, looking away from his captor. “Can I get you something to drink? Eat?”

Food. The very thought of it was making him nauseous. He shook his head. DJ Grooves sat in a chair across from him

“What do you want?” said Cloak Kid.

DJ Grooves adjusted his shades. “I’m sorry my Moon Penguins were a little rough with you. They’re pretty dedicated.”

Cloak Kid sighed, his damp hair sticking to his forehead. “Then you understand mine. Why are you doing this?”

“I don’t mean to, darling.” His gentle tone was now unsettling compared to his current actions. “But if I had these Time Pieces, I can finally make things right between me and the Conductor.”

“By kidnapping me…?”

“I have to,” the DJ said more, sternly. “The little red hooded girl said you have more on your ship and it’s in a vault.”

Cloak Kid was trying to hide his shaking. He already knew where this was going.

“That little hat girl is already making her way here to try and save you, isn’t she? She’s a good friend, but I have a terrible owl to take down. I’ll let her go, but you need to tell me how to open that vault on your spaceship, darling.”

Cloak Kid looked up. The motion of moving his head made him a little dizzy, but he locked eyes with sight of the DJ, which blurred for a moment.

“My grandfather and I lived by a code to protect those Time Pieces.” He felt tears on the corner of his eyes, but he fought them away. “And sometimes… we die by it.” His bounded hands formed fists. He threw his head forward and shouted. “You won’t break me! So PECK OFF!”

DJ Grooves back away from the boy’s foul mouth. Clearly, the Conductor’s sharp tongue had rubbed off on him. Cloak Kid was breathing heavily from the shout, but from the sharp look in his eyes and the sweat forming on his face, he was really determined.

It took the Moon Penguin a moment to regain his composure. He stood from the desk that he leaned into and adjusted his oversized afro.

“Whatever you say, darling. But my Moon Penguins will find the little girl, before she can get to you. So think about what your so-called vows mean or I can’t guarantee her safety, mark my word. If you don’t talk, we’ll be getting ready for our big show tonight!”

Cloak Kid’s heart started beating even more rapidly as the DJ left the room. The Time Pieces had to be secured. What good was Hat Kid’s safety if the safety of time itself was in jeopardy.

Hat Kid had to be fine. She’s gotta be.

Until then, now that he was alone, he continued trying to wriggle out of his binds.

Hat Kid and the Conductor charged forward as soon as they stepped off the elevator, but the door in front of them that led to the next area was locked.

“Ya gotta pecking kidding me!” the Owl almost yelled. Hat Kid immediately shushed him harshly, knowing that they had to be quiet. Before the Conductor could say anything in retaliation, Hat Kid was already climbing the shelves of supplies and jumped over the gated fence of a wall, using her umbrella to float down safely, and unlocked the door from the other side.

“There. Let’s go!” she said.

The Conductor followed when he caught up with Hat Kid, she was up against a window that showed the warehouse where they kept many things. There were stacks of boxes that were as tall as buildings. Cardboard cutouts and sizzle lifts were everywhere.

Hat Kid’s eyes turned to the size of golf balls upon seeing Moon Penguins shoving Cloak Kid along. He didn’t seem like walking around too well.

“Cloak…”

“It’s down the steps, lass!” said the Conductor. “Let’s go already!”

Hat Kid huffed and followed along.

“Why do you care?” she grumbled. “You tried to blow up your train with Cloak and your Express Owls on it!”

“I already told ya! DJ Peck Neck ain’t gettin’ away with fraud!”

“Whatever…”

The giant storage warehouse was like a giant maze. She was lucky the Conductor knew his way around the place. Trying to calm herself down, Hat Kid read several of the labels that the boxes had. She saw a box of “red herrings,” which smelled bad, Chekov’s gun, ticking clocks, which made her think about one being more advanced, and other things.

“I should keep this Time Piece for myself. The little darling girl probably doesn’t even know it exists. And there’s so many still out there!”

“It’s DJ Grooves!” said the Conductor. “He’s got to be nearby.”

The pair entered what appeared to be the grand viewing room of the studio. It wasn’t much. There were just a bunch of chairs neatly set up in front of a giant screen. Surrounded the room were walls of glass.

On her left, Hat Kid suddenly made eye contact.

“Cloak?”

There he was, on the other side of the glass, being taken away by Moon Penguins. The second he saw her he slipped the handkerchief covering his mouth by shaking, screaming and shouting as the penguins dragged him towards the door.

“HATTIE, DON’T!” Cloak Kid yelled. “IT’S A TRAP!”

Hat Kid turned around just as other Moon Penguins ran into the room she and the Conductor were in. Umbrella in hand, she leapt into action to fight them off.

“IT’S A TRAP!” Cloak Kid repeated. The Moon Penguins picked him off his feet and carried him out the door. “HATTIE!”

Hat Kid whacked one Moon Penguin into the wall, and his fedora fell off and his shades shattered. The Conductor had grabbed one of the chairs and swung it around.

Suddenly, Hat Kid stopped her fighting upon her shipmates scream being interrupted by a series of coughs.

“No…” she whimpered. She knew this would happen, but to think it was that bad already…

“Lass!”

A Moon Penguin with a chair was right behind her. She turned around just in time to see a chair get thrown into his face by the Conductor. Hat Kid put on her brewing hat and started shaking a bottle of potion.

“JUMP!” she yelled.

The Conductor ducked for cover and Hat Kid threw at the group of the chairs. The explosion sent them everywhere and knocked out the rest of the Moon Penguins.

Hat Kid turned to the glass and tried to shatter it with another explosion, but it didn’t work.

“CLOAK!” she yelled. She threw her umbrella at it, but it just bounced back and hit her in the face. “Ow…”

“Lassie, calm yerself!” the Conductor scolded. “There’s another way there. This way!” He unlocked the door on the other side of the room.

Hat Kid sniffled, but she picked up her umbrella. “Okay…” She couldn’t fail him.

“What’s with the lad?” the Conductor then added. “Is he ill or something?”

The two went down a long hallway of doors. They checked every room for any sign of DJ Grooves or Cloak Kid.

“Yes and no…” said Hat Kid. “His immune system just isn’t good for now. It’s kind of a long story…”

“Eh, well… Tell me when the lad is safe…”

“Huh?”

“I mean once I do to DJ Peck Neck what I should’ve done in the beginning!” the Conductor then said in his usual aggressive tone.

“Whatever. Then come on! I have a promise to keep!”

They checked more rooms. There was a whiteboard outside of the meeting room written out in dry erase markers. None of it made sense to Hat Kid. In fact, it mostly just looks like ramblings of someone very close to running out of movie ideas. There were no less than seven instances of the word ‘reboot’.

They made a left in a fork in the hallway. The Conductor pointed her in that direction, while taking the lead.

Hat Kid then stopped when she saw another whiteboard. It was a drawing of Mustache Girl standing on top of the planet with a bunch of Time Pieces. On the left she could read the words “Mu was here” and on the right was a small, less detailed doodle of herself with stink lines, and under it, it said, “Hat kid smells.”

Hat Kid rolled her eyes. Real original… she thought.

Finally, after what felt like hours, they made it to what Hat Kid thought was the deepest part of the studio. It occurred to both Hat Kid and the Conductor that they hadn’t come across a single Express Owl. Perhaps they were taken deep into the studio like Cloak Kid.

The hallway they entered was small and cold. It smelled bad and there was water on the floor. Damage had already been done to the walls that were stained black and cracked. There was an unused sign of Dead Bird Studio with the “studio” part crossed out in what Hat Kid prayed was red paint.

The elevator ahead of them was crossed out in black and yellow tape crossing it out, at least three “no humans allowed” signs, two “only birds allowed” signs, one “no cats allowed” signs, and one “no kids allowed” signs.

Despite the tape saying otherwise, the elevator was still working. It opened, allowing them to step in.

There was only one button on the panel, though. It was probably the only way in or out, but Hat Kid knew from tons of water footprints left by the entrance, that this was where they had gone.

“Let’s go, lass!” the Conductor said. And without hesitation he stepped in. Hat Kid followed him, wearing her top hat once more, with her other hats at the ready and umbrella in hand. The doors closed and with a push of a button they descended downwards.

“Hang in there, Cloak…” said Hat Kid. “I’m coming.”

Chapter 18: the Winner - Part III

Chapter Text

Even in the deepest depths of Deadbird Studios, there was still more to go.

Hat Kid and the Conductor emerged from the elevator, only to be met with what they could assume was DJ Grooves’ security detail. The girl watched as the Conductor cracked what she assumed were knuckles under those feathers for hands.

“Go find the lad, lassie!” said the Conductor. “I’ll handle this!”

Hat Kid wasn’t sure at first, but she didn’t have time to really think about it when her shipmate was in danger. Besides, it looked like the Conductor had this fight in the bag. He was tossing around Moon Penguins like it was nothing. He was picking up other stuff to throw at them and sometimes would just break it on them.

Hat Kid whacked around a few Moon Penguins herself, but her way to the other side of the room. She went through another small hallway, with the blue carpet on the floor having small lights on the sides, then she came across some giant double doors and practically hit them off the hinges as she ran into a big spacious room.

The floor was lit up in squares of red, blue, yellow, and green with a moon design in the middle. On the sides, leaning against the railing of a two floor platform while some sat in chairs were Moon Penguins and even Express Owls were probably being forced to watch what was about to unfold.

“DJ GROOVES!” Hat Kid shouted. She stomped her way towards the center of the room. All eyes were on her, and she suddenly felt a familiar pressure, making her feel small. She kept her focus, however. She had to rescue Cloak Kid.

On the stage with the back wall lighting the number 20 and the name “Grooves” on it, with blue curtains and the spotlights shining down was no one other than DJ Grooves. By his side was Mustache Girl, who was way off to the side, keeping a grip on Cloak Kid who was still bound with his arms behind his back and a cloth covering his mouth. He was on his knees, just glaring while Mustache Girl was saying something to him.

At the sound of Hat Kid’s voice everyone’s eyes and even the spotlight fell on the small hat-wearing girl.

“Look who we’ve got here, darling,” said the DJ. He locked eyes with Hat Kid. “I guess you found my little secret, huh?”

Cloak Kid, despite his toughened state, looked tired. He was shaking and sweat was dripping from his face. He didn’t expect that she would listen to him despite telling her it was a trap, but regardless, he was kind of happy she came anyway. Seeing her shipmate looking so unwell only made Hat Kid angrier. She swung her umbrella forward and held it there.

“Let him go and give me the hourglass!”

“You mean this little thing, darling?” He pulled out the Time Piece from under his coat. “Thank you so much for what you’ve done for me, but please, this is just business, darling. So, don’t take this personally, but this last Time Piece is all for me, darling. Unless, you’re little friend there would like to tell me how to open that vault on your ship.”

Hat Kid shook her head. Holding her umbrella out like a sword, she kept her stance wide. A bead of sweat was already racing down the side of her face. The DJ even knew that the hourglass was called a Time Piece.

“Well then, if you want it, I guess you’ve just gotta come and get it.”

Cloak Kid shook, but just shut his eyes for a second.

Don’t! he thought. No matter what! I will not crack! She’s got this… She’s got this… But his nerves did not help with the oncoming fever burning through him, causing him to sweat.

The boy jumped a little when music started to play. The DJ leapt to the bleachers and tried to lunge at her. Hat Kid was far too nimble to get caught up in that she dodged gracefully, whacking him and jumping away.

DJ Grooves leapt back onto the stage and then onto a golden disco ball.

“Here we… GO!” And it landed onto the ground. Hat Kid jumped into the air dodging the shockwave and blocking the shattered shards by holding out her umbrella. Upon receiving another good whack from it, the DJ jumped back onto the stage.

“You’ve done it now, darling!” he warned.

Then the captive child gasped when DJ Grooves pulled out a knife. His heart jumped, and his skin went pale. He dashed at Hat Kid, who managed to dodge, but it sliced without hesitation through her cape.

Cloak Kid yelped, watching their back and forth. He dropped more disco balls and made more attempts to actually stab her, but she seemed ready despite it, hitting him whenever she could. Mustache Girl held him back. Even if he had the strength to break free from her grasp, his arms were still bound, he didn’t know where his staff was and he didn’t have any of his cloaks.

“You know, this can end right now, if you want,” Mustache Girl chimed as the fight went on. “Just spill it, and it’ll stop.” She then grabbed his chin and forced Cloak Kid to look at her. “And if I were you, I’d stick to the truth.”

The boy held back a sob. He couldn’t break. He promised his grandfather. Hat Kid was doing fine for now. She couldn’t break, either. So he pulled away from the hand gripping his chin and shook his head.

He didn’t need his cloak, to see the pure malice her determination had turned into. So much for wanting to be a hero…

Since when has being nice gotten anyone anywhere…?

“How could you do this to me, darling?!” the DJ yelled once, he leapt back onto the stage. Both were already tired out, but Hat Kid wasn’t going to give up until he was down and her shipmate was safe.

Then the lights went out. Still, Hat Kid was vigilant. She may not have been able to see, but her hearing was still as sharp as ever.

A Moon Penguin walked out onto the stage and started playing relaxing music on a grand piano. DJ Grooves appeared at the center of the room, sitting at a table covered with a blue and white checkered blanket with two chairs.

“Let’s have a little heart-to-heart. Have a seat, darling.”

Hat Kid lowered her weapon slowly. DJ Grooves suddenly sounded more friendly, but she couldn’t let her guard down. It had gone quiet on the stage, but she hoped Cloak Kid was still okay.

The girl walked up slowly and, despite everything telling her not to, sat down in the other chair.

“Ever since you arrived on this planet, these Time Pieces have fallen from the sky,” said DJ Grooves.

“Well… of course,” said Hat Kid. She was hesitant to make eye contact. “They power the ship we need to get home.”

“Of course, darling. I understand if you feel they belong to you. I understand.”

“‘I feel’?” Hat Kid raised a brow. “They don’t belong to anyone on this planet. An idiot from the Mafia opened the door while we were in space and they all spilled out.”

“Well, do you ever feel that maybe it was for a reason?”

“Huh?”

“The little red-hooded darling told me that they can rewind time. Despite the shades he had on, Hat Kid swore his eyes sparked with ambition. “With just one Time Piece, I could reclaim all the trophies that belong to me darling. Every single trophy I’ve lost to the Conductor, where he has cheated his way to victory.” The girl formed a glare as she listened, hearing the putrid hate in the voice as he said that last part. “I can’t prove it, darling, but I’m certain the Conductor has been manipulating everything to make sure I never win.” When his voice went gentle again, the girl gathered the courage to look at him once more. “I just need one Time Piece to fix years of cheating and fraud. Can’t you spare me just one Time Piece, darling?”

Through the darkness, Cloak Kid could still see the pair sitting under the spotlight. The day he met with the Conductor, he accused him of fraud as if he commited murder. He goes to great lengths to achieve his goals, and puts himself and other people in danger for it. He’s short-tempered, ill-mannered, and many other things.

But never did he ever see him cheat.

“No.”

And somehow, Hat Kid felt the same.

“What?” DJ Grooves winced in disbelief. “But, darling!”

“Stop!” The girl stood up, her feet on the chair. “You know, when we met, I did feel sorry for you. The Time Pieces showed me everything. You were and are tired of losing to that owl. But, you crossed a line when you took Cloak Kid like that! I know what it’s like to want to change the flow of time, but you and that Mustache Girl have no idea what you're messing with! So, no! I will not spare you a single Time Piece. They belong to no one!” Her palms slammed the table and tears began to well up in her eyes. “And that’s a lesson I hope you don’t have to learn the hard way.”

Cloak Kid staring at him. His jaw dropped and tears from his eyes hit the floor.

“Hattie…” His voice was clear enough, even with the cloth over his mouth.

DJ Grooves just stared for a moment, and then he laughed. It further cemented Hat Kid’s thoughts about this Moon Penguin. Sometimes, people were on the losing end for a reason.

“Darling, darling, darling…” he said through his chuckles. Hat Kid just stared on as his tone grew dark once more. “You’re so persistently selfish. I’ve brought you to stardom, and all I ask in return is a single Time Piece… but you won’t share? Well, darling, if you want this Time Piece back so bad, come and get it!”

The lights went out once more. She could feel people nearby, but no matter where she looked or swung her umbrella, she could not find anything.

Suddenly, all the lights were back on as they should be. Cloak Kid was pale and looked petrified, while he stared at his partner in crime, and upon looking at herself, she saw that a bomb had been securely strapped to her torn up cape.

The spotlight shined down on the DJ. “Remember this bomb, darling? I stole it from the Conductor’s movie set, and now it’ll be your demise!” He jumped down to fight the girl and the music started up once more.

Suddenly, the Express Owls and even the Moon Penguins cried out in terror. Knowing one another, and having been in several movies, they knew a real bomb when they saw one. In droves, they fled from the secret basement, running for their lives, knowing that if it went off it would destroy them, the kids, and even DJ Grooves himself.

Hearing a muffled scream, Mustache Girl just barely managed to hold back Cloak Kid. Despite his state, he was still pretty strong. But she knew that the strength he had was temporary.

“A bomb?!” Mustache Girl then yelled, clearly outraged. “That wasn’t part of the plan!”

The DJ was moving around pretty fast, but Hat Kid still managed to get hits in. This time, the DJ was swinging back with his knife.

“Sometimes, you’ve got to think as crazy as the Conductor, darling!”

Cloak Kid was struggling to breathe. Every time he saw the bomb on Hat Kid he looked at the rest of the room and imagined it engulfed in flames. No matter how much he struggled against Mustache Girl, she just wasn’t going to let go.

“Tik tok! Tik tok!” DJ Grooves practically sang. “When are you gonna blow?”

“Yeah, kid!” She gave him a small push before grabbing a hold of him again. “Either she blows, or you spill your guts on those Time Pieces. And frankly, I prefer the latter… Please?”

DJ Grooves jumped onto the bleachers and threw down saw blades that Hat Kid jumped over as they zoomed towards her, leaving dents in the ground. She used her hook-shot on a lighting fixture and swung over the Moon Penguin who tried to pin her down and landed behind him.

“Lass! Over here!”

Hat Kid ran towards the source of the voice, just as DJ Grooves turned around and tried to stop her.

Cloak Kid made another muffled cry, trying to struggle away.

“Are you seriously gonna let your friend die over the Time Pieces?!” said Mustache Girl.

The boy shook his head… because she wasn’t going to die. He nodded towards one side of the room and saw the Conductor run up and disarm the bomb with a giant pair of scissors. How did that work? He would never know.

For now, Cloak Kid was relieved, but DJ Grooves kept running at her, even as the bomb was disarmed and fell off her person. The Conductor jumped over the railing of the bleachers and stood in front of the girl, but then the lighting fixture that Hat Kid had swung from broke off from the ceiling and everyone barely managed to get out of the way as it crashed onto the floor.

Hat Kid cracked open her eyes, finding herself lying down on her stomach from jumping. She tried to reach for her umbrella, but then it was kicked away and then she was pinned down.

Cloak Kid screamed, yelling for this to stop. He managed to stand on his shaky legs, but Mustache Girl reached out and held him, arms around his waist.

DJ Grooves had Hat Kid on the ground. She was trapped with one strong flipper for a hand holding her and a knife raised with the other. Suddenly, her body and mind caught up with the situation and heart beat rapidly. He heard the Conductor yelling, his voice cracking into the highest pitches she had ever heard.

Cloak Kid managed to shimmy off the cloth on his face. “No…” He said. “NO! DON’T!” Was Mustache Girl really gonna let this happen?

“Say goodnight, darling,” DJ Grooves said, as if this task would be as simple as shutting a door. He raised the knife, hearing Hat Kid’s pleas and tuning them out. Tears overflowed from Cloak Kid’s eyes and his mouth trembled. He lunged forward and screamed.

“IT’S TIME’S END! TIME’S END!”

The shriek came from Cloak Kid. He fell back down on his knees, shaking and crying. Everyone’s eyes suddenly locked onto him. Mustache Girl was just stunned. She still held him, but the only thing she could do other than that was just drop her jaw.

“It’s Time’s E-End…” the boy stuttered, his voice shaking, but his eyes stayed on the girl who remained pinned. “You put those words in like numbers on a text… Just… Just let her go...” He sobbed. “Please…” He shook and he cried.

“Oh, darling…” DJ Grooves’ voice softened. Hat Kid was still, her arms still over her head. “Thank-you! Thank-you! I promised you, you won’t regret your decision.” His smile then faded and he turned back to the girl. “Unfortunately, I can’t let word of this get out. It was nice knowing you, darling.”

Hat Kid screamed. She closed her eyes, arms were held even more tightly over her head for what was to come.

Cloak Kid’s mind ran in slow motion. He saw the knife, remembered the flames and the shattered glass...

“NO!” Cloak Kid yelled. This time, he had enough. He stood, with the red-hooded girl trying to hold him back, but this time, he pushed back with her and slammed her into the wall behind her. The girl cried out, sliding down with her back against the wall into a sitting position.

The knife raised into the air.

Cloak Kid jumped off the stage. Everything swayed and spun around him, but he didn’t care. It was as if he now had Hat Kid’s top hat and could see his main objective clearly. The Time Pieces, for the first time in months, were now nothing but a distant thought in the back of his head.

He couldn’t let her die.

“HATTIE!”

It was like a wrecking ball had hit DJ Grooves, but it wasn’t. With his hands bound, Cloak Kid didn’t have anything to stop him but with his own body. So he headbutted the DJ with all of his might and they both fell onto the floor.

That was it. That was the last of the strength he had. His vision was going dark, and he felt so cold...

There was a heavy breath. “Darling…” the voice was deep and filled with hatred.

“Get away from the lad, ya pecking-”

When there was a yell, Hat Kid dared to open her eyes, and snapped out of her fearful stupor. The Conductor was on the floor, his arm bleeding from and DJ Grooves was raising his knife at an unconscious Cloak Kid.

“N-No…” she crawled forward, struggling to get onto her feet. Her umbrella was too far away. She stretched out her hand towards her shipmate.

Then the knife swung down.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

Suddenly, as if it had responded to her voice, the Time Piece tucked under the DJ’s coat began to shine with an otherworldly light. It enveloped everything and everyone.

Hat Kid opened her eyes once the light had faded, and she was appalled at what she saw. Nothing and no one was moving. DJ Grooves was stuck in mid-motion, only second away from hitting Cloak Kid’s unconscious body. Mustache Girl was on the stage, sitting still with her hands over her nose, but the bloody nose she had gotten had stopped flowing, as well as the wound on the Conductor’s arm.

It was like time itself was frozen.

Hat Kid wasn’t going to let this opportunity go to waste. She grabbed the Time Piece from the DJ, picked up her umbrella. Then, with all of her might as the Time Piece began to blink with light, like her time limit was almost up, she gave the DJ a few of the hardest whacks she ever delivered with an umbrella.

With the final hit, time’s flow started again and DJ Grooves was sent flying across the room.

“I hate you!” he yelled. “DARLING!” And he crashed into the stage in the back. The knife he held had landed a few feet away from her.

Hat Kid clutched the Time Piece close to her chest. Tears filled eyes and flowed down her cheeks. She held out her umbrella, her clothes beaten up, cape torn and tattered, and body shaking from fear and adrenaline, as Mustache Girl stood, wiping blood from her dripping nose, growling.

“Pest…” she grumbled. “This isn’t over." She cursed under her breath, when the Conductor stood up, too. "Well…" she started taking a few steps back. "I guess I should be hitting that old… dusty trail.”

“Hey! Where do ya think yer going, lass?!” the Conductor spat. He made to run after her, until his heart sank at the sound of Cloak Kid beginning to cry.

“Cloak!”

Hat Kid ran over to her shipmate. He looked terrible. He was pale, body shivering, but sweat dripping down his face. The black eye from the door had gotten worse, but it just looked like a bad bruise. She untied his hands, feeling how cold they were and he moaned once she moved him onto his back. The ropes had been tight enough to leave marks on his wrists.

Cloak Kid shivered, feeling hands on his face. It was so dark. Voices were coming all warped and muffled. He didn’t know what was happening, but he forced his eyes to open and saw Hat Kid and the Conductor hovering over him. His head ached and his vision was blurring, even more so, when tears escaped from his eyes.

“Ye’ll be alright, laddie!” said the Conductor.

“It’s okay,” said Hat Kid. She picked up the Time Piece. “Look, I got the-”

“Ha… Hattie…” The boy reached his weak, shaky hand past the hourglass towards her. “Ha… Ha…”

Quickly, the girl set the hourglass down and gathered his hand in both of hers. “It’s okay. I’m here.”

“I’m… s-sorry…” he stuttered. He shuddered and began to cry. “I’m sorry… I’m so… sorry.”

“It’s okay… It’s okay…” Hat Kid whispered it over and over again, as much as he kept apologizing, until his words began to fade into mumbling nonsense. She placed his hand back down, gently and picked up the Time Piece. “I’m gonna get his stuff… We need to get out of here.”

“You know, for once I agree with you, lass,” the Conductor.

Hat Kid stood up, when Cloak Kid panicked, reaching for her. “No! P-Please!”

“It’s okay,” said Hat Kid. “I’m just gonna get your stuff.” She unclipped her ruined cape and wrapped it around him. “I’ll be right back.”

“N-No… No!” He reached out, seeing her run towards the back of the stage. "H-Hattie.” As much as he didn't want anyone to know this, the Conductor felt bad for the lad who started to cry some more. He struggled to get up, let alone sit, reaching for her, calling her name, despite how quiet and weak his voice sounded. With the cape wrapped around Cloak Kid, the Conductor gathered the boy in his arms, rubbing his back. He couldn’t really help his grandparental instincts, and the kid needed comfort of some kind.

“It’s okay, little lad,” he said, his voice surprisingly gentle. “Ye’ll be okay. Ye gotta be. The lass will come back…”

By the time Hat Kid came back, her shipmate had calmed down somewhat. His eyes had shut, but he was mumbling softly and neither her or the Conductor could understand him. Luckily, his staff and his cloaks were in the back of the stage, she got them all.

“Let’s get out of here,” said Hat Kid. “We need to get him home. Get him warm and hydrated.”

The Conductor picked up the boy in his arms and Hat Kid acted as the armed escort out of the studio. No creature was stirring in sight as they made their way out.

Cloak Kid couldn’t move. His arms and legs felt like they were weighed down by giant anvils, but he could see his shipmate. She was safe, but at what cost? He began to sob again, but his voice came out so tired and soft. After all of his training, and everything he had been told… he cracked.

He failed his grandfather...

Cloak Kid lowered his head, hiding his face in the Conductor’s shoulder. He wasn’t even sure if he was still crying at this point, but he couldn’t even open his eyes anymore. Sleep was right there, calling for him. The voices of Hat Kid and the Conductor were growing fuzzy.

He found himself giving into it, willingly.

Chapter Text

When Cloak Kid opened his eyes, he was greeted with the sight of the Time Piece before him. It was so dark, so it was all that he could see, glittering and glowing, but then it started moving away.

“N-No…” he was shocked to hear how quiet he sounded. “W-wait…” He tried to move towards it, but he then felt something holding him back. He didn’t feel much resistance, but he couldn’t struggle past it. Already, his arm was getting weighed down by gravity, and he felt so… tired.

His mumbles for protests were ignored as he was laid back down on a comfortable surface. He tried to reach out again, but his hand was then being held by something soft. A voice was gentle as it told him things, calming him. He didn’t know who was there, but tears left his eyes, as his mouth continued to move, apologizing… even if his words weren’t even audible. Soon, Cloak Kid gave in to his exhaustion and shut his eyes once more…

Cloak Kid was shivering and his tears were flowing freely as Hat Kid came back and pressed a damp washcloth over his head. The Conductor was fast asleep in Hat Kid’s room on her epic pillow pile, and Cooking Cat decided to stay up late cooking some soup. The black eye the boy had didn’t get worse, but Hat Kid still grimaced looking at it. She was sad when Mustache Girl rejected their friendship, but now her shipmate was hurt. He was hurt and felt sick because of her!

She got the emergency medicine out from the bottom draw of the nightstand, and poured some out in a tiny cup. Then, she climbed onto the bed he was lying in and lifted his head a little.

“Small sips,” she said, gently. “Okay?” The fact that Cloak Kid wasn’t resisting this time must have meant he really didn’t feel so well. He still grimaced at the taste, his closed eyes twitching and his groans of disgust didn’t go unheard. His apologies continued after Hat Kid lowered his head. “It’s okay, Cloak.”

His response was soft, but Hat Kid could make out some words. “...not okay… I-”

“Shhh…” Hat Kid shushed. “It’s not, but it will be. We’re gonna figure this out.” She settled down next to him and let him cry softly into her shoulder, mumbling apologies to her and reaching out to people who weren’t there. Hat Kid just held him, making sure he didn’t struggle or try to get out of bed.

Hat Kid thought to herself. She tried the combination he blurted out and she was scared to see that it worked. She didn’t anywhere else she could put the Time Piece she managed to snag back, so she just stuck it with the rest of them.

The girl looked down after a few minutes to see that Cloak Kid had gone quiet and was limp in her arms. She sighed in relief, seeing that he had given into sleep. Carefully, she lowered his head back down, hearing a soft groan. The Conductor was asleep and Cooking Cat was busy, so she didn’t want to leave him alone. So she changed into her pajamas, brought some pillows from her giant pile from her room and set them up in the corner by Cloak Kid’s big bookshelf.

As she stared up at the ceiling, she wondered what happened back at the studio. The Time Piece reacted to her.

She stopped time. And she remembered something similar happening back when she fought the boss of the Mafia. It didn’t look like Cloak Kid noticed, because he was probably frozen in time like everyone else was back there. He probably wasn’t in shape to really talk at the moment, so she would have to wait.

Hat Kid kept glancing at her shipmate, who was still shivering a bit in sleep. She herself was so tired. Hopefully, that bloody nose Mustache Girl had would hold her back from Time Piece hunting for a little bit.

She felt lost on what to do. What if word of the Time Pieces spread throughout the planet? Granted, they didn’t seem advanced enough to launch a spaceship that could travel like the one they had, but as long as there were still Time Pieces on the planet, no one was safe.

“You must be very lost, kid with the hat.” The memory made her once again feel so small and insignificant.

With that in mind, she shedded a few tears before she fell asleep, hugging one of her pillows.

“I don’t care what ya do, you CAW peck necks! Just get those Moon Penguins out of my side of the studio!”

Once Cloak Kid opened his eyes again, the lights were on, but in a nice dim setting. He tried to sit up, but he only managed to roll onto his back, leaning against his pillows.

“Huh…?” he managed to whisper. For some reason he was still having trouble forming words.

“Yer still us, lad?”

The boy tried to push up on his elbows, his body rising only slightly. “H-Hattie?” he said. “Wh-Where…?” He was then pushed back down by a feathery hand.

“No yer don’t! Yer not going anywhere… The lass is fine.”

Cloak Kid’s eyes were still heavy, he opened them again, and saw the gruff Conductor standing over him. He’d maintain eye contact, if he could see where the Conductor’s eyes were. Eventually, they wandered around again, before ending up staring at the star patterned ceiling.

“Is he awake?” Cloak Kid was slightly relieved to hear his shipmate’s voice.

“Still out of it.”

“At least those crows are gone…”

“They took their time gettin’ to the studio!”

The exchange between Hat Kid and the Conductor was tuned out by Cloak Kid. All he heard was mindless sounds, but it soothed him into relaxing a little. Then he felt Hat Kid’s hand on his forehead, which made him shut his eyes.

“He’ll be okay… he just needs a little more time.”

Cloak Kid turned to her, seeing Hat Kid’s relief, and her eyes still slightly red? Had she been crying? Why was she still in her pajamas?

“H-Here, Cloak,” she then said. His nose caught onto the scent of tomato soup. “Cooking Cat wants you to have some. Think you can eat a little?”

Cloak Kid blinked slowly. The soup was kind of red, as he expected from tomatoes and looked very comforting. The smell was tickling his nose, and he began trying to move his heavy, shaky hand to reach for the utensils. It trembled a bit more as it left the blankets. It was still cold. Hat Kid took her shipmate’s hand and placed it back under the covers.

“Here,” she said. “Let me.”

The boy grimaced at the taste, at first. There was something off about the soup, but he wasn’t going to complain. Not now. He didn’t have the energy for that, and the bitter taste was only slight, and it warmed his sore body. He wouldn’t be surprised if they slipped his medicine into it, and he also didn’t see why she didn’t do this more often. It made it easier to get it down his throat.

Cloak Kid finished most of the soup, before he decided he didn’t want anymore. Hat Kid set the bowl aside. He wanted to get up, to see what had happened, to see if the Time Pieces were secure.

They wouldn’t be for long…

After what he had done…

Already, he was feeling sleepy again.

“I’m sorry…” he mumbled. His eyes shut and the voices of Hat Kid and the Conductor became faint as he drifted off again.

Hat Kid checked on the vault, counting each and every Time Piece. They were all still there, and when she ran up to the captain’s chair she didn’t detect any more signals. Cooking Cat was cleaning up the kitchen, when she came out and once again saw her wandering back and forth from her room, to Cloak Kid’s and to the captain’s chair and back.

“Dearie, don’t fear!” she said. “If anyone comes in here, I’ll knock back to where they came from. You’ve been at this all day. You need sleep.”

“But Cloak is still in bad shape,” said Hat Kid. “And, now…” She wasn’t sure how to word that now someone knew how to open the very thing that holds the hourglasses that can literally bend time itself.

“And he needs you to be in good shape, if he’s gonna get better,” said Cooking Cat. “Now, off you go!”

After getting off the captain chair, Cooking Cat gave Hat Kid a small push to go to bed. She was still concerned for her shipmate, so she decided to sleep near him tonight.

As she got there, however, she came upon an adorable sight.

The lights had been dimmed for bedtime, and she heard a voice. She had the door only open just a little so she could see without getting spotted. It looked like the Conductor had grabbed a book from the bookshelf and was reading to Cloak Kid. Her heart warmed, to see the Cloak Kid fast asleep. He’d been restless almost all day, with at least one of them having to keep an eye on the slightly dazed boy who kept asking about Hat Kid or the Time Pieces, before inevitably falling back asleep. This time, he looked totally relaxed… and probably wouldn’t be getting back up for a good while.

The Conductor saw the boy asleep, closed the book and gave Cloak Kid a pat on the head, before placing it back on the shelf. When he turned around, he saw Hat Kid who was giving him that mischievous grin.

“What the-?! Lass?! How long have yer been standing there?!” he then snapped.

Hat Kid just shrugged, which made the Conductor madder. He growled, but then Hat Kid put her finger over her lips.

“Shhhhhh…” she hissed.

The Conductor just growled some more and then stomped out of the room. Hat Kid still had the silly smirk as he did.

Hat Kid and Cooking Cat took turns checking on Cloak Kid while the Conductor slept through the night. Luckily, their “patient” didn’t seem to wake up the whole night. That bedtime story seemed to have relaxed him quite well.

When the girl opened her eyes the next morning. Slowly, as the days went on, she was getting more and more relaxed, even though there were still Time Pieces out there. She sat up from her bed on a pillow pile and saw the Conductor searching around.

“Oooooh! Yer in big trouble, laddie…” he grumbled.

Hat Kid was about to ask, when she saw that Cloak Kid’s bed was empty. She practically zipped across the room, her blanket falling from the air and back onto her makeshift bed.

“Where is he?!”

“If I knew he would be back in his bed!” the Conductor snapped. He sounded angry, but the girl could see his feather arms shaking with nervousness.

Hat Kid ran down the hallway out of the room and heard a voice grumbling. Once she slipped out into the lobby, she found her shipmate shivering by the vault where the Time Pieces were. At least he was smart enough to put his cloak on.

“No!” he said. “That’s not…”

Hat Kid gasped and ran up the steps, just as Cloak Kid yelled in anger and slammed the vault door shut once more. His shaky feet couldn’t hold him up anymore, but the hat-wearing girl was there to catch him to lower him onto the floor gently.

“I can’t… change it…” he whimpered. “Why… I can’t…”

Hat Kid put her arms around him gently, pulling him close, while he covered his eyes and wept. He remembered to cover his mouth when he coughed.

“There yer are, lad!” The two didn’t even realize the Conductor was behind him until he picked Cloak Kid off the ground. He flailed a little, weakly kicking and squirming as he dragged him back down to the first floor of the lobby. “I’m very disappointed in ye! Ya nearly gave me a heart attack!”

Hat Kid was mildly surprised, but he was right. Cloak Kid was doing better, but he was still weak. She hopped down and followed them back to the boy’s bedroom.

“Why do you care?!” Cloak Kid pouted. He was shedding tears as he was placed back on the bed. “I have a duty to uphold, and I already failed miserably.”

“I don’t have to tell ya that!” said the Conductor. “And I ain’t saying another word until ye calm down.” The second Cloak Kid tried to throw a pillow, he just caught it. The boy flinched, covering his face for a counter attack, but instead, the Conductor just placed it back on the bed.

“Cloak! Stop it!” Hat Kid yelled, as she entered the bedroom. “Now!”

And with that, just as her shipmate was reaching for another pillow he stopped and just curled up on the bed, facing away from the Conductor and Hat Kid. The owl sighed, when he heard the boy crying more, using the pillows and sheets to muffle it all.

“Thank-you, lass.” Hat Kid nodded and walked past him.

“Cloak?” she said. Her shipmate didn’t respond. “I’ll get you something to eat, okay?” Still nothing, but she knew he heard him. They left him to rest to quickly go to the kitchen, where Cooking Cat was already making breakfast.

“They’re safe now,” said the Conductor. “What’s the big deal? Is it because of that hood-wearing peck neck?”

“I thought you would know,” said Hat Kid. “You did call me the other night.”

That’s when the owl started laughing. “So, ye knew, huh?”

“So, you do know about… the Time Pieces?”

“They can rewind time or something?’ said the Conductor. The girl shivered upon hearing those words coming out of his mouth. He knew. “I know what yer thinkin’ lass. But that hood-wearing girl came to me the night before DJ Peck Neck won that award. She told me everything about those er, thingamajigs. At first, I thought she stole one of me props, but then she broke it, and everything-”

“Rewinded,” Hat Kid finished for him. “And you didn’t decide to work with her?”

“What the? Why would I?!” he yelled.

“The loss of Award 42. Cloak found a record of that in your murder mystery movie.”

“Lass, do ye really think I’d be that petty to...”

Hat Kid had her hands on hips and pout on her lips. Her eyes were half-closed, unamused. Clearly, she had been told about the “murder” and the time other time he was going to blow up his own train.

“Look, I wasn’t gonna actually blow up me train for real,” said the Conductor. “I was next to a button to shut it off the whole time. I would’ve said something, but he left.”

“He was burned, you fool! He hates fire more than anything! I wouldn’t be surprised if we ended up fighting you instead!”

Obviously, anyone would hate fire and lava. Normally, the Conductor wouldn’t care what other people thought of him, but her words were hitting him differently. Maybe that was what he got for actually getting to know these kids for starters.

And despite everything he did, Cloak Kid decided to check on him.

Which ended in him getting kidnapped.

“I said no to the lass, because I’ve messed with a lot of people and things, but this is somewhere where I draw the line,” said the Conductor. Although, there was a thought that ran in his head that he probably would’ve said yes if the circumstances were different. “I ain’t gonna fight ye! In fact, yer better off taking all those Time Pieces away from this planet.”

Hat Kid sighed and nodded. “Well, that’s what we’re trying to do. It’s kind of hard to do that without telling them the reason… and them wanting it for themselves.”

“Darling, darling, darling… You’re so persistently selfish.” Hat Kid shivered at the memory.

“And why would this job be left to you?” said the Conductor. “Ya just a little lass!”

“Well,” said Hat Kid. “It wasn’t always just me and Cloak…”

The two walked back to Cloak Kid’s room, and it seemed like he had calmed down a bit. He was sitting, with his back to the pillows. His cloak had been put on the nearby chair. A book was in his lap, but he wasn’t really reading.

“Hey, Cloak,” Hat Kid said, gently. She placed the tray of soup before him. “Is it okay if-”

“I’m sorry,” he said.

Hat Kid sighed. He’d been apologizing a lot since they brought him back to the ship.

“You can make it up to me by getting better, okay?” she said, kindly. “And…” She hopped onto the bed. “Maybe you’d like to tell the Conductor how we met?”

“Huh?” The boy looked up and suddenly saw that he was in the room. “Oh. Okay. He did read to me last night, so I guess so.”

“Uh, I don’t know what yer talking about!” the Conductor then spat. It only made the boy giggle for the first time in days.

“Okay, okay…”

Chapter 20: Finding Home

Chapter Text

Hat Kid was all alone in the house with the storm rumbling. She held herself for a moment, before she decided to run up the steps and start turning on the lights. It was getting dark anyway, and the warm lights around the house were always quite soothing. Then, she remembered that they didn’t work anymore. She just dug through some stuff and found stuff and glowed in the dark.

She went up the stairs into her room, where it was littered with pages, notes from school, unfinished work, toys, and wrappers. She knew for a fact that she saw a boy fly into the back rooms of Time’s End Library and nobody said a thing. He lived there, and she had never seen him in school. She had been there many times so she wouldn’t feel lonely at home, but sometimes she couldn’t help but feel like she was being watched. Bow even had the same feeling sometimes and wondered if some of the other people there felt the same.

Bow had something to do with her parents the next day, so she would have to get proof herself. So, she grabbed the camera from her parent’s room and went back to her own, before setting her hat to the side and getting into bed for the night.

Hat Kid was hungry the next morning, but luckily, she still had some cookies that she “found” from that boy she saw. Too bad food wasn’t enough proof.

She wasn’t even really sure why she was so invested in this, but then again, there wasn’t anything interesting going on in her life right now. With that in mind, she packed all of her stuff, and set out to the library.

It had been two days since Cloak Kid was robbed. He wasn’t necessarily upset that the girl took what was his, he was just upset that he just sat there and did nothing. Tim tried to reassure him that he was still just a kid and it was totally normal for someone his age, but how was he supposed to be a proper guardian if he couldn't find the courage to fight back.

After his lessons were over for the day, Cloak Kid went to the library to study. Seeing how it was still the middle of the day, he let his hood down, his locks of brown hair being freed and embracing the library’s fresh gentle air. He set his books down on a table. He was on the second floor, where he could oversee almost the whole place, while being just out of sight of what was below, because of the bookshelves nearby.

Hat Kid entered the library. She was kind of relieved that no adult or some kind of security was waiting for after the stunt she pulled. In fact, she was still a bit tired and sore. The girl hoped she didn’t pull some kind of muscle.

She didn’t want to appear suspicious, running around asking about some kid who may live in the library, so she just decided to just spy where she last saw him. There was a woman reading a book to small children, so she decided to sit down with them, and stare at the table where she last saw him.

Meanwhile, up the stairs, Cloak Kid was working on some equations. He had just finished a particular tricky one that his grandfather made for him, when he noticed a familiar color on the first floor. He looked through a small opening between some books and saw the same girl from the other day. His heart dropped and his body shook. She was looking in the direction where he was sitting yesterday.

Cloak Kid balled up his fists. Was she going to try again? She couldn’t if she wanted to, anyway, because he was going to eat at home with his grandfather from now on. Since she was there, he might as well report her. He stood and slowly walked to not draw attention and went through the doors at the end.

As the reader got to the end of the story, Hat Kid suddenly felt shivers going down her spine. She looked around, but didn’t see any eyes on her, but she felt like someone was looking at her.

Cloak Kid made it through the staff doors and stepped into the second floor hallway of his home. Now that he was out of the public eye, he quickly dashed down the stairs, rushing to his grandfather’s study.

“Gramps!” Cloak Kid yelled. “I-”

“I’m busy right now,” his grandfather announced. The door to his study was closed. The boy stopped himself, remembering not to open the door or to go in without his permission. “I’m handling something very special and delicate at the moment.”

“But-”

“I promise, we can talk once I finish studying this.”

Cloak Kid sighed. “Yes, grandpa,” he said, softly. He wasn’t really in the mood to study anymore, but he decided to keep spying on her.

Hours passed, and people started leaving. Hat Kid had just moved and sat at the table where Cloak Kid usually studied before he was robbed. She had a book opened, but Cloak Kid was on the second floor and couldn’t see what exactly it was.

It was getting late, and Cloak Kid didn’t realize how late it was until he was being shaken awake by his grandfather. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, before seeing that he was standing behind him, holding that staff that he retracted to use as a cane.

“Sorry, grandfather…” the boy mumbled.

“It’s okay.” The old man patted Cloak Kid on the back. He then looked past him, and saw the hat wearing girl, who had fallen asleep on the desk on the floor level. All he could do was chuckle. “So, is that the girl?”

Cloak Kid nodded. “I was too scared to get near, and I tried to get you, but you were too busy.”

“I see… Go to your room and get ready for bed. I’ll handle this.”

“Okay…” The boy got off his chair, collected his books and ran towards his home on the other side of the doors. The old man sighed, a little miffed that she caused his grandchild so much trouble.

He made his way down the steps. This girl wasn’t an adult, so perhaps no intimidation was necessary. She was going to get a good scolding and perhaps have a chat with her parents.

The kid was out cold, not even noticing or stirring as he approached. He placed a hand on her shoulder and gently began to shake her a little.

“Miss?” he said. It took a lot of effort just to wake her up. Even then she shivered and sat up, nearly falling backwards. The old man had to stop her from hitting the floor. “Whoa! You’re okay, kid?”

Hat Kid shivered and looked up at the man, seeing his blue eyes and white hair. She was about to say something when she suddenly got up and ran to the nearest trash can. The old man stepped back, while Hat Kid threw up in the trash can, after she was done, she fell flat on her bottom, holding her stomach and shivering.

The old man ran over, giving a feel for her forehead. He cursed under his breath, feeling that she was burning up.

“Child, where are you parents?” the man asked. “You’re ill. You need to get home.”

All Hat Kid could do was shake her head in response. The library was going to close soon, but he couldn’t in good conscience leave the poor girl alone. He stood up straight and reached out his hand.

“It’s okay, kid,” he then said, gently. Hat Kid, through tear-filled eyes, looked up at him. “Just grab on.” The girl sniffled, but did as she was told. She was helped onto her feet and he led her towards his home.

Cloak Kid was fast asleep, when he heard some noises. He registered footsteps, along with his grandfather’s staff hitting the floor repeatedly. He knew it was him, but he also heard an extra set of them, along with his voice saying something comforting.

The boy rubbed his eyes, leapt onto his feet and wandered out into the dimly lit hallway in his pajamas. His feet made a tiny pattering noise on the wooden floorboards as he walked. Carefully, he crept downstairs and at the bottom, he looked into the living room and on the couch, he could see his grandfather talking to someone.

Hat Kid was laid up on the couch, her head resting on a pillow with a damp washcloth on her head. She managed to down some medicine to soothe her stomach and fever, and then tucked her under a blanket, leaving the fireplace lit. She felt much better to be taken care of… despite feeling like there were eyes on her again.

It was there, Cloak Kid saw the girl’s top hat sitting on top of the grand piano nearby.

Hat Kid nodded off almost immediately and the old man was relieved. He was sure that with a decent night’s sleep she would be feeling much better. Then he turned his head toward the stairwell, and saw his grandson staring intently. Cloak Kid flinched, seeing that he had been spotted, but the old man just gestured for him to come over. So, he did.

Despite Hat Kid being fast asleep again, Cloak Kid still hid behind his grandfather.

“Why is she here?” he spoke softly. “That’s the girl who stole my lunch.”

“I know, kiddo. But, I found her very ill, and she wasn’t coherent enough to tell me where she lived or even call her parents. I’ll try to get something out of her when she’s feeling better in the morning. So, please, go easy on her. At least for now.”

“Easy?” Cloak Kid snapped. When his grandfather glared, he quickly lowered his volume. “I still have a bruise from the other day,” he whispered, rubbing his elbow.

“And would you take revenge while she’s ill? I know I taught you better than that…”

Cloak Kid huffed. He wasn’t particularly hurt physically, it was just his pride, but no. He couldn't harm anyone who was really injured or sick.

“When morning comes we can talk to her about what happened, okay kid?”

The boy nodded. “Yes, grandfather…”

Hat Kid awoke the next morning. At least, she knew she was awake, because she remembered being tucked into some warm blankets and laying on a nice, soft pillow. She awoke feeling the same warmth, but didn’t want to open her eyes. Part of her knew what would happen and the impending doom of incoming punishment awaited her… at least if what she saw was real.

Once again, she felt eyes on her. She had enough, and opened her eyes, but didn’t see anyone near her. It was the same feeling she had in the library sometimes, and it hadn’t stopped, even when she fell asleep on the table from her fever.

Speaking of which, she did feel a little better, but didn’t want to leave her blankets. She sat slowly, not wanting to risk making herself nauseous, but she actually did feel a bit hungry.

Then, as she looked towards the stairwell, she thought she saw a pair of green eyes staring back at her through some kind of veil of darkness. It was a purple cloak. The eyes quickly realized they were spotted and ran up the stairs. Somehow, they were still wearing pajamas under that cloak.

As Cloak Kid made back onto the second floor, he turned a corner and then sank down to a sitting position. His hood came down and he sighed. Hat Kid’s eyes were teal colored as he looked into him. The upside of his power was that it made him good at making eye contact with people, to the point where he could recognize eye color, but that wasn’t why he was staring.

He looked into her heart, and just saw a lost little girl who was just starving, and there was also another of her looking into the stars constantly. There was some kind of longing in it, he sensed. The question was, however, what was she longing for?

Cloak Kid’s grandfather came in soon enough and handed her a bowl of soup. Luckily, Hat Kid was strong enough to hold it herself so she ate it without any help.

“So,” said the man. “While you eat that, tell me about yourself. Who are you?”

“You can just call me Hattie,” Hat Kid said, in between mouthfuls. “And I’m ten years old.”

“You’re ten and your parents let you hang out in a library all day, trying to snatch other people’s food?”

“They don’t mind too much…” Hat Kid mumbled. She then continued eating. The old man’s mouth dropped a little at the statement.

“Oh, I am going to have a spicy earful for them as soon as I get my hands on them!” he said.

“So, who are you, mister?”

“I’m the owner of this library,” said the old man. “You look like you’ve been through a lot, so you know what? Just call me Tim.”

Hat Kid gasped. Her face then flushed. “Y-You… You’d tell me your name? B-But we’ve only just met! I barely…”

“I know…” said Tim. “But, for once I’m making an exception. My grandson already calls me Tim, since we’re family. So, you’re gonna hear it, anyway.”

Hat Kid tilted her head slightly, her heart jumping. “Grandson?”

“Cloak! Get down here, will you?”

Hat Kid gasped as she heard a series of footsteps. There she saw a little boy about her age, wearing a purple cloak and a red tunic and also saw the familiar green eyes that were staring at her. He formed a little pout and stood near his grandfather.

Hat Kid gasped. Her eyes lit up with joy.

“I KNEW IT!” She immediately jumped onto her feet. Cloak Kid flinched and hid behind Tim, while she pointed. “It’s you!”

“What do you mean?” said Tim.

“My friend didn’t believe me, but I was right! There is a boy living in the library!”

“Oh. Of course.” He patted the boy’s shoulder to calm him down. “But you should know it’s not nice to point.”

“Oh.” Hat Kid lowered her hand.

“This is my grandson. Many call him Cloak Kid. I just say Cloak for short. I have my hands full at the library, so I don’t have time to take him to school, so I teach him right at home. He’s smart for his age.” Cloak Kid peeked out from behind his grandfather, he made eye contact with Hat Kid and shrank away. “Though, I can’t help but feel it may have interfered with him being a little more social. So, will you just explain why you felt the need to steal his food?”

Hat Kid sighed. She lowered her head, embarrassed that he knew. “S-Sorry…” she said. “I was just really… hungry.”

Tim huffed. Was this true? Did her parents not even have the decency to feed her?

“Okay…” he said. “Since you’re feeling better, how about you let Cloak Kid get you home, where you can rest some more.”

“Me?” The boy said, shyly.

“It’ll be alright,” said Tim. “She already apologized. And once you’re there, tell her parents that I want to speak with them.”

Hat Kid raised a brow. “Wait. You’re not coming?”

Tim shook his head. “I’m sorry, but I cannot leave this building. No matter what.”

“Huh?”

Cloak Kid sighed. “Yeah, he’s right.” The girl was a bit shocked to actually hear the boy speak.

“I’ll just get this over with,” said Cloak Kid. “Come on. Where do you live?”

“Oh… Okay.” Hat Kid hopped off the couch and followed after the boy.

The boy pulled up his hood and then let Hat Kid guide him towards her house. He was still a little mad, but if she was so hungry, why didn’t she just go home and ask her parents? Her house was a little far, but they managed to get there. The thunderstorm had died down and now it was just drizzling.

It was a little intimidating to be led into the woods on the outskirts of town. He found himself going into the wilderness, which scared him a little, but then across a river he saw a house. It was about three floors tall and carved from a giant tree. He could tell because of the branches growing out from it and the many leaves protected the house from the sun. The windows were framed with white and the front door was red. Despite the floors, it was still pretty small.

“Wow…” Cloak Kid whispered to himself. “So, are your parents home?”

“They’re always in the same spot,” Hat Kid reached up and opened the front door.

“What?” He didn’t have time to say much before he walked inside.

The house was a mess. There was dirt and stains on the floor, the photos on the walls were crooked, the walls were dirty with food and doodles made by crayons or markers. The other rooms weren't that good either. He flipped a light switch when they started up the stairs, but the lights didn’t turn on. Have the bills not been paid?

Past the second floor, where the bedrooms were, they kept climbing up onto the third floor where all that there was a large computer of sorts. There were all sorts of buttons and some of them were glowing. It looked similar to some of the tech Cloak Kid’s grandfather worked with.

Still, he didn’t see Hat Kid’s parents.

“Um… I don’t…”

“Just looked through there!” said Hat Kid. She gestured at the small telescope before them. It was pointed outside towards the window and the skies. Cloak Kid had nothing better to do and looked in.

There, he saw into space. He had seen it many times in the library’s observatory. But up there, he saw a spaceship. It was broken, torn apart by… something.

Hat Kid pressed the button and went up to the mic.

“Mama! Papa! I met this kid who lives in the library with his grandfather. And he gets taught at home so he doesn’t have to go to school. That sounds awesome!”

The thought crossed the boy’s mind. He pulled down a gulp.

“Uh… Hat Kid?”

“Oh, I can’t wait to tell Bow! She’s gonna flip!”

Cloak Kid wasn’t sure how to say anything without fearing he’d upset her. It kind of made sense why she stole from him now… but was he bad for still being a bit mad?

“Hattie?”

“Yeah?”

“Are your parents… uh…”

Suddenly, the smile faded away from the girl’s face. She looked up and frowned.

“Dead? Yeah, they are…” She turned to him. “So?”

Cloak Kid gathered his hands together. “Well, who takes care of you?”

“Well… I do.”

“How did they… uh… end up like that?”

Hat Kid sighed. “Well, I don’t really know… My parents were going into space for just one day to get something from a nearby planet. I woke up the next morning to the alarms and I came here, and I… found the ship like that.” She gripped her arm, tears welling up in her eyes.

“So… is that why you stole-”

“I was just so hungry…” the girl replied sheepishly. “I’m sorry.”

“Oh. I, uh… I’m r-really sorry, too.”

Hat Kid wiped her eyes. “It’s okay. I still live here, so I can be close to my parents, and the school and the neighbors don’t know about it, either.” She held back a whimper. “Y-You won’t tell anyone, right?”

“U-Um, I-”

Suddenly, there was a thud downstairs. It startled both of the kids.

“Wait, here!” said Hat Kid.

The boy timidly waited, tucking his hands under his cloak and just waited. It didn’t sound better when he suddenly heard stuff being thrown and the tiny screams of a child. He shook. There was somebody in the house. All he could remember was when he was robbed. He didn’t care that Hat Kid stole his food, he was just afraid of what was going on right now.

His hands balled up into fists and gripped the lower part of his tunic. Sweat formed on his forehead. After a few deep breaths, he glared and turned to the door.

“I must act!” he whispered.

Cloak Kid ran down the stairs and nearly tripped on something. He looked down and picked up a blue umbrella.

“Where is he?!”

Hat Kid yelped and ran for cover behind the living room couch. A tall figure stalked in the darkness. He wore a white suit, and a matching bowler hat.

“I… I don’t know…” she whispered.

“I saw the boy walk in here! Now where is he?!”

Suddenly, the man walked around and closed in on the girl. Hat Kid curled in on herself, closing her eyes and covering herself with her arms.

TWACK!

Hat Kid jumped at the noise. She dared to look and saw that Cloak Kid rushed downstairs and knocked out the man. He was holding a blue umbrella with stars on it. The two looked at the man and saw a mask on his face. Hat Kid slowly reached out her hand, attempting to investigate, but Cloak Kid grabbed her wrist.

“Come on!” he said, urgently. He pulled the girl to the door. “We have to go!”

“But-”

“I’ll explain later. Now, come on!” And together, they ran from the house.

Hat Kid was shaken up once they made it back to Time’s End library. She sat on the couch, shivering, while Cloak Kid was in the kitchen explaining what happened. Then, he came back, saw Hat Kid holding herself and took off his cloak, and used it to wrap it around her.

“Huh?” She was thankful for the warmth, since it was comforting.

“I know you’re not cold,” said Cloak Kid. “But… Whenever I was scared when I was little, the only thing that would calm me down was when my gramps would wrap me up in a blanket.” Slowly, he took off the girl’s top hat and pulled the hood up. Then he set the hat aside

Hat Kid’s shivering grew less and less.

“I’m sorry…” she said.

“Huh?” the boy asked.

“For stealing your lunch…” Hat Kid mumbled.

The boy frowned. She didn’t know anything about the significance of today, but he couldn’t blame her. He should’ve been watching himself more closely.

“It’s… It’s okay…” Cloak Kid then replied. “Actually, are you hungry right now?”

“Well, don’t worry about that, because lunch is almost ready!” Tim announced, walking in from the kitchen. “How are you holding up, Hattie?”

“I’m… I’m okay…” Hat Kid said.

Tim knelt down with the help of staff. “Now kid… I’m really sorry. I didn’t know what happened back there. And thank-you Cloaky, for keeping her safe.”

The boy nodded. “Of course.”

“I know this is kind of sudden, but… I want you to stay with us, at least until we can find you a suitable place to live.”

Hat Kid suddenly looked up. Her eyes began to water with tears. “You would… do that?”

Tim nodded. “Now Hattie. I, uh… Well, you’ve seen it. Not everybody seems to like me.” He put a finger to his chin and thought for a moment. “And now it seems they know about my grandson, as well. I’m worried, but you let me handle that. Is there anything you need me to pick up for you?”

Hat Kid shook her head. Then she sniffled and started crying. “Thank-you…” Cloak Kid frowned and reached out his arms, hugging his new roommate.

“Don’t worry about it, kiddo. Well, seeing as the bills at your old house haven’t been paid in a while, I’m assuming you haven’t been cleaned in a while. I’ll start a bath for you. That sound okay?”

Once the girl calmed down a little, she looked up. “Yeah… I do kind of stink, don’t I?”

“Yep.”

“Hey!” she snapped.

“What? You said it, I’m just agreeing with you.”

“I’ll start the water, Tim,” said Cloak Kid. “Hattie, you can use some of my clothes until we wash the ones you have.”

And finally the girl smiled through the tears. “Okay.” She was so happy for the first time in months. She didn’t think stealing a kid’s lunch would get her a new place to live and a new friend to play with.

For the first time in months, she felt loved...

Chapter 21: Under Contract

Chapter Text

Cooking Cat made Cloak Kid some tea to drink before bed. It was pretty sweet and was doing a good job making a restless boy like him sleepy. With just a little more care, he’d be back on his feet… until his sickness spikes up again.

How many more times would that happen? The boy wondered. Back when they met, they could do anything together, look after one another without having to worry about his condition.

He wasn’t a burden back then.

Until that man with the mask came…

What would he tell his grandfather? He curled up on the bed and thought to himself. He broke his code and decided to protect Hat Kid over the Time PIeces. Of course he was relieved she was okay, but what now? He shouldn’t have put his selfish desire over the fate of time itself.

When Hat Kid came into the room to check on him, she found him fast asleep, but tears had flown out from his eyes.

As much as she wanted to know what was wrong, she didn’t ask. She let him sleep.

The next morning, the Conductor headed back to Deadbird Studio to make sure his side of the place was secured. Cloak Kid was a bit sad to see him go, but knew it was necessary. He left early in the morning, and Cloak Kid said his goodbyes before his shipmate sent him back to bed.

He was looking better day by day. The color was returning to his face, and his fever had gone. Just to be safe, however, she was still making sure he was getting his rest.

He still seemed upset, and Hat Kid wondered if it was because of the Time Pieces. She still hadn’t really told him what happened. Still, she would constantly glance at her hand, the one she reached out in that panic and basically stopped time.

If she could do that, maybe she could use it… in a way. But the thought of using them sent shivers down her spine. She shook her head.

With no more signals coming from Deadbird Studio. She moved the ship to another part of the planet, and there were more signals incoming. This part of the planet was more purply with tall, strange trees, like a forest. It looked odd, but Hat Kid had been through her fair share of forests.

Cloak Kid woke up, rubbing his eyes and was careful to sneak out of bed and into the lobby, as he saw what Hat Kid was looking at. He suddenly remembered their task and how fast they had to get back to it, but now he had to keep the Time Pieces safe, somehow, even with the ship's security.

“Subcon Forest?” Cloak Kid read from the ship’s holographic screens. The trees looked odd. They were brown, but had an odd purplish hue to them, even the trees. A part of it looked like it had been burned down, while another part looked frozen over.

Hat Kid nearly jumped out of the captain’s chair. “Geez! Don’t just sneak up on me!”

“It’s a gift…” Cloak Kid mumbled. “Well, before…”

“Hey, don’t talk like that,” said Hat Kid. “Look how much you’ve improved since then.” Despite this, she still felt her heart sink a little.

“But…”

“There’s going to be ups and downs.”

“I know, but… how do we get out of this down…? She knows how to open the vault. And I don’t know how to change it. And I…”

Hat Kid turned around in the chair as soon as he heard him sniffle.

“I couldn’t do anything… I put what I wanted over my code…” His eyes sparkled with the thin layer of tears that entered his eyes. “I wanted to protect you…”

Hat Kid frowned. “I’m… I’m sorry…”

Cloak Kid shook his head. “No, I am. I… I don’t know…”

“No…” the girl then said. “I’m not sorry. You did what you wanted because you’re like me. You’re like anyone on that planet and others. You wanted to do what you wanted, and you’re a kid! I’m a kid! So, stop acting like some adult when you’re only twelve! I’m only twelve!” she then yelled. “We’ll get out of this and keep each other alive, okay?!”

“But our lives won’t be anything if the wrong person-”

“I know!” Hat Kid snapped. “But I’m sick of living by the code your gramps said we had to live by: Putting the Time Pieces before our own lives…”

“But…”

“Now go lay down. I’ll make you breakfast, and I’ll check out the forest myself.”

Cloak Kid was about to say something more in protest. He didn’t want to lay around while the girl explored a new area, but one sharp glare quickly shut his trap.

To prevent Cloak Kid’s restlessness, the two came to a compromise. He would stay on the ship, but would watch from the captain’s chair, bundled up in blankets and leaning against the pillows Once he was fed and given his medicine, Hat Kid helped him get set up. Now that it was settled, Hat Kid got her umbrella and opened the door, ready to jump down.

“Hattie!” Cloak Kid then called. He turned his head suddenly. Seeing Hat Kid armed and ready for battle only brought back memories of that night. But, all he could say at that moment was…

“Be careful… I don’t like how that forest looks…”

“I don’t think you like how anything has looked on this planet,” Hat Kid quipped.

And for the first time in days, the boy cracked a smile. “I guess not…”

“Now you take it easy. I’ll be back with at least one Time Piece!”

The forest was still on fire!

Hat Kid landed on her two feet. Somehow, though, the fire did nothing to make her feel any extreme heat, or any at all. It was also a weird indigo color, and the flames would get higher if she got near it. It was only then that she felt any type of heat at all. The ground seemed normal enough. It was green with little white flowers growing. A pond was in the middle of the clearing where she was, and a giant tree that seemed to pierce the very clouds was hollowed out at bottom to look like some kind of scary face.

“Found your way here, already? That’s a shame…”

Hat Kid then heard someone mumble. She didn’t see anyone, but saw a figure running away from her, down the lonely dirt path. Already, the girl was a bit spooked, but she thought it was better than having to worry about her shipmate at the same time. Tapping into her hat power, her vision narrowed, and saw her target up ahead. A Time Piece! Or at least something that could lead her to one…

She had no choice. Umbrella in hand she started chasing after that weird purple figure into the forest. The girl also briefly remembered how adults should be telling kids to stay out of forests, but at this point it was too late for that.

She kept chasing the odd figure, but then she suddenly felt the ground move up. A white tarp swept her off her feet and suddenly she was trapped like a groceries in a bag, while hanging at least ten feet in the air.

Hat Kid struggled to stand, let alone sit. Luckily, she still had her umbrella and began to whack it all around. She heard the sound of crows and then everything was shaking, like there were footsteps. This only prompted the girl to strike harder and more wild. She had to get out.

Finally, she felt something loosen and used her hands to tear the hole she made further. She tumbled out, barely getting any time to use her umbrella to slow her fall. It reduced the speed at which she fell, but she still hit the ground hard.

Hat Kid tried to get up, when suddenly everything around her turned dark, like she was trapped in a dark void, except for the ground she stood on, which had turned into a glowing purple color, like some kind of spooky spotlight. Once she stood onto her feet, there was a flash of lightning and then she saw a tall figure standing over her.

It was quite literally a shadow that was somehow giving form. It was tall and didn’t have feet, like he was some sort of ghost. His arms were thin and he had small tufts around his neck. His eyes and mouth were just glowing with an ominous yellow light. He had a huge grin on his face.

“AHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” The laugh made Hat Kid fall backwards onto the ground. “FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL! You blew it! You totally screwed yourself! Nobody enters my forest and leaves in one piece!” He gazed down at the girl, who had, in one minute, became a pale trembling mess. “Tell you what, though,” he said, as he thought for a moment. “Hang on a minute! You get to live! That’s right! Aren’t you lucky?! Normally I’d eat your soul and toss your body, but you’re a lucky one! You won the lottery, because I just happen to be missing a braindead servant!”

Hat Kid’s lip was quivering so fast that all she could manage was a very soft, “Huh?”

“That’s right! The old one got himself killed, his head popped off, and now I need a new towel boy!”

Suddenly a piece of paper appeared before the girl. Next to it was a feathered quill.

“So tell you what, I’ve got a piece of paper here! Don’t worry about the details! I just need you to sign right here at the bottom!”

Hat Kid wasn’t stupid. She had to know what the heck she was getting into. She took the paper, and it looked pretty old, but the ink on it was pretty clear.

- Find the Subcon Village

- Murder the Spirits

- Clean the Subcon Well

Murder?! Hat Kid thought in horror. The very thing she tried to prevent from happening just the other day. She read more, seeing something that said, “I’ll be keeping the following hostage:

YOUR SOUL

…but keep anything you find on the way.”

Her soul?! Could this being actually do that? Then again, she was standing in an empty void. She’d been chased by the Mafia, starred in movies, and fought a penguin. What would she be without her soul? Would she die?! She couldn’t do this, let alone murder spirits. She lowered the paper, staring up at the mysterious being.

“C’mon now, don’t make this difficult!” he said. “You don’t really have a say in this! Sign the paper!”

“No!” she then said. It was the first time she spoke up since finding herself trapped here. The creature’s eye twitched, and suddenly he raised his voice.

“I don’t think I made this clear enough: YOUR OPINION DOESN’T MATTER TO ME. Put your name on the contract or I’ll make your dead, hollowed body sign it for you!”

At the tone, Hat Kid thought her soul would just jump out of her body. If she didn’t do this, she feared he’d take her soul anyway and leave her for dead. There had to be a way around this, or to get out of this.

She couldn’t die.

She couldn’t let him down.

And moreover, she couldn’t let herself down, either.

So she gave in, and signed her name onto the paper. It disappeared and reappeared in the creature’s hand.

“AHHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! That seals the deal!” he exclaimed. “We’re in business! Let me just grab this real quick…”

Hat Kid was about to question what he meant, when she felt bolts of purple lightning strike her. She felt them strike deep into her body as she cried out in pain. The girl fell on her hands and knees, and then she looked up, seeing the being holding some sort of wisp in his hand, while she felt exceedingly empty inside.

That was it. Her soul.

“Whoops! Guess this soul belongs to me now! Don’t worry, though! If you finish your chores quickly, you’ll have your soul back real soon!”

Hat Kid’s vision blurred. Just as everything went dark, the creature said one more thing.

“And don’t you dare forget our little contract!”

“Hattie! Hattie!”

Hat Kid opened her eyes, and saw the trees of the forest above her. She felt numb, and completely empty inside. She thought the familiar touch of her shipmate’s hands would cure that, but it didn’t.

“Cloak?!” She sat up immediately, seeing her friend kneeling before her. His cloak was over his head, but the second he looked at her, he scooted back. “What…” She looked around. They were still in the forest. She didn’t feel any pain, but the emptiness remained. “What are you doing here?” She stood, causing Cloak Kid to stand as well and step back. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t… I…”

“What?”

“I can’t see the feelings in your heart…” said Cloak Kid. “You disappeared and then you came back, but you weren’t moving, so I couldn’t just leave you here.”

Hat Kid stopped for a moment, her hat suddenly toppling off of her head. She caught it in her hands, and saw a piece of paper within it.

It was the contract.

The two found a bench to recuperate at, down the path. Cloak Kid was sure Hat Kid wasn’t some kind of illusion. She was very much real. He just couldn’t see into the depths of her soul… because she no longer had one.

“For… what, exactly?”

“Because I trespassed on his forest, I guess…” said Hat Kid. “That’s why you should go back, before he finds you, too. There’s mushrooms here and other plants, they might make you sick!”

“Actually, they haven’t…” Cloak Kid said, looking around. Despite what happened, he was amazed by the glowing mushrooms around them. “They’re really pretty.” He shook his head. “A-Anyway! We’ve got to get your soul back! Are you feeling okay?”

“Just… really empty…”

“Uh… okay,” said Cloak Kid. “Okay…”

Hat Kid tilted her head. “You’re a bit calm about this.”

“A… Gramps went on all kinds of adventures… Anyway, I’ve… heard crazier, and clearly, this thing… is… capable of… doing that… We have hourglasses to find that are capable of bending time, hats and cloaks that grant us powers. Let’s just figure this out. What does that contract say…?”

“Um…” Hat Kid pulled the paper out of her hat. “‘Find the Subcon Village,’ ‘Murder the Spirits’...”

“MURDER?!”

Hat Kid immediately covered her shipmate’s mouth. “Keep it down!” she hissed. Once he stopped talking, she slowly took her hand away.

“Did it really say ‘murder’?” he stuttered.

The girl nodded. “And the last one says to, ‘clean the Subcon Well’.”

“I-I was gonna say that for now you should do what he said, but ‘murder’? That’s insane! There’s no way, you could ever-”

Hat Kid just stared at him while Cloak Kid rambled on. Somehow, she didn’t feel any knots in her stomach, her heart dropping, or anything at the thought. Maybe it had to do with having no soul? She wouldn’t say this to him. At least not, now. He didn’t want to send him into another coughing fit out of fear.

“Look,” she said. “We don’t really have a choice right now, so just go back to the ship. I’ll handle this.”

“No!” Cloak Kid said. “I don’t… I… We still have to find the Time Pieces, and you can’t really do that if you're under some contract.”

Hat Kid frowned. She could tell from the pained look on his face that he was still very concerned for him and it was making him upset. She knew it was going to take more than a few words to convince him that this type of behavior and feelings were normal.

“Okay…” the girl then conceded. “But stay hidden and stay out of sight! Those weird purple figures probably work for that weird shadow noodle dude. So, make sure they don’t see you and don’t fall into any of their traps.”

Cloak Kid nodded. “Don’t worry. I have a knack for spying without being spotted.”

Hat Kid shivered. “Yeah, I know. But please, don’t say it like that…”

So, the two split up. Cloak Kid looked up and saw the trees above him. It may be a good place to hide and stay out of sight. Back on his home planet, he loved to climb the trees near his home. It made him able to see things from up high and observe the town he wasn’t allowed to interact with so much.

That was his life, having to guard the Time Pieces.

He could find some good foot holds, but saw some ropes hanging from above. Maybe he could use them to get up. So he used his staff, and managed to hookshot onto one of them…

Then he heard a voice.

“Why hello, there. You look… new around here…”

Cloak Kid made it on to one of the branches and then bolted away from that noose he grappled. As if this forest wasn’t messed up enough… He’d look for the Time Pieces, but right after that, he had to make sure Hat Kid was okay.

Hat Kid looked at the contract once more. Despite not having a soul, her hat powers still work and her top hat was pointing her in the same direction. So, she just kept going. Maybe the first she could check off was at least finding the Subcon Village. That seemed easy enough.

It actually wasn’t too far. It seemed that beings that inhabited the strange forest used some of the trees and hollowed out some homes. Parts of it were frozen, and despite the forest not being so cold, it didn't look like they were thawing at all. Spirits wandered around, as well as some of those minions that lured Hat Kid into that trap in the first place. They didn’t seem to mind her around, actually.

Just then, she was nearly knocked off her feet again, when that spirit, creature… thing, emerged from the ground. Hat Kid had to blink a few times to make sure she was dreaming.

“WHHHHYYYYYYY HELLO THERE!” he bellowed. “You didn’t forget about me, did you?! Don’t tell me you forgot about me!”

“It's hard to forget a face like that,” is what Hat Kid would have said, if she wasn’t shaking, fearing what he would do if she said something like that. She only managed to say, “No,” embarrassingly quiet.

“What’s up? You working on any contractual obligations lately? You better be! Remember our little deal!” Hat Kid nodded, and the shadowy being gestured to the strange looking fire foxes that were dancing around a bonfire. “Check it out. Those incredibly annoying Fire Spirits are sitting right there, in the middle of my village. Their little dance is creating these incredibly annoying barriers that stop me from getting to parts of my forest. It’s almost like they’re trying to put an end to me… how adorable.” Then he grimaced. “Dispose of them,” he said, sternly. “I don’t care how you do it, as long as they suffer for entering my domain! HEHEHEHE! Anyways, back to work, trooper! This isn’t a vacation, and I’m getting impatient!”

He left, as quickly as he came. Hat Kid had to remove her top hat for a moment to scratch her head. So that creature was real, and her soul was truly gone and in his hands. If that was true, then she had to murder those spirits. It was either that, or her soul might as well be in that thing’s stomach by now… if he had one. If she did manage to dispel those barriers, Cloak Kid might have a better time finding Time Pieces.

Despite what they were causing, the fire spirits didn’t seem to be causing any harm to the inhabitants. So, they were probably just being a nuisance. She approached carefully, ready to reach for her umbrella if she needed to.

“We want to die! Yay!” one announced almost whimsically.

Hat Kid just starred, tilting her head.

“We want to burn bright,” said another, “and then burn out! Become a cloud of smoke!”

“Our bonfire needs more fuel… only the finest paintings will do!” said the third. “Can you help us?”

Cloak Kid sighed in relief when he made it to the treetops once again. There were only so many places he could stay off the ground.

“Nooooo…!”

The boy looked over to see a Mafioso getting pulled into a frame near a set of rocks in the village. Cloak Kid grimaced, hoping he wouldn’t find himself near one. The man was a part of the painting now, but seemed confused as to what was going on.

Then there was Hat Kid, who was looking around and the portrait.

“I’ll borrow you real quick!” the girl quipped before picking up the frame with her hands.

Cloak Kid wanted to call out but feared getting caught by the creature Hat Kid spoke of, let alone his minions. He overheard from them that beings around the forest referred to him as “the Snatcher.” And his minions were called “Subconites.”

So, the boy could only watch as Hat Kid carried the portrait to the center of the village and threw it into the bonfire. Cloak Kid almost yelled, but covered his mouth.

“Thank youuuuu!!” the spirits cried joyfully. They shined brightly as the flames grew bright and the spirits ascended to the skies.

“Burrrrrrrn…” Hat Kid muttered a grin on her face. Then, she covered her mouth. She had no idea where that came from.

Staying hidden, and adjusting the hood on his head, Cloak Kid watched as the Snatcher appeared before the girl, once more. Hat Kid flinched, but other than that, she didn’t move.

“WELL DONE!” he announced. “Please tell me they suffered. You murdered them, right? I bet you strangled them.” The girl flinched, shaking herself away as the Snatcher patted on the back. “Good girl!”

“Yeah…” said Hat Kid. Those spirits seemed happy… but as long as Snatcher didn’t know anything of what just happened, he didn’t need to know. “Can I go now?”

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” the Snatcher just laughed out loud. “Of course not. Don’t think I’m done with you, yet! You’ve still got a well to clean and I have some other pests around my forest. And hey, as long as I need you, you get to stay alive. What a deal, huh?”

Hat Kid was still intimidated, but somehow it was numbed slightly. It wasn’t enough to sass him back, however, so she just frowned and nodded in agreement.

“Good. Now, I found one of these things while I was haunting some poor soul! You can keep it, but this is the only time I’ll reward you for completing parts of a contract! Because guess what? I’m not legally obligated to! HA HA HA HA HA!”

Hat Kid sighed, but her eyes lit up as soon as he handed her a Time Piece. She turned to leave, but suddenly found that she couldn’t find the controller to beam herself back to the ship.

“Looking for something?”

The girl turned around to see the Snatcher holding the controller in his hand. “Don’t think for a moment you can just go back to your ship, little lady. You are my little servant! And you don’t get to leave until I say so! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” And with that, he vanished into the ground.

Hat Kid stared at the shimmering hourglass in her hands. This was bad.

Cloak Kid pulled down his hood. He knew just from looking at him. He had no intention of releasing her soul.

She went out into the forest, seeing the spirits wandering around, the Subconites, as well. Once she found herself alone in the forest, a hand grabbed her arm and she was hoisted up into the trees.

Cloak Kid unhooked his staff from the tree bark and turned to her. “You found one!” he exclaimed.

“Yeah!” She held it out to him. “Now, take it and get out of here! He won’t let me leave.”

“But I still have my controller! And I can make you-”

“He’ll probably eat my soul if I manage to leave…” said Hat Kid.

“He’s gonna eat it either way!” said Cloak Kid. “I saw it in his eyes!”

“But this way, I’ll stay alive! At least, until we can find a way out of this…”

Cloak Kid shook his head. “But I can’t just leave you here!”

“I’ll be fine!” And she shoved the hourglass into the boy’s hands. “Just get out of here, and get it to safety. Please… Just listen to me.”

The boy stared down at the Time Piece. Then back at her. Then at the Time Piece again. Then her.

“O… Okay…” he said. He pulled out his console. “Just… be-”

“Careful…” Hat Kid finished. “I know.”

Cloak Kid pressed the button. The two stared at each other as the boy made his way back to the ship, Time Piece in hand.

Hat Kid wandered around for a bit, her eyes looking around Subcon Village. She was starting to feel tired, but finding a place to sleep would be hard, but it wasn’t impossible for someone like her.

Then she found the extinguished bonfire once again, and at the bottom of the cooling pieces of charcoal and burnt kindling, she saw a piece of wool, like it came from a fox. It was stringy enough to be yarn, and it was some spooky looking stuff.

The girl gazed up at the sky and pulled out her knitting needles. If she was going to be trapped down here, she had to survive.

Chapter 22: Wishing and Wells

Chapter Text

Cloak Kid couldn’t sleep, but he had to. His whole body shook as he laid on the bed. He was in his pajamas. He could tuck himself in. He knew how to make himself dinner, since Cooking Cat had to leave for a bit.

But he just couldn’t sleep.

It was quiet. Nobody was forcing him to go to sleep, tucking him in and giving him tea, despite his fussing.

He was alone.

Finally alone.

And he hated it.

He hid his face in the pillow. The darkness of his room, just reminded him of time of when he was held captive by that stupid disco penguin, and Mustache Girl. The boy felt vulnerable, like any moment Mustache Girl was going to break in and cause havoc.

She didn’t have a method to get into space, but he couldn’t only imagine that Mafia, the people who got them stranded in the first place, probably super charged their dumb cannons to get up here. His only hope was that Mustache Girl hadn’t figured it out.

Eventually, he did get sleep, and woke up to alarms. Cloak Kid feared the worst, but it wasn’t the intruder one.

It was a Time Rift.

After getting dressed, Cloak Kid ran out to the lobby and saw that the ship had picked up a signal in Subcon Forest. He wasn’t sure how he could communicate with Hat Kid. He could send out a scouter, but worried that the “Snatcher” would see it.

He dreaded what someone like him would do if he knew about what the Time Pieces could do. Leaning back, he figured that he had no choice but to find it himself… without getting spotted.

He let Cooking Cat back into the ship when she came back. The boy would help her cook and in exchange, she’d help him take his medicine.

Hat Kid rubbed her eyes before sitting up. She had found some shelter underneath a large glowing mushroom and slept for a night. Actually, she wasn’t sure it was still night time… or day time. The sky seemed to be in a permanent state of darkness with gloomy clouds passing through every so often.

She thought after a whole night of sleeping, she’d feel at least a little peckish, but she didn’t. She wasn’t hungry at all. Her eyes stayed focused on the skies above her.

“GOOD MORNING!”

Just as Hat Kid stood, she fell back onto her bottom, when the Snatcher came up from the ground. He grinned at her, probably happy with how he startled her… arrogant jerk!

“Are you ready to fulfill some contractual obligations?” he said. “Remember your job, right?”

“Clean the Subcon… Well?” Hat Kid said, rubbing the back of her head. She put her hat back on afterwards. “Well, where is it?”

Snatcher side and pointed east towards the strange purple waters. “It’s deep there in the swamp, but big enough that even a tiny thing like you can’t miss it.”

“Fine,” Hat Kid grumbled. She sighed after walking a few steps. “Thanks.”

“Yeah, yeah…”

At first, the girl was a bit shocked. She didn’t think he’d actually kind of appreciate the thanks. Then the shadowing figure grinned.

“Try not to trip and hit your head at the bottom. HAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!”

The Snatcher vanished, leaving Hat Kid to herself, even though she knew he just retreated to his little house in that hollowed out tree.

Approaching the swamp, she picked up a stick and stuck it into the muck. It didn’t seem deep, but just walked along the remnants of the docks that were still present, until she had no choice but to walk through it.

As she did, however, she started to get this sinking feeling. She trudged through the muck faster and just as she was almost there, she screamed. A slew of wispy hands were reaching and trying to pull her down, grabbing her tunic. Hat Kid frantically swatted them away with her umbrella. She clung to the nearby land for dear life and managed to pull herself out of the swamp and onto the land near the well. The girl whacked away the last hand and fell onto her back. Now that she was on land the hands retreated and back into the swamp below.

Hat Kid scooted back, her back against the wall, as she caught her breath. Her hands shook, but only slightly. It was strange. She was fighting for her life, but her heart wasn’t beating rapidly and she wasn’t shaking with adrenaline.

She stood, tired, but able to keep going. The trees around her were tall enough to reach the top of the towering well. She had climbed enough trees to know how to get to the top.

The branches smelled like the swamp and were falling apart a little. Hat Kid hissed halfway up, seeing that she had gotten some splinters. She wiped them on her tunic and plucked the rest of the pieces that stayed, wincing at the touch. They stung, but still she didn’t wince. She continued her climb.

She made it to the top and jumped onto the top of the well. She could see anything at the bottom. It was purely dark. It was strange. She thought children were normally told to stay out of wells, but she sighed. This wasn’t a choice anymore. She was kind of relieved that her body wasn’t reacting to fear that much anymore, but her mind was telling her that this wasn’t good.

Well, Hat Kid wasn’t going to get anywhere by just standing around. Umbrella in hand, she jumped down into the darkness.

Cloak Kid just saw loss and emptiness, laying his eyes on the spirits that flew around in the forest. He had no idea where Hat Kid was, and without her controller, he couldn’t tracker. He followed the signal from it, but it just led him to the Snatcher, who he saw just reading a book titled, “How to Kill Kids.” So, that wasn’t very reassuring.

He saw the Subconites, but their hearts were actually kind of happy. They were completely loyal, but seemed laid back. He even caught the attention of some of them, but they didn’t do anything.

“Hey, we’re not gonna drag you out,” one of them said. “But, be careful. The boss doesn’t really like unknown intruders in the forest.”

Cloak Kid nodded. He lowered himself down from the trees, but just hung onto his cane to stay out of their reach in case they tried anything. “Thanks for the heads up, but… have any of you seen something that looks like this?” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a photo that showed a Time Rift.

“There’s one near the village,” another Subconite said. “The boss is really annoyed by them. So, maybe if you got rid of them…”

“You won’t tell him you saw me?” the boy said, eyes half-lidded. He really wasn’t up for games today.

“Yeah. Okay.”

Cloak Kid rolled his eyes. “Fine. Show me the way.”

The rift was blue.

Cloak Kid saw it as a relief. If it was pink, it would’ve started becoming more and more unstable. Still he had to hurry, or else it could turn pink. The rift floated above some small pipe of what Cloak Kid assumed used to be water. It was all purple and murky now. Luckily, the pieces of wood floating around in it were good enough to float on the surface while supporting his weight.

The Subconites watched, eagerly awaiting to see how he would deal with this strange rift that had appeared. It was a relief to know that they would find out.

He laid his hand on the rift and everything was enveloped in a bright light.

The bottom of the well was very shallow with water. It didn’t smell that bad, though, but it was really cold. There was ice freezing the walls and Hat Kid had no idea why. She waded through icy water, the muck from the swamp washing away. The girl reread the contract and she was to find whatever was clogging the water in it, and it seemed that it was just a giant cork blocking it. The ice was another mystery entirely, but if she could get the water running again it should just go away, right?

Hat Kid got out her umbrella and released the hookshot, grappling onto the string the giant cork was attacked to. The ground beneath was slippery and squishy from the water, but she tried and tried to pull on the rope as much as she could. Her knuckles turned white and her face turned red, but finally with one last tuck, she was sent to the ground with a splash as the cork finally flew off.

The girl sat up coughing on some water she accidentally let into her mouth and saw water spouting up from where the cork was. The water was rising… fast.

Hat Kid quickly scrambled to climb up higher. The water had already risen enough that going back the way she came wasn’t an option, and even if she did, she had no idea how she would get back up the well. She used the force of the water and propelled herself high up. She actually didn't think that would work and was just a cartoon thing. The girl screamed, but she was just having fun, and when she was at the top, she glided down to the highest ledge.

Up ahead was a tunnel, but then she tripped over a fruit. It looked like an apple or cherry. She wasn’t sure but it was her one exit. She picked it up and saw that some lost spirits had wandered in as well. Well, they were spirits so they could probably just fly through the walls to get out, so maybe they were just observing.

The second they saw Hat Kid holding that fruit, however, they were all racing towards it. The girl screamed, throwing the fruit aside and towards the frozen exit. Many of them went into the fruit and it turned red and started glowing. She wasn’t sure what to do.

And then it exploded.

The platforms in the rift were falling. Normally, the platforms were blue, but the ones that were red, began to fall into void upon being stepped on. Cloak Kid liked to say he was nimble and quick, but his confidence was knocked down a bit after what happened with DJ Grooves and Mustache Girl.

He frowned, jumping off a red platform and gripping the next one that was blue. He used his arms and pushed his legs into the platform's side to pull himself up. If it was that bad, he didn’t have much time before it got worse.

The next few platforms were gears, and they were rising up and down while rotating. Up ahead, he could see the Time Piece and in the distance of the voice, she could see the vague, blurry images of the clock towers. He tried not to think about the void beneath him as he ran on the red platforms that fell behind him as he did. The shapes reminded him of those dark rainy nights, staring out the comfort of his sheltered home, peaceful walks alone to the store, and running with Hat Kid to get back home or they would’ve been in trouble.

He jumped up and grabbed the Time Piece.

For the Subconites, no time had passed at all. Cloak Kid reappeared with the Time Piece in his hands. They had never seen something so shiny and glowing with a light they had never seen.

“Wow,” one of them said. “What is that?”

Suddenly, the ground shook and a loud explosion rang out from the nearby village. The Subconties were quickly drawn away from the mystery of the Time Piece and headed towards it.

The river that ran through the village was filling back up. Some spirits were flying out from the hole the water was coming from. And then, a girl surfaced from the water gasping for air and coughing up water.

Cloak Kid gasped from his hidden spot in the bushes. It was Hat Kid.

The spirits and Subconites were joyful that their river had returned. The girl made it to land and in her hand she had managed to snag a Time Piece of her own. She looked tired, her clothes and hair were wet and ruffled, dirtied from sleeping in the dirt and wading through muck, but she smiled. Then she made eye contact with her shipmate.

The boy smiled. He made to get up and get to her just as she was going to, when the ground shook and pipes began to rip up from the ground. The spirits and Subconites were running around in panic. They were screaming and so were the souls of the damned that poured forth from the protruding pipes.

Cloak Kid fell right back into the bushes, which was good, because the Snatcher showed up just in the nick of time.

“Alright, what’s going on here?!” He looked up, his usual snarking turned into an angry frown. “What the heck is this?!”

Several other Subconites were on the scene. “It’s the outhouse, boss!” one of them said.

The Snatcher growled. “I thought we were done with that darn thing!” He looked around. Hat Kid had safely tucked away the Time Piece she found and then he smiled. “Hey, kiddo! How ‘bout we make another contract?”

Hat Kid shook her head. “No way! I did what you wanted! Now give me back my soul!”

“Oh, this old thing?”

Cloak Kid peeked a little from the bushes, just in time to see the Snatcher holding Hat Kid’s soul. He just gave it a squeeze, but it made Hat Kid fall onto her knees with the yelp, shaking. The boy nearly screamed, but he covered his own mouth. He didn’t want to believe it, but it was true. The Snatcher was holding her soul hostage!

“Let me make something clear, kiddo,” said the Snatcher. “As long as I have jobs for you, you get to stay alive. Isn’t it fun?”

“It’s n-not w-when I have to touch some stinky toilet!” said Hat Kid. “I already fulfilled your stupid contract!”

“And like I said: your opinion doesn’t matter to me!” He loomed over the girl, her lips trembled, hands gripping the green grass beneath her. “I need you to take care of this and the village is in danger! If not, I can just eat your soul now!”

He squeezed Hat Kid’s soul again. The girl let out a shriek. Cloak Kid wanted to jump out, but feared what would happen if he did. Gripping her middle, the girl stood up against the pain and snatched the contract out of the shadow’s hand, and signed her name on it.

“Good! Now get going!” the Snatcher ordered.

Hat Kid, disappointed, but still glaring, hoisted her umbrella over her shoulder. Her vision dimmed, top hat showing her the way and ran down into the forest.

Cloak Kid whimpered. He felt so helpless. She was in trouble and like before, he couldn’t do anything. But there was no way in hell he was going to let Hat Kid fight some possessed outhouse on her own.

Snatcher suddenly turned around, feeling eyes on him, but when his eyes landed on the bush Cloak Kid was hiding in, he was nowhere to be found...

Chapter 23: Death or Doom?

Chapter Text

Hat Kid rushed into the woods, following where her top hat was guiding her. The Snatcher was busy in the village, trying to fix any pipes that shot out of the ground. She wondered, as her feet crushed the enchanted grass, about the Snatcher. Her body was still sore from the strange soul voodoo he did, and she was terrified. It would’ve been worse if it had been Cloak Kid in that position. What’s more, she saw Cloak Kid skulking around after telling him to leave. That boy just never listened, even after the whole ordeal from Deadbird Studio. She said in her head that she was scared, but mostly, she was just angry and frustrated.

Why was something telling her that the Snatcher did care at least a little for his Subconites? He sounded more concerned about the village than making Hat Kid suffer in that moment. And for some reason, she considered the thought of those sentiments pointless and a waste of time. She had a job to do, and it was… taking down some stupid toilet. Just for now, she would be a good little servant.

Up in the heights of the trees, Cloak Kid followed the girl to where she was heading. Parts of the forest were still on fire, but somehow it wasn’t spreading. He tripped over a branch, running into some heated bark that was hot to the touch, but somehow soft. The boy squeezed it in his hand, just adding a little bit of his power and it set it ablaze, only temporarily. He tucked the material away, hoping to use it for something later.

Hat Kid made it into an open space where many spirits were locked up in cages that were hanging from above. At the center was some kind of lake of, what she could only assume was acid and there was an outhouse and it was shaking up a storm.

She didn’t know how in the world she was supposed to fight it, but it wasn’t moving. She approached with caution, putting on her Brewing Hat and held out a bottle.

The second she threw it, she and it were blasted away from a shock wave. The vial of explosive potion fell nearby. The outhouse had come to life. As she stood , she didn’t realize that an outhouse could even let out a monstrous roar like the one it did, but at this point, she wasn’t surprised anymore.

It started spitting out dirty bubbles of water, with various pieces of junk inside. They were bouncing around, and looked kind of acidic like the pool of acid in the middle, so she ran. Until one had one of those purple cherries. She picked it up and tossed it into the air, a spirit going into it and she used her umbrella like a bat and whacked the cherry into the outhouse. The explosion knocked it back.

Several Subconites were showing up, as Hat Kid was fighting back against that outhouse. Several of the cages were being swung at her, but Hat Kid quickly ran, tripping a few times, and holding back screams, to grab onto the single lantern that was above her with her hookshot and swung towards the out house feet-first and knocked it back once more.

Jumping around was hard enough for the outhouse to not only knock the girl off her feet, but send Subconties flying upward, as well. Hat Kid took to jumping whenever it was just about to hit the ground, staying in the air when the ground moved. She picked up another cherry, held it near a spirit and threw it into the outhouse that was lying down from jumping too much. She landed on the ground, kneeling as the bomb exploded.

The outhouse landed at the center, a wave of water casting over the area. Hat Kid, for once, used her umbrella for its intended purpose. She blocked as much of the water as she could yelping when some of it still got on her knees.

It hurt. It burned, but she wasn’t deterred and she wasn’t frightened. If anything, she was just irritated. This was her favorite outfit, and she only really wore one, so there was a lot of room in her closet for skeletons, but the outhouse kept doing what it was doing, like it knew it was the only way to keep Hat Kid immobilized. And it was right. She couldn’t move unless she wanted an acid shower. She squeaked as holes began to make themselves known in Hat Kid’s umbrella.

Suddenly, a cherry bomb cut through the sky and exploded once colliding with the house from the side. It fell down, motionless while more cherries fell from the trees. Hat Kid wasted no time. She ran around the vulnerable toilet throwing and whacking all the cherry bombs she could until it broke into a million pieces. A Time Piece flew out from the wreckage, and yet, as the girl looked up at it, she didn’t even react as it went into the trees.

Cloak Kid caught it in hands. Spirits were behind him, eager to possess more cherries as their vessels, but the boy waved them off.

Hat Kid stood, clothes torn, bits of her skin burning, but alive. “I’m done!” she shouted. The Subconites rushed forth, surrounding the girl and cheering.

“Way to go, newbie!”

“That was amazing!”

“It’s a miracle!”

“Where did all those bombs come from?”

Hat Kid’s jaw dropped. She had never received so much praise. Yet, she couldn’t feel any happiness. She didn’t get it. She felt… numb.

The Snatcher arose from the ground, knocking Hat Kid off her feet. The Subconites backed away to make room for their boss. He looked down at the hat-wearing child. She had certainly been through the wringer, but was still standing and drawing breath. The child did just save the village. He’d give her that.

“Well, look at you,” he said. “Still standing, huh?” Hat Kid just nodded. She had nothing to say, and just… really wanted to take a bath.

The girl just nodded. “I guess so. What’s next?”

“See? Now you’re getting it!” The Snatcher exclaimed. He dove into the ground and came back with another contract. “I do… have this issue with… Oh, whatever. It’s on the contract. Isn’t it thrilling to sign your life away?”

Hat Kid huffed. She took the paper. On it, it said that she was to explore some kind of manor and find out what was in the attic. It didn’t sound too bad, but there had to be something behind it. It wasn’t like she had any other choice. So, she signed it with the quill.

“This one should be a breeze! I think… Actually, I don’t think anyone’s come back from there. Oh, well. Not my problem! Smell ya later!”

The Snatcher dove into the ground. While she didn’t know where the mansion was, she was sure her hat could just guide her, seeing as it was her goal now. She twisted her head, slightly, gazing up at the trees, and barely could see two green eyes staring back at from the darkness. The girl huffed and went on her way.

Cloak Kid, still in the trees, sighed. He felt a cold chill, but knew it wasn’t because of himself. Hat Kid looked okay, but not really happy to see him. He knew he was putting himself in danger, but he had to when she was, as well. Why was she angry? He called for the ship, wanting to secure the Time Piece the best way he could.

He thought this was what she wanted.

The Subconites were regrouping by the Snatcher’s little house. It was quite a shock to see that the girl was still alive, but now he was sending her to the mansion. The mere thought of it should’ve made him smile… but he grimaced instead. The Subconites seemed concerned, but he told them if they found anything. Each and every one of them replied that they hadn’t seen a thing.

The Snatcher was puzzled. He didn’t send those spirits up above where that possessed outhouse was. They wandered aimlessly, and they would talk to just about anyone.

Like an intruder.

Whoever was lurking around the forest was helping Hat Kid. But why? Why would they walk around these grounds to protect her… like some kind of guardian angel?

The shadow growled. An intruder on his grounds, and he couldn’t even sense them. He should be able to, whether they were dead or alive.

“Well, check the forest again!” the Snatcher ordered. “Do whatever you must! I want to know who dares step into my forest and skulk around like a shadow! Only I get to do that! I want them alive, so they can know the full consequences of their actions. Now, go!”

Chapter 24: He Was My Prince

Chapter Text

With the Time Piece secured, Cloak Kid raced back towards the computer. Hat Kid no longer had her controller on her, so he couldn’t see where she was or where she was going. If anything, all he could see was where the Snatcher was, which was back in that giant tree he used as his house. He had to find Hat Kid, though.

But then, the alarms were back. There was a Time Rift. A pink one.

Cloak Kid bit his lip. If the rift was pink, it needed his attention now. But, he worried what could happen if he left Hat Kid to do as she pleased. There was something off about her, but he couldn’t figure it out.

But if he didn’t take care of the Time Rift… the consequences could be dire.

He heard beeping as the ship’s system printed out an approximate location. And his eyes beheld a jarring sight: Giant shards of glass, surrounding a glowing ball of pink.

The boy’s next breath was shaky, as his brain recalled that fateful night that changed everything, and became the reason that they were drifting around in space.

He had to fix this… Now, before it was too late…

Before he had another calamity on his hands.

Cloak Kid gulped, a tear escaping one of his eyes as, once again, he had to put his duty above what he wanted.

A spirit flew into a giant cherry as Hat Kid trudged her way through the snow. It was falling from the sky and it was almost up to her knees. She tossed the cherry, and broke through the mountains of ice blocking the way. Her top hat was pointing her towards her destination: The mansion in the distance.

The snow only seemed to get worse as she got closer. She nearly slipped as she stepped on solid ice, finding that she was going over a frozen lake. There was no way it would thaw, and despite the bitter cold, piercing through her skin, she kept walking.

The manor seemed to be about three or four stories high. The roof was covered in a thick blanket of snow, with some of it piling on the edges of the windows, and frozen icicles hanging down from the roof of the porch.

Yet, as the girl approached the giant house, her form remained unshaken and didn’t shiver. Her hands grasped the cold door knob, but found that it wouldn’t turn to open. A few tugs didn’t grant her the way in, at all. She pulled away, the fog of her breath visible as she sighed. She ended up walking around the property, still on the porch. Perhaps there was another way inside?

She was both relieved and upset once she found that the doorway into the cellar was open. The bad news was that she would have to go into the cellar. It smelled awful. It was kind of musty with a heavy scent of mud, dirt, water, and metal.

Hat Kid let out an exasperated sigh. As soon as she set one foot on a step, she already knew there was no turning back. It was either this, or have her soul eaten by the Snatcher. She took another step and then another, descending into darkness.

Cloak Kid decided that the best place to start the search was near the Snatcher’s hideout. It was risky, but all he had to do was stay calm. From the bushes, he could see the shadow still reading that book, “How to Kill Kids,” with a grin still plastered on his glowy face.

Suddenly, he looked out the backway of his house, like in a flinch. Hood up, Cloak Kid, as much as he didn’t want to, gazed into the Snatcher’s eyes just as he was turning back to his book.

What he saw was… interesting.

It was very brief, before turning back to his desire to devour Hat Kid’s soul once he was done with her, but he swore, for only a moment, he saw something happier. Something with brighter colors, adorable critters, beautiful brick houses and…

A beautiful woman.

Cloak Kid’s jaw dropped ever so slightly. If what he saw was true, then the Snatcher must have sensed something. Was the Time Rift nearby?

Maybe it was pink because of him?

No matter. He had to find it quickly, if he was going to hurry and protect his shipmate. So he snuck towards the back of the shadow’s hollowed out house and headed into the wilderness.

There was at least some semblance of a path as he made his way through the forest. It was brick and stone, with grass and moss growing between the cracks. The trees that towered above him made him feel small, and he still held that odd feeling of being watched. He saw the remnants of houses and pieces of furniture, but he kept walking. There wasn’t any time to explore. If he wasn’t quick enough, it would only be a matter of time before the Snatcher found him.

Suddenly, he was startled by a wall of green fire. He looked around, hoping that there was a path around, but there wasn’t. He picked up a stick and threw it, making it fly above the wall, but the flames roared and burned the stick to ashes.

The barrier looked familiar, though. It was just green, and not the normal orangy red fire. He looked around, and he wasn’t surprised to see more fire spirits.

“We want to die! Yay!” They were like the other spirits. From what he remembered, Hat Kid had tossed paintings into the fire, and when they were gone, a lot of the barriers had gone with them.

Cloak Kid bit his lip. He dreaded to know what kind of foolish souls ended up in those paintings. Did they really deserve that?

He had no choice if he wanted to get to the Time Piece.

When Hat Kid entered the cellar, she was appalled to see that the walls were covered under a thick sheet of ice. There was murky water that came up her knees. There were giant barrels in the basement. It made sense to keep something like those around, but it looked like the place hadn’t been tended to for a long time. She wished she could say that she was given a break from the cold, but she wasn’t. It was just as chilly as it was outside.

Regardless, she waded through the water, when she sensed someone behind her: A Subconite.

“Hey, newbie! Boss told me to remind you, uhhh… you signed that paper about not using your hats while in the manor.”

“What?” said Hat Kid. She took off her top hat, pulled out the contract and read it from top to bottom.

There was tiny writing on the back.

“Don’t use any of your stupid hats.”

Hat Kid rolled her eyes, mouth in a pout. As hesitant as she was, she had no choice. Her name was signed on it, along with the Snatcher’s stupid stamp. It was legally binding. So, she put her hat, along with the others in the Subconite’s arms, who promised to give them back once she was done. What if she ran into something? Or someone?

She sighed, eyes half-lidded, after the Subconite left her alone. Yet, she just felt like a disgruntled worker who was forced to do some overtime. However, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a mask. It was made out of the fabric she picked up after helping those fire spirits. The contract said she wasn’t allowed to use hats, but masks were a whole other story.

She hadn’t had the opportunity to even use it yet, but when she put them on she gasped.

The girl could see through the eyes of a dweller of the forest of Subcon, and saw things that were invisible to the naked eye.

While there wasn’t much to see in the manor’s cellar, one thing did catch her by surprise. There were a set of chains on the wall, but there, she could make the outline of a person. Someone was bound by them. But how long ago? The girl didn’t know.

Hat Kid didn’t have time to dwell on that, and drifted her focus to the double doors that could take her up from this place. She pushed open the double doors and walked up the steps.

Hat Kid found herself in the hallway of the first floor. He could see the front doors that seemed securely locked. The walls were old and wooden, the walls blue with deep scratches in them and pictures were hung up with tiny draws under some of them. A purple carpet led down the hall.

Her figure trembled at the sight of what she saw. There were other people in the hallway, frozen solid like glittering statues. Did they attempt to break in here, as well?

Right. The thing she was looking for was in the attic. Wait. What was she looking for again? She ran her fingers through her brown hair scratching at her scalp. Well, she was sure she’d remember once she made it to the attic.

She continued walking down the hallway, hoping to find some stairs.

“WHO’S THERE?”

A voice boomed throughout the hallway. If Hat Kid still had a soul, it surely would have been scared out of her. She fell backwards, scooting away from the source.

“WHO DARES ENTER MY HOME?”

Hat Kid saw the door on the left beginning to open. She saw a shadowy, hunched over figure walking out, eyes glowing with a sinister red. Just as it was about to spot her, Hat Kid dashed and took the first door on the left.

Once the door was closed, Hat Kid fell forward, scooting away from the door. Her breaths were rapid. Who the heck was that?! Even if she didn’t know someone actually lived here, there was no way it looked friendly… but it totally made sense why the Snatcher would give her such a contract.

She could still hear the footsteps of the being who dwelled in the halls.

“Come on out, little one…” the voice sounded female, but still malicious. “Don’t be shy…”

There was no way Hat Kid was going to listen to that. In the room she was in, she found a piano, and up ahead past a doorway was the kitchen. Still, she didn’t find any stairs to the next floor, and she had to get to the attic. If she stepped out into the hallway, she would totally get caught. That woman was probably waiting for her to come out.

She thought for a moment, hearing the snow and wind howling outside. Perhaps she could create a diversion. She crept up to the piano, took a breath…

And slammed her palms down on the keys as harshly as she could.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps, rushing towards her location. They were coming from the hallway, so she rushed into the kitchen. Covering her mouth to muffle her panicked scream, she made her way to the kitchen and peaked briefly into the hallway, to see that the mystery woman had gone into the other room at the end of the hallway.

With that in mind, Hat Kid went into the room where the woman had come from and found a pool table and a bar. Near the dartboard was a flight of stairs, which most likely led up to the next floor.

She just hoped whoever lived there didn't hear how her feet were making the floorboards creak.

“Thank youuuuu!”

Cloak Kid had tossed the painting into the flames of the fire pit. It roared and the fire spirits were grateful. Just like they wanted, the fire burned bright as the flames towered above and before he knew it, the spirits were gone, along with the fire and it’s barriers.

Fragments of fire fell down around the boy. He reached out his hands, managing to capture some. They were warm and somehow also soft… like fabric. He could use this, like the thing he found earlier.

The boy sighed. At least he could proceed forward, but before he could, he suddenly felt a chill up his spine. His cloak was doing its best to keep him warm, but it was the kind of chill that sent shivers down his spine, leaving him with a feeling of unease. Then the ground shook and crows were flying away. He took a shaky breath. Did the Snatcher sense the barrier come down? If he didn’t do something, the Snatcher would be drawn to his location.

So, quickly, Cloak Kid dashed away from the scene. He ran and ran and ran, until he found a tiny shack to duck in. He hid, pressing his back against the wall near the entrance. He held his teeth tight once he noticed them chattering.

The boy could see the Snatcher’s figure where he had been standing earlier. Several Subconites were with him, searching around the area. Cloak Kid squatted down, wrapping his cloak around himself as he saw some of the minions getting closer to the small shack. He covered his mouth, shaking intensifying as he swore they were going to check inside. To his fortune, only one came up and merely just checked inside by staring from the entrance.

“Nothing here, boss!” said the Subconite.

Cloak Kid heard him walk away, when a terrifying quake shook the whole forest. The ground was cracking with pink light shining through, pink lightning was striking and the wind was blowing harshly. The boy peeked outside only briefly to see literal cracks of light in the sky. He gasped, whole body shaking as he fell onto his knees. The Time Rift was getting worse.

“What the heck is this?!” the Snatcher yelled. He looked away from the sky just in time to see the cloak-wearing child running towards the back end of the forest. The Snatcher grinned, looking at the child, like a predator who found prey. Was that kid behind what was happening to his forest?

“Where do you think you’re going?!”

Cloak Kid, while startled, was ready, he tossed on his Rocket Cloak and launched himself forward, boosting him ahead before the Snatcher could just teleport in front of him.

He could see it up ahead: A giant glittering sparkle that was guiding him to his destination, as he tried to not think about the giant shadow and his minions pursuing him.

Once on the second floor, Hat Kid saw a locked door. Hearing footsteps, she quickly got out of the hallway and went through the first door she saw on her left. She entered what looked like a bedroom. The walls were red, but there were deep scratches in them here and there. There was a wardrobe next to a fancy four-poster bed. The letter “V” was carved into the headboard. On the nightstand, sitting under a three set candle stick, was an old ruined diary.

Hat Kid was slightly curious and picked it up, but a lot of the pages were torn out.

Page 13:

Why? What have I done wrong? In his letters he talks about her. A ‘tutor’. He says he loves me. But SHE sees him. I get letters, and SHE gets his time.

He is MINE. Once his studies are finished I will have him back.

Page 48:

Dear diary,

Today my prince left to begin his studies. He will be so far away, and for so long. He won’t forget me, will he?

His beloved princess?

Day 73:

He is coming back. Just one weekend. A short holiday, from HER. I will convince him to stay.

I CANNOT let my love leave again.

Sounded a bit melodramatic. Hat Kid closed the book. It sounded sad, but at the same time… obsessive. If the woman in the house was a princess, maybe she was just jealous. There were more papers scattered around the room. Even though she had a job to do, she was sure that it could wait a little longer. On the desk, she found a torn page from the diary.

Mother had a bit of an accident last week, so today I got crowned as queen. Now the prince can’t call me his princess! Life isn’t fair!

So, the owner of this manor was a queen, Hat Kid thought. She looked over and found a scrap of paper sitting by an envelope.

My Dearest Vanessa,

It has been many days since I saw you last, but it feels like months.

My time here at the Academy is hard, but I am progressing quickly. There is so much to study when it comes to law, but the library here is well-stocked. Our tutors are the finest in the land, and I am thankful for their help. I have been attending private study with one, an experienced practitioner of law by the name of Lady-

The rest of the letter was ruined and torn. It was as if it were done in a fit of rage.

“Come on out… We can have some tea…”

Hat Kid didn’t have time to dwell on it. The owner had to be this Vanessa woman. She found another scrap of paper: it was a tiny note, but it said enough.

My prince enjoys his breakfast far too much. I’m jealous of that darn bacon! He loves it! No more bacon in this house!

The girl shook her head. Being jealous of other women near her prince was one thing, but bacon? She turned around, hoping that Vanessa wasn’t planning on coming in and saw a key sitting at the top of the bed's poster board frame. She couldn’t reach it, no matter how much she jumped, but Hat Kid might need it. Maybe she could get something to help her?

There was another door south from Vanessa’s bed, once she was through, Hat Kid found herself in what looked like a kid’s room. There were more scratches in the blue walls. The floor was checkered in two different shades of blue. There was a stuffed teddy bear in the corner, a frozen man by the door, a train set at the center of the room, a rocking horse in the corner, and a set of balloons tied to a neatly wrapped box.

Another scrap of paper was on the table near a chair.

Oh, I wish I could just keep him always! Locked up and in chains in the cellar! But you can’t chain a man… can you?

Hat Kid shook. Was the shape she saw in the cellar… the prince?

Taking a balloon, Hat Kid crept back into the bedroom and let it float high enough to nudge the key. It took a few more tries before it finally fell down. The girl let go of the balloon, the key bouncing in her hands, before she finally got a firm grasp on it. She sighed in relief, thankful it didn’t hit the floor, before she heard the whistling of air leaving the balloon. It had drifted over the candlestick and the fire caused the air to flow out.

Then it popped.

“I know where you are now!”

Covering her mouth to suppress a squeak, Hat Kid ran back into the kid’s room. There were only two rooms, so if that woman wasn’t in there, she’d probably find her where she was right now. Luckily there was another door which led back into the hallway.

The only way to go was left, which led her back to the locked door. The key fit and she was able to unlock it.

Hat Kid ran up so fast, she almost tripped, but finally, she made it into the attic, but there wasn’t much up there that was worth noting. With the mask on she just saw weird meaningless markings on and the outline of a person on the ground. Other than that, there were just some boxes, an old piano and some old furniture.

But in the back was a chest. Hat Kid crept up to it and her eyes sparkled once she opened it. It was a glittering hourglass. She picked it up, her eyes in awe of it, but then she frowned.

Wait. Why was she looking for this again?

Then she heard it. A laugh. It was crazy and loud. It echoed and rumbled through the house. Hat Kid turned around, the room filling with an icy chill, and her teal colored eyes met with the red glowing ones of the figure standing at the entrance.

“No one enters my forest and leaves in one piece!” the Snatcher yelled. “You are no exception, kiddo!”

Cloak Kid’s feet pounded the old, cracked pavement. He saw it. Giant glass shards, bricks and gears floating around. The ground was cracking open and spirits were flying free. Whatever was happening was nothing like the possessed outhouse from earlier.

“What have you done to my forest?!” the Snatcher shouted.

Then, at the center of the whole mess, the boy saw it: A pink Time Rift, sitting at the center of all the floating shards, bricks and gears.

The shadow tried one last time to grab the child. He lunged forward, stretching out his noodly arms, but the tip of his cloak slipped just out of his grasp as the boy jumped into the air and laid his hand on the Time Rift. Everything around him froze and was enveloped in a blinding white light.

Chapter 25: She Was My Princess

Chapter Text

And when the whiteness faded, all Cloak Kid felt was a cooling breeze. Subcon Forest did carry a constant chill unless one was in the part of the forest that was constantly on fire. The boy stood, his feet on the grass, but nothing was around him except for the cliff sides and a blue sky.

That was until, he saw only giant cookies as his only method of jumping down from where he was. They smelled fresh as he made his steps, and after jumping off the last one he landed in a forest meadow. But then, the flowers his bottom met with smelled old, and rotten. Cloak Kid almost gagged at the stench as he stumbled his way out. He looked up, seeing that the skies had darkened like the skies of Subcon Forest. The trees, branches, leaves and even the ground itself were covered in deep scratches or torn apart by them. The flower pile he stood from had withered away.

Cloak Kid stood, staff in hand. With the Time Rift this unstable, it was hard to tell what could happen, but he had to press forward to get to the source and fix everything.

So, he pressed forward, walking. As the wind picked up, he began to run, charging into the chilly breeze that soon came down with snow. The trees covered in white became invisible, until all the boy could see was his hand reaching out in front. Then his foot sank and he fell headfirst into a hatch leading him to the next area.

Once again, it was peaceful. The boy’s feet landed on the soft grassy ground. It was covered in wildflowers. A stony path, similar to the one that he followed to get away from the Snatcher. Instead of giant hourglass shattered into shards from a Time Rift, he saw a quaint castle-like town, paved with bricks and the buildings built almost the same. The people wore hoods and masks over their faces, but they were happy… And, they looked like the Subconties… or those lost spirits called Dwellers, but their hoods weren’t purple, and their masks were not their faces.

Keeping his hood up, the boy looked around, and the people didn’t seem phased at all in the presence of a stranger like him. They smiled when they saw him like any other person. And in the square people were gathered around a woman in a green dress, with long flowing golden hair.

The woman he saw when he saw the Snatcher’s heart… if he had one.

A gust of wind blew Cloak Kid’s hood down. He flailed around, trying to keep it in place, but his tufts of brown hair showed through. Then, with a small giggle, the woman turned her head slightly, the boy able to see a charming grin. But just before he could see her face, Cloak Kid suddenly lost his balance and fell into another hatch.

When Cloak Kid opened his eyes, he was laying on a queen sized bed. The sheets and bed frame were red and edged with gold. The letter V was engraved into the frame behind the pillow. He leapt off the bed, boots hitting the wooden floorboards and making them creak. The walls, like that forest, were covered in deep gashes and some of the floorboards were torn. When he walked into the hallway, he went down the stairs. They went on and on for a while, but when he was finally at the bottom, it was cold. The walls were barren and empty, and it was mostly dark, save for a small sliver of moonlight, shining through the barred window.

He smelled metal. He heard the sound of chains. On the wall he could make out a shape. At some point someone was bound by it. There he saw it: A ball of pink light. The Time Rift. However, when Cloak Kid placed his hands on it, he couldn’t pull it towards him. The chains were putting up resistance. The boy sighed and drew his staff.

WHACK!

“WHO’S THERE?”

WHACK!

“WHO DARES ENTER MY HOME?”

Cloak Kid kept hitting it, the cracks starting to show. He didn’t stop, even as sweat ran down his face, his form shaking, or even when he heard the footsteps approaching.

With one final hit, the Time Rift shattered. Cloak Kid grabbed the shining Time Piece just as the door opened and red, glowing eyes peeked around. And once again, everything was enveloped in a white light.

And then, in the darkness, the Time Piece revealed to him what it had seen. There was an image of a young man, wearing a red tunic with puffy purple shoulders and red sleeves, toffee brown hair that curled at the ends and a crown on his head. The woman wore a green dress, her hair blonde and flowing and a beautiful crown on her head as well. A prince and a princess were holding hands, hopelessly in love.

Loved by her people, but most of all her prince, she spent her days in relative peace. Then one day she saw her prince down a street. His body was covered in a red cloak, while he spoke with another woman. She saw him holding her hand.

The princess’ heart shattered, not able to see that he was merely paying her for something. The broken-hearted princess ran before she could see that he was merely paying for some flowers.

Next, Cloak Kid saw the prince in a room with his princess. With the flowers, he tried to explain himself, but the princess was in tears and inconsolable. Some of the tears that left her eyes were frozen like icicles upon leaving her face. Guards take away the prince while he tries in vain to get her to stop, but it was too late, the malice from her jealousy was turning her into a monster.

Then it was dark. There was the cellar down the princess’s basement. Cloak Kid had no idea how much time had passed since then, but he saw a figure chained to the wall. They had turned dark… and shadowy. Cloak Kid could see the prince’s crown on the floor and looked up, fearing bad for the prince. What had happened to him?

Cloak Kid saw the prince’s eyes. Golden and glowing.

Like the Snatcher.

A bright light shined. The giant shards of glass, the things floating in the air were gone. The cracks in the ground and sky itself had vanished. Floating down from the sky was the Time Piece. The Subconites stared, stunned as Cloak Kid reached out his hands and took the hour glass.

The boy looked around, they were all staring up, like they were still trying to piece together what had just happened. Cloak Kid thought the same, but for a different reason. With his staff still in hand he turned around, ready to fight if need be, but the Snatcher’s eyes were on him, but he didn’t seem like he was going to attack. It occurred to him…

They had seen everything the Time Piece had shown them.

The Subconites were stunned. Shocked at what had been revealed before their very eyes. They knew this… but they weren’t really ones for thinking about the past. It took a moment for even the Snatcher to regain his composure. Then he glared, glowing eyes staring down at the boy before him.

“Kid…” The Snatcher’s voice started as a growl. “Tell me right now. What are you?”

“I’m not from this planet,” Cloak Kid said, holding the Time Piece close to himself. He kept his voice calm and his words slow and concise. “But, a member of your planet caused these to fall all over this planet. It’s my job to secure them, but I am no one special.” He looked at the Snatcher, still unmoving at what had just happened. His golden eyes resembled that young prince. “You… Did you know that-”

“Shut it, kid!” the shadow snapped. “I don’t want to hear it! Do you think I’ve forgotten what she’s done to me?” He raised his voice, but despite that, Cloak Kid stood his ground. “All on that cursed day! Look, it’s complicated, but she didn’t have to treat me that way.” He grimaced trying to form fists with his two claws for hands. The Subconites turned to their leader. They couldn’t remember the last time he had ever shared what happened to this forest. “I was her prince… and she was…” Never once had Cloak Kid hear the Snatcher stutter like he was doing right now. “She was my princess! Everything was going so-so well… or so I thought.”

Cloak Kid tilted his head. He was angry, but did he also just hear a sense of… longing? Sadness?

“On that day when I returned to Subcon, she broke down. What was supposed to be a joyous day had turned into a nightmare! Villagers ran and hid as her anger spread through the forest, she had gone completely and utterly crazy!”

Cloak Kid glared. “And so you sent Hattie right to her?” He pondered if that was why she wasn’t around at the moment. “Like you said, ‘I don’t think anyone’s come back from there.’”

“And it looks like I have every right to,” said Snatcher. “I have no idea what you’re planning.”

“I am not ‘planning’ anything,” said Cloak Kid. “I just need these hourglasses back.”

“No, no, no!” said Snatcher. “See? This is my land. This whole forest is. And guess what that makes you, kiddo? An intruder. So that means I can do whatever I want with an intruder. So… Hang on a minute. A-hem! FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!”

Cloak Kid’s fingers tightened around the hourglass’ frame. He sighed and closed his eyes.

“I have to protect these hourglasses, and I can’t do it alone. I have a partner and she needs me. So, I am very sorry for intruding on your home, but if you are this unreasonable, forgive me.”

With a shout, he held up the Time Piece. Just before the Snatcher could grab him a blue light shined and suddenly, everyone’s movements were slowed, except for the boy who jumped out of the way and ran, guided by the Time Piece to show him the way to Vanessa’s Manor.

A whole minute passed before everyone else returned to normal. The Snatcher looked around, seeing that the child had all but vanished.

Subcon Forest was no safe haven for outsiders, that much was true, but Cloak Kid now knew of one place he can go without worrying about the Snatcher daring to go after him.

The snow continued to pour down as he got closer to the destination, but the large chunks of ice that once blocked the way there were gone. Cloak Kid shivered, but was ready. Needle and thread in hand, he pulled out the fiery fabrics he picked up from his escapades around the forest, sat down in the slow falling snow and got to work, before proceeding forward.

The front door swung open and the cloak-wearing boy walked into the mansion. It was quiet. The floorboards creaked with every step. Hat Kid wasn’t allowed to use her hats, but Cloak Kid had signed no such contract. Perhaps that was the Snatcher feared. But why? If what he saw was true, she betrayed him, chained him in the basement and her malice from all of her jealousy turned her into a monster.

“Coming here was your worst mistake!”

Cloak Kid nearly jumped six feet in the air. Was that… her?

“But don’t worry, I’ll take good care of you.”

Her laughter echoed throughout the manor. The boy wanted to call out for his shipmate, but feared drawing the crazy queen to his location.

The kitchen was empty.

The hallway was empty.

He made his way up to the second floor.

The water was running in the bathroom, but no one was occupying the shower. He went down the hallway and turned to the left. He entered the room on the first door he saw and when he looked at the table in the middle of the room, his jaw dropped.

Cloak Kid had seen many of the unfortunate victims on the table he saw an icy sculpture. The moon shined through the window, making the ice shine. But the ice was shaped like his shipmate… his partner.

“H-Hattie?” Cloak Kid, barely whispered. He ran up to her, standing up onto the table. The boy hesitated to touch her frozen frame, trembling. It couldn’t be… She could be…

Before he even knew it, Cloak Kid was lowering down onto his knee, tears filling his eyes as he shook. He held out a hand, touching Hat Kid’s frozen palm.

“W-We… You promised we would do this… together…”

Cloak Kid could only think of one possible solution. He had to be careful, but before he could do anything a sharp pain met with the upper part of his back. The boy cried out falling off the table. He looked up, seeing the real Hat Kid standing above him on the table having hit him with the bottom end of her umbrella. Her eyes were narrowed, staring down at the boy with determination, but irises were red and glowing.

Before Cloak Kid could crawl away, Hat Kid’s arms wrapped around him, making the boy scream.

“Hattie, stop!” The boy shrieked. “It’s me!” The girl’s grip was tight and he was dragged to his feet, forcing him to face the door. It soon creaked open and Cloak Kid’s eyes met with the shining red ones of the queen herself. The air was even more frozen than before. Her bony hand stretched out, and the boy closed his eyes, but then the queen just stopped. A gasp left her mouth.

For a moment, she stared at the boy. Brown hair. Red outfit. Beautiful eyes. Why was he a child?

“Y-You…” she said. Her voice quivered. “My prince? Is that you, my dear?”

Cloak Kid shook his head. “I’m sorry. I’m not.”

“Mph! Good! I’ve no need for a backstabber like him!”

Cloak Kid then did what he did to Mustache Girl. He threw his head back and hit Hat Kid in the nose. She yelped and fell back on her bottom and cloak ran away from the two and into the master bedroom.

“Where do you think you’re going?! Go get him!”

Hat Kid was hot on the trail. She practically tore down the door, red glowing eyes darting around for any trace of the intruder. On the floor she could see traces of water, melted from the ice he had touched and approached a wardrobe.

From the other room, the queen heard a scream. Her heels clicked sharply on the floor as she stormed to her bedroom. Hat Kid was gone, but heard her voice muffled. Vanessa growled, her steps steady as she walked towards a shaking wardrobe. She set her hand on the door’s knob, the rustling within stopping momentarily. Then she pulled it open…

And fell to the ground with a scream.

Flames bursted from the wardrobe. Cloak Kid stepped out carrying Hat Kid in his arms. The fire, however, didn’t set anything on fire. The queen’s red eyes stared as the flames swirled around and faded. The cloak he was wearing was red and yellow like fire, tipped in the shape of flames. She knew the flames of the fire spirits anywhere, and the cloak was made of just that.

Before she could do anything else, the boy fled from the room, taking her minion with him. She stumbled to her feet, screaming in anger and she went after the two.

Cloak Kid wasn’t sure where to go, but ended up going into the attic. With Hat Kid limp in his arms, he ran up to the treasure chest at the end of the room. To his luck another, Time Piece was in. Setting the girl down for a moment, the boy walked up to the window and with a few whacks, shattered the window. The snow and the cold air blew into the mansion. He tucked away the Time Pieces, gathered Hat Kid in his arms and jumped out the window, his staff let loose its parachute and guided the pair safely onto the snowy ground.

After that, he just ran and ran until he was as far away from the manor and Vanessa’s screams as possible.

Hat Kid was cold and hadn’t even shivered at all. The boy hoped his new cloak would warm her back up at least a little.

Just when he was almost out of the snow and about to reenter Subcon Forest, they were waiting for him: The Subconites and the Snatcher.

It dawned on the boy as he held his shipmate in his arms. She was safe, but with her soul in the hands of this entity, she really wasn’t, knowing that he could just devour her soul whenever he felt like it.

But knowing what had just happened, he would wretch from that dark shadow himself if he had to.

Protectively, he held his shipmate close, with a small whimper.

“Well… Good job, kiddo. I didn’t even have to make you sign a contract to go in there,” said the Snatcher. “And hey, you saved the trouble of having to get yet another braindead servant.”

“Servant?” said Cloak Kid. “You still need her?”

“I’ll use her how I see fit for as long as I want! I don’t quite appreciate you using your stupid capes in there, even after I didn’t allow that.”

Cloak Kid looked down at his shipmate. “So you sent her in there without her hats?”

“She signed her name on the fine print. I don’t know how much clearer I can be.”

“She did,” said Cloak Kid. “I signed no such contract. She got to the attic, and there was nothing in there that said she couldn’t have any assistance. And the same goes for the other contracts. Why do you care what happens to that woman in the manor? Didn’t she-”

“Did I even ask for your opinion, kid?!” The shadow suddenly noticed his own tone and sighed. “Well, you got me there, kiddo. But last time I checked, you’re still an intruder, and she’s still my servant.”

Hat Kid’s soul in hand, he grinned and gave it a firm squeeze. “Wakey, wakey!”

The girl yelped, leaping from her shipmate’s grasp and landing in the snow. The boy wanted to help her up, but she swatted his hand away, making him flinch like a wounded animal. She stood up slowly, blinking away the grogginess in her eyes. At least her eyes were normal. Whatever curse she had put on her seemed to have worn off, and she stood up straight.

“There was nothing special in the attic… Master.” Her voice was flat.

“Hattie?” Cloak Kid said. His voice was quiet and shaky.

“And what of the intruder, my lord?” It’s like he wasn’t even there.

“I’ll deal with him,” said the Snatcher. “And I still have more work for you.”

Just as the Snatcher approached him, he saw Cloak Kid pull out the hourglass again. It shined, Time slowing before Cloak Kid’s eyes and he ran as fast as he could into the forest. His heart was pounding and his feet were hurting, but he kept going until he was far away enough, out of breath and coughing from overexertion.

He held up his controller, just as time began to speed back up to and beamed himself back to the ship before anyone could catch up with him.

He hated having to leave his shipmate behind. Something was clearly wrong, and it all had to do with the Snatcher having her soul.

He needed her to be okay.

He… cared about her.

But most of all…

He needed some help.

He knew the Conductor probably couldn’t do a thing and neither could Cooking Cat. This was more than shooting a movie, driving a train or cooking. The help he needed had to be stronger.

He had already gone against his code more than once, even using the very Time Pieces with the power he swore to never abuse.

Of course. He had the answer in his own two hands.

Chapter 26: Trust In Time

Chapter Text

Cloak Kid rubbed his tired eyes. He had awakened slumped over his desk from reading over his grandfather’s old notes almost all night. If the Conductor had been here, he probably would’ve torn him a new one, but he was still gone, checking on his studio, and running his train business. Cooking Cat had to go back to Mafia Town for a while, too.

No one was around to help him this time. He had to do it himself. Cloak Kid sighed as he grabbed the bottle from the cabinet and sat down at the table. He remembered the amount, and decided to improvise, pouring it into a glass of milk, which probably wasn’t the best choice, but he was desperate. It felt like just yesterday he and Hat Kid needed to have a fight to the death to get him to take that silly medicine.

Obviously, the milk did almost nothing to mask the taste. At the most, it was dulled, and it took Cloak Kid a few minutes to muster up the strength to drink the whole glass. With each shudder, he closed his eyes and shedded tears, remembering what he was doing this for.

He couldn’t leave Hat Kid there to die.

Cloak Kid emerged from the kitchen, shaken and sweaty, but at least a little relieved. The worst was yet to come, though. He could barely keep his hands still and wiped the sweat from his palms on his tunic.

He had spent most of the night picking out something to put together for Hat Kid. Normally, in a situation like this, he would probably make a cloak for himself, but unfortunately, it looked like Hat Kid was the only one who could handle what power he was about to imbue on it. It was no wonder it was among the many reasons his grandfather decided to have her stay with them after learning the fate of her parents.

He had the frame work on the hat ready, and he just needed to sew on the fabric. It was going to take a few hours, and required all of his concentration, but of course, while he was in the middle of stitching it, the alarms went off, revealing that another Time Rift had been located. And once again, it was in Subcon Forest.

The boy sighed as he looked at the screen and leaned back in the captain’s chair. The photo showed it on top of some kind of building. There were plenty of ruins in the back ends of the forest, so that had to be his best bet to look. He had work to do, but he couldn’t just leave it there to turn pink or face a repeat of what had happened yesterday.

Throughout all the times he and Hat Kid had fought, he had told her how much he wanted to be left alone. But, now that he was, it was more chilling than anything. He would do anything just to hear her voice again, watch her play video games until he fell asleep, or enjoy her chocolate chip cookies.

Pulling up the hood of his cloak, he picked up his staff and stood up to the door. He took several deep breaths, dreading yet another day of what had happened previously.

KABOOM!

An ice chunk in Subcon Village was smashed to pieces by a cherry bomb. There were a few around the village and the Subconites had been thinking about taking care of them for a while, but some of them were in some hard to reach places, but it was nothing for Hat Kid.

The Subconites just brushed the ice out of the way of some paths, tossed pieces into the river or just let it melt into the grass.

“She sure is handy,” one of them said.

“I didn’t think she’d survive the manor,” said another.

“All done!” Hat Kid said, happily, landing on stump as the last cherry bomb went off. She waved at the spirits that helped her and kicked some remaining ice off her foot. The girl was sure the Snatcher would be pleased to see the village cleaned up. She strangely liked doing these other tasks and making her “master” happy.

Still, there was something in the back of her mind that was saying that she had something to do, and for some reason, it was beyond serving the Snatcher. It was like something that had sunk to the bottom of a foggy, forgotten pool. What the heck was it?

No matter. Hat Kid had a new assignment. She was pretty much signing those contracts without question now. She made sure to be on time and met with the Snatcher near his house.

The girl found him near a small motor scooter and he had a little postal worker hat. Even after yesterday’s madness, he seemed pleased to see her.

“GOOOOOOOD MORNING!” the Snatcher exclaimed. “Are you ready to complete your contractual obligations?”

“Of course!” Hat Kid answered almost immediately. “Is that what the scooter is for?”

“Well, duh! I’m not heartless! Every so often I sneak into mailboxes and steal letters, then deliver them to my minions. That way it’s almost like someone cares about them.”

Hat Kid tilted her head a little, but nodded in agreement. She knew after fighting that possessed outhouse, he did actually care about his minions.

“But our last mailman has gone *poof*,” he said, booping Hat Kid on the nose. She flinched and covered it once the Snatcher pulled his hand away. “You’ll have to do.”

That was it? Hat Kid thought. She certainly wasn’t going to complain, but thought it’d be something trickier. She read the contract over again, but found no catches, or tiny writing on it. She just had to drive around and throw letters at Subconites. They had been awfully nice to her, so she guessed she should return the favor.

“Okay,” Hat Kid said, as she carefully sat down on the motor scooter. She was actually kind of excited. It reminded her of when she and Cloak would ride around the neighborhood back home. The back was already full with mail and other packages. “Here we goooo!”

Hat Kid rode through the forest, and tossed packages to the Snatcher’s minions. It was way more easier than fighting a toilet, or fixing a well. Meanwhile, her contractor was watching from the shadows.

“Thanks, newbie!” a Subconite said, as he caught the package. Neither he or Hat Kid knew that the Snatcher was secretly smiling in the darkness.

Hat Kid delivered packages around the village and then proceeded into the rest of the woods. Other Subconites were out on their patrols, but with her borrowed scooter, she would find them no problem.

“Good work, newbie!” one of the Subconites said. “Thanks!”

Hat Kid smiled as the Subconite ran off. She looked around, seeing that she was around the back end of the forest. There, she saw the ruins of an old fenced off home. It was a shame the place was empty, since it looked like good real estate.

She then saw a figure moving from over the gate. It was definitely locked, or the metal had worn and rusted enough that it was stuck no matter what. There were at least some mushrooms she could jump off of to get on the brick wall.

Once she was on top of the wall, she saw Cloak Kid jumping off giant spiders towards the top of the one the old buildings. The girl gasped. Their intruder had come back. It looked like she would have to do everything in her power to subdue him.

Cloak Kid had made it to the top. When he looked up he saw the blue Time Rift within his reach.

Suddenly, there was an explosion. The boy cried out, stumbling back and fell over the edge. He was quick, though and managed to grip the ledge with one hand. Once both his hands were on, he looked down and saw Hat Kid below, glaring at him.

“What are you doing?!” he yelled.

“Stopping you, intruder!” Hat Kid spat back. Brewing Hat on her head, she threw another potion. Cloak Kid scrambled back onto the top of the tall house, and stayed on the ground, covering his head as the explosion rang out. The boy looked down to see her preparing another one, and recalled yesterday. He had called him “Master,” her “lord.”

What in the world was that shadow of a maniac doing to her? She didn’t even recognize him anymore! Her clothes were dirty and torn, had bruises and cuts on her body, and from the way her skin was slightly shining, he could tell she was tired from working. Yet, there she was still trying to do everything she could to force Cloak Kid down from where he was, like a common intruder.

“Hattie, please!” Cloak Kid yelled, not caring that his voice was echoing through the forest. “You have to remember! It’s me, your shipmate!”

“What ship? What are you talking about?” Hat Kid spat. “And who’s Hattie?”

“Uh… You?” Cloak Kid fell back and covered himself, yelling from another potion being thrown at him. “You looked after me, remember?”

Hat Kid just growled. “The only person I look after is my master!” And with that she threw another potion.

Cloak Kid sighed. He drew his staff. “I’m sorry…” Just as the potion bottle got close, he hit it back. Hat Kid jumped out of the way, but the blast still sent her tumbling back to the ground level with a scream.

Before anything else could happen, the boy laid his hand on the Time Rift.

In the rift, there were platforms that were green, but transparent. Cloak Kid was smart enough to know he couldn’t stand on them, but there were statues of Dwellers, holding bells. They were emitting a light of a similar color. The boy reached out his hand, giving a single tap on it and the light’s bell and the light’s reach grew bigger, and suddenly, the transparent green platform was given a solid form.

With hesitance, Cloak Kid stepped forward and the platform was able to hold his weight, so he ran as fast as he could to the other side, as the light’s reach was only so far temporarily.

Next up he saw the same old normal platforms shaped oddly and stacked on top of one another and spinning. It wasn’t a hard climb, as he was very nimble, but mundane as it was, it helped clear his head for just a moment. For while he was in the time rift time itself did not move forward or backward. Everything was still. Of course, he couldn’t stay in it for long, or he’d risk the rift getting worse.

As he ran across an endless rotating platform, jumping again and again, to avoid falling, he couldn’t stop thinking about what was happening to Hat Kid. There were some metal squares to leap off of ahead, but he was quick, for they fell after his feet touched them.

Hat Kid told him everything when Snatcher took her soul. At first, they were working together, trying to figure this out, but now she was treating him like a complete stranger.

As Cloak Kid approached the glittering light that was the Time Piece, he saw more green transparent platforms, and statues. He was careful, as one light overlapping another caused the green tiles to cancel out its power.

“Normally I’d eat your soul and toss your body, but you’re a lucky one! You won the lottery, because I just happen to be missing a braindead servant!”

Her soul had been separated from her body for a little while now, but was what he meant more than an insult. She didn’t know her own name. Was she really turning into nothing more than his braindead servant?!

Cloak Kid gulped as he made his way up the green steps and picked up the next Time Piece. He was relieved to have it back in his hands, but he felt a lump in his throat as his worries soared. As the light enveloped him to take him back to where he came from, he worried more. Even if he managed to make this special hat for her, and even if it worked, would it even matter?

The boy closed his eyes tightly, trying to hold back tears and held the Time Piece close, but he couldn’t stop himself from thinking. What if she wasn’t able to come back to him?

“What if something even worse happened? You wouldn’t be the only one hurt!”

“I wouldn’t have to take this, if it wasn’t for YOU!”

Every fight, every argument… They both had their reasons, and he meant what he said, but over all of that was every moment she was there regardless, despite all of his mean words, despite what happened, every panic attack, sick fit, fever, and even when he was kidnapped… even after telling her it was a trap…

“Get back here!”

Cloak Kid gasped, finding himself back in Subcon Forest. He pulled his cloak off, revealing the Cloak of Flames beneath and casted a row of fire near Hat Kid’s feet. The girl yelped, jumping away. Then he pulled out his remote and pressed the button.

Just as he did, he felt a heavy presence behind him. As he was lifted off ground he saw it was no one other than the Snatcher, who reached out his hand and just barely missed his cloak as he flew into the skies.

The shadow growled, but he once again saw that glittering hourglass in his tiny hands before he was out of sight.

“Where the heck do you go, kid?” he grumbled. He turned to Hat Kid, who was trying to stomp out the flames. “You! What the heck is with those hour glasses?”

“The Time Pieces?” Hat Kid said, without even thinking. “I don’t know.”

The Snatcher scowled. “What do you mean you don’t know?”

The girl put her hands on her hips. “I mean I don’t know. Your guess is as good as mine. He kept telling me to go with him or remember something. I don’t know. Stupid stuff.”

Memories? Snatcher thought. Did this girl not remember something? She had been more obedient lately, even enthusiastic to get some work done. It had been a long time since he had a servant last this long. Maybe his powers were having more of an effect on her than he thought.

He huffed, noodly arms crossed as he thought to himself for a moment. What does he care what happens to her, right? More importantly, what the heck were those hourglasses? Why was the boy so adamant on grabbing them? So much to leave this girl here? Never did have an intruder escape him or his Subconites.

But then there was that skip in his memory. One minute, that boy was in front of him, the next he was five yards away and running away from him.

Something was going on, and he didn’t like it, but the hourglasses and the girl staring up at him, awaiting a new order gave him an idea.

“Well, get back to work,” said the Snatcher. “I’ll go see what to do about our ‘pest’ problem.”

Hat Kid nodded, and once she was outside of the abandoned property’s fence again, she was on her scooter and happily driving.

The Snatcher grinned to himself. What he was planning would just break his heart… if he had one.

Cloak Kid was in the attic of the ship, a place he hadn’t been to since that fateful day, all those months ago. He actually never thought he would see it again. There was a lot he thought would never happen again, but he couldn’t dwell on that.

After everything that had happened, he realized he had to learn to expect the unexpected. He was still alive, and he owed it to Hat Kid to try.

The attic was a long room, but also kind of dark despite the chandelier that hung from the ceiling. It had lights but was glowing very dimly. It had what one would normally see in an attic for the most part: Old closets, chairs, draws, crates, barrels, chest held closed with locks and chains, and an old stuffed bear that was shoved all the way in the far corner for some reason.

A red carpet was rolled out from the entrance to the other side of the room, where a set of steps led up to a golden glassed mural of an hourglass with a wall hanging candle on each side. Its regal light shone down gently to the circular carpet that sat in front of the shrine, the color matching the rolled out carpet and bearing an hourglass as its emblem.

Twelve Time Pieces were assembled on the edges of the carpet in a circle. They stood in the same spots numbers would on a clock.

The hat Cloak Kid spent the past few hours stitching, was done… mostly. He had the hat, but seeing as it wasn’t made by Hattie herself, he had to improvise or it wouldn’t even work when it was truly complete. He felt somewhat odd as he searched Hat Kid’s room, but eventually found a strand of hair he could use from her brush. He just hoped her shipmate would forgive him for doing something as strange as that.

Back in the attic, Cloak Kid placed the hat in the center of the carpet and the arranged Time Pieces. Then he also put the strand of his shipmate’s hair on the piece of headgear. The hat was small and cylindrical, mostly dark and black. He wanted something simple that would seem insignificant to the untrained eye.

The boy read through his grandfather’s old notes a little while more. He was trying to reassure himself, to make himself calm, but the more he delayed the longer Hat Kid would remain in the clutches of the Snatcher. He couldn’t believe how many rules he’d be breaking by doing this.

Cloak Kid faced the shrine before him, hoping that his grandfather would forgive him for what he was about to do, but hoped that wherever he was, he would understand. He turned back to hourglasses, walked up to the center, where the hat was laying, placed his staff neatly on the floor and sank to his knees. He put his hands together, brows furrowing as he concentrated, and his eyes closed as he prayed.

The Time Pieces around him glowed, sparks of energy soaring up into the air, and swirling around. Keeping his movements slow, he reached out his hand and the hat began to glow and float in the air. Cloak Kid held his hands up, trembling from the strength he was using. He continued, taking deep breaths as he stood, keeping his hands up and the hat in midair above him. The Time Pieces floated upward, surrounding the hat in the question. They spun around, as Cloak Kid heard the sounds of a ticking clock and beams of blue light shot towards the hat, one by one until all twelve of them were at the same time. Then, Cloak Kid yelled as a blinding light emerged from the hat, white consuming his vision.

Cloak Kid opened his eyes, finding himself lying on the floor. He groaned, limbs feeling as heavy as rocks as he sat up. Then he gasped, seeing the hat before him and the Time Pieces returned to their original position.

The hat was still black, but the top of it was colored green, with two black clock hands that were set at around three o’ clock. A long green ribbon was now attached to it that hung down. When Cloak Kid put it on to test it, the transparent strip of ribbon went over his eyes.

He took it off again, holding the hat in hands. He teared up and held it close. All that was left now was to get Hat Kid to wear it, and to remember him. With tears in his eyes he just hoped that she’d be alright. Guarding the Time Pieces was a lonely job sometimes…

But he didn’t want to be alone anymore.

Chapter 27: Your Contract Has Expired

Chapter Text

Cloak Kid had no strength after his incantation to enchant the new hat with just a little of the Time Pieces’ power. Still, he forced himself to his feet, picking up the hourglasses and putting them away in the vault. He then dragged himself to bed, dropping his cloak and staff onto the floor and flopping onto the bed. With the new hat tightly in his arms, he drifted off in minutes.

There was only one signal left in Subcon Forest. Cloak Kid could only sigh when he looked at the systems that day. His lips and entire body were still trembling from taking that horrid tasting medicine. At least it was just one… but it was in the forest, near where Hat Kid fought that haunted outhouse. He was hoping the Time Pieces would have all been secured in that area, before going through with his plan, but the last time he remembered, nothing ever went exactly to plan.

When Cloak Kid parachuted down into Subcon Forest that day, he made sure to avoid the village and not even consider landing anywhere near the Snatcher’s little house. He was close to where the haunted outhouse was and made his way towards there, wearing his dark, black, Cloak of Illusions.

He got to the open area, but something didn’t feel right, like eyes were on him… more than usual when he was here. The Time Piece was there, and it was just sitting in plain sight. No. There was no way it would be that easy.

The boy leapt out of the bushes, walking with trepidation towards the Time Piece. It was sitting there, like a sacred sword awaiting a true hero, or a trophy for someone to claim.

But when he got close, and reached out his hand, Hat Kid jumped out from the trees and landed on him. However, she went right through him, his form dissipating in a cloud of dark mist.

“Huh?” Hat Kid looked around as the mist faded and nothing was left.

“Huh. I knew it looked too easy.”

Hat Kid turned to see Cloak Kid leaning against a tree, staff in hand.

“You may have no soul,” he said, “you may not remember me, but that fact won’t make me stupid.”

Hat Kid yelled out, tossing on her Brewing Hat and chucking potions at him, but once again, that Cloak Kid was an illusion.

“But you have to!” Cloak Kid then yelled, who was standing on top of the hanging cages. “I know you’re in there, Hattie!”

“Shut the peck up!”

No matter how many times she attacked Cloak Kid, they were all illusions, like smoke and mirrors.

“Dang it! Come out and fight like a kid!”

“He’s going to betray you!”

Hat Kid looked around, seeing many clones of her shipmate. They were sitting on stuff, hanging out by some of the Snatcher’s books, leaning against standing torches, but she still couldn’t tell where the voice was coming from.

“I can see it in his eyes,” he continued.

“Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!” She swung and swung her umbrella, tearing through more and more illusions, until there weren’t any left.

But she still heard his voice.

“In that case, forgive me.”

Hat Kid turned around, to see what seemed to be the real Cloak Kid. She could tell by the fact that he was wearing that fiery looking cloak when he saved her from Vanessa. While she had been distracted, he made his way over to the Time Piece and grabbed it, but Hat Kid was grinning. The Snatcher’s shadowy limb reached out from the ground and took hold of his wrist. The Snatcher poked his head out of the ground, laughing.

“AHHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! FOOOOOOO-”

The Snatcher then yelled and flew out from where he was hiding, joining Hat Kid’s side while waving his wrist around. It was burning.

The girl locked her eyes with the boy before her, who was grinning, Time Piece still in his hands. With a snap of his fingers, the tips were lit with a flame.

“You have your friends, the Fire Spirits to thank,” said Cloak Kid. “When they departed, they left me with some of their power.”

Snatcher growled. “Those… dirty-”

“Now, are you going to let Hat Kid go?”

“Let go?” said Hat Kid, tilting her head. It made the boy flinch, but only a little. She had no memory of her soul being taken, either…

“I’m guessing if I kill you, your spell will wear off!” The rest of his cloak ignited, the warmth of life enveloping him.

“I won’t let him hurt you, master!” Hat Kid declared, holding out her umbrella. The boy had the advantage knowing he was actually fallible. He had lived hundreds of years, and yet, he also knew from only a week or so of sneaking around that he wasn’t invincible.

Still, the Snatcher was grinning. There was a reason he’s survived this long.

“WAH!”

Cloak Kid screamed, unable to do anything when cold water poured down on him from the trees above. Subconites had been hidden up in the branches and leaves, while two of them poured a bucket of water down.

The boy was drenched, more importantly, his cloak. The flames were out and when he snapped his fingers, nothing more than steam or smoke would be summoned.

Cloak Kid stepped back, blinking around rapidly. Before he could do anything, like using the Time Piece to escape, a magic circle appeared beneath his feet. He tried to run, but the blast of power came too quickly. The boy yelled, thrown from the ground he was standing to the edge of the area. The Time Piece rolled out from his hands as he laid there, limply. The Snatcher swiped at him, but the child felt no impact. Instead, his cloaks were gone. The shadow had all of them in his hand, teleporting them away.

Hat Kid was relieved, but… why was heart beating so fast? Her palms were sweating and tears were gathering in the corners of his eyes. She ran over, to secure both the boy and the Time Piece.

“The plan worked!” Hat Kid exclaimed, as she approached Cloak Kid’s motionless body. “But, what should we do with him?”

The Snatcher laughed. “Well, I’ll figure that out later. Right now, there’s one more thing I need to take care of.”

The girl turned back to him. “What’s that?”

“Well, remember how the old contractor had his head pop off?” The Snatcher said, a smirk on his face. “That wasn’t a coincidence. It popped off the moment he stopped being useful to me.”

Hat Kid’s smile faded. “Huh?”

“And guess who else just became obsolete?” He continued, when Hat Kid didn’t answer. “That’s right. You.”

The girl gulped. “W-Wait!” she said. “But I-”

“Now that that possessed outhouse isn’t bothering me anymore, and all those contracts of yours are tidied away… I don’t need you around.”

Didn’t need her around? What else was there for her to do? Hat Kid finally thought about what there was to do without the Snatcher, but… wait… Wasn’t she doing something before all of this? Suddenly, she could feel that there was, but it was blocked up by a foggy wall. What the heck was it?!

“Besides,” the Snatcher continued, “you didn’t think I was going to let you keep all these Time Pieces, did you? They fell in my forest, kid! They belong to ME.”

The Snatcher suddenly reached for, but like with Cloak Kid, only swiped her hats, along with the lone Time Piece. He put the top hat on his head and everything became enshrouded in darkness. All Hat Kid could see was the shadow’s glowing, grinning face.

“Time you saw what I’m really capable of, kid. Say goodbye to that little head of yours!”

The darkness faded away, but the area was surrounded by a magical barrier, and the Subconites were surrounding them like an audience.

Magic circles appeared beneath Hat Kid’s feet. She yelped and started jumping out of the way as magic beams exploded from the ground. The Snatcher summoned his minions, spinning them all around the area, making Hat Kid jump over them to avoid getting hurt. Before sending them back to where they were on the sidelines.

“Let’s try some of these!” the Snatcher said, playfully. He summoned some blue looking potion bottles and started throwing them. Hat Kid zig zagged left and right, for when each of them hit the floor, they would explode… like with her Brewing Hat.

“Not enough? Let’s try 1,000!”

Cloak Kid cracked one eye open, seeing Hat Kid running from a bunch of potions being thrown at her and onto the ground, more Subconites attacking and beams of magic.

A potion flew through the air among the cluster. He had no cloaks, and the Snatcher had the Time Piece. Why wasn’t Hat Kid fighting back?

The boy sat up, just before the potion hit the floor and caught it in his hand. Somehow, he had to get her to remember.

“This is how you look! You’re an idiot!”

Hat Kid froze at the sight of a million shadow copies around her. They took her shape, but had the Snatcher’s glowing face as they taunted her.

“I’m sorry… I didn’t-”

“‘Sorry’ doesn’t cut it! You’re an idiot! Why did it have to be him?!”

The girl covered her ears. What was that? A memory? What was it from? Tears were in her eyes again. She blinked, letting the tears drop, but then, the shadows were gone, and she saw another magic circle under her feet. She ran, barely able only on the edge when the blast occurred. She flew towards the edge of the arena.

More potions appeared, and with a grin, the Snatcher summoned more blue bottles and was about to throw them towards Hat Kid, when he was hit with a bottle, himself, making the ones he had summoned dissipate. He found himself covered in blue.

Slowly, the Snatcher turned to the source. Cloak Kid was standing, staff in hand. Hat Kid who had all but resigned herself to her fate, looked up to see the boy standing tall.

Hat Kid remembered something. A man in white, lying on the ground, while Cloak Kid stood over him.

He had saved her before? But… when?

“Did you just color me blue with my own attack?” the Snatcher asked, clearly outraged.

Cloak Kid just stood there, out of breath, but brows furrowed, teeth showing as he glared at the shadow. This boy… That was what he was… A boy. And yet, against all odds, he had come this far… been a thorn in his side. He hadn’t been able to take his soul.

He never even sensed his presence.

“This…” the Snatcher then growled. “That does it… TIME TO DIE!”

The attacks came faster. More magic lasers shot from the ground. The shadow zipped around the area from underground coming up and causing the ground to shake, making Cloak Kid stumble, but he quickly caught on and remembered to jump, seeing the patterns. He was actually landing hits in with his staff.

Lasers shot up going over the whole area. Hat Kid squeaked, backing away from the blast. While the boy dove forward, dodging the blast. He was getting faster, barely granting the boy any time to stand before he started zooming around the arena again. While he was tossed into the air, the boy used it to land on the shadow when he came up from the ground, whacking him a few times, before the noodly being could throw him off. Cloak Kid flipped through the air, but managed to land on his feet.

The Snatcher rubbed his sore face. “You little brat!”

He went underground again, but this time when Cloak Kid went to jump the Snatcher grabbed his ankle and pulled him into the ground with him. Hat Kid gasped, looking around the arena, and then saw Cloak Kid getting tossed out from a portal below. He flew into the air, screaming. The Snatcher flew above and with a harsh swipe with his noodly clawed hands sent him plummeting down like a meteor.

Hat Kid gasped. Her feet moved her forward, towards the falling child. Next thing she knew she had jumped into the air, catching the boy, but the speed at which he was falling made them both hit the ground hard.

The girl smelled something metallic as the dust settled: Blood.

Cloak Kid was writhing on the ground a fresh cut on his shoulder and to the corner of his back. Hat Kid teared up even more, her breath stuttering as words struggled to get out.

And still, the boy moved, struggling to get up. Hat Kid was frantic, placing his hands on him to hold him back.

“S-Stop!” she cried, pushing him back down. “Why… Why are you doing this for me?!”

The boy reached into his side, pulling out something that was tucked away: A small black hat with a green transparent ribbon.

“Hattie…”

Cloak Kid eyes were half-lidded in pain. He pushed the hat towards her.

“Is this… for me?” Hat Kid whimpered.

Cloak Kid shuddered, sucking in a breath.

“Because you’re… my… friend…”

Hat Kid gasped, taking the hat in her hands. Somehow, she knew what to do with it. More tears rolled down from her cheeks. She couldn’t control herself. It was like she heard something she had longed to hear for a long time, and now the dam was breaking.

Not a shipmate.

Friend.

Hat Kid looked up, seeing the Snatcher reappear before them, grinning. More and more blue potion bottles appeared, enough to cover the entire arena. The girl put the hat on her head, just as they began to fall towards them. Cloak Kid covered his face. Hat Kid stood, holding out her hand, and screaming.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

However, she heard no impact, no explosions, and no one else screaming. It was pure silence.

Hat Kid dared to open her eyes and saw that bottles had stopped and the Snatcher wasn’t moving. In fact, nothing was. She could feel the power of the hat she wore flowing through her, coming from her heart as she glowed with an otherworldly dark green light.

Time itself had stopped.

Her jaw dropped slowly. She had done this before… in Dead Bird Studio. She had defended that boy before… in Dead Bird Studio.

Like the sparkle in her eyes, it was all coming back to her: Her name, her home planet, the fate of her parents, the old man who took her in, the ship she was traveling in, her adventures across this wacky planet...

And the boy who lived in Time’s End Library…

This boy was…

But wait. She had no Time Piece.

That didn't matter right now. Her eyebrows furrowed, a growl escaped her from her gritted teeth and her arms shook with fury.

He's hurt, he's hurt, he's hurt…

The thought repeated in her head, and his attacker was right in front of them. So, like when she was in the depths of Deadbird Studio, she gave the Snatcher a few of the toughest whacks she could deal with her umbrella.

And when the flow of time resumed, the Snatcher was sent flying to the other edge of their little arena, the potions bottles dissipating. It was then that everything went dark.

Hat Kid heard grunting, seeing Cloak Kid struggling to his feet, despite his injury.

“Hattie…” he said.

“Cloak!” Hat Kid then said. His face lit up as she ran over to his side.

“You… remember?”

“Yes, I remember everything!” Hat Kid cried. She pulled him into her arms. “I’m so sorry!”

At first Cloak Kid flinched, but then he smiled. Ignoring his sore shoulder, he put his arms around her.

Then they heard heavy breathing.

“You’re both so disrespectful…”

In the distance, they could see the Snatcher. He was quite far away, but tired. They two could tell as he was using his two noodly arms to stay standing.

Umbrella in hand, Hat Kid let go of her shipmate and started towards the shadow. Cloak Kid had no intention of letting her face him alone, and followed along with her.

“I feel… so weak…”

Neither child had ever heard the Snatcher sound like that. Still, they kept walking towards him, weapons drawn.

“Please… have mercy…”

For a moment, Cloak Kid briefly thought of the prince that had been trapped in Vanessa’s cellar. Even the Snatcher was curling up a little. Like… fear. The boy remained wary, and he had every reason to.

“Please… HAVE A SEAT!”

The two suddenly fell, finding themselves, sitting on a bench with the Snatcher standing in front of them. He looked mad, like a parent about to scold their children.

“All these Time Pieces landed in MY forest. They are MY property.”

“They don’t belong to anyone!” said Hat Kid. “It’s not safe in anyone’s hands.”

“And they’re safe with you?” the Snatcher scoffed. “Children?”

“It’s better than you!” Cloak Kid pouted. “And that’s all we’re gonna say!”

The Snatcher sighed. Another contract appeared before them. “How about we make a deal? The both of you get out of my forest, and we never see you two again? How’s that sound for a deal?”

Cloak Kid wanted nothing more than to get out of this forest with his friend, but he couldn’t leave the Time Piece. He knew he still had it. Hat Kid felt the same, but she kind of liked it here, and she sure as peck wasn’t going to be told what to do like a servant, anymore.

The shadow could sense their disagreement, in their eyes.

“Not a fan?” he said. “Too bad! You don’t make the calls here.”

The two looked at the contract. It was pretty basic:

Get Out
Just Get Out

The following parts of the forest will be available:

None of it. Get out.

Please take all your junk and leave.

The signature line was at the bottom.

“Here, I’ll even make it easier for you!” And the Snatcher put his stamp at the bottom before they could sign it. “Now, all that’s left is for you to sign it!”

Cloak Kid didn’t care about any scrap of stupid paper. He’d come back for the Time Piece whether he liked it or not. But, to humor him just a bit longer, he did sign his name on it. He passed the contract to Hat Kid, who just looked over it for about a minute or two before taking the quill.

Instead of signing her name, she did something else. She crossed out the objective, writing “STAY AND HAVE FUN” with stars at the end and “BE NICE.” Next to how none of the forest would be available, she scribbled over it and wrote “ALL OF IT.” Lastly, she blacked out the words “take all your junk and leave” and then wrote, “BE OUR BFF” with a heart, before finally signing her name at the bottom.

“...You understand that's not how contracts work, right?” said the Snatcher.

The boy covered her mouth as the Snatcher glared. She had changed the entire contract on him. The writing was on the paper. The Snatcher was now their contractually obligated BFF.

“I’m giving you both a chance to scram!” the Snatcher said, his voice exasperated. “There’s no catches or clauses this time!”

Still the two stared at the contract, snickering amongst themselves. He had never had anyone survive against him, let alone actually manage to beat him up.

“What if… I give the girl her soul back? Will that… Will that make you leave?” the Snatcher stuttered.

Hat Kid looked up and saw the wisp that was her soul float down from above and she glowed faintly as it reentered her body. She felt relieved, energized, and just the usual amount of empty!

“Hattie!” Cloak Kid jumped down from the bench and stood in front of her. He gazed into her eyes, tearing up as he could once again see the feelings in her heart. The girl smiled, too, unable to contain her tears.

“Yes? No?” the Snatcher said. “Hello? Are you there? Why aren’t you saying anything?”

The two acted as if he wasn’t even there. They hugged, not wanting to let go for a second. And for a moment, it was just awkward silence. There he was, being pushed to the side… by some darn children, of all things.

“...You’re quite the characters, aren’t you?” Snatcher grumbled. “And tough to negotiate with. Fine, I’ll sweeten the deal.” He held out his hand. Cloak Kid held his shipmate tighter for a moment, only to see that he was willingly handing over the Time Piece.

“Here,” he said, “take my last Time Piece. If I continue to see you around my forest after this, I'll be very disappointed!”

Cloak Kid didn’t hesitate to take it away from him. “Are you serious?”

“Yes…” the shadow grumbled. “Take it and get out! All of it!” He even threw back their hats and cloaks, as well as Hat Kid’s ship controller.

“Okay,” Hat Kid then chirped, as her shipmate picked up their belongings. “But we’ll be back soon.”

“No, you won’t! We’re done! Finished. Our working relationship is over!”

“Of course! Because we’re BFFs, now!”

The Snatcher growled. “Get. The. Heck. Out. Of. My. Forest!”

“Okay.” Hat Kid picked up her controller. “See you later, bestie!” And with a push of her button they were beamed back to the ship.

Cloak Kid had made it home. Somehow, he had, with everything in tow: The Time Piece and Hat Kid in tow. Rumbi was doing flips to see their master had returned.

The girl was still getting used to that relieving feeling, but those few days were catching up with her. She felt the scraps, cuts, and bruises across her body, was disgusted at how dirty her clothes had become, and frankly, it was somehow super warm on the ship, and despite barely eating anything the past few days, she felt nauseous.

Once they were on the ship, Hat Kid just stared as Cloak Kid stowed away the Time Piece, despite his wounded shoulder. Once it was safe, the boy turned to see his shipmate swaying. He jumped down from above where the safe was and was at her side immediately.

“Whoa, easy…” he said. He flinched, shocked at how warm she felt through her clothes, but kept his hands on her to steady her.

“Cloak…” Hat Kid’s vision was swimming. She let herself lean into her partner, and shivered, clinging to him and not letting go, umbrella dropping to the floor. “I don’t feel so good…” She shook, starting to sob, as Cloak Kid placed a gentle hand on her forehead.

“You’re running a fever,” said the boy. “Come. I’ll lead you to bed.”

All the girl could do was mumble and pout as her shipmate dragged her to bed. He didn’t want her laying around in those clothes, so he had her change into her pajamas.

The girl had most of her weight on him by the time they got to her room. After Hat Kid was settled in bed, Cloak Kid took to the restroom, washing out the wound in his shoulder the best he could. He held his teeth at the pain, but reached for some gauze in the medicine cabinet, and wrapped it up the best he could. It wasn’t really deep, and the bleeding looked like it was slowing down. Afterwards, he grabbed some medicine, and made his way back to her, having dressed in his pajamas, and put their ruined clothes in the washing machine.

Except for Hat Kid’s top hat. That was dry-clean only.

He came in, hearing Hat Kid groaning and was at her side at an instant. She was breathing heavily, sweat dripping down her forehead, but somehow shaking under the covers. Reaching out a hand, he rubbed her side, feeling helpless to do anything while she felt so poorly.

“Hattie, what’s wrong?” he said.

“Tired, sore…” she muttered, her voice tired and broken. “Stomach hurts…” She mumbled some more, as tears raced down from her eyes. Of course, the past few days couldn’t have been easy, and getting back your sense of self, wouldn’t come without realizing the consequences of carelessness. He really had turned her into a brainless servant back there.

“It’s okay,” Cloak Kid whispered. “Drink this. It’ll help you feel better.”

Hat Kid used her shipmate’s hands to help her sit up, the room swaying as she did so. She downed the medicine he poured out into a cup, shaking at the taste, but unlike Cloak Kid, she wasn’t a big baby about it. Afterwards, she laid back down, her hand gripping Cloak’s. The boy grabbed a damp rag he got from the restroom and laid it carefully on her forehead.

“You should get some sleep,” he said, pulling the covers over her. He went to step back when the girl just held onto him tighter.

“Don’t leave!” she then cried. “Please? W… Will you… stay…?”

Despite her eyes being closed, and unable to see, he nodded. “Okay, move over.”

He almost laughed at how fast the girl scooted over to make room for him. He climbed in slowly, making the girl wait until he was settled, before Hat Kid curled up next to him, arm splayed over his chest and face turned into the pillow beneath them. Cloak Kid turned her head back slightly, adjusting the wet cloth on her head.

“I’m here,” he whispered, reassuringly. “I’m here.”

Hat Kid snuggled up more, her breathing evening out. She was safe, but for some reason, he needed to hear it.

“Hattie?”

The girl only responded with a small noise.

“Do you… remember me?”

Hat Kid nodded into his side.

“You’re… Cloak Kid…” she mumbled. “You’re… my friend…”

She muttered some more, before she finally gave into sleep. The boy sniffled, holding her firmly, but gently rubbing her back, as her breathing evened out. Soon enough, after shedding some tears, he closed his eyes to try and sleep, as well.

She was safe.

They both were.

Chapter 28: the View On the Other Side

Chapter Text

The morning had come, at least, in the children’s space terms. Cloak Kid was thankful for their clocks, keeping their sleep schedules in check.

Hat Kid had moved around in her sleep, but when Cloak Kid woke up, he still found her shivering in the bed. She was mumbling something, but the boy wasn’t sure what. He slowly crawled out of bed, frowning when he felt her forehead, seeing that she was still warm. Carefully, he rushed to the bathroom and came back with a fresh washcloth on her forehead.

Whatever Hat Kid was dreaming about must have calmed down, because once he was back Hat Kid was quiet once more, eyes no longer moving under her closed eyelids. Cloak Kid placed the fresh washcloth on her forehead, and adjusted the blanket around her body.

The boy swallowed hard, fighting back the tears as he rubbed the wound in his shoulder, the pain dulled a bit after a night of rest.

There were so many things Cloak Kid wanted to do to the Snatcher for leaving Hat Kid in such poor health, but that alone scared him. He had abused the power of the Time Pieces, using them to his advantage to get out of sticky situations, and not to mention making a hat with them for Hat Kid.

He left her to rest a while, knowing not to be gone too long and just put together breakfast. His heart ached as he pondered what his grandfather would think of him, if he had known about this.

She’d be fine. He just had to believe in that.

No more Time Pieces were spotted in Subcon Forest, and he was thankful for that. Even if that wasn’t so, he doubted the Snatcher would do much of anything. The contract Hat Kid scribbled all over made them BFFs. He still couldn’t believe that, but their signatures were on it, along with the Snatcher’s stamp.

He should probably start looking for more, soon, but for once, he wanted to take a break. Cloak Kid couldn’t believe he was thinking as such, but…

He didn’t want to leave Hat Kid alone.

“Hey, uh… Cooking Cat? I mean, Cookie?”

Recalling the phone in the Machine Room, Cloak Kid made his way there, his lip still trembling from the bitter taste of his medicine and made a call to her. The cat’s number had been left on the fridge, in case they needed anything.

“I hope I’m not bothering you, but… I was hoping you could make something for Hat Kid? She’s not feeling too well.”

“Oh no. Her now? Well, I sure hope you’re at least doing better.”

Cloak Kid rubbed his sore shoulder. “Mostly…” he said.

“Well don’t you fret!” Cooking Cat said. “I will be there, you can bet! I’ll be standing near the observatory of Mafia Town when you’re ready to beam me up.”

The boy sighed in relief. “Okay. Thank-you!”

He hung up, and suddenly heard Hat Kid’s voice. It was like she had thrown something up. While Cloak Kid wasn’t looking forward to that, it was the least he could do after the similar trouble Hat Kid had gone through.

Once he was there, Cloak Kid was thankful that the girl had used the bucket he set to the side of the bed for her. He quickly took it to the restroom and rinsed it clean before bringing it back. Hat Kid was shivering, in a cold sweat, mostly likely tired from hurling, while her body still leaned over the side of bed. The boy reached out, running his hands through her head in an attempt to soothe her, while she laid there with her eyes half open and in pain.

Cloak Kid grabbed some medicine from the cabinet and was able to have the girl sit up in her bed to take a spoonful of it. He also had her drink some water to wash the bile taste away. Hat Kid just stared at him, all dazed, tired and slightly confused. Just as quickly as she had woken up, she was fast asleep again.

The boy readjusted the blankets and freshened up the washcloth while he rubbed her warm hand before tucking it back under the covers. He thought it’d be better with the shoe on the other foot, but it was just as bad. When he wasn’t feeling well, this must have been what Hat Kid was doing: Worrying, and there was nothing to do but wait.

It would be a few minutes later that he flew the ship towards and caught up with the rotation of the planet, seeing Mafia Town. A drone was sent out and the camera’s picked up sight of Cooking Cat. Cloak Kid readied the tractor beam, and she was on the ship in no time.

“Glad to be back, dearie!” Cooking Cat exclaimed. “I’ve got some new recipes I want to try on your alien stove.”

Cloak Kid nodded. “Go ahead, I guess, but… maybe you could make some soup or something first?”

“Of course, dearie! Never fear! Cooking Cat is here!”

The orange feline made her way into the kitchen, and it wasn’t too long before the boy could smell something good from the stove.

“It’s a good time to invite me over,” she added. “Things at Mafia HQ have been slow lately.”

“Why?” Cloak Kid said, standing on his tiptoes to see what the chef was up to.

“I’m not quite sure. The whole town has been quiet, actually, but the ones I’ve seen around are still shaken up by what happened to their boss.”

Cloak Kid had almost forgotten all about that. That man had been reduced to almost nothing and was put in a jar. He still couldn’t figure out how Mustache Girl managed to do that, and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to know.

It was worrying to know about the state of Mafia Town, but at least it wasn’t covered in lava again.

He didn’t have time to ponder it, before the alarms on the ship started going off. It wasn’t a Time Rift.

“Warning: Incoming attack!”

“Wait, what?!” Cloak Kid couldn’t only say, before he felt the ship impacted and he fell onto the floor. Cooking Cat held onto something and managed to keep the pot on the stove from falling over.

“Minor damage sustained.”

Using his staff, the boy got onto his feet and quickly made his way to the lobby and there he saw it: Rocket launcher fireworks were flying up from the planet and heading right towards the ship. They looked like they were coming from Mafia Town.

Cloak Kid gasped, almost tripping over his own cloak, as he rushed towards the captain seat. He nearly fell over, grabbing onto the chair just in time to press on the giant yellow button. The shields turned on surrounding the ship in a forcefield.

The system was displaying holographic screens, showing warnings and camera footage from the attacker's source: Mafia Town’s cannons. More rockets were on their way. There were a bunch of them… riding on the biggest one, was no one other than Mustache Girl.

“Golly!” Cooking Cat exclaimed, peeking out from the kitchen. “That little gal is tryin’ to destroy this ship.”

Cloak Kid growled. First the Mafia, Deadbird Studio, the Snatcher, and now this…

“No…” he muttered. “She wants something else.”

“Huh?” was all the feline chef could say before Cloak Kid started storming towards the door. Then he started running with the staff in hand, and before the cat could stop him, he opened the door, equipped his rocket cloak and jumped out of the ship.

He pushed down on the glass with his feet and propelled himself down, towards the red hooded girl, cloak flowing behind him despite the lack of wind in space. He pulled his hood up and took his swing just as the rocket launcher fireworks went off.

Mustache Girl cried out as she was sent plummeting down towards the planet. Cloak Kid made no attempt to ascend back up. He kept falling with her, until they were through the atmosphere and falling towards Mafia Town.

Cloak Kid held his staff forward Mustache Girl and shot the grappling hook to catch her and grabbed onto the bunting hanging around the city. The rope from the hook-shot wrapped around the red-hooded girl, just as her head was about to hit the ground. It still did, knocking her out, but the impact lessened from the boy’s daring catch, before pulling her back up slightly, suspended from the ground.

The boy retracted his hookshot and used it to lower himself to the ground safely, before rushing up to check on the girl. There didn’t seem to be any injuries on her, so he kept his distance, somehow frightened, but he knew why. There was no way he would just get over what happened at Deadbird Studio, but the explosions were still happening in the sky.

Cloak Kid trembled, memories haunting his mind, could still hear the screams, but he couldn’t give in to them. Hat Kid still needed him strong, so she can get back to being that, as well. He wiped the tears from his eyes, pulled down a gulp and walked up to the unconscious Mustache Girl.

The fireworks were firing from the cannons that the Mafia use to get around the town and up to the HQ. It could explain why none of them were down in the city. They were all trapped in the HQ, unable to go anywhere with cannons hijacked by fireworks.

Cloak Kid walked onward. He remembered a cannon being on the beach he woke up when he found himself stranded on this crazy planet. Once he was there, all he had to do was empty out the loaded fireworks, since the cannon was designed to turn on when there was weight put into the cannon. All he could do was open the back and take out the loaded ones that were fired yet.

Then he got into the cannon himself and fired himself over the other beach to disable that one, as well. There was lots of ash everywhere, reminding him of the cold, cracked ground and the smoke from… that time.

He kept moving, going to the upper levels of the town. More cannons were still firing. The smell of gunpowder was getting thick in the air. The boy covered his mouth, stifling a cough, and he saw other people coughing too. He hadn’t even coughed that hard, but he was shaking.

The explosions continued, as he continued his climb up to the observatory. He looked up, remembering a certain clock tower. It was big, last he remembered. At least he was on his two feet this time, not on the ground, almost unable to breathe…

All while that man with the mask stood there, grinning through that mask.

BOOM!

Cloak Kid jumped. He suddenly remembered that the remaining cannons were up where he was.

Mustache Girl awoke to silence. Wait. That wasn’t right. She opened her eyes, and found herself in the empty tailor store, closed because most of the Mafia only really wore one outfit because of the strict dress code. Who carried her here? And why had the fireworks ceased?

She snapped her head around at the sound of someone familiar coughing. Cloak Kid was covering his mouth, entering the small empty store, with clouds of smoke entering in from outside. The boy was covered in dirt and soot.

“You…” Mustache Girl muttered. She flinched, finding herself at the end of Cloak Kid’s staff.

“Leave. Us. Alone,” Cloak Kid said sternly.

“Tch. Or what? You’ll kill me like the bad guys you are?”

“We aren’t bad! You almost suffocated the whole town with your fireworks!” the boy yelled.

“Because I’m trying to stop all the bad guys!” Mustache Girl yelled. She stood, but Cloak Kid just frowned. Her hair was frazzled and unkempt, her clothes were more dirty and torn, as he now noticed. The quest for the Time Pieces was driving her crazy. He just sighed. Hattie needed him, not this conflict.

“You know, when we first met, I did feel sorry for you,” said Cloak. “In fact, I know my grandfather would’ve, too.”

“Huh?”

“He once met a man, who had lost everything… like you. But then, his grief over it, and a small mistake cost me… my grandfather… everyone… everything.”

“What are you talking about?”

Cloak Kid’s eyes were welling up with tears. “And now… seeing all of this, you remind me of him! And I can’t let that happen again!”

“If you think a few tears will make me stop, I won’t!!” the girl then added, sharply. “I’ll keep trying! I’ll be back! And I won’t-”

“That’s quite enough, criminal!”

The two turned around to see a group of crows before them.

“C.A.W.?” said Cloak Kid.

“None other!” said the leader crow. “We have been listening to everything. All our reports were speaking of a girl with a red hood hijacking all of the town's cannons.” He pointed to the blonde. “You’re coming with us.”

Mustache Girl growled, she tried to run towards the window, when a wall of fire appeared before her. She turned back to see Cloak Kid wearing the Cloak of Flames with the tips of his index and middle finger smoking.

“I’m done with you,” the boy said flatly. “Leave us alone.” The crows walked past him and surrounded the girl. He walked away as he heard the sound of cuff.

“This isn’t over, Cloak Boy!” he heard. “You think these crows got ahold of me, well you got something else coming.” The boy looked up, pressed the button on his controller and beamed back to the ship.

“And when I get free, YOU’RE FIRST!”

Cloak Kid’s coughing continued once he was back on the ship, but it slowly subsided as he breathed in the cleaner air that was there.

“Oh, you’re back!” said Cooking Cat. “Goodness! What happened-”

The boy covered his mouth from coughing, before proceeding to pat some of the soot off himself.

“It’s okay…” he stuttered. “I took care of it.” He walked past the chef towards Hat Kid’s room to check on her.

She was still asleep, but upon checking her temperature, he felt that she wasn’t as hot as she was earlier.

Cloak Kid sighed, sitting at her bedside, and running his dirty hands through his hair. In a sense Hat Kid was also similar to that man with the mask… to Mustache Girl…

To himself.

They all lost everything.

He turned to Hat Kid’s sleeping form, tears forming in his eyes, suddenly and flowing down his cheeks. She had probably done something like this then when he was the one who was stuck in bed. All the things he said to her, especially during that awful day, were coming back to him. She was doing everything she could, just like he had been until he couldn’t stand anymore.

“I’m sorry, Hattie…” he whispered.

He stayed with her all night, just like she had. He waited and waited for something to change, and then the next morning something had.

Hat Kid finally woke up.

Chapter 29: Into the Skies

Chapter Text

The past few days had been a horrible blur for Hat Kid, but through almost every hazy memory, she remembered Cloak Kid being there.

Finally, when she opened her eyes, her mind was clear, but her body was tired and achy, and she felt gross, being covered in a layer of sweat. She turned her head, her eyes adjusting to the light, and found herself in the safety of her bedroom, and let out a sigh of relief, knowing that escaping from the Snatcher had really happened. She could see the contract right on the nightstand.

Then, she felt some kind of weight on the bed. She looked down in front of herself, and saw Cloak Kid curled up and asleep on the bed, like he had been exhausted and just passed out. The edges of his eyes were red, like he had been crying. His clothes had dark patches of soot, and made Hat Kid gasp. Moving out from the sheets, Hat Kid crawled her shaky form over to him and with cold, trembling hands, shook him gently.

Cloak Kid mumbled, but it didn’t take too long for him to wake up. The girl moved her shipmate onto his back, his eyes half-lidded as he stared up at her.

“Hattie?” he spoke, softly. Then he gasped, sitting up almost too quickly that he could’ve bonked Hat Kid’s head with his. “Y-You’re… You’re awake.”

The girl nodded. “Wh-What happened?”

“You got really sick, and then Mustache Girl was trying to attack us from Mafia Town,” said Cloak Kid. “I took care of it, but… it got a bit messy.” Despite the soot and how tired he still felt, the boy forced a smile. “How are you feeling?”

“Like someone stepped on me…” Hat Kid pouted.

“‘Kay…” Cloak Kid said, simply. He started scooting off the bed. “Rest a minute, I’ll get you some soup Cookie made.” He was on his feet, but stumbled a little, and wiped some drool off his mouth before leaving the room. He was back soon with a tray, holding a bowl of soup and placed it on the bed in Hat Kid’s lap. “Here.” He looked to the side, while the girl gingerly picked up the spoon, taking in the aroma, before going for a taste. Just before she did, she noticed how Cloak Kid trembled, still, and dried drops of medicine were on the edges of his mouth.

“You took it yourself…” she realized.

“I… I guess I was… being kind of a baby…” Cloak Kid stuttered. “I… yeah…”

Still, Hat Kid felt his forehead. “You’re a bit warm.” She could only assume that he had been stressed and worried for her and the Time Pieces. “Maybe you should lie down for a bit.”

Cloak Kid sighed, but then, he looked up at her. “Okay.” And with that, he walked off towards her giant pillow pile, kicked off his shoes and just plopped into the pile, a few pillows tumbling down.

Hat Kid was dumbfounded. He listened to her without a complaint.

The girl expected nothing less from Cooking Cat’s cooking. The soup was divine and practically made her sore and tired body feel much better. During her meal, however, it looked like Cloak Kid drifted off, earning the sleep that it looked like he needed. She walked up to him as soon as she was done.

Normally, she would’ve chided him for being so careless, but she couldn’t. He was too busy worrying about the Time Pieces or Mustache Girl. At least, that was what she thought, but the more she did, she realized that it wasn’t particularly the case. He had been on her bed, tired, and crying, and he was there almost every time she was awake.

He had been worried about her.

“Because you’re… my… friend…”

Before she went back to bed, she brought a spare blanket to cover Cloak Kid with. She smiled when he curled into the warmth, hugging one of the pillows. She found a cool compress for his forehead to bring down his small fever, and then she went back to sleep.

When Hat Kid woke up the next day, Cloak Kid wasn’t bundled up among the pillows anymore. However, she did hear the Conductor’s laughter down the hall. The girl wiped the drool off her mouth and decided to check things out.

The ship was nice and quiet, and Cooking Cat popped her head out of the kitchen real quick to tell her that breakfast would be ready soon. She made made into the Machine Room, just in time to see Cloak Kid hanging up.

“It was the Conductor,” he said. “Things seem to be okay at Deadbird Studio, but all the Moon Penguins haven’t seen DJ Grooves in a while.”

“Really?” said Hat Kid.

The boy nodded. With that, he walked up to her and turned her back towards the entrance. “Let’s go eat something.”

Hat Kid wondered where the DJ had gone off to, but at the same time, she wondered why she was wondering. That penguin kidnapped Cloak Kid and tried to kill both of them. If the Conductor hadn’t done anything, who knows what could’ve happened.

Cooking Cat decided to try some new things with soups. The one she served up this morning was just the right amount of spicy. The whole time they were eating, Cloak Kid kept sneaking in glances at his shipmate. His mouth would move, as if trying to say something, but nothing came out.

The culinary cat stole a glance at the scene herself, decided that she needed to freshen up and left the two kids alone in the kitchen.

“I… I’m glad you're feeling better,” Cloak Kid finally spoke up. “I-I… I…” Hat Kid raised her head at her empty food bowl. She had eaten all of it like a healthy growing child. Cloak Kid sighed and continued. “On that day… I… I know I said a lot of hurtful things, and… Back then… Until now…” He tightened his grip on the table. “I… I thought you had failed our home, but… I know now, sitting those nights in your shoes. You’ve been so attentive, and caring. Sure, I complained, but I know now, you were just looking after me. The way you feel…”

“Cloak…” Hat Kid tried to speak up.

“That was all my fault,” he continued. “Maybe… Our world… and I… we just… failed you.”

Hat Kid sniffled, her eyes began to fill up with tears.

“It wasn’t your fault, Hattie,” he said. “It was that man with the mask. I’m sorry.”

He stood, watching Hat Kid’s eyes overflow with tears, walked over to her and pulled her into his arms.

“I need you by my side,” said Cloak Kid. “It’s what gramps would’ve wanted.”

Hat Kid sniffled.

“More importantly… It’s what I want… Whatever happens… I need you by my side.”

After a few minutes in the kitchen, the two made their way to the lobby, changed their location and visited a new area, with even more signals. They had scanned every other corner of the planet, so this had to be the last area. Unfortunately, the cameras could barely pick up anything to see as it was cloudy, but there were five Time Pieces detected, along with a Time Rift. They had to hurry, because it was pink.

Now that the two were well-rested and healthy they couldn’t afford to waste anymore time. With the ship’s security ready, Rumbi on standby, and Cooking Cat ready to fight with her kitchen utensils, the two children leapt out of their ship, and dove to what could be the last area for their hunt for the Time Pieces.

Where they landed was still very high up. They were at such high altitude that neither kid could see the ground. Up ahead the path spiraled upward towards the summit of the strange mountain they stood on.

As they trudged on ahead, the wind grew stronger and it was getting foggier. They saw torches that had been set up and vague statues that had a set of horns on them.

At the top, there were more statues, and pires with writing that they couldn’t read. On the other side, where they were standing, there was another horned statue that was hollowed out in the center like the others, but the horns were longer. A long clothesline looking thing stretched out into the distance, disappearing into the clouds.

Hat Kid focused into the power of her top hat, and their goal, the Time Pieces was in that direction.

“What do we do?” said Cloak Kid.

Hat Kid stepped forward, the wind getting stronger still. “There’s no way to go but forward. This is as close as the ship could get us.” She pulled out her umbrella, used her hookshot to grab onto the line, and then was pulled forward.

“Hattie!” Cloak Kid yelled. He did the same with his staff and the two children were being pulled across the clouds, screaming. They couldn’t stop it and knew they couldn't afford to just let go. Up ahead were dark puffy clouds, so they each closed their eyes and braced themselves for the worst, letting the sounds of wind and rain envelope them.

Onward they went passing by cliffs, with detailed statues of giant goats, white beautiful clouds and shiny golden bells. The air was cool, but refreshing, and then they made their way to a small community in the mountains, surrounded by trees and clouds. The roofs of the buildings had greenery growing over it and more hollowed out vague statues were decorating the small town with multi-colored tapestries hanging everywhere, along with golden bells that were big and small. The beings there hid their faces, wearing strange robes and striped headwear… like they were nomads.

“Whoa…” said Hat Kid. “I think we’re super high up.”

Cloak Kid sighed, he felt a chill and pulled up his hood. “At least the weather’s a bit clearer. So, do you see where a Time Piece could be?”

“I think I…”

Suddenly, the two bounced off the ground when it rumbled. Then, it happened again. It was steady like footsteps, and soon, the two realized why. What they saw walking by was enormous. It looked like a goat but they walked on their two back hooves like a normal person, and they had hands, with opposable thumbs. They were wearing thick layers of orange and red cloth like a poncho and a belt with a small bell on it. They seemed calm, but their glowing white eyes were unsettling, and when one of them walked by the two were nearly smacked out of the way, for just being too close.

“This way!” said a voice.

Both kids were unsure of who it was, but they quickly followed them, climbing up to even higher altitude. They were near a small house with a large horn nearby it. Their helper was one of those Nomads, but at least from where they were they could see the goats and had a better view of the area.

“Watch your step, you two,” they said. “Those Goats are a bit moody. We try to give them plenty of space, as they tend to get a bit pushy.” They tilted their head. “Hm. You’re not from around the alps, are you?”

“No,” said Cloak Kid. “Is that a problem?”

“Well, not exactly. You wouldn’t happen to know what’s with those strange lights that fell from the sky.”

“S-Strange lights?!” The boy’s eyes immediately lit up with excitement. “Did you see where any of them land?”

“There’s no need,” said Hat Kid. She squinted as her vision dimmed, being able to see four targets that were her objective: The Time Pieces. “It looks like they’re on the four corners of this place.”

Cloak Kid sighed.

“Well, hey,” said the Nomad, “You could’ve lost whatever you’re looking for at a worse place. This place is pretty peaceful. If you watch your step and mind the goats, you should be fine. And while you're at it, do you know what this is?”

The Nomad gestured up to the roof, and the kids saw nothing other than a pink Time Rift.

“O-Oh, uh…” Hat Kid stuttered. Suddenly, she smiled, trying to hide her nervousness. “We’ve got this. Let’s go, Cloak!”

The boy nodded. “Sure thing!”

Climbing a house, especially one that small, was nothing for the pair. Plus, they were nimble. They crept their way onto the grassy roof, made their way to the top, and, with a nod at one another, touched the Time Rift at the same time.

Once again, the pair were greeted with a bright light, but even as the light faded away, their inability to see didn’t. There was a fierce wind blowing, and when they could open their eyes, the wind was blowing, kicking up sand.

Then, up ahead, they came up to a cliff and saw something shining on top of a summit. It was empty, but it looked like the alpines without all the tapestries, bells, and statues, but one string of rope with those similar tapestries had been set up.

“I guess we can only go this way,” said Hat Kid. Luckily, the two kids were nimble and highly practiced, and balanced their way to the mountain. Once there, they found a set of rocks with flat surfaces and climbed their way up.

Finally, at the top, they saw the Time Rift in the middle of the flat surface. This place was the only part that was decorated with usual tapestries, statues and bells.

“There it is!” Hat Kid exclaimed. She ran towards it, but Cloak Kid was distracted. Wherever he looked, there were white glowing flowers growing everywhere. He could take his eyes off them… It was like they were calling to him.

He reached out his hand, but then he heard a shatter.

“I got it!” Hat Kid exclaimed.

“Huh?” Cloak Kid turned around in time to see Hat Kid holding the hourglass up high. The light came back and took them back to the Alpine Skyline before the boy could do anything about the flowers.

The Nomad looked relieved to see the Time Rift gone.

“Ah, thank-you!” they said. “I’m not really sure what that was, but I’m glad it’s gone.

Hat Kid smiled with a tiny giggle. She looked around, seeing the bright shine at the tops of the four corners of the land and her vision focused on it when she tapped into her hat power. Cloak Kid joined her from behind.

“Don’t worry,” said Hat Kid. “We’ll take care of those flashing lights. Just…” She looked around seeing no bridges or air crafts or anything. “How do we get there?”

Then, Hat Kid the sound of a horn. She saw that Cloak Kid had walked up and blown into it with all his might. The next moment, though, she saw more lines of tapestry appearing leading to the four corners across the land.

The girl wasn’t sure how that was possible, but something told that this was finally the start of the last stretch of their adventure.

“Ah, so that’s how.”

Chapter 30: A Problem With Birds

Chapter Text

Once the pair were back on the ship, what did the Time Piece show the kids this time? It was vague, but understandable… somewhat.

There was a goat that was big like the other ones they saw in the Alps, but was traveling through a vast desert. Somehow, the stars were guiding it. They walked on until they saw a shining like at the top of a peak. Then, using a rope that had those colorful tapestries on it they made their way to the top of the mountain. Once they were at the top, they seemed to inherit some kind power, or achieved some kind of new enlightenment. It was hard to tell. Again, however, those white glowing flowers were all over the place. That was all they saw, until the Time Piece was stowed away with the others.

There were four Time Pieces visible to them in the sense that they could see where they were. So, because of that, Cloak Kid proposed a plan…

“We should split up?” said Hat Kid.

“I was thinking it’d be easier to cover more ground,” said Cloak Kid. “I’m not saying we should go after all of them today, but… It would be faster.”

Hat Kid nodded. “Well, we are almost done collecting them. I guess it would be good to just finish just as strong as we started.” She suddenly frowned. Why was the thought of finishing up their mission making her sad? “And the longer they stay out there… well, we already knew what happened before.”

Cloak Kid nodded. “We don’t know what those Nomads are capable of. Or the goats… They seem intelligent… at least more than the average goat. They seem nice, but…”

The girl nodded. “Yeah.”

So it was. Starting the next day, the pair set out to collect what remained of the Time Pieces. The Alpine Skyline didn’t seem to have anything wrong with it, other than the goats being quite pushy about their space. There were no Mafia, no owls or penguins, and there certainly wasn’t a centuries old horrifying spirit noodle thing wanting to devour their souls. What’s more, Mustache Girl was finally in custody. There was barely anything too loud in the Alps. There were trees, greenery on the roofs, and clean air. There was a clear respect for nature.

Surely, nothing can go wrong, right?

Despite Hat Kid’s apprehension, Cloak Kid decided to head towards one of the corners of the Alps. That wasn’t the problem, but it was called “the Birdhouse.” For once, Cloak Kid thought it was sweet that she was concerned for him, but one incident from birds kidnapping was going to deter him.

Besides, if those Moon Penguins were cowardly enough to kidnap him, then maybe the Conductor was right and they weren’t real birds.

The bird house was actually a series of them scattered around in a dome like structure that looked like a cage. The houses stood atop cliffs, some connecting to other houses, and platforms to allow safe travel. Other than the cage and the cliffs, everything was made of wood.

The birdhouses were huge compared to Cloak Kid. He felt like the small one in this situation. He couldn’t get into all the houses, which wasn’t a problem at all. He was able to get around just fine walking along the roofs of some of them.

He wasn’t surprised to see eggs or bits of grass, hay and sticks assembled neatly inside some of them. Birds did live here, after all.

Inside of one of the birdhouses were actual birds, but they were small, black and had sharp glowing eyes. They didn’t seem to like the human intruder because they were trying to peck at him, but he just whacked them away with his staff. He ran up a ramp, only to see an egg pop up from underneath a pile of hay.

At first, the boy was confused, but soon he heard a ringing noise and saw smoke coming out the top of it. Oh, and was also somehow gravitating towards him. In a panic, the boy dove behind some hay bales and then it actually exploded, yolk flying over his head, and the smell of gunpowder.

Cloak Kid peeked out of cover, and saw the egg shells all over the place. That thing actually exploded. He dusted off any hay that got on him, but looked up to see the vibrant feathers that were falling slowly to the ground. The boy grinned and caught a few with his hands.

“I think I can work with this…” he said with a smile.

The boy just felt icky when came out of the top floor of a birdhouse and onto the balcony. Why in the world would a birdhouse have so many traps? He was pretty sure that feathers were just sticking to him now and thing pecking, scratching and biting didn’t help matters.

Then in the corner he saw a weird plant. It was purple and pink hue and had a purple stem. The flower had bloomed, but its roots were touching the ground and spreading like creepy veins. Cloak Kid tried to get a closer look but the smell was enough to make him gag, so he had to just leave it before he threw up on the floor.

The cool air the Alpine’s still remained though, and helped calm Cloak Kid’s nerves and he had collected a lot of feathers. At least he was sure he was close to the Time Piece. It was on top of a small cliff by a giant bird that was fast asleep.

Surprisingly, there were a few CAW agents, but he guessed they’d be fine because they were birds.

There was one bird, however, who was off to the wayside, alone, and he was bigger than the crows that were hanging around. He didn’t know who exactly they were, because of the large overcoat. He saw a way to the bird past him, though. So, he thought it would be to just walk past and hope that they didn’t notice, which was what he attempted to do.

If only luck was on his side then…

“Hello, darling.”

Cloak Kid nearly fell off his own two feet. He turned around, pulling up his hood towards the source of the voice. The bird before him didn’t even need to turn around. The boy already knew who was standing before him.

“DJ Grooves?” Cloak Kid was miffed that his voice came out more soft and small like the child that he was. It didn’t seem to matter to the DJ either way. Honestly, Cloak Kid was really afraid of birds, even after what happened at the studio and going through this bizarre place.

But, he’d be lying if he said that DJ Grooves didn’t scare him, now.

“Are you… feeling better, darling?”

So, he knew about that? Cloak Kid didn’t think he had noticed back there… Or, maybe he had and just didn’t do anything. That was far more likely.

He still remembered the way he looked down at him. He couldn’t see his eyes through those star shades he wore over them but he could see the cold desires in his heart, even after they had taken his cloak that let him do that.

“...Yes.” Cloak Kid’s answer was flat. “What are you doing here?”

“What…?” DJ Grooves still sounded spacy. “What am I… doing?”

Cloak Kid didn’t move, and for a moment it was just them and the wind. How was the kid he nearly got killed able to even stand being near him? How was the hat-wearing darling even allowing this?

“I… I think I had forgotten, actually,” he said. “When I… I was alone when… after… what happened, but… I remember. Everyone, even my own Moon Penguin fans…” He lowered his head, his afro drooping frontward a bit. “They’re all afraid of me…”

“Hm…” Despite his demeanor, Cloak Kid still thought something was off. Other than the slight movements of his head, DJ Grooves’ body hadn’t moved from the direction he was facing. For a moment he humored him, and just stayed quiet, facing the same direction he was, without saying a word. He could see the giant sleeping bird, and then, the great shining light that was coming from the Time Piece.

“So, it’s that then…?” said Cloak Kid.

“I-” the DJ suddenly turned to the child, but judging from his unamused face, he wasn’t willing to hear any excuses. So instead, he was… just honest. “I… I just thought… I need that Time Piece darling!” The penguin had raised his voice, but he still sounded so shattered. “But, I can’t even manage to get there, because I… can’t…”

“Fly.” Cloak Kid sighed. “I see. So, you haven’t learned.” He turned on his heel and walked away from him, hoping to find another route there.

“No, that’s not-” DJ Grooves suddenly raised his voice and turned, but he had already gone. It wasn’t long before he heard the sound of a horn. Then, not far from the balcony a line of bunting appeared from the nearby tree. Then Cloak Kid appeared and used his grappling hook to get across the gap and to the other side where the giant bird was resting.

From the top of the cliff, Cloak Kid locked eyes with DJ Grooves, but said nothing. The staredown happened for a while, but the penguin did not move from his spot. Cloak Kid jumped, and the giant sleeping bird did not even stir, as the boy used it’s body to bounce up to the high ledge where the Time Piece was. He picked it up, sighing in relief and then hit the button on his controller.

DJ Grooves just watched… only, Cloak Kid only sent up the Time Piece, not himself. For a moment, he was puzzled, but then he saw the boy make his way back to him. He grappled the line, jumped over gaps, risking falling once again, just going back to him. The man who kidnapped him and ignored it when he was getting sicker…

Almost killed him.

“Hey.”

DJ Grooves turned to the child, but Cloak Kid didn’t speak. His hood was up, so it was hard to tell what he was thinking. He was waiting for him to answer. Instead, he did speak. His face spoke louder.

Cloak Kid watched as tears streamed down from his eyes.

“What… What do you want, darling?” he said, his voice for once, small and broken. “Why are you bothering talking to… to someone like me!” He shouted the last part like it was painful.

Cloak Kid flinched, holding his hands close to himself, but still didn’t move. Instead, his mouth did.

“Because my grandfather used to say that I was too curious and kind for my own good,” the boy said. “Well, I think I lost sight of that after…” He covered his mouth, stifling a cough. “Well, that doesn’t matter now. I was curious.” He looked at the DJ, his green eyes showing from underneath the hood. “Why didn’t you try to stop me? The way was open. I’m sure someone like you could’ve found a way.”

“Because, I…” DJ Grooves paused. “You have to listen to me, darling. I never… Well, I did want the Time Piece at first, for something so selfish, but now, I…” Using his flipper, he hid his eyes and choked back a sob. “I wanted to TAKE IT ALL BACK!”

“You wanted to stop yourself from trying to kill us and taking the Time Piece,” said Cloak Kid.

The Moon Penguin uncovered his face. “That’s all I wish for now, darling. Don’t you ever wish… you could take something back.”

Cloak Kid sighed. “Like you wouldn’t believe.”

DJ Grooves’ beak dropped. He never thought that kind of answer would be the kid’s response.

“But, as much as I wish I could take it back, I can’t,” said Cloak Kid. “Disrupting the flow of time can have unpredictable consequences, and… Well, that ‘s why we have to keep the keys that can do as such away from the wrong hands. All we can do, is learn how to deal with what has happened. Try to heal…” He sniffled. “Try to learn, because forgetting about it will just make your regrets worse. All we can do is learn and understand, so we can move forward. I’m not in a position to pass any punishment of any kind, and I can’t say I’m any better about abusing the power of time, but… I… we can still do some kind of good, even if we’ve done so many bad things.”

DJ Grooves just looked at the child as tears filled his green shiny eyes, as well. “I… I’ll see you around, I guess.” And with that he pressed the button on his controller and the Moon Penguin watched as the kid returned to his ship.

Chapter 31: the Looming Twilight

Chapter Text

Cloak Kid promised Hat Kid that he would meet up with her at the center of the Alps, but Hat Kid hadn’t come back yet. He tried to remain calm, thinking to only go looking if she wasn’t back when the sun went down.

In the meantime, he tried his best to climb to the top of the cliff. There were some houses that were high up, but none of them were that high. Perhaps there were white flowers up there, like what the Time Piece showed him. He could see the peak, with a goat statue at the top, and colored bunting hanging down from it, with small caves, telling him that it was inhabited, but he just couldn’t figure out how to get up there.

He dug into his pockets and pulled out the feathers he found. Then, a new idea entered his mind. It would take some time to put together, and he needed to be at the ship to do so. So, for now, he had to see if there was another way.

After walking around enough, he found a trail that led up and some kind of alleyway. It wasn’t daunting like alleyways in a city, however. It was carved out, as if by man… or goat? There were vines with, but up ahead, he could see a ladder. The flowers were pretty and the foliage was green, but the closer he got the ladder, the more a putrid smell entered his nose.

When he got up to the ladder, he finally saw why. There were more of those purple flowers. It appeared they could grow on the walls, too. They were around the ladder with sharp dark thorns that were pointy like daggers.

Cloak Kid wouldn’t dare to get any closer. The smell was so bad, he thought he would gag and throw up by just standing there. He turned away, coughing and covering his nose, and decided to make a hasty retreat. There had to be another way to get up to the top.

Hat Kid had taken a path, using her hookshot to follow the green tapestry. Somehow, where she was at was more quiet than the others. Sure, the alps were actually pretty peaceful, with barely a lot of noise, but she could no longer hear or even feel the wind against her. However, when she would look up at any nearby leaves, bushes, bells, or bunting, she could see them still moving with the breeze.

She pressed on, feeling this unusually calm feeling and she felt the sense that certain things were there that she couldn’t see. For a moment, she wondered if it was just residue from the Snatcher having her soul for so long, but out of curiosity, she put on her dweller mask.

Then, she could see platforms that were invisible to her, but not to the eyes of a Dweller. She was able to press forward over gaps that seemed impossible to cross.

Soon enough, she had continued long enough to a giant, silver-looking bell. It was hanging down from a giant stone arch that looped over her. There were white flowers around like the ones that seemed to fascinate Cloak Kid when they were in that Time Rift. She made a note to tell him about them later, since she was kind of fascinated, too. They seemed familiar. Following the white paint of strange markings, she found herself standing directly underneath the bell, where all she could see were starry skies, like that of space, but like other bells, she saw something that could ring it.

So, she did that. She got out her hookshot, and started using the bell to swing back and forth, a loud, low sound permeating throughout the area. Just as Hat Kid landed on her feet, everything around her swirled and warped around, almost making her dizzy. She didn’t know what had just happened, and she grew so scared, she closed her eyes.

When she opened them at last, she found that she was no longer in the Alpine Skyline. She wasn’t on the ship, either. She had no idea where she was. The girl had to rub her eyes twice to make sure what she was seeing wasn’t just her imagination.

Up ahead now, she saw the white platforms pillars and columns of an ancient but beautiful place. The water that flowed down from some of the higher up places even looked ethereal. When the girl looked down she saw nothing but the black abyss between the gaps in the ground. She had no intention of falling, but doubted that this place was a Time Rift.

Still, as she called upon the power of her top hat, it was pointing her to her objective: the Time Piece. So, it had to be here!

She decided to continue forward, seeing her way forward on some green transparent platforms that she could see better with her Dweller Mask. She was at least relieved that it would find some more use for once. She used it to go through some walls, and even run through doorways.

More of those goat statues and decorations were adorning the place, but still, Hat Kid could not tell what this place was for.

Slowly, but surely, she got the sense someone was following her. She turned around, but they didn’t look harmful. It was just a Dweller. Some of the creatures that tried to harm her like those black birds, were even transparent without her mask.

She eventually entered an entire room that she couldn’t tread without her mask. She wondered what wearing made it do so that she could. Maybe it added to the phrase, “seeing is believing.”

The girl turned around before beginning her attempt to cross. There were more Dwellers behind her. She was so shocked, she almost fell backwards on her behind. She grabbed her umbrella, holding the handle in both of her hands, but the Dwellers didn’t attack. They meant no harm, at all.

The girl turned her back to them, very slowly. Still, they didn’t attack. They merely followed her while others went ahead.

Hat Kid wasn’t sure about the platforms she was standing on as she jumped her way to a greater height. Sure, they were stable and held her weight, but with the realm the way it was and her mask on, she had no idea what they could be. However, she saw more Dwellers ahead, just floating around, like they were telling her where to go.

Then she approached a stairwell, and many of the Dweller raced ahead to the top. The steps were large and once she was at the top, she called upon the mask’s power again and fell through into the space beneath it. To her surprise, it was the Time Piece. The hourglass shimmered and sparkled, turning everything white.

Once the light faded away, the Dwellers were gone, and Hat Kid found herself, standing beneath the giant bell in the Alps, once again.

Hat Kid had no idea what just happened, but she had the hourglass in her hands, meaning, what just happened wasn’t a dream.

At least she had it. Normally, she would just head back to the ship, but she had to meet up with Cloak Kid so they could secure each other’s safety. It also occurred to that she should tell him about the flowers, as well.

However, on her way back, she froze right in her tracks.

The beautiful white flowers she saw on the way to the bell had all lost their glow, their petals shriveled up and on the ground, while others had blown away with the crisp wind of the Alpines. And in their place, or standing next their remains, were those violet colored flowers. Dark thin like, and thorny vines had wrapped around the pure flowers’ stems.

Hat Kid gasped, and immediately regretted it, seeing as the pollen from those wretched plants were in the air. She coughed and fought off the dizziness from the spores and hurriedly made a dash to the center of the Alps.

There appeared to be some kind of meeting with some of the Nomads. Near an open area. Cloak Kid was there, too, drinking water from a flask someone lent him. He was sitting on a nearby bench.

“What are we going to do about the flowers?” one of them asked.

“I don’t know, but they don’t seem to be hurting us,” said another. “Well, if we don’t get too close that is.”

“They already caused harm to our strange traveling visitor,” said a third. And they gestured to Cloak Kid, who stifled a little cough before drinking some more water. Hat Kid gasped and ran over to his side.

“Are you okay?” she said.

Cloak Kid nodded. The flask was empty, so he handed it back to the kind Nomad who lent it to him.

“Stupid purple flowers…” he stuttered. His voice was a bit raspy from coughing. “I saw some and they smelled horrible.”

Hat Kid nodded. She held down the urge to shake at the memory of the dead flowers she saw near them. “Yeah, I saw them, too.” Then, almost all too suddenly, she grabbed his arm and yanked him to his feet. “Let’s go! We need to go back to the ship.”

“Hattie!” Cloak Kid could only say, before he snatched the hourglass he got before his shipmate dragged him too far to reach it.

“We’re leaving!” the girl said, sternly. “You need to rest!”

“But, I’m-”

Then Hat Kid turned to him, giving him a vicious glare, which silenced him almost immediately. They waited until they were far enough to beam themselves back to the spaceship.

Cloak Kid didn’t really understand. Sure, his throat was sore, but he didn’t feel feverish, just a bit tired. He still did as he was told and went to his room to lay down.

Meanwhile, Hat Kid waited and made sure that Cloak Kid was fully asleep, before slipping away to the science lab that was on the ship.

It had been a little while since she last had been in here, only coming in if Cloak Kid stayed up late, researching, studying, making or repairing something, only to fall asleep slumped over a desk, but she had to check something.

He had been researching a lot of things, too, even before the whole mess they found themselves in. She checked the nearby panel where there was some kind of containment area, each swipe bringing up a new object to show her.

And then she couldn’t believe her eyes.

One of the specimens she found was that exact same flower she and Cloak Kid had seen today. All she could do was sigh. Of course, she was terrified. She really had seen these flowers before.

And they almost killed her friend.

Chapter 32: At the Top

Notes:

Hi. So yeah, this is technically a week late. I was working on this one-shot for a contest in a discord I’m in. I finished it, but they extended the due date, anyway. But hey, at least I get some extra days to relax.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

“OW!”

Cloak Kid winced as soon as Hat Kid walked away with the needle. The boy reached for his drawer, eager to use a band-aid on his pierced arm.

“Was that really necessary?” he whined.

“Cloak, you said the same thing about your medicine,” said Hat Kid. “Calm down. It barely hurts, anyway, right?”

“You’re not the one getting pricked by a needle!” said Cloak Kid. Rubbing his sore arm, he flopped back onto his bed and turned away. He felt fine, so he had no idea why he was being treated like it was the day of the incident, but Hat Kid wouldn’t budge. After what had happened with the Snatcher, though, he decided to just let her do what she feels like she needs to, if it helps her sleep at night.

“Are you sure those purple flowers didn’t do anything to you?” said Hat Kid.

Cloak Kid rubbed his sore chest. “No. They just made me cough a lot. Those Nomads have gotten dizzy, some ill, and the goats get dazed when they get near it.”

“So, it’s not just you…” said Hat Kid. “Okay. Just take it easy. I’ll be right back.”

The boy sighed, he rolled onto his back and just stared at the star-patterned ceiling. It was getting late anyway, so it was only a matter of time before he fell asleep.

Hat Kid made it back to the science lab. The blood test results came back, and she sighed in relief to see that nothing had been affected. She wasn’t much of a doctor, but she had to learn a thing or two since it was just her and Cloak Kid in space together.

It felt like it was so long since she saw that flower, but if it was here in the ship, a subject that her mentor had been studying, it could only mean that it may have something to do with the Time Pieces. And yet, Cloak Kid, someone who almost fell victim to that vile thing, had almost no memory of it.

It made sense. When she had dragged him onto the ship, all he was thinking about in that sick stupor was his grandfather.

There were only two Time Pieces left. The two assembled at the ship’s lobby the next morning and were looking at what they could be up against, with the ship’s cameras. One appeared to be in a windmill and the other…

“Uh… is that… a cake?” said Cloak Kid.

It looked like some kind of formation, but it was completely lava. Upon closer inspection, it actually did look like a multi-layered cake.

“Well, I bet on my hat it could be there,” said Hat Kid. “Maybe we should-” She paused, upon seeing her shipmate turning pale at the sight of it. Right. Cloak Kid didn’t do well in hot places. “Tell you what: I’ll handle the lava cake.”

“I-I can’t ask you to do th-that,” said Cloak Kid. “It’s l-lava.”

“And we beat up someone as mean as the Snatcher,” said Hat Kid. She knew she was sounding a bit cocky, but she had to be confident for his sake. “Besides, it’ll be like Lava Mafia Town 2. I know what I’m doing. You take care of the Windmill. You’re good at climbing, right?”

Cloak Kid nodded. “Of course. Grandfather made sure of it.”

“And then we’ll meet back at the usual spot,” said Hat Kid.

“Okay…”

Upon further inspection, Hat Kid was glad to be the one heading up towards the Lava Cake. The mountain pass towards it was filled with volcanic activity. The bunting that hung off the line she used to hookshot her way there, were burned at the edges. Other than the heat, though, it was actually pretty, and she didn’t see as many of those purple flowers there. Perhaps like most plants, they were susceptible to fire.

There were a few gaps from the ground, the boardwalks either breaking or burning away, but there were also a lot of giant spiders hanging around that she stomped and used as stepping stones to press forward. The girl kept going up and then grabbed onto another line with her hookshot, letting it pull her towards her destination.

Getting there was only part of the journey. She landed on solid stone ground, but looked up to the mountain sized lava formation that was the Lava Cake.

There was cool water at the bottom, so she took her time, making the trek towards the dangerous Lava Cake. It didn’t look like there was any way on it, other than the cannon that was on top of a cliff. It felt really stupid to use it, but she didn’t see any other options to get on it. So she hopped into the cannon and prayed to Lady Luck.

And when she opened her eyes, her feet landed on rock hard stone. She was on the bottom layer of the Lava Cake, but she was alive. It was strange. When she looked up she could see lava above her, but it wasn’t flowing downwards right towards her, like gravity would do to most liquids. It would only flow down from the sides of the cake. Hat Kid wasn’t sure how that was possible, but if she was still alive and not burned to a crisp, she wasn’t going to question it.

There were pillars and columns also scattered around. Hat Kid used them to jump around to try and find her way to the top. She wondered if the Nomads or if the goats knew what was up with this place. The girl also knew she was just coming up with questions to distract herself from the fact that slipping would spell certain death. So, she had to ignore how hot it was and she made it to another canon.

The next layer was more of the same, but somehow there were metal bars still standing. It was getting hot, but Hat Kid couldn’t let her sweaty palms and face stop her. She knew she was going to need a bath after this.

The girl flinched, seeing fish jumping from the lava as she crossed gaps. Well, they weren’t exactly fish, but fish skeletons. She tripped over herself and landed on her back. Great. Another reminder of the risks. Hat Kid took a few deep breaths, and let her vision dim, her Kid’s Hat pointing her to her objective.

“Think of this as your first real test, kiddo.”

Hat Kid smiled to herself. She sat up. This wasn’t her first trial, and it certainly wouldn’t be her last. She stood onto her feet, and made her way towards the cannon.

Eventually, she reached the top, where the Time Piece was waiting for her. It was a mystery of how out of all places for it to fall, it had to be here, but it didn’t matter, it was in her hands now.

…Hat Kid had no idea on how to get out of here. So she just pressed the button on her controller and beamed herself back to the ship.

The air was so refreshing. She sat by the vault after stowing away the Time Piece with a glass of water or two. Maybe three.

Afterwards, Hat Kid made her way back to Alpine Skyline, deciding to wait in Goat Village. When she descended, however, she found herself going through a thick layer of clouds. They were turning dark, meaning a storm could be on the horizon.

However, when Hat Kid landed on her feet, things didn’t look better on the ground level. The skies were still dark and the goats seemed irritated and nervous. They seemed to be kinder to the Nomads, but now they were making them stay back just for looking at them funny. There was also a putrid smell in the air. It smelled familiar, but taking a deep breath made Hat Kid gag and cough. It looked like the Nomads got the same message, because most of them had retreated into their houses.

Something wasn’t right. Hat Kid’s heart was beating fast. Where the heck was Cloak Kid? He was supposed to be back from the Windmill by now. She pulled down a gulp. Were there flowers there, too? What if…

“Cloak!”

Hat Kid rushed in the direction of the Windmill. Getting there was the same as the other places: By using her hookshot. If it turned out Cloak Kid was fine, he might be really mad at her for doting on him again, but she didn’t care.

Her fears only got worse as she got closer to it. There were more of those purple flowers. They were pretty. She’d give them that, but it didn’t stop it from smelling really bad, worse so, now that it seemed like their petals were blooming.

She approached the giant windmill that was at the top of a cliff. It was massive and towered so high, she swore it could pierce the clouds. Her vision dimmed as she once again used her hat power, seeing her objective that, not the Time Piece, but Cloak Kid. He was at the top. Perhaps he had found the Time Piece? If that was so, why hasn’t he made his way down yet?

Something had to be wrong. All Hat Kid could do was pray that he was alright. Was he injured? Did his sickness spike with the current state of the air? She really hoped it wasn’t the latter. She looked up, seeing the tower that was the Windmill and could only think of one vague familiarity.

“Hey, where’s Cloak?” said Hat Kid.

Tim was closing up the library for the night and he and Hat Kid were looking around to make sure that nobody was still hanging around after hours.

“He’s probably still up in the observatory,” said Tim. “Come on. Let’s go get him, so I can start dinner.”

“Okay!” Hat Kid chimed, happily.

The pair went up to the second floor and through some doors. The people had cleared out from the observatory, as well, which was good. However, when Tim pressed the button for the lift, nothing happened.

“Well, this is odd,” he said.

“What is it?”

“I think the lift is on the fritz again.”

“What?” Hat Kid pressed the button. Then, she did it a few more times for good measure. “Uh… Isn’t Cloak up there?”

Tim looked up. “It would seem that way, yes.” Hat Kid wondered why he wasn’t more concerned.

“We’ve gotta get him down!” said Hat Kid. “What if he’s hungry, or something? Is he gonna starve? He’s probably scared sick.”

“That, or he’s too absorbed in his studies to even notice that the lift is broken,” said Tim. “Hm. Oh!”

Hat Kid tilted her head. “What?”

“I say, this is a good opportunity to put what I’ve taught you to the test.”

“Uh…” Hat Kid looked up, seeing a long way up from where they were standing. “U-Uh, I don’t-”

“Now, now, Hattie,” said Tim. “Didn’t I warn you that our work can be dangerous?”

“Well, yeah. But-”

“Think of this as your first test, kiddo! I need you to climb to the top of the observatory and get my grandson.” He stood up straight, cane in both of his hands as he leaned against it on the ground. “This isn’t the first time the lift has broken, and it won’t be the last. My grandson has done it himself many times.”

Hat Kid looked up. She remembered how brave Cloak Kid was to save her from that masked man. Sure, she didn’t know what sort of dangers came with working at a library, but she wanted to be as brave and strong as Cloak.

“Okay!” she huffed. “I’ll go.”

Hat Kid felt the wind picking up around her, the smell of those darned flowers getting stronger. Her hands formed fists and she stomped inside.

“Hang in there, buddy!”

Hat Kid walked in to see a big thing made of wood and metal spinning at the center. Actually, it sounded like a lot of things were in motion. She didn’t see stairs, but it wouldn't be a challenge if there were any. So, she found some giant crates and barrels to climb on, and even rode some moving platforms that were filled with hay, or grass, or wheat but were on wheels. She used them to cross gaps. Even if she fell, there was comfortable hay underneath.

She climbed up higher, able to see outside from the first big window. Things still looked grim outside. Hat Kid saw more things turning, like rotating boxes hooked up to other boxes, gears, and other machinery. The girl hoped Cloak Kid didn’t get distracted from all the machinery. She kind of liked how big everything was. The girl was jumping on giant gears and using them to jump to higher scaffolding.

Eventually, Hat Kid got high enough to see out of the second giant window, but saw more the same outside. She didn’t know what was compelling her to look outside, because she really rather not.

Hat Kid was getting nervous as she got higher, which she didn’t really get. She’s gone so high, she’s been in space before. However, she seemed to have reached a new floor, seeing that she found herself on a solid wood floor that stretched across the room. As she climbed the scaffolding, she couldn’t see a way to get higher, other than a window that was close enough to reach some of the stone cliffs outside.

It had gotten worse out there. The skies were darker and the wind was really picking up. Despite that, it didn’t seem like the gusts were making the clouds move at all, which was baffling. She was just glad that there were no flowers up where she was and she was high enough that the air didn’t smell rancid anymore. Maybe that’s why Cloak Kid was still at the top like a cat stuck on a tree.

While hopping from cliff to cliff, she wondered how supplies like hay, hay bales, wagons and milk canisters ended up here. The Nomads looked agile, but surely they wouldn’t be strong enough to jump with heavy things, and for what purpose would they have for putting items in strange places?

She tiptoed and balanced her way around the Windmill, until she saw an opening. With the hookshot, she grappled onto the bars on the giant window and swung in through the gap.

With more gears spinning and with things to grab onto, Hat Kid used them to get even higher. She made it out to a small balcony outside, soon grabbing onto the giant spinning turbine herself and getting up to the highest window on the Windmill.

It seemed like the attic of the Windmill. All she found were milk canisters, crates, barrels, and a few lanterns that were strangely still lit. There was a huge gap in the center, surrounded by wooden railing that one could look down from.

Hat Kid squinted, her vision going dark, slightly, to reveal her objective, which was right across the room.

“Cloak!” Hat Kid called out, using her hands and putting them around her mouth to project her voice further. “Cloak! Are you here?”

“Hattie?”

Hat Kid sighed in relief. If he was talking, he had to be fine. “Stay right there. I’m coming over.”

“Okay.”

The girl was curious. She thought he would put up more resistance. Since he was still up here, she thought he was hiding something. She took a right, going around and having to leap over a corner. She saw past the milk canisters that had blocked her view from the entrance and saw Cloak Kid sitting by some giant crates, like it was a small room to hide from the world. She could tell that he was nervous, because he pulled his hood up, but it wasn’t cold in there.

“Cloak!”

Hat Kid ran up to his side. She felt his forehead, relieved that there was no fever.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt? Do you feel sick?”

“H-Hattie?” The boy looked up at her, his cloak moved, revealing the last Time Piece in his arms. “Outside… it’s…”

“Yeah, it’s pretty bad,” said Hat Kid. “Are you scared?” She never knew him to be scared of storms.

The boy flinched, as if wanting to somehow disappear into the crate behind him. “No, it…” His eyes were shiny, like he was about to scream… or burst into tears. His eyes glanced up at the nearby window and he shivered as a bolt of purple lightning caused a quake of thunder. The color was what made the boy flinch again. “I… I remember…” He hid his face.

Hat Kid’s jaw dropped. She fell onto her knees and placed a pair of comforting hands on his shoulders.

“Do you… remember what happened?”

Cloak Kid nodded a little.

“Those flowers… They…”

Hat Kid nodded. “Yeah, they’re why you got sick. You were trying to help people and you were so determined to stop that man who-”

“I should’ve been more concerned about the Time Pieces,” the boy mumbled. “I… It’s…”

“It’s what?”

“It’s our fault… Our f-fault, the flowers are here.”

“Huh?”

“My grandfather… he knew how dangerous it is to have all those Time Pieces scattered. When there’s too many disturbances, disruptions, rifts… it brings bad omens…”

“You mean the flowers are…” Hat Kid trailed off, seeing Cloak Kid nod, confirming what he was saying. “But, it’s okay, now. You’ve got the last one right there in your arms. Once we get it back to the ship, we can fix it.”

Cloak Kid sniffled.

“I promise this will not be a repeat of what happened all those months ago,” Hat Kid spoke gently. “Let’s get this Time Piece back and we can fix this.”

The boy wiped his eyes and nodded. The girl reached out her hand. Cloak Kid smiled a little and reached out his own, slowly standing up.

And then a giant bolt of lighting struck through the roof and right between them…

Notes:

Haha! Cliffhanger! I am evil!

Oh, and that contest? I’m the only one out of two people who entered.

*Slams face in nonphysical desk, because I hold this laptop in my lap and I don’t have a table*

Chapter 33: the Illness Has Spread

Chapter Text

“Get out of here!” He pushed her away, while Cloak Kid ran ahead.

“No, Cloak! Don’t go! If you do, you’ll-”

BOOM!

Cloak Kid’s eyes shot open as he gasped, recalling that horrible memory. The inhaling of that putrid air however, sent the boy into a painful coughing fit. He rolled onto his side, hacking air until it stopped.

When it was over, tears were racing down from the boy’s eyes and he wiped the saliva that had dripped from his mouth. His chest ached, each breath painful on his ribcage.

Still, the boy slowly stood, his body trembling with weariness from his fit, and saw the sight before him.

Cloak Kid was standing atop of a cliff, a distance away from the Windmill. The skies above him were dark and stormy, the wind was howling and wherever he looked, he could see those purple flowers in full bloom, spilling spores everywhere.

He caught sight of the Windmill, seeing the roof of it completely destroyed.

Then, it came back to him: Climbing to the top, finding the Time Piece, looking down and… remembering what happened. Then, Hat Kid showed up, and then…

“HATTIE!”

Cloak Kid looked around, but saw no sign of his partner. His breathing was getting fast, and the spores in the air made it feel like his lungs were on fire. He fell onto his knees, erupting in another coughing fit, but it wasn’t as severe.

He was alone. No Hattie. No grandfather to tell him what to do.

The tears escaped his eyes, as he held himself. At this rate, it would affect the whole planet… And then…

His eyes looked around one more time, trying desperately to locate his shipmate. He didn’t see her, but among the many flowers, he saw a giant one sitting across the gaps.

“...we can fix it.”

He remembered Hat Kid saying that. There was one way to deal with them: Like the Time Rifts, he had to find the source and destroy them. He couldn’t give up, despite the odds, and despite his state. All he could do right now was pray that Hat Kid was okay.

They boy used his staff’s grappling hook, taking care to descend from where he had woken up. There was a small neighborhood of houses that he had to pass through and there were goats, but their eyes were red as they stomped around. They caught sight of the child, and suddenly were charging at him.

Cloak Kid squeaked and climbed onto one of the houses, as the goats barrelled through hay bales, crates, and canisters trying to get to the child. The houses were structurally sound, so pounding their fists into the side didn't do much damage. Wobbling around, Cloak Kid jumped to another house and approached the end of the neighborhood. He jumped across another gap and landed on his feet.

The giant purple plant smelled horrible. Cloak Kid gagged as he approached it, but he had to destroy it. He pulled on his Cloak of Flames, and from a distance, shot a flame to it and all the smaller ones around it. There was a fire, and more spores rose up and Cloak Kid had to make a get away immediately, as he coughed and gasped for air.

He ran back into the neighborhood, and fell on his knees. When his fit subsided, he saw the goats out cold on the floor. Covering his mouth and stifling more coughs, Cloak Kid stumbled upon them, and petted the tops of their heads gently. They were still breathing, and with any luck, they should wake up okay.

Cloak Kid wiped the sweat off his brow. He felt kinda sick. Surely, being around those flowers wasn’t good for him, but he couldn’t beam back to ship, without the threat of being struck by lightning. He had to stop this as soon as he could.

With the grappling hook, he made his way back towards Goat Village. The Nomads had locked themselves in their houses. More of those plants were littering the streets, some raining down from the sky from the other giant flowers that were scattered throughout the Alpine Skyline. Cloak Kid covered his mouth, running through the village and setting the bad flowers ablaze.

When he made it to another line of bunting he felt a bit dizzy, but decided to trudge onwards. He used his hookshot to make his way towards the Birdhouse. He only got halfway there, because the rest of the way had been burned by lightning.

It was getting worse. With the plants’ roots spreading, they began to rise up from the ground. Some did so below Cloak Kid’s feet, and he jumped to get out of the way before he found himself caught in their dreadful vines. He stood up, just in time to be pursued by more of those goats who had gone mad from the spores. At least the adrenaline made him forget about how horrible it smelled to be out and about. Soon the flower was ablaze, along with the smaller ones, dissolving into ash.

Cloak Kid made it back before he inhaled too much of the fumes, but had to lean on a tree for a minute and catch his breath. They were heavy and it made him go into another coughing fit from the spores everywhere.

He didn’t feel good, and his body felt cold, mostly on the tips of his fingers, they were going numb, and the edges of his eyes were turning purple from irritation. They were itching and watery. He covered his mouth with his sleeve, fought the dizziness and pressed forward. He took the line back to Goat Village, but when he got onto the ground, he lost his balance and fell fast first into the ground.

Cloak Kid felt so weak and tired, that standing up felt like too much of a hassle. Still he did, but upon taking a breath, he erupted into yet another coughing fit. His chest burned, and he fell to his knees again. More flowers fell around him and he would’ve sobbed if he weren’t busy coughing his guts out.

“I can’t…” He saw the final place to go and froze. It was the volcano. It was the trail that led to the lava cake.

Cloak Kid turned around, seeing the trail of fire he left behind him, and then suddenly collapsed onto his bottom. His breath was still heavy and his skin was turning pale. He gagged and coughed some more, before giving into how terrible he felt and laid on his back.

“I’m… sorry…” he rasped, his breath getting shallow from all the pollen. He couldn’t even find the strength to move his limbs. His vision grew hazy and he heard something that sounded rumbling, but it was also steady. As everything went dark, he saw the great light at the top of the mountain of Goat Village, like he did in the Time Rift, and saw the glowing eyes of the Goats… “Hattie…” was the only word on his lips.

And he heard a voice…

“DARLING!”

DJ Grooves approached the child lying on the ground, motionless. His face was flushed, but instead of red, it was purple and his skin was horrible pale.

“Darling!” The DJ didn’t even think about running past the goats that were surrounding him, but for once, they didn’t even have the feeling to knock him out of the way for getting too close. He tried shaking Cloak Kid, but he didn’t even react. He was limp, but upon looking closer, he could still hear him breathing… barely.

“Come on, darling!” the Moon Penguin pleaded. “You’ve got to hang in there!”

Cloak Kid mumbled, but it was impossible to make out what he was saying, and his voice was raspy, barely a whisper.

The goats began to walk away, but one of them signaled him to follow. The DJ was appalled, but figured they knew what they were doing. He gathered the ill child in his arms, and scurried after them.

They went down that strange alley way again, but this time, however, the goat leading them simply pounded the side of the mountain and all of the purple flowers that were growing on the wall came off and disappeared into nothing. DJ Grooves covered the kid’s face from the spores, fearing that his state would deteriorate further if he inhaled anymore of that stuff. It looked like with almost all of the giant poisonous flowers gone, the goats had some of their strength back.

DJ Grooves climbed the ladder with the unconscious Cloak Kid in tow. He was laid over his shoulder, arms hanging limply. He tried to climb up as fast as his super tall platinum shoes would let him, towards the shining light at the top of the mountain.

All while the words Cloak Kid told him rang through the Moon Penguin’s head.

“…we can still do some kind of good, even if we’ve done so many bad things.”

Because while Cloak Kid had known that bad omens happen with the manipulation of time itself, he forgot that good things can happen, as well…

When Cloak Kid opened his eyes, he saw white. It was pretty, like a flower… like that white flower.

He gasped, taking a sharp inhale of fresh air. He gasped for it, like he was breathing for the first time, like he had come up from underwater. He was coughing up all the spores he inhaled, all of it coming out in puffs of purple.

A pair of hands were holding him still. No, they were a pair of flippers. That of a penguin.

Cloak Kid looked up to see the goats around him and DJ Grooves holding him still, while he caught his breath.

“Take deep breaths, darling,” he said.

DJ Grooves had taken him hostage and didn’t care about how ill he was getting, but now he was here, where they were, and he… helped him. Still, he couldn’t help but cling to him like his life depended on it as tears streamed down from his eyes.

He finally caught sight of what he was inhaling. It was spores from the glowing white flower. They were on top of the peak of Goat Village. The DJ had that flower pressed up to the kid’s face like an oxygen mask.

“The big guys saw me with you and showed me how to get up here,” the DJ said. “You were…” He shuddered to recall the sight. “You were… I thought you were…”

Cloak Kid shivered. He could’ve died, huh? That was the price, he supposed. Still, where did he get this flower? Weren’t they rare? Weren’t the purple flowers killing them? Each breath he took from it, was like standing on top of a mountain, with the clear skies overhead. He saw the goats around him staring at him, but they seemed like they had come back to their senses.

Suddenly, he didn’t feel so drained anymore. Actually, he felt way better than normal. He was full of energy. Alive!

Was this their way of saying thanks?

Then Cloak Kid stood, his body shining with an otherworldly light, his eyes glowing white like the goats. DJ Grooves stepped back.

“D-Darling?” he said. “Are you-”

“Yes…” Cloak Kid said. “I’m fine.” With determination, he looked up at the stormy skies. “I need to finish this!”

Drawing aside his cloak, he put on a new one that he had finished using all of those colorful feathers he found in the Bird House. He shared eye-contact with the DJ, who could do nothing but stand there, with his mouth agape at Cloak Kid’s glowing eyes. The child nodded at him, almost unable to express his thanks, but he supposed he should save it until it was over.

Cloak Kid jumped off the cliff and his cloak spread out like a pair of wings, while he glided towards his final destination: the volcano. The peak itself was erupting, but among the lava flow were more of those dreaded flowers. The lightning struck on the wooden platforms that were built to help the Nomads traverse. On that note, it probably wasn’t a good idea to build wooden things in places where they were more susceptible to catching on fire.

The heat was bad, but oddly, enough the spores weren’t bothering Cloak Kid. It was like his reaction to that had been numbed, or shoved the wayside. His fear of fire and lava, the things that had scared him beyond anything, were just… nothing now. He didn’t get it, but like before, he remembered his objective: The last flower.

Donning his Cloak of Flames, he raced through the flowers that were raining down, as white sparkes of fire set the flowers and the creeping vines ablaze, the spores disintegrating upon getting near the smoke of the pure white flames.

The last flower attacked with everything it had. The spores from the flowers around it became stronger and stronger. With every step Cloak Kid took towards the giant flower, the pure white ones were sprouting anew at his feet, the spores so strong that any of the purple ones around it withered and waned.

Cloak Kid set the last of the purple flowers ablaze, and with his staff glowing in his hands, he wasn’t sure what that white flower did, but he was thankful. He struck the last flower with all of his might.

“Cloak? CLOAK!”

Hat Kid ran through Goat Village, looking around frantically for her friend. She was surprised to see the skies clearing and the air fresh once again, but then many Nomads and Goats gathered around outside. They were all around someone who was glowing white.

The girl made her way through the crowd and saw that the one who was hogging all the attention was Cloak Kid.

“The air is clear again!” one of the Nomads exclaimed. “And the goats seem to have come to their senses again. I don’t really understand it, but I assume we have you to thank!”

Cloak Kid opened his mouth to speak, then the light faded away from his body. Guess the power he had was only temporary. Even so, he didn’t go back to feeling like death again.

“Cloak!” Hat Kid ran up to him. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah…” he said, looking at his hands and then himself. “I think so. I… I would’ve been in real trouble, but… DJ Grooves and those Goats helped me.”

Hat Kid gasped. “Grooves?” She looked and saw the DJ in the crowd, who smiled sheepishly. She couldn’t tell whether or not he was looking at them. She realized those Goats had the same glow in their eyes that her shipmate had before it vanished.

“Excuse me,” said a Nomad. “We couldn’t help but notice this in a cluster of those flowers after they were destroyed. We noticed how you seem to be going after them, so I guess they belong to you?”

The Nomad held out the last Time Piece. Hat Kid beamed and took it. Then, Cloak Kid fell to his knees.

“Cloak!” Hat Kid was there to catch him on his way down. She felt his head, but found no fever. The boy was leaning all his weight on her, like he was just really tired.

“Hattie…” he whispered, a content smile on his face. “Whatever… The thing I had… It feels… far away… I feel better.”

“Huh?” When Hat Kid didn’t get an answer, she looked at him and saw that he had fallen asleep in her arms. He didn’t look like he was distressed, sick, or in any pain at all. Hopefully, it would stay that way when he woke up. She tucked away the Time Piece, picked up his staff and him as well. “Thank-you,” she said to everyone. And with that, she beamed herself and Cloak Kid back to the ship…

…not knowing that the worst was yet to come.

Chapter 34: the Beginning of the End

Chapter Text

There was no fever. There wasn’t anything.

Hat Kid leaned over Cloak Kid’s bedside, finding him still asleep after the whole ordeal. He didn’t look pained, or trapped in any dreams. A day had passed, but he was still unconscious and Hat Kid wasn’t able to give him his medicine in this state.

Strangely, however, nothing changed. He didn’t catch a fever or anything. He remained asleep, like he was perfectly fine.

She sighed, and pulled the blanket over him.

“You’d better wake up soon,” Hat Kid mumbled. Somehow, despite having no idea what happened between getting separated from him and the flowers clearing, she knew that he would wake up soon and be okay.

If everything was as it should be then… there shouldn’t be anymore missing Time Pieces. Hat Kid rushed to the ship’s lobby and hopped into the captain’s chair. There weren’t any more signals coming from the Alpine Skyline. In fact, she moved the ship to other parts of the planet, and saw that there were no more signals, anywhere.

So, it was over, then? All the Time Pieces were secure? Hat Kid turned off the cameras, calling all the scouters back to the ship. She walked over to the vault, did a final count, and surely enough, they were all there and accounted for. The screen showed that they indeed had enough power to finally leave.

Hat Kid sighed. They really did it! They had all of them. She was smiling, but it was small.

This was their goal: To get out of here. So why wasn’t she more happy about it? She and Cloak Kid had bickered and argued, got chased by the Mafia, dealt with deadly birds, made a deal with spirits and ventured through the alps. Although, she’d be lying if she said there weren’t moments that they were actually having fun. She knew Cloak Kid felt the same way. He looked quite content starring in the Conductor’s movie. Well, at least the first one.

The girl turned towards the giant window, and leaned against the railing. It felt wrong to just leave now, but she should. They had all the Time Pieces, and it was dangerous to linger around, seeing as someone wanted them and knew how to open the vault. Maybe when they got home, they could see about getting a new, better vault that was more secure, or at the very least find someone who could figure out how to change the combination.

No. She couldn’t leave now. She may be the captain, but Cloak Kid needed a say, as well. Until he woke up then, she had an idea.

Hat Kid walked into the kitchen and found that Cooking Cat had really meant it when she said she wanted to experiment with an alien kitchen. There were all kinds of different cuisines laid out on the dining table.

“Ta da!” Cooking Cat exclaimed. “What do you think? I’ve been working on all of these recipes while you and your friend have been out on your adventures.”

“Yeah, that’s a lot!” Hat Kid said, almost breathlessly. “Actually, this is perfect!”

“Really? Why?”

“Because, I’m going to throw the planet’s first party… In space!”

Hat Kid was suddenly having second thoughts.

Using the phone in the machine room, she made several calls out to various places on the planet and used the ship's tractor beam to get those who accepted. It wasn’t long before the lobby was packed, and the Moon Penguins knew how to get a party really going, but Cooking Cat was ready.

“Never fear! Cooking Cat is here!” said the feline chef. “If anyone even looks at the vault funny, they’ll get a face full of frying pan.”

Plenty of others were on board, including the Moon Penguins. Hat Kid was worried at first, but it made sense, seeing as what knowing of its power did to DJ Grooves.

She spent most of her time guarding the vault herself, and knowing what she had been through and triumphed over, there was little chance anyone would try anything. Even Rumbi had a few tricks up their sleeves. She put on her double pair of shades she got from the studio to look extra tough like the penguins, and leaned back against the vault. She kept the doors to the other rooms locked, so no one could tamper with anything and not disturb her shipmate, while he recovered.

Hat Kid thought things were going great. Even the Conductor showed up.

The girl’s face lit up upon seeing him walk up to the higher level to meet her by the vault.

“You made it!” Hat Kid exclaimed. She smiled, still wearing her double shades. The Conductor couldn’t react in time, and the girl's arms were around him.

“Ah, I’m only here, because those darn Express Owls are slacking off from the studio…” the owl tried to sound tough, but he sighed, and let his arms wrap around the child. “So, how’s the lad doing?”

Hat Kid pulled away, glad that the Conductor couldn’t see what she was thinking behind those eyes that were darting around. There was no point in lying, so she explained to him what happened in the alps.

The Conductor did the right thing and had a doctor take a look at him, but nothing seemed wrong. Literally. Nothing.

“Nope,” the owl doctor said, taking his stethoscope away from the child. “He’s completely healthy.” He, Hat Kid and the Conductor were gathered around Cloak Kid’s bedside. Cooking Cat, frying pan in hand took over guarding the vault for the time being.

Hat Kid tilted her head. “Completely? But what about his-”

“Yes, you informed me of that, but I see no trace of his illness.”

Hat Kid leaned forward, hands on the bed. “You mean? He’s better?!” Her eyes sparkled with hope.

“You said those Nomads told you that he was in contact with a strange white flower?” said the doctor. “Usually, the goats don’t let anyone go near them. I guess I can see why, now.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh, nothing. But, it can really knock someone out for a while if they aren’t used to it. I have very few recorded cases, but other than that, your friend should wake up after a while. I guess those Goats are the only ones who can really handle it.”

Hat Kid sighed in relief. Now, she could truly relax. Hopefully, he would wake up soon. She teared up, at the fact that it was almost time to leave, but now they could head home, safe and healthy.

She knew that as soon as the food ran out, it would be time to tell everyone that she and Cloak Kid would have to leave the planet soon. She looked up at the Conductor, who was shaking hands with the doctor. It was nice to see him being… nice.

“So, lassie. What’s with this party, anyway?”

The girl wiped her eyes. “Well…”

Suddenly, the ship tilted a bit sideways for a moment, as a big large explosion was heard throughout the ship. The alarms started going off, but still, Cloak Kid did not stir.

“What the what?!” the Conductor shouted.

Hat Kid scrambled onto her feet, rushing out of the room and towards the lobby. As she got closer, she could hear people yelling and screaming.

“INTRUDER ALERT! INTRUDER ALERT!”

“Rumbi!” Hat Kid yelled.

Hat Kid rushed into the lobby, just in time to see Cooking Cat getting tossed across the room and into a wall. Her frying pan fell onto the floor. Everyone else was knocked out, even Rumbi.

“Well, good work kiddo!”

Hat Kid looked up and saw the Snatcher and Mustache Girl near the vault. Of course, Mustache Girl was opening it.

“HEY!” Hat Kid shouted. Her voice caught their attention. “I thought you were in jail!”

Mustache Girl turned to Hat Kid, a smirk on her face. “I was, until I made a deal with dark noodle over there!”

“I’m a… whatever!” said the Snatcher.

“We have a contract!” said Hat Kid.

“Hey, as long as I don’t hurt you, it doesn’t count, right?” the dark being said, chuckling to himself.

Hat Kid raced into action, as Mustache Girl, swung the vault open, and reached for a Time Piece. She threw her umbrella and it hit Mustache Girl’s hand, knocking the hourglass from her grasp. Hat Kid raced in to retrieve her weapon. She caught it just before it landed on the ground and was right on time when Mustache Girl ran at her throwing punches and kicks. The hat-wearing girl jumped back and the hooded child looked just in time for the Time Piece to come back from being in the air and bumped her on the noggin.

“NO!” Hat Kid yelled. She raced back and caught the hourglass before it fell onto the ground, but it was too late. The hourglass shook and shivered in her hands and a bright light started to shine, floating out of her hands. It was like a portal was forming, and then, Mustache Girl, in her rage, pushed Hat Kid towards it.

Hat Kid was shoved into the light that was turning pink. She screamed as she was thrown into the rift.

“CLOAK!” Hat Kid screeched.

Mustache Girl turned back to the vault and picked out yet another Time Piece. “Finally!” she said. “Well, thanks for all your help.”

“Yes, but… remember our little deal?” the Snatcher asked. He reached forth for a Time Piece of his own, but Mustache Girl smacked his limb for a hand away. “What?!”

“Yeah, sorry! But you’re a bad guy! So, bye, bye!”

“What?!”

Before the Snatcher could even react, Mustache Girl moved almost at the speed of light, when in reality, she hadn’t. She simply slowed down time enough with the hourglass to hit him with all she had. By the moment the normal flow of time resumed, the Snatcher was sent flying from the ship.

The red hooded girl sighed, and looked into the vault of Time Pieces. She put her fists together and cracked her knuckles.

“Time to mess with time a little…”

When Hat Kid opened her eyes, she found herself… in the middle of her room. She sat up, seeing how the lights were out, which she never had off unless she was sleeping in her bed, but she was on the floor. The tiny little lights on the walls that acted as stars were glowing.

Soon, her eyes saw what was in front of her. Stuck in the pillow fort was a hatch. Then, she realized it quickly and stood on her feet. She was in a Time Rift, created when that hourglass hit Mustache Girl’s head.

Hat Kid gasped. “Cloak!” She had to get out of this rift, and see if he was okay… if everyone was okay! The only way to go was forward, so the girl quickly picked up speed and dove into the hatch.

Next, she found herself in a fragmented, Mafia Town. It looked like she was on the main road, and the Mafia were still out to beat her up, so she took to higher ground on some rafters. She looked around seeing pools of lava, and a mural on the wall that had the Boss of the Mafia and some of his henchmen over Mafia Town. There was a ship on the shore with a boat titled, “Bad Guys.”

Yup, Hat Kid thought. This definitely has something to do with that girl. She tiptoed on the scaffolding over the lava that was beneath her and dove into the next hatch that was in the middle of the lava pool.

Hat Kid landed in the dark… or the dim? She saw giant bags of luggage cardboard cutouts for background, lighting fixtures and cameras. There was a panel that had the logo for Deadbird Studio nearby, so she knew exactly where she was. She could see cars from a train on the tracks all in different spots, and when she jumped from platform to platform, they were actually the tops of buildings, like on the moon. In the center of the room, she found the rubber knife and the greasepaint from that “Murder on the Owl Express Movie. How the heck did Mustache Girl know about that? She remembered that Cloak Kid thought he saw her briefly when he was on the Conductor’s train, but he was sure he panicked so much he hallucinated. But, considering what happened later on, did he really?

She typerope walked on a wire, seeing CAW agents below, like they were securing the area and then hopped to a train car. There were more cardboard cutouts of cacti, the DJ, the Conductor, and even the planet, itself.

Finally she jumped towards a western scene of brave owls riding on horses, and jumped into the next hatch.

A fragment of Subcon Forest. Hat Kid wasn’t surprised one bit to see this place. Considering how Mustache Girl and the Snatcher were acting, she already knew what had taken place. She made a deal with the Snatcher in order to get onto the ship. The area was gated, which didn’t matter because beyond the dark metal fence was nothing but the void.

Still, it wasn’t that different from regular Subcon Forest. Hat Kid wondered if the Dwellers flying about were actually real or just an illusion built from memories. It was strange how she forgot about Cloak Kid and her mission while she was stuck there, but despite how she crashed after the whole ordeal and was out with a fever for a while, she remembered her experience very clearly.

It was fun delivering those packages, clearing that well, and burning paintings…

But she almost brought Cloak Kid to his demise.

No more. She wouldn’t let anything happen to him.

She made a promise.

Up ahead, she saw the well, and with no hesitation, she dove downward. The bottom, like it was when she investigated it in the real Subcon Forest, was frozen. Through a tunnel, she saw the Snatcher’s house, but it, along with the walls around it and the ground beneath her feet, were covered under a sheet of ice. However, inside of the hollowed out home, was another hatch.

Hat Kid smiled upon seeing the fragmented Alpine Skyline. She had no idea when Mustache Girl had ever been there, but what mattered now was getting out of this rift. There was a small version of the volcano, the Windmill, the Birdhouse, and that strange area where the Twilight Bell was.

Of course, there were those weird flowers, but Hat Kid quickly remembered that this was a Time Rift, so they wouldn’t actually have an effect on the rest of the planet. They still smelled horrible when the girl got near them. She hopped through a birdhouse, walked past a few waterfalls. Then, she climbed some of the cliffs with marked rocks that led her to the hatch. A few of those white flowers were growing around it. The ones that may have well saved her shipmate’s life when things were dire.

The next area, she didn’t recognize at all.

It was just… lava. Everywhere. Hat Kid was lucky that she was standing on a rock. The girl walked across a collapsed pillar and onto some safe tiles. There were still more gaps of lava. She saw pillars and golden statues of Mustache Girl. Piles of Time Pieces were just laying out in the open and red hammers with golden mustache emblems were all over the place.

This place… contained her deepest desires.

She managed to grapple onto something and swing the rest of the way to the next hatch. Finally, she found the source of the rift.

The girl landed in the attic of the spaceship. This was where Cloak Kid imbued the Time Stop Hat with the power she needed to stop the Snatcher. In front of the stained glass portrait of the Time Piece was the rift.

Quickly, Hat Kid raced up the steps, approached the rift, and whacked it with all she had with her umbrella until it shattered and revealed the Time Piece.

“I’m coming, Cloak!” Hat Kid declared, as she took the hourglass. And the bright light engulfed everything.

Hat Kid opened her eyes and found herself back in her room on the spaceship. Hold on. She didn’t remember entering the Time Rift from here. She looked around, seeing that everything was quiet. Umbrella in hand, she got ready to go out into the lobby.

“HELP! SOMEBODY!”

The girl jumped, hearing the voice of a boy. Cloak Kid! She looked around, but didn’t see him. She swore she heard him in the room, however

“CAN SOMEBODY HEAR ME?! ANYONE!”

Hat Kid looked towards the pool of pillows. No way. She focused, her vision going a shade dark and focused on her objective. He was there!

The girl dove into the pillow fort and swam towards the left most corner. There was a bundle of cloth assembled into a little hut, with the only entrance at the top. Once through, she landed in her tiny little pillow fort. The only thing that gave it light was a small candle. There were some stuffed bears, comics, magazines, and on a small table was her most valued possession: Her diary.

However, while she expected to land on something soft, she didn’t count on it having bones. She looked down, and saw Cloak Kid, hands tied behind his back and ankles tied together, struggling beneath her.

“Cloak!” Hat Kid quickly stood up and got to work untying his limbs. It was a relief to see his green eyes open and looking at her. “What happened?”

Once the bindings were off, Cloak Kid practically lunged to hug her. His frame was shaking. Of course being tied up like that would frighten him after last time. Hat Kid felt his face and forehead. Still no fever. That was good.

“Are you okay?” said Hat Kid.

“I don’t… I just woke up here, and I couldn’t move,” said Cloak Kid.

“Well, you’ve been out for about a day or so, but… oh no!”

“What?” said Cloak Kid.

Hat Kid didn’t say a word and jumped up to get out of the fort.

“Wait, what happened?!” the boy asked. But, Hat Kid’s legs were all that were poking out from the entrance, by the time he asked. Left with no choice, he followed after her out of the pillow fort. “Hattie, what’s wrong?”

Hat Kid was chased by her shipmate out of her room as she rushed towards the vault. Not only did she see it empty of guests but, she glanced out the window and no longer saw the planet she knew. Cloak caught up with her and froze in place, as well.

They saw a world of red.

Chapter 35: Time's End - Part I

Chapter Text

The world was red.

The planet was entirely engulfed in volcanic activity. There was almost no land, except for volcanoes spitting out more lava, and there was a large mass of land on the very top of the planet, however. It was like a grand castle of gold. Somehow, the ship had remained untouched, but… with all the Time Pieces gone, the ship had gone dark, only using emergency power.

"Our home…"

Hat Kid was too busy being in shock, before she noticed a thud on the wall behind her. Cloak Kid’s hands were in his hair. He muttered and tried to piece words together as he sank to his knees. His breathing was getting rapid, but it wasn’t like Hat Kid knew what to do… At least, not this time.

This… It was like what happened before…

“I… I’m sorry…” Hat Kid mumbled. “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” Her voice got louder, but all Cloak Kid could do was whimper and shiver.

But then, suddenly, he spoke.

“Huh?”

Cloak Kid looked up, his form still shaking. He had panicked, almost hyperventilated. His hands shook as he held them in front of his face, but he had noticed one other thing…

He hadn’t coughed. There was no nausea or dizziness. The last thing he could remember was that white flower and the Alps.

“How long has it been?” said Cloak Kid.

“What?” said his shipmate.

“How long have I been asleep?”

“About… two days or so…”

And yet, he didn’t feel ill or fatigued. Was he… better?

Cloak Kid’s frame still shook as he stood, and his stomach dropped as he forced himself to look at what the planet they had explored had become. Tears were welling up in his eyes at the mere sight of it. His memory from last time was foggy, and would probably stay that way, but now… if it was like this.

There was a chance…

He had to do something!

“What happened?”

Hat Kid nodded and quickly told him everything that happened while he was asleep. She wanted to have one last hurrah before leaving, but bless her heart, she wanted to wait until he woke up to make a decision on their next move. There was no way she could have anticipated the Snatcher simply phasing through their shields with Mustache Girl, let alone her double-crossing him.

“All of them…?” Cloak Kid said.

“Well, I took this one back from the rift.” She took off her hat, taking out the singular Time Piece she saved. It was glowing, with a story to tell them.

There was an island with clear skies and seagulls soaring overhead. Among the people was a young girl with a mustache. She skipped past her neighbors and friends, a smile on her face, when a foreign ship approached the island.

Curious, the young girl ran up to the shore to investigate, seeing big broad shouldered men, stepping off the boat, wearing blue suits and red ties. A smile on her face, she welcomed them with a smile, when she was pushed to the ground, and the other men started harassing the other citizens. The girl tries to fight back, but her tiny hands were nothing but little pokes to the men.

The Mafia Boss had taken all the people's money, and they laughed at the girl, wanting to have them share their money with the people. It wasn’t long before the island fell into disarray.

With nothing left to do, she began to do everything she could to sabotage their plans, stealing barrels of TNT, and being a general annoyance to them.

However, she had lost everything, and was reduced to hiding in a cave with only a small fire to keep her company. The wall was marked with the words, “Mafia Sabotage” and tally marks underneath. Tears were in her eyes as she huddled by the fire.

"Whoa…"

Hat Kid had been so distracted by everything, that she had almost forgotten about all of that. Cloak Kid just sighed. He passed the hourglass back to her and tried to wipe away the tears as he saw the planet engulfed in flames.

"This is too far…" he said.

Hat Kid hugged the Time Piece. "But, Cloak-"

"Look what she's done, Hattie!" Cloak Kid almost shouted at her. "I know she's lost everything, but this is the same thing that happened to that man with the mask! To my grandfather! To us!" He gestured to the planet below them. "This is what happens to people when they mess with forces they don't understand!"

"B-But-"

Cloak Kid dashed into his room and was back in almost no time with his staff. Hat Kid’s heart throbbed against her ribcage. He had that look in his eye. It was the same one his grandfather had…

Before that knife was in the air…

"What are you doing?" said Hat Kid.

Her shipmate hopped onto the frame of the lobby's big window.

"My job."

"No, wait!" Hat Kid raced forward with her umbrella.

"Don't try to stop me!"

"I'm not! I'm coming with you!"

Cloak Kid locked eyes with the girl.

"No matter what we think, we have to fix this,” said Hat Kid. “And… I won't lose someone I care for again."

The boy pulled up his hood and tightened his grip on the staff.

"Okay."

The climate was hot to the touch as the two descended down towards whatever the planet had become. The skies were orange, but one could still vaguely make out the stars.

The two landed at the entrance where a huge line had formed and they were at the end of it. There was a golden statue of Mustache Girl, holding a scale and the other hand holding a ticket machine. It read a sign that said, "Take 1."

"#153," Hat Kid read from her ticket. But, Cloak Kid saw no need for the queue. Whatever purpose this was for, he didn't really care.

"Cookie, there you are!" Hat Kid said, walking up to the culinary cat.

"Glad you're alright, dearie," said Cooking Cat. "But it's boiling here."

Hat Kid looked ahead and saw that pretty much everyone on the planet had been gathered here.

"What's going on?"

"I'm not sure. One minute I was fighting that girl and that dark noodle man, the next, I was here. Her voice announced up ahead, saying to ‘await your judgment.’ Maybe you could… skip the queue and find out?"

Hat Kid gulped. "Judgment." If she didn't hurry, Cloak Kid would soon carry out his. He probably would have if he had been in a better state back then…

But on Hat Kid.

The girl shook her head. She ran up ahead determined to stay close to her shipmate.

"I'd love to know who thinks they're big enough to judge me!" Hat Kid heard as she charged ahead. "So I've taken a few hundred souls - big deal."

Cloak Kid had his hands on his hips. "And get outsmarted by children twice?"

Snatcher growled, but the boy didn't even flinch.

"Hello!" Hat Kid exclaimed, pulling Cloak Kid behind her.

"Hey kid! How's that soul of yours?" said the Snatcher. "Still rattling around in there?"

"Yep."

"Listen, kid. Do us all a favor. Go check out who thinks they're better than us! And hit them!"

Before Hat Kid could respond, she already noticed that the boy had slipped away, going onward.

Everyone was here, even creatures that were incapable of speech, like the Dwellers and the small dark birds. The two raced towards the entrance determined to find their way in. Everyone was nervous, but Hat and Cloak Kid were on their toes. Time hung in the balance and in a sense, everyone was counting on them.

"This just like time island covered in lava. Only different."

"The boss'll get us out of this. DJ Grooves is a star, y'know."

"Mafia do nothing to deserve this! Mafia relax and live on island time. It 5 o'clock there, always."

"In hindsight, maybe I coulda done better with my life."

"This isn't my menacing, oppressive home!"

"Mafia not like to be judged. Make anxious. Sweat through suit."

"Smoke! Fire! Burning bright!"

"Not sure if being judged in crime or cooking. Not sure which is scarier."

"What are we being judged for? All our movies are wholesome action flicks!"

"We'll burn together! Soon, soon!"

"Since when is being spooky a crime!?"

Cloak Kid blew past the giant doors and Hat Kid followed him up a flight of red carpeted stairs. It was hot outside and it only looked like it was going to get hotter inside. Still, Cloak Kid showed no hesitation and raced inside. So, Hat Kid didn't either.

The inside was a grand hall… of lava and obstacles. How was anyone supposed to get past this place without their agility and abilities?! They used their hook shots to cross lava chasms and land safely on platforms. There were turrets, spinning around and shooting fire. The cannons from the movie sets at Deadbird Studio were repurposed for being used here. Cloak Kid could only assume that Mustache Girl had a feeling that they would come for her.

Once they were almost at the end of the gauntlet, they saw that people ahead were panicking. Even the Express Owls were losing their composure.

"Give me your back of the line ticket!"

Hat Kid ducked as a book flew over her head. Others were throwing punches and other things were getting thrown. Cats were scratching on the offensive.

“Mafia refuse to be judged by little hood-wearing brat!”

“Do you know who you’re messing with! I work for DJ Grooves! He’s a star!”

Cloak Kid growled. He whacked away a flying pot knocking it back at the assailant. Then, he caught a book, holding it tightly in his hand. It was a long way, but they finally made it to a pair of giant doors. There were voices on the other side. One of them was especially obnoxious.

“ENOUGH!” Cloak Kid shouted to the panicking crowd. They had gone silent from the pot shattering but his voice quieted any whispers.

“Nobody moves from this spot,” said Cloak Kid. “I’m going in there.”

"Wait."

Hat Kid spoke up as Cloak Kid placed his hand on the door. His eyes turned to the girl, a burning fire being seen in them. It was the same as his grandfather’s…

When he passed his judgment…

On that man…

“She’s violated the Laws of Time!” Cloak Kid said. “I have to do something! I warned her! Over and over again, but she refused to listen…”

“I know…” said Hat Kid. “But-”

“After everything she’s done, everything she put us through… you want me to-”

“I’m not saying to forgive her,” said Hat Kid. “Just… we can’t… you know…”

Cloak Kid leaned his forehead on the door.

“I can’t shirk off my duty…” said Cloak Kid. Even though… he had done so, already… Multiple times. “I’m… I can finally do something… I have to.”

Hat Kid sniffled. “Yeah, that’s why I came with you.”

“Hattie-”

“I can’t lose you, too!”

Cloak Kid’s pulled up hood was the only thing that made him feel safe from the pair of eyes on him. All of those eyes on him…

For as long as he could remember he knew: This duty wasn’t easy and it was dangerous, just like it was right now. It cost a lot. The knowledge of these mysterious items can cause one to seek infinite knowledge, but cause much grief. And finding that knowledge or power, or whatever, only caused sorrow.

Hat Kid had lost so much, even before she was involved in all of this. But, even then, her ability to use the Time Pieces without even being near them, was probably part of that potential his grandfather saw in her.

He’d be selfish if he threw away his life trying to stop Mustache Girl… but what about Hat Kid? His grandfather pulled her into all of this, without telling her everything… until it was too late. And despite all of that, despite him being a brat and blaming her for everything… She still helped him, even saved his life multiple times.

She didn’t deserve any of this.

But he had to perform his duty.

For once, he could not break the rules. He had to put the Time Pieces first. If he didn't, time itself would be lost to one girl.

Cloak Kid sniffled. He let go of the door, gripped his cloak and pulled down his hood.

“Colin,” he said.

Hat Kid jolted. She wasn’t sure if she heard that correctly.

“...What?” she said, softly.

“...My name… it’s Colin.”

Hat Kid’s jaw dropped, as Cloak Kid pushed the doors open.

Chapter 36: Time's End - Part II

Chapter Text

Cloak Kid’s heart was pounding in his chest. Even so, he pushed the doors open. The red carpet that was rolled out on the floor led up to a grand hall. The sides of the room were donned with black curtained windows that only showed the reddening horizon that was the endless ocean of lava. Time Pieces were piled up near them, and a giant pile of it was holding up two golden statues of Mustache Girl and a throne, where Mustache Girl herself was sitting, leaning to one arm rest and holding her head up with one hand. A Mafioso was on his knees, begging for his life.

“I didn’t punch old man for like, 2 days straight that one time!”

“Oh wow, what a touching story,” said Mustache Girl. “Just kidding! Bad guy! NEXT!”

The floor opened beneath the man when suddenly, a blur of light blew past and stopped his fall knocking the Mafioso out of the way and over to a safe patch of floor.

“Huh?” Mustache Girl stood up from her throne. The Mafia stood up and ran while the figure stood. Their hood came down. It was Cloak Kid wearing his Rocket Cloak.

“YOU!” said Mustache Girl.’

“And he’s not alone!”

Cloak Kid swapped back to his normal cloak while Hat Kid raced up to stand next to him.

Mustache Girl rolled her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I don’t think you quite understand who’s in charge here. You know, I was willing to forgive you. I once thought we would be best buds! But NOPE, you turned out to be rotten and selfish. Save the planet from bad guys? Pfft, who needs that, am I right?”

Cloak Kid just glared. “The only bad guy I see right now is you! How dare you call yourself a ‘hero’ when you’ve worked with the exact same ‘bad guys’ you’re against.”

The hooded girl scoffed. “Nobody said the path of a hero was a clean one.”

“You’ve put other people in danger!”

“They deserved it!”

“Who are you to judge?!”

“I AM the justice!” Mustache girl shouted. “Look at what I’ve done without you!”

“Subjected the people of this planet to suffer, while you sit on a throne with stolen Time Pieces,” said Hat Kid. “This is what we were trying to prevent!”

“Justice?”

“Chaos,” said Cloak Kid.

“What do you know?”

“Ask the people throwing a fit outside,” said Hat Kid.

“They’re scared, because they feel the weight of their sins,” said Mustache Girl.

“Then why don’t you feel yours?” said Cloak Kid. “Do you genuinely think you haven’t done anything wrong?”

“I know I did what I had to for justice! I don’t need you! This planet doesn’t need either of you! Nobody will miss you and nobody will care.”

“If we cared about that, we would’ve given up a long time ago,” said Hat Kid.

“You’ve violated the Laws of Time, Mustache Girl,” said Cloak Kid. “It is our job to correct things, and pass our judgment!”

“Pfft!” Mustache Girl slid down the pile of Time Pieces, holding one in her hand. “You are the bad guys. And I’ll show you how this justice system deals with bad guys!”

Whatever she said, Hat Kid and Cloak Kid didn’t see anything of what she was doing as “justice.” However, with the Time Pieces on her side, Mustache Girl had incredible speed, teleporting around the room. She had the speed and strength that her punches would actually hurt something fierce if she hit someone.

“Move around!” said Cloak Kid. “Don’t make it easy!”

Hat Kid nodded. They moved out of the way just as the hooded girl emerged from the floor. She floated into the air, and charged at Hat Kid who ran with her Sprint Hat. Cloak Kid managed to jump above and kick her downward towards the floor, but she teleported before the boy could land another hit. The blond flew into the air and started throwing Time Pieces at them, teleporting them back into her possession as soon as they missed.

“What are you doing?!” said Cloak Kid.

“I’m getting rid of a problem!” she shouted. She landed on the ground, making a shockwave that launched both Hat and Cloak Kid near the trap door. Mustache Girl walked up to them, an hourglass in one of her hands. Hat Kid looked at the abyss that was behind them and shook. “But don’t worry! In my new world, I’ll take good care of these little things!”

“SHE CAN GET LOST!”

Mustache Girl turned to the doors and saw that the Mafioso she tried to execute had returned.

“Mustached girl is not welcome here,” he said. “Mafia say, get lost!”

The man wasn’t alone. The Mafioso had gone back and brought almost everyone with him.

“That’s right, get LOST!” the Conductor said. “Nawone wants yer here! Isn’t that right, big lad?”

The giant Goat next to him just looked down at the red hooded girl, saw Hat Kid and the cloak-wearing child who saved him and the others in the Alpines and nodded in agreement with the train conductor.

“This alternate reality stinks!” Snatcher spat. “Get lost!”

“Get lost!” said a Moon Penguin. He turned to his fellow Moon Penguins behind him. “Ain’t that right, gang?!”

“Yeah, get lost!

“Get lost!”

“Go away!”

“You suck!”

Cooking Cat climbed on top of one of the goats. “Yeah, get lost!” she said.

“Wh-What?” Mustache Girl could only ask, her voice going soft. “But I’m fixing everything! No more bad guys! Why can’t you see that I’m doing this for all of us!”

Other Mafiosos, the Subconites and even the Express Owls showed up. They were all unhappy with this so-called reality filled with “justice”. Slowly, Hat and Cloak Kid stood up together as the shouts continued.

“Don’t you see?” said Cloak Kid. “This is your just reward. The more you try to mess with time, a thing that no one can ever hope to truly understand, let alone control, the more disastrous the consequences.”

The hooded girl turned to them, the shouts echoing through the room, boo-ing her, telling her to get lost. They weren’t on her side? They hated her?! Despite everything that happened, the fights, the betrayals, everything… They were on those kids’ side?

“Even if it’s with good intentions,” said Hat Kid. “You… I had no idea what bad it could do. But, we have to fix it!” She shook, but suddenly felt the hand of her shipmate… her friend holding hers. She looked to Cloak Kid, and smiled.

The blonde’s jaw dropped slowly. “How can you stand behind these people?” she said. “I’m trying to fix it already with this.” She gestured to the band of misfits behind her. “They’re crooks! Criminals! And you’re… you’re helping them?” She scowled. Her fists shook furiously. The girl closed her eyes and when they were open again, she yelled.

“This ends now!”

“NO!” Cloak Kid could only yell as Mustache Girl threw an hourglass to the floor. It was like reality itself shattered and before they knew it Cloak Kid and Hat Kid were shrouded in darkness.

The two children didn’t care how many hourglasses fell around them. They had to stop this! They dodged them, pushing each other out of the way of ones that should’ve hit them.

Cloak Kid knew where they were. He found himself, Hat Kid and everyone else in an open plain, but there was no ground, no sky, or anything else. There was just a boundless mixed up area of bright colors. Mustache Girl had messed with the Time Pieces to take them outside of Time itself. Everyone was gathered around in a circle. As Hat Kid and Cloak Kid drew their weapons, the two of them knew that the outcome would determine what kind of timeline they would escape to. Their own, or the one where Mustache Girl reigns supreme?

“Watch out!” Mustache Girl teleported around, but Cloak Kid jumped in to whack her away in time before she punched his friend.

Still, despite how many Time Pieces she kept breaking or re-breaking, Mustache Girl still threw more to the floor, trying to use their explosions to incapacitate her enemies, before teleporting them away. She was able to shoot giant lasers, which Cloak Kid was happy to be the target for in order to be a distraction. With the Cloak of Shadows on his side, Mustache Girl found herself blasting nothing but copies. He had a feeling she hated him more, for the many times he tried to “lecture” her, but because of this, Hat Kid was able to get close and hit her some more with her umbrella.

Mustache Girl quickly caught on, teleporting whenever Hat Kid or Cloak Kid got close. The Time Stop Hat was useless in this realm, it seemed. The two kids were stuck running around back and forth, hopelessly using up stamina.

“Little kids can’t even hit evil mustached girl! We have to help!” said a Mafioso.

The Conductor was right next to him and heard his plea. “Yer got it, lad. Let’s give her something she can jab at the lil’ red nuisance, so she’ll get lost!”

Rallying the other Mafia boys, they once again formed a giant Mafia ball, but this time the Conductor was riding on the top.

“Let’s roll, eh he he!” the owl exclaimed as they charged into the fray. “‘Ey, give us a shove right into that red lass’ ugly mug!”

Mustache Girl once again fired another giant lazer at Cloak Kid, who was running out of the way. Hat Kid ran up to the Mafia Ball and gave it a swift kick. It rolled right towards Mustache GIrl. She managed to block it, given her new powers, but it was still disorienting. Even as she tried her best to throw obstacles in their way, Cloak and Hat Kid were learning her moves quickly and were able to kick that Mafia Ball towards her.

Eventually she had enough and shot the ray at the Mafia Ball, tossing the men and the Conductor aside. The red hooded girl summoned a barrier around herself. It was almost unbreakable. Hat Kid’s explosive potions weren’t strong enough, and neither were Cloak Kid’s flames.

The Snatcher turned to one of the Goats from the Alpine Skyline, as Mustache Girl jumped around causing shock waves.

“Let’s sign a contract and make this girl get lost, once and for all!”

The Goat nodded, read the contract that appeared before him, and signed it with the quill.

“Hahaha!” the Snatcher cackled, happily. “Alright, let’s go. I’ll create, you’ll throw!”

A cherry bomb appeared in the shadow’s hand. He passed it to the Alpine creature and he threw it towards the battlefield. Hat Kid jumped into the air and hit it towards Mustache Girl with her umbrella, whacking it like it was a baseball. It exploded and shattered the barrier. That’s when Cloak Kid raced in and finally got a hit in.

The red hooded-girl teleported away, giving herself enough space to make another barrier. This time, it was Cloak Kid who hit the cherry bomb and once the barrier broke again, Hat Kid landed another hit.

Mustache Girl teleported to the center of their little arena and floated up into the air.

“ENOUGH!” she shouted. She glowed and unleashed a torrent of her power, shooting beams in all directions. Hat Kid pulled Cloak Kid to the floor. They were able to avoid the blast but Mafiosos, Express Owls, Moon Penguins and even Subconites, were getting obliterated.

Cloak Kid saw it, remembering the fire, the people screaming… and how helpless he was.

“NO!” Cloak Kid yelled, but Hat Kid could only pull up the boy’s hood and hold him close. He shut his eyes, wanting to hide away from everything and everyone. Even in his better state, he couldn’t stop this from happening.

He couldn’t protect them.

And he can’t now.

However, in the place of the fallen were pink heart shaped Pons. A Mafioso took notice and turned to his friend.

“Oh… when Mafia explode, Mafia drop Pons… this gives Mafia an idea! Little kids need help to turn back time. If Mafia explode, little kids get useful Pons. Mafia has to explode to save world!”

“What?” said the other Mafioso. “Plan is crazy!”

“Fellow Mafia no worry. If little kids succeed, Mafia come back when time rewinds! Now… punch me with all your might, fellow Mafia! No hesitation!”

The second Mafioso nodded. And at the same time they shouted.

“Red-hooded girl… GET LOST!” And the Mafioso punched his buddy with all his might. He exploded and the man grabbed the Pons.

“Take these!” he shouted and he threw the Pons at the kids.

The Conductor somehow managed to chuckle despite the dire situation.

“Hehehe… those Mafia lads… so foolishly brave. But eh, what’s the point of livin’ if I ain’t got me train, anyway?”

The DJ pushed in his shades. “For once, I think you read my mind, darling. Are you sure about this?”

“As sure as I was about trying to blow up me train for the movie,” said the Conductor.

“Fine by me,” said the DJ. “I think I owe it to the little darlings after all the trouble I’ve caused.”

“Alright,” said the Conductor, rolling up his sleeve. “Get ready for a mean punch, and you aim for my face, that’s me weak spot!”

The two faced each other and readied their fists. As they threw hands, Conductor shouted one more time.

“This angry red lass needs to… GET LOST!”

The two of them punched each other and all that was left were more pons.

Hat Kid looked up hearing more noise. She watched, tearing up as the other people began to join in, destroying themselves. It would appear this realm amplified everyone’s strength. The Mafia, the Express Owls, and the Moon Penguins were all destroying themselves, even those annoying little black birds that were just annoying to fight were doing this. The Subconites had even joined in, with the Snatcher looking away, unable to watch his own minions destroy themselves.

Cloak Kid shook more upon hearing those noises. He had a feeling of what was going on, but suddenly, despite the destruction and chaos around them, he felt a warmth in his heart. Hat Kid felt it as well. They looked up at each other, Cloak Kid’s hood, rolling back off his head. Even without using it, the two of them could feel and see the desires in the hearts of everyone they met, as if it was beating as one. They were glowing with a newfound power. All they wanted was their world back… exactly how it was.

Slowly, they stood, holding hands. They… everyone on this planet believed in them… just like they believed in Tim. They couldn’t stop now.

Mustache Girl covered her mouth, watching everyone in horror. She was flustered. She didn’t think everyone would resort to such drastic measures.

“W-What is this!?” the blonde shrieked. “If everyone disappears but me, then I’d be all alone! Bad guys, stop it!”

“No!” the jar dwelling Mafia Boss shouted. “YOU’RE the bad guy! Get lost!”

“We don’t NEED a hero!” the Snatcher yelled. “Get lost!”

“Get LOST!” a remaining CAW agent yelled.

The realm rumbled, as it was falling apart as Mustache Girl stood shaken. She tried to fire another lazer at Hat Kid and Cloak Kid, but barely anything sparkled or fizzed in her hands.

“My… My powers are disappearing?!”

How could it be?! Mustache Girl didn’t understand. She possessed Time itself in her own two hands. She threw more hourglasses on the ground to cause explosions, but her movements were getting slow and sluggish. Time Pieces were falling from above, as if the realm itself was collapsing. She jumped around, causing shockwaves, shooting more rays, but despite how fast she was going, was still getting hit by Hat Kid’s umbrella and Cloak Kid’s staff. Even when she managed to land a hit, they were unphased, like they weren’t hit at all. The two walked towards her, like she was a cornered animal.

Hat Kid was wearing her Ice Hat, a hat she made while trapped in Vanessa’s Manor to fool Cloak Kid into thinking she met her icy demise while still under the Snatcher’s control. She stomped on the ground, ice traveling straight to the red-hooded girl and stopping her in her tracks, her feet frozen to the floor and traveling up her body.

“H-How?” The girl shivered in the cold as the ice was at her waist and soon trapping her arms.

Cloak Kid, donning his Cloak of Flames, held out his staff, flaming with his power.

“I don’t know, but I think I realize it now. It wasn’t the Time Pieces my grandfather feared. That power, while great, is not unlimited. What my grandfather feared… what he believed in, was the power of those who used them. That is how he managed to save Time, and that’s how we’ll do it now!”

“N-No!” said Mustache Girl. “Please! I was just-”

Mustache Girl couldn’t say anymore, as the ice went over her face and she was frozen solid. Time Pieces fell from the sky as the realm fell apart. With one more swift strike from Cloak Kid’s staff blazing with the power of his flame cloak…

The ice shattered, and it was over.

There was a blinding light and when it was gone, Hat Kid and Cloak Kid found themselves back in that throne room. Mustache Girl was fine, shattered pieces of ice around her as she laid unconscious on the floor. Everyone else was gone, except them.

Just as Hat Kid regained her composure, she saw Cloak Kid standing over the hooded child, pointing his staff at her. He was glaring.

“Cloak!” Hat Kid tugged at his tunic, and he snapped out of his trance. All the Time Pieces were floating in front of the empty throne in a giant ball.

The boy sighed in relief. He lowered his staff. Ordinarily, Mustache Girl would be subjected to a great punishment. But… these weren’t ordinary circumstances anymore, were they? He walked up to the Time Pieces, wiping away the tears in his eyes. He took off his fiery cloak, replacing it with his regular one.

Hat Kid followed him, putting her top hat back on. She glanced back at the unconscious girl, before turning back to the boy.

“I did it, grandfather…” Cloak Kid whispered to himself. He reached out his hand. “We did it, grandfather.”

Hat Kid smiled and reached out her hand as well.

“It’s Harriet, by the way.”

Cloak Kid turned to her. “Huh?”

“My name… it’s Harriet.”

Cloak Kid smiled, more tears escaping his eyes and Hat Kid shed a few herself. Together, they reached for the giant ball of Time Pieces and threw them to the ground with a loud crash.

Chapter 37: the Things We Had

Notes:

Alright, I know. I’m late. It’s somehow very discouraging to write on a phone after your laptop breaks down. I’ll get through it, though.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Somehow, they had done what Tim wasn’t able to do.

The bright light that engulfed them faded away, and Hat Kid and Cloak Kid were back in the lobby of their spaceship. They were safe. All of the Time Pieces were laying around them.

Hat Kid looked around, and immediately jumped towards the giant window. The planet was back to its old wacky self, and if that was the case, then everyone was probably fine, like the Conductor and DJ Grooves.

Cloak Kid ran up to the captain's chair and did a scan of the ship. The only people on board were him, Hat Kid, and Rumbi, who rushed into the lobby doing flips. Mustache Girl was nowhere on it. He sighed in relief and sat down in the captain’s chair. Hat Kid joined him at his side.

“We… We did it…” Cloak Kid said, almost speechlessly. The panel beeped. The scouters were still out, so he called them back to the ship, but one of them picked up an image of Mustache Girl. She was in Mafia Town. She seemed okay, but unconscious. The hat-wearing girl had a closer look, and it looked like she was in the alley Hat Kid had fallen into when this all started.

The boy’s head leaned forward, a slight frown on his face. Hat Kid wasn’t sure what was wrong. They had gotten all the Time Piece’s back. Now, they can finally go home… wherever that was.

Cloak Kid picked up the Time Pieces, being extra careful with them. Hat Kid helped and soon they were all loaded into the vault and shut away.

“I’m not gonna let this place remain as Mafia Town!”

Suddenly, Mustache Girl’s words were echoing in Hat Kid’s head. Cloak Kid slowly walked over to the chair and started typing in the coordinates and pressing buttons. She looked down towards the planet. Why did the thought of leaving make her sad? They had been through a hectic time, but she’d be lying if she said if there weren’t moments that they were having fun. She knew Cloak Kid probably shared similar thoughts.

Although, Mustache Girl was there…

Mustache Girl should be happy that Cloak Kid spared her life. She had heard tales of much more… vicious outcomes for messing with time.

But, they both had seen what happened to her.

"What's wrong?" Cloak Kid asked as he locked up the vault. He looked at it solemnly for a moment. Maybe once they got to their destination he could find someone to help him find a way to change the combination. After all, his grandfather made it, so of course it would be tricky to tamper with.

"Just… Is it really okay to leave her like that?" said Hat Kid.

Cloak Kid sighed. Despite everything, the girl still felt some kind of sympathy for Mustache Girl. She lost everything, just like they did, but unlike her, it may have taken some time to realize it, but… Hat and Cloak Kid had each other.

Still, Hat Kid had a kind heart… it was almost to a fault of how nice she could be.

"But what can we do?" said Cloak Kid. "It's not like we can just… give her one Time Piece. Look how much trouble she caused with all of them. Besides, we probably wouldn't be able to get home without all of them…"

He paused. Why… did that not seem like such a bad thing?

"Yeah… It’s just… Those Mafia took over her home."

“Crazy birds make movies,” said Cloak Kid.

“And a noodle ghost thingy steals people’s souls.”

"We can't help everyone, Hattie…"

The girl nodded. "I know…" He was right. Their main object was getting the Time Pieces and they achieved that. They had to protect them and move, before they caused any more trouble.

Awkwardly, they stared down at the planet they had come to know. It was kind of this place's fault that they had to go through so much trouble, but if not for it, they never would've met all those people.

People that they could call friends…

"Well, I'll set a course, then," said Cloak Kid. He walked up and sat in the captain's chair, pressing buttons to initiate the ship's engines. He got confused on what the confirm button was, but Hat Kid, as usual, was there for him and pressed it with a small, "boop."

The two heard the loud roar of the engines springing to life at last, with all the Time Pieces loaded up into the ship. Cloak Kid did one last check of the functions at the control panel. All the engines were up and all systems were ready to go.

“This has to be the right place,” said Cloak Kid. “Sorry, I was never good at mapping when it came to space. There’s more than one dimensions when it comes to space, and-”

Hat Kid giggled. “That’s okay. I’m sure it’ll be the place this time.” She held her hands close to her chest. “Do you… think we’ll see Bow if we get there?”

“If she made it out…” Cloak Kid looked ahead at the vast number of stars. “She’s probably okay. I know it.” The boy turned to his shipmate. “Hat… Harriet, Would you like to do the honors?”

Hat Kid nodded, her cheeks slightly pink. Cloak Kid scooted over, so Hat Kid could sit in the chair with him. She grabbed hold of the lever and pushed it forward. The engines roared to life and Cloak Kid held on tight for the initial g-force. The ship pushed forward, but suddenly yanked back. Both children were thrown to the back of the chair disoriented as a few sirens went off.

“Ugh…” Hat Kid adjusted her eyes as her vision swam for a bit.

Cloak Kid fixed his hair and hopped down from the chair, checking the main panel. “Looks like there’s some kind of debris, or something. It might be sticking to the ship. It would only make sense. If everything was back to normal, there would probably be remnants of Mustache Girl’s attempt to bomb her way into the ship with those fireworks.

Hat Kid followed him to the door on the window. When they opened it and looked down, however, they found, not debris, but a few people hanging onto the windowsill of the ship from outside: DJ Grooves and the Conductor were hanging onto Snatcher who was gripping the ship with one hand, and a Mafioso with the other who was grabbing the ship with both of his hands.

“Don’t leave us!” the Mafioso pleaded.

The Snatcher grabbed a sheet of paper. “Hey, kiddos! Let’s make another contract!”

“Don’t you dare leave!” said the Conductor.

“Let’s watch our movies, darlings!” said the DJ.

Cloak Kid pulled up his cloak and looked away. Hat Kid was dumbfounded, but kept looking at them. They… wanted the pair of them to stay? After everything that happened?

The girl looked over at her partner. Cloak Kid hadn’t pulled up his hood to read their thoughts or desires, had he? He wasn’t looking at them. His hands formed fists and trembled.

“Hattie, I…” he said. “I can’t…”

Hat Kid patted his shoulder. This was going to be harsh on all of them. She grabbed the giant brush from under the yellow slide tunnel. It was really tall, so it made cleaning the giant window of the lobby easier.

The girl brushed away the Mafioso's right hand and then the left. She aimed for the Snatcher's, when suddenly she felt a yank and saw that the Snatcher was gripping the brush with his other hand.

"You're not getting rid of us that easily," said the Snatcher. "Let us on so we can explain, or I'm yanking you down with us."

Cloak Kid sighed. Hat Kid heard him snap his fingers. She looked to see him wearing his Cloak of Flames and his fingertips were holding a small flame while he gazed down at them.

"Wait, no!" Hat Kid quickly blew out the tiny fire on the boy's fingers. Cloak Kid saw those teal colored eyes looking at him while her lip trembled. He sighed, and unclipped his cloak, putting his normal one back on. He left the hood down and joined his shipmate at the window.

"We have to get home," said Cloak Kid.

"And ye ain't gonna even say goodbye, laddie?" said the Conductor.

"We… there's… I'm not good at conversations…"

The Conductor could only scoff. Of course, him sneaking around the studio when they first met said as much.

Hat Kid was getting tired of holding everyone up with the brush and just let everyone onto the ship. While Cloak Kid was nervous, after the events that had just occurred, he just stayed near the vault that was overseeing the whole lobby on the higher floor, while Hat Kid stood near him and let the boy say what needed to be said.

"After everything that's happened, you should know why we can't stay," said Cloak Kid. He looked to the side slightly dejected. "'Its power is too great to leave in the hands of people. The greed for the Time Pieces' power is an invitation to disaster. They must remain dormant, the knowledge of their existence, along with our own, hidden from history.'"

Hat Kid frowned. "Their own existence." It was probably one of the reasons Cloak Kid was homeschooled on their old planet.

"That… sounds like a mouthful," said the Snatcher.

"Not even your existence, darling?" said the DJ.

"My grandfather told me those words a long time ago…" said Cloak Kid.

The boy thought about him for a moment, but then he saw everyone's eyes on him.

"And where is he, laddie?" the Conductor asked.

"You… Why would you want to know?" said Cloak Kid.

"I mean, what kind of adult leaves two kids unattended, darling?" said DJ Grooves. "Sure, you're not from this planet, but parents must still have at least that decency."

Hat Kid rushed to Cloak Kid's side. She grabbed one of his arms.

"I-If you don't wanna talk abou-"

Cloak Kid took his arm away from the girl's grasp before she could finish her sentence. He looked forward, eyes on the Mafioso, the birds and the Snatcher.

"I'll show you," he said.

Cloak Kid opened the vault and took a single Time Piece before closing it again. He stepped forward towards the railing in front of the vault and saw Hat Kid smiling at him a little, but her shakiness told him she was equally as nervous. Despite this, Hat Kid thought the boy was brave for facing his past like this. So, she decided to be brave, too.

Cloak Kid pulled up his hood and pressed his forehead onto the Time Piece. Everyone watched in awe as the ship was enveloped in a white light.

“And… king me!”

Hat Kid looked down at the chessboard and crossed her arms. “No fair! You’re too good at this game!”

The two kids were playing in Cloak Kid’s bedroom. It was a bit small, but big enough for two beds and a few toys. There was a window on the roof that could open and close, so the pair could look at the night sky while falling asleep at night. The walls were painted blue with star patterns and the floor was covered with crescent moons.

“Nuh-uh!” said Cloak Kid. “Grandfather is the only one who can beat me.”

Suddenly, the boy gasped, ducked his head hiding it under his hands as something tapped the window outside. Hat Kid stood, seeing pebbles hitting the glass and went to investigate. She gasped, a smile growing onto her face.

“Cloak, it’s okay!” said Hat Kid. Her roommate had hid behind the bed out of the window’s view. He peeked up, his form shaking slightly.

“Wh-Who’s there?” Cloak Kid asked, timidly.

“Come on!” Hat Kid yanked the boy’s hand and dragged him out of the room with a yelp.

“Hattie!” the boy tried to pull away from the girl, but her grip was strong. She dragged him outside of their home on the side of Time’s End Library. The girl swore he heard a slight hiss from her cloak-wearing friend as the sun's light hit them and he pulled up his hood. "Grandfather said not to talk to strangers."

"She's not a stranger," said Hat Kid. "She's my friend."

"Not mine…" Cloak Kid grumbled.

They went through the garden, filled with flowers, plush grass, and stone paths to the metal fence. There, they met with the girl with a bow in her curly brown hair, purple eyes, a light green jacket, with cat shaped pockets, a light blue skirt and wearing little brown boots.

"Hey, Hattie!"

"Bow!" Hat Kid exclaimed. “You finally made it! Hi! Look! I told you he was real!” She yanked Cloak Kid forward, who just stood there awkwardly. With his hood up, the girl outside of the fence could just make out his green eyes and his mouth.

“Wow! I’ve never seen you before!” said the girl. “I really like your cloak!” She reached out, but when she yanked it down, and revealed his brown locks of hair, Cloak Kid grew nervous and hid behind Hat Kid.

“Yeah…” Hat Kid said. “He’s… pretty shy. Cloak, it’s fine. We call her Bow.”

“So this is where you’ve been the past few months?” Bow Kid said, as Cloak Kid snuck to the nearby tree to sit down under.

“Yeah, the man who owns the library here was really nice and said I could stay with him and his grandson.”

Bow Kid turned to the boy peeking at her from behind the tall tree. “Hey, how come I’ve never seen you at school?”

“Grand… Grandfather teaches me…” Cloak Kid answered, timidly.

“Hey, kids!” a voice yelled from inside the house. “Dinner’s almost ready.”

Cloak Kid was the first to dart back towards the house. Hat Kid turned to her friend. “Well, that’s dinner. I’ll see you at school tomorrow, okay?”

Bow Kid nodded. “Okay!” she chimed happily.

Cloak Kid ate at the dinner table like nothing happened. He was just happy he was safe and with his grandfather, eating his delicious cooking.

"Hattie, I know you mean well, but please, don't cause my grandson any undue stress," the elder said.

"I just wanted him to make new friends," said Hat Kid.

Knock! Knock!

"That's the door," said Tim. "You two eat up. I'll go see who it is."

Tim got up and left the dining room. Cloak Kid continued to kick his feet and eat.

"You don't have to be so wary," said Hat Kid. "Bow and I have been friends for years."

"Grandfather says our work does not give us time for friends," said Cloak Kid. "An enemy of ours could be anyone."

Hat Kid frowned. "Is that… why you're homeschooled?"

"Probably." And the boy took another bite of his stew. The girl was appalled. How could he accept that like it was nothing? "Besides, Grandpa Tim says you have bullies at your school. Why would I want to meet people who pick on other people for no reason?"

"Well, yeah…" said Hat Kid. "But don't you get lonely?"

"I have my grandfather, lots of toys… Oh! And all the books I can read! Did you know the library never stops getting new ones?! There's this collection I was told that-"

Tim returned, reading a letter. There was an hourglass emblem on the top right corner. It was probably word from someone who was like them.

"What is it, Grandfather?" Cloak Kid hopped down from his chair and rushed to his side. "Is it… bad?"

"My sources have been looking into this masked man who attacked our friend here," said Tim. "This could be quite troublesome if we don't find him."

Hat Kid tilted her head. "Really?"

"Yes."

"Well, he wasn't really after me," the girl said. "I remember he was asking about Cloak."

Tim raised a brow. Cloak Kid turned to Hat Kid confused.

"Is this true?" said Tim.

Hat Kid nodded.

Cloak Kid looked up at the old man. He seemed puzzled and worried, too.

"So, he knows about you, as well…" Tim said to himself. "He must have seen you leave the library… but if that's the case…"

"Grandfather?" Cloak Kid said, softly.

Tim shook his head. "Sorry. I need to figure this out, kiddo. Go ahead and get started on your homework for tonight." He turned and walked towards his study.

"Are you still gonna read that next chapter to me tonight?"

Tim chuckled. "Of course."

The next few days were… odd to say the least. Well, it was odd for Hat Kid. Increased security patrols, especially at night, curfews for spending time outside, and Tim would constantly check on the two, even if they weren't outside. When he wasn't checking on them, he was in his study. No one was allowed in that room without permission. Bow Kid wasn't allowed on the house grounds, but it was fine for her to spend time in the library with Hat Kid. The two were always sad when it was almost curfew time.

Hat Kid couldn't help but feel a bit suffocated with all the rules and extra protection, but Cloak Kid didn't seem affected by it at all. He was reading and studying in the library, happy as a clam, and went back to the house when needed like a good little boy.

"And then…?" Bow Kid asked Hat Kid one day. They were doing some math in the library and were down at a table.

"Uh…" Hat Kid tilted her head. "X equals-"

"Hold it right there!"

Cloak Kid practically leapt down from above and on top of one of the bookshelves. Then he jumped to the floor, landing perfectly on his feet. His hood rolled off his head, revealing his brown locks of hair.

Keeping his voice low, the boy spoke. "What is that strange item on the table?"

Bow Kid looked over to the opened box on the table. It was filled with chocolate chip cookies.

Bow Kid raised a brow. "Um… cookies?"

"How do I know they're safe for consumption?"

Hat Kid sighed, eyes half lidded in unamusement. She grabbed a cookie and showed no hesitation in taking a bite. Cloak Kid gasped, but lowered his head, his cheeks turning red.

Bow Kid giggled and held out a cookie. "Do you want one?"

Cloak Kid flinched, but saw the cookie, eyed it very closely before taking it very gently in his hands. He looked at the two girls before taking a small bite, before proceeding to munch down on the rest of it. He walked up to Hat Kid and finished the math problem before fleeing the scene.

"Ha!" Hat Kid exclaimed. "X does equal four!"

Hat Kid was a little annoyed after today, and it wasn’t just because of Cloak Kid being on high alert. She had known about their need for discretion and Tim being quite protective of Cloak Kid. She had gone under training, learning to run and jump and even fight back in a real pinch.

But why?

Maybe if she was careful enough, she could convince Tim to loosen his iron grip, and maybe Cloak Kid would come out of his shell a little.

She walked towards Tim's study after dinner. Cloak Kid had already gone upstairs to play. All too suddenly, Hat Kid had forgotten about Tim's rule over her annoyance to try and dissuade this need for the extra protection.

Hat Kid swung the door open.

"Tim, I need to talk to you!"

Tim was standing at his desk. He turned around in shock, a shining hourglass slipped from his fingers.

"NO!" he shouted.

Hat Kid gasped and leapt forward, falling onto the floor in her attempt to catch it, but it hit the floor and there was the sound of glass shattering.

Hat Kid swung the door open.

"Tim, I need to talk to… wait, huh?"

Hat Kid paused. She swore she was just on the floor, but then she looked just in time to see Tim pick the hourglass up. It was completely intact. The girl blinked a few times as her mind and body tried to process what just happened.

Did everything just rewind for a moment?

"Did that… did we just…" She looked up at Tim, who was holding the hourglass close to himself. "Did, um… Did you know about… that?"

Tim closed his eyes and nodded firmly. Then he opened them, glaring at the child.

"I-I… I didn't…" said Hat Kid. "Is that wh-"

"I told you not to come in here without permission!" Tim said, sternly. After setting the hourglass on the desk behind him, his brows furrowed and Hat Kid gulped. He was mad. She had never seen him angry before. "Upstairs, now."

"I-I'm sorry," the girl whimpered, softly. "I-" She jumped when the old man slammed his cane into the ground.

"GO TO YOUR ROOM!"

Startled, Hat Kid rushed up the stairs without another word. The elder sighed, rubbing his temples and turned back to the hourglass.

This was only the beginning of Hat Kid’s problems…

Tim hated that he had to be so harsh on the girl. What could he do now? He promised the boy’s parents he’d protect him.

A few nights had passed since his outburst. Hat Kid was still in disbelief. An item capable of rewinding time itself?

It was in the middle of the night, days after the outburst, that Tim decided it was now or never. He woke Hat Kid and Cloak Kid and brought them out of their house to Time’s End Library, and upstairs to the observatory.

Hat Kid looked up at the night sky, seeing the endless stars around them. Cloak Kid sat down in one of the chairs and Hat Kid sat down next to him while Tim walked up to the podium.

“So…” he said. “Hattie, are you… aware of what you saw that night?”

“Yes,” said Hat Kid.

Tim bowed his head. “I see. Well, then I guess it’s time you know. That item… there’s more than one.”

“Huh?”

“These are what Cloak Kid and I strive to protect.” The starry sky Hat Kid saw above her faded to white and she saw the hourglasses. “These are Time Pieces. They are what the name suggests. They are Pieces of the fabric of time itself. There is great beauty in their power…”

Hat Kid stared in awe, the background showing a beautiful hue, and the silhouettes of the many tall buildings on their home planet.

“But there is also great danger,” Tim said, sternly. The background turned red. The buildings faded away. “If they fall into the wrong hands… They could destroy everything.” The Time PIeces exploded into dust and the picture show ended.

Cloak Kid was squirming in his chair a bit, while Tim made his way down the podium. “Now, I’m sure you’re wondering why I brought you here to tell you this,” the elder said.

Hat Kid was still unsure of herself, but she nodded.

“Very well then. With things getting more dangerous on this planet, I’ve made something that will be the answer to our problems.”

Tim pulled out a key, turned something on the podium and then quickly jumped off the stage and sat down.

Hat Kid was shocked when she was strapped into a seatbelt suddenly and so was Cloak Kid who was sitting next to her. The ground rumbled a little and then the entire floor began going downward. The girl screamed at first. It felt like they were shooting downwards past the ground level. They must have been going for what felt like a while.

Eventually, it stopped. The room was dark, but they could see a light at the front of the room and a doorway that led somewhere. The seatbelts unfastened and the two kids followed Tim through it.

Lights turned on as they trekked through the hallway. They were yellow gentle lights, but it didn’t stop Hat Kid from jumping every time one turned on.

Finally, they made it out of the hallway, and Hat Kid rubbed her eyes as they adjusted to the light in the next room. It was massively big for a place deep underground. However, it wasn’t the room that shocked Hat Kid. It was what was in there.

It was a ship. A giant spaceship made of wood. The front had a massive window and they could see inside to what looked like a lobby. There was a captain’s seat and wheel, controls, and doors on the back of what looked like the first room that probably led to other places.

Hat Kid looked up at Tim who was gazing at it proudly.

“Did you build this?” she said.

“Well, it did take me a few years, but a little help did accelerate things,” said Tim.

Cloak Kid giggled and waved at Hat Kid.

“With this…” said Hat Kid. “We can protect the Time Pieces?”

“Precisely,” said Tim.

“How?”

“Our enemy can’t get us in space.”

“What?”

“When the time is right, we will leave this planet in our spaceship. Any dangers that may come our way, we can fight it or get away from it.”

Hat Kid’s mouth was agape. “You mean, you’re going to leave this planet?”

Tim nodded. “Yes, we are.”

The girl shook her head. “We can’t do that! What about our things?! Our friends?! Bow?!”

The elder sighed. “Do you not see, girl? If the wrong person grabs hold of the Time Pieces, all of existence could be lost. One man or woman could rule over everything with an iron grip, if we don’t keep them safe.”

The child crossed her arms. “I can’t leave Bow! You can leave without me! I’ll be fine!”

“Hattie-” Cloak Kid tried to say.

“The man with the mask knows who you are,” said Tim. “He’s after them, and he was trying to hurt my grandson. You are a part of this, now. Are you willing to die to be with your friend? If you linger, you could put her in danger as well.”

Hat Kid sniffled. It was just Bow she didn’t want to leave. What about her parents? What if she ended up… just like them?

“Who is he?!” said Hat Kid.

“Pardon?”

“The man with the mask! Why does he want the Time Pieces?”

Tim sighed. “The same reason as most who know. He wants to rewind time… He wants to go back and fix something, I suppose.” He looked up at the ship. “Unfortunately, messing with the flow of time, while it can be cruel, can lead to disastrous consequences. Despite this, people don’t understand, and will stop at nothing to claim them.”

“Do we really have to leave, Grandfather?” Cloak Kid.

“If the danger becomes too great,” said Tim, “then yes.”

The boy nodded. “I understand.”

Hat Kid glared. “That’s it? You ‘understand’? He’s asking you to leave behind everything you know!”

“All I know is my duty and the Time Pieces,” said Cloak Kid. “It doesn’t matter. As long as I have my family, I’ll be fine.”

The girl sniffled. Family… But what about her friend?

Hat Kid laid awake later that night, once Tim brought them back and ordered them to sleep. Cloak Kid was sleeping like a baby. In fact, he seemed quite content now that there seemed to be a means of protecting themselves and the Time Pieces.

Hat Kid wished she had known what she was getting into. She felt loved, but at what cost? Leaving behind everything she knew?

The girl sat up in her bed. She didn’t grow up sheltered like Cloak Kid did. Her whole world wasn’t just the library, books, toys and a grandfather, who kept her safe from the dangers of the world. She went to school, had friends and enemies and the like, even before the fate of her parents.

Maybe if she told Bow Kid sooner, she could have stayed with her.

She could have stayed out of all of this.

Hat Kid’s jaw slowly dropped at what she was thinking. What if she could go back? What if she could prevent herself from stealing Cloak Kid’s lunch in the first place. She could tell Bow Kid’s parents what happened to her own parents, and maybe end up with her.

No, wait. She could make it so that her parents never left for their space trip. Everything would be fine. She wouldn’t have to make a sacrifice.

“If they fall into the wrong hands… They could destroy everything.”

She could use a Time Piece. Just one Time Piece. Right?

They spent the next day loading Time Pieces' into the ship. Tim had installed a special vault in the lobby, where the Time Pieces' would not only be safe, but act as the ship's power supply. There were a lot more Time Pieces' than Hat Kid initially thought.

So… surely Tim wouldn’t miss one that Hat Kid pocketed away.

On the next night, Hat Kid’s alarm clock rang, and she shut it off before it could awaken Cloak Kid, who was sleeping in the bed next to hers. She hadn’t changed into her pajamas tonight, so all she had to do was slip into her boots and put on her top hat. The girl walked up to the door, but when she put her hand on the doorknob, she realized something.

If she managed to change time, she and Cloak Kid will have no need to see each other anymore. In fact, they might never even have met. She was aware that time rewinded in that moment with Tim, and she remembered it, but there was no telling what would happen if she changed events such as ones that happened over a year ago.

She had to ask herself: Was she really willing to throw away everything she knew, for the sake of protecting the Time Pieces. She didn’t ask to get pulled into all of this. The girl was way happier when she was just trying to prove that there was a boy living in the library. She liked playing at school, spending time with her best friend, Bow Kid.

"I'm sorry, Cloak," Hat Kid, quietly.

Hat Kid closed the door to her bedroom. She tiptoed downstairs, Time Piece in her hands. She couldn’t bring herself to figure out how to use the Time Piece in the confines of the place where two kind souls reached out their hearts and took her in.

Hat Kid twisted the doorknob, opened the door and stepped outside.

However, this choice would turn out to be her worst mistake.

The second the girl closed the door, a strong arm wrapped around her waist and lifted her off her feet. She yelped, her mouth covered by a gloved hand. While she struggled, the Time Piece she tucked away slipped out. In a moment, he dropped the girl for the hourglass instead.

The girl sat up and saw him: the man with the mask.

“Well, I was going to use you to get to it,” the man said. “But instead you gave it right to me.”

“Wait, no!” Hat Kid rushed onto her feet, but it was too late. The man smashed the hourglass onto the ground.

And then it happened: Time Piece corruption.

When Hat Kid opened her eyes the sky was red. To think that one Time Piece would cause all of this… especially when used improperly. The earth was cracking open, lava lying beneath the fissures, earthquakes so harsh it would knock the girl off balance. Worse yet, plants were turning poisonous.

“GRANDPA!” Hat Kid heard the shrill shriek of a child: Cloak Kid.

Hat Kid couldn’t believe what had happened. In her attempt to save what she had… he gave that evil man what he wanted. She couldn't see… she couldn’t hear, she couldn’t think.

She was frozen.

When Tim emerged from his home at Time’s End Library, along with Cloak Kid, he looked up at the sky and then he looked in front of himself, only to see the hat-wearing child on her knees, paralyzed.

Hat Kid pleaded and sobbed. She confessed everything to the old man, how she didn’t want to leave her friend, and everything she knew behind, all while the old man nodded along, listening to her every word.

Cloak Kid on the other hand, was not as understanding.

“You destroyed our world!” Cloak Kid shouted.

“Cloak!” Tim turned to the boy behind him, while Hat Kid hugged Tim like the world was ending…which it kinda was.

“How could you?!” the boy cried.

“That’s enough!” Tim shouted. The girl was a child. There was no way someone like her, who didn’t spend her whole life learning their code would truly understand the gravity of Time Pieces’ power. He stood, eyes locked the giant clock tower that could be seen from anywhere in town.

Another quake shook the planet. The three looked up, seeing ships already starting to leave the planet.

Tim pulled on a top hat of his own, and handed Hat Kid the key to the observatory elevator.

“Get to the ship. Cloak and I need to take care of some business.”

"But-"

"Unlike you," said Cloak Kid. "We know what we're doing! At least grandpa does."

And Hat Kid's mouth was shut. She took Tim's key and darted off to do what he ordered.

And so, while Hat Kid hurried to ship, Cloak Kid and his grandfather ascended Time’s Square’s clock tower. It was an old building, so it continued to fall apart and crumble with every quake. There they met with the man with the mask, clutching the Time Piece in his hands. If they could stop, and take the stolen hourglass back, they may save this planet.

Both Tim and Cloak Kid had the man cornered, but he still wasn’t giving it up. He held out a knife towards them with one hand, and clutched the Time Piece closely with the other.

“Don’t you see what the Time Pieces have caused everyone?” the man said.

“You’re only saying it now, because you didn’t get the outcome you wanted,” said Tim.

Suddenly, the ground shook again and the ground felt like it was slanting. The floor they stood on cracked and one side of it bent downward. The masked man slipped, dropping the knife he held. It flew through the air as both Tim and Cloak Kid grabbed onto the edge of the solid ground. The rest of the floor gave way and plummeted below.

Cloak Kid grabbed onto edge for dear life. He climbed up.

"Cloak!"

Just as the boy climbed up to safety Tim jumped on top of him to cover the child's body like a shield.

"ARGH!"

Cloak Kid opened his eyes when he did, Tim slumped over beside his grandson.

It was too late for the masked man. He slipped and fell towards the lava pit below, him and the Time Piece forever lost to the destructive force of the lava and magma.

However, Cloak Kid was too concerned over his grandfather at the moment. He crawled quickly to his side, seeing the knife stabbed into his back. He jolted, his skin turning pale at the sight. Tim coughed, droplets of blood leaving the old man’s mouth.

“Grandpa!” Cloak Kid cried.

“It’s… too late…” said Tim. “With the Time Piece that started this gone, this planet is doomed.”

“No, don’t say that!” The child held the elder’s hand tightly. “Come on, we’ve gotta-"

“Get off the planet, Cloak,” said Tim. “Protect the Time Pieces that still remain.”

“Not without you!” the boy yelled. He tried to pull him along, but he wouldn’t budge. “Please!” He sniffled. Tears filled his eyes.

Tim groaned. Bless this kid's heart.

"I'm not afraid to die as long as I'm with you!" Cloak Kid cried.

"Take action, Colin!" With the last of his strength Tim shoved his cane into the boy's hands, but used just a bit of his power to push him away, the force enough to knock the wind from his lungs. Cloak Kid was shoved through a large gap in the wall.

Cloak Kid opened his eyes to see that he was falling from the clock tower. He screamed as he tumbled through the air, but knew what button to press on the cane. A parachute sprung out.

The boy drifted to the ground seeing tons of purple flowers blooming on the ground. They were everywhere.

Cloak Kid was too dazed to care. He looked up at the Clock Tower, unable to do anything but watch it crumble, eyes filling with tears. He landed on the ground, but even then, he didn't move. Even as the strange spores were starting to burn his lungs or rubble from the building fell around.

Finally, the clock tower could no longer stay standing. It fell to the side, on top of a field of purple flowers. There was a force of wind and spores from the crash that sent paralyzed child flying backwards and the darkness embraced him.

He was gone. Tim, his protector, his teacher, his grandfather, the only family he had…

Was gone.

"Cloak! Cloak, stay with me!"

Hat Kid carried Cloak Kid on her back as she rushed back to Time's End Library. She went to the top of the observatory, took the elevator down and ran towards the ship. Once inside, she found the science lab.

Cloak Kid barely stirred, his breath shallow, as his battered body was placed on the examination table. Hat Kid did the best she could, bandaging him and applying a breathing mask with oxygen. His vitals were stabilizing, but he looked dreadful. Judging from where she found Cloak Kid…

Tim wasn't coming, was he?

The planet continued to quake and crumbled. She strapped Cloak Kid down, before heading back to the lobby.

Hat Kid hopped into the captain's chair and initiated the launch sequence.

"Ready to launch on your command, captain."

A single tear raced down from Hat Kid's eye. She hit "confirm" and fastened her seatbelt.

The floor beneath the ship shifted so that the spacecraft was facing up. From below, she could see the top of the observatory like it was at the end of a tunnel. The glass dome came down showing the reddened skies.

"Launch in 10… 9… 8…"

The engines whirred on. Hat Kid shook in seat.

"7… 6… 5…"

The ship began to shake. The girl grasped the armrests.

"5… 4… 3…"

Louder and louder engines became.

"2… 1…"

And then, with a quake the thrusters ignited, pushing the ground below away. Hat Kid headed towards the end of the tunnel, above ground and out through the roof of the observatory. The reddened skies turned blue, then purple then black. Hat Kid could see the stars.

The shields came on.

"Caution: Approaching orbital debris field."

Hat Kid flinched, shielding her eyes as the ship hit other ship scraps or random asteroids. There were tons of collisions from people leaving the planet in a scramble. Her body shook, as her mind replayed what had happened. A fresh batch of tears escaped her eyes. In trying to get back to her old life… she lost everything.

"Orbital debris field clear. Performing gravity turn maneuver."

Hat Kid could see what the planet had been reduced to. It was almost nothing but a ball of magma and poison.

The ship drifted further and further away. Hat Kid gasped once she heard an explosion. She didn't look. She couldn't, but she had a guess as soon as she saw asteroids drifting by.

Hat Kid sobbed, covering her eyes. All that existed to her in that moment were her tears and the voice of the ship before it took her and Cloak Kid into hyperspace.

"Engaging boosters in 3… 2… 1…"

There was murmuring as Cloak Kid and Hat Kid we're wiping their eyes, trying to recollect themselves.

"Aw, laddie…" said the Conductor. "We had no idea."

DJ Grooves was stunned. If he actually broke one back then… he could've doomed the entire planet, himself…

Cloak Kid put the Time Piece back in the vault.

"Now you see why we have to leave…" Cloak Kid spoke softly, as soon as he closed the vault hatch.

"Mafia is confused," said the Mafioso. "Do little kids want or have to leave?"

Hat Kid sighed. As much as she wanted to stay, she already knew why they couldn't. "We can't stay. The Time Pieces' caused so much trouble here. And Mustache Girl-"

"That was the angry red lass' fault," the Conductor spoke up. "Besides, it was fun having some new faces in me movies."

"He's right, darlings," said the DJ. "Both of our ratings were through the roof."

"And little hat girl saved Mafia Town from lava and little boy save town from evil Mustache Girl using Mafia's fireworks," said the Mafioso.

"Well, you brats seem to make the Subconites happy," said the Snatcher. He squinted at Cloak Kid, "even with the sneaking around." He looked to Hat Kid. "And besides, I had no idea a girl like you would last so long with my contracts.

"But…" Cloak Kid stuttered. "But you all know about the Time Pieces', and the vault…"

"That is easy for Mafia!" the Mafioso exclaimed. "Mafia knows all about stashing thing in safes. Mafia can make child new lock to keep Time Pieces' safe in."

"Don't worry about it, darlings!" said DJ Grooves. "After what we've been through. I don't think anyone would want that power."

The Conductor sighed. "You know, I'd have to agree with DJ Peck Neck for once. I'm perfectly content with the awards I have and me grandchildren. As long as I've got me train, I don't think I need anything else."

"I guess we all have things we wish we could take back," Snatcher grumbled. Cloak Kid looked at him, briefly seeing the beautiful princess that was once Vanessa. "But eh, revenge just turns you into an idiot, I guess. It's more fun not knowing your future. Just let that Mafia help you lock up those Time Pieces' and we won't talk about them anymore."

They wanted to help protect the Time Pieces? If that was true… maybe they wouldn't have to leave. Maybe Hat Kid wouldn't have to leave everything she knew again… or everything Hat Kid and Cloak Kid had come to know.

Hat Kid and Cloak Kid looked at each other. Cloak Kid was tearing up, so Hat Kid just patted his shoulder.

"You…. really want us to stay?" she said.

"We wouldn't be here, if we didn't, darling," said DJ Grooves.

Hat Kid smiled, tears in the corners of her eyes. There was a sob and the girl turned to see her shipmate bursting into tears.

"Laddie?" said the Conductor.

"I do!" Cloak Kid hiccupped between sobs. "I want to stay! I want to stay here, too…"

And the tears escaped from Hat Kid's eyes, as well. She approached her shipmate, her friend, and pulled him into her arms. Soon DJ Grooves had joined them, along with the Conductor, and the Mafioso. The Snatcher wasn't much of a hugger, so he just sighed and patted the kids on their heads.

They weren't alone anymore.

Notes:

Don’t worry, there’s still one more chapter. :)

Chapter 38: Epilogue

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

For once, fireworks were not shot up into the skies as weapons. The townspeople got to watch them light up the skies. No one was really sure if it was the kindness of the Kids, or the events that transpired because of Mustache Girl. However, up on the Mafia headquarters, a party was being held, and… the entire town, Mafia or not, were invited. The event lasted the entire day and into the night.

Children were too young to gamble, but it didn’t stop Cloak Kid or Hat Kid from playing at the tables just for fun. Cooking Cat was there to cater, of course. However, it seemed the Mafia had taken a liking to the cooking of the culinary feline. They wanted to learn, so the first thing she had them do was have them march into the back and clean up that place they dared to call a kitchen.

The Conductor took to the bar, and DJ Grooves was just amazed at all of the gold coins the Mafia had in the coffers… Well, they were still the Mafia, of course, so they were going to keep it, regardless of the circumstances or what they had been through. However, it didn’t stop how often or not someone would win at a table or a machine. Hat Kid thought it was weird, after hearing that old saying of how “the house always wins.” Yet, she smiled. She may be a child, but she wasn’t stupid. What they were doing made her smile. Both the Express Owls and Moon Penguins took to the tables and machines to test their luck. At least that was something in common they could share.

The Subconites gathered around Cloak Kid, as he read them a story. It was shocking to have someone read to them something that wasn’t dreary or depressing, and he had plenty of books to read to them, given the boy’s giant library back on the ship.

The Snatcher rolled his eyes at the sight, looking away… mostly to hide the grin growing on his face.

Hat Kid’s feet hurt after all that walking around, saying hello and seeing how everyone was doing, so she sat down at a booth. She was happy to be here, and she was glad Cloak Kid was there and conscious to enjoy the party himself. He deserved to relax for once, because he wanted to and not being forced to because he was ill. Speaking of, he hadn’t caught a fever or even had a single cough leave his lips. If they never came to this planet, who knows how long it would have taken for him to heal on his own.

She looked at the many people. Everyone was here… Then, Hat Kid looked out the window. The sun had gone, and as the night began to descend, so did the rain. It poured down, droplets occasionally hitting the window she stared out from.

Hat Kid thought to herself. Everyone…?

“She can get lost! Mustache Girl is not welcome here! Mafia say get lost!”

“That’s right, get LOST! Nawone wants yer here!”

“This alternate reality stinks! Get lost!”

“No! YOU’RE the bad guy! Get lost!”

“We don’t NEED a hero! Get lost!”

Mustache Girl was sure she was going to have a headache for a while, and cursed Hat Kid’s umbrella and Cloak Kid’s cane that he still called a staff.

There was another rumble of thunder. Mustache Girl had managed to get up and practically crawled her way back to her little hideout on the beach. With a defeated sigh, she marked yet another red tally mark on her wall, before sitting down by the small fire pit. It had been lit many times, and probably would be a lot more.

The red hooded girl pulled her knees up to her chest. She growled and ended up slamming her little fist into the rocky wall behind her in a fit. It only served to hurt her hand, a huge scratch that was sure to bruise appearing on it.

“I can’t believe it…” Mustache Girl grumbled to herself, her eyes watered as she stared at the bright flames. “I was so freaking close.”

The blond pulled her cloak around herself as the rain continued to pour. She was back to square one, and the realization made her hide her head in her knees. This was just how it was, wasn’t it? They didn’t need a hero… She should probably just give up, huh?

As the rain continued to pour, she heard a noise of the rainfall hitting something… like fabric. The sound of footsteps approached her. Great. Did the Mafia find her hiding spot? Were they going to shove her into a cannon and launch her off the island? Maybe she’ll land somewhere else?

“Here you are.”

No. The voice was female. Actually, Mustache Girl could recognize it. She looked up and saw Hat Kid had approached her cave. She was wearing her yellow raincoat and was using her umbrella for its intended purpose: Keeping her dry.

“What are you doing here?” said Mustache Girl. “Did Cloak Kid send you to come here and laugh? You got what you wanted. Why don’t you just shove off already?”

“I came here on my own…” Hat Kid muttered. “He has no idea I’m here. And well, we decided we’re not leaving the planet.”

“What?”

“Yeah. Well, everyone’s been really nice and kind of warmed up to us.”

“Don’t you have to get home?” said Mustache Girl.

“Well… this is our home now. We’ve nowhere else to go. That place we were headed to was only predicted.”

The blonde raised a brow. “Predicted?”

“Cloak is still new to space mapping, and well… the places we’ve been weren’t guaranteed to be the place where everyone went. Besides…” She reached into her hat, searched around and pulled out that scrap of a photo she had found in that abandoned house all that time ago, the one of the little girl that Mustache Girl used to be. “I feel like you and I do have something in common.”

Mustache Girl looked up and took the photo from her. Did she… lose her parents, too?

“But you’re right about one thing,” said Hat Kid.

“What’s that?” said Mustache Girl.

“I’m not a good person.”

The blonde was confused. She was… admitting the truth?

“As much as I didn’t appreciate you turning this planet into a lava fest, I’m one to talk.” Hat Kid tucked away her umbrella, stepped into Mustache Girl’s tiny cave and sat down by the fire. “I ruined my home planet. And… I guess I’m the reason Cloak Kid got sick in the first place… I had nothing after my parents were taken from me by space pirates, and I… the ungrateful kid, who after getting taken in by a kind man and his grandson, did all of that. It was all because I had a wish like you did…”

Mustache Girl straightened her legs. “What did you want?”

“I just… I wanted to make it so I never lost my parents,” said Hat Kid. “Cloak and his grandfather knew that danger was closing in on them, so they built the ship to take off, but I couldn’t bare leaving everything behind.” The girl gripped her lap with her palms. “I… I made the selfish decision to put myself before others, and snuck a Time Piece away. Before I could use it, a man with a mask took it from me with intentions of his own, but the Time Pieces, like time itself, are unstable and unpredictable. He smashed it and the planet collapsed into a horrible place, where everyone needed to leave… or die.”

Mustache Girl’s jaw was slowly dropping, as she leaned in to listen more intently.

“Cloak Kid and his grandfather went to try and stop the man, but when the building he fled into came down, I was only able to find Cloak. Those… purple flowers were everywhere, and I knew if I didn’t leave now, I wouldn’t be able to breathe there.” Hat Kid sniffled. She wiped her eyes. “Tim’s gone…” She looked up facing her friend turned foe in the golden eyes. “Because of me…”

Mustache Girl’s breath was shaky. She guessed she could understand why Hat Kid and Cloak Kid stopped her. She may… have gone a bit crazy in her pursuit. At first she just wanted to just get back at the Mafia… Stop them from bullying the people who remained when they arrived… make them suffer like she did. It seemed noble at first…

But after she saw those Time Pieces…

“I’m sorry…” said Mustache Girl. Her voice was soft

A fresh batch of tears left Hat Kid’s eyes as she sniffled.

“I… I almost killed your friend, too, I suppose,” said Mustache Girl. “And…” She rolled her eyes. “I suppose I should be grateful that he spared me. What happened to him?”

“Huh?”

“The man with the mask?”

“Cloak Kid said he fell to his death,” said Hat Kid. “He took the Time Piece that started all the chaos with him… That’s why we couldn’t save the planet. “Cloak Kid was really torn up about it, and I was worried that it wouldn't help in those first few days. He was so sick… I did everything I could, but I wasn’t a doctor. I saw several of them while we drifted through space, and when his mind cleared up enough, he blamed me for what happened, but… we were all we had. Even so, I could only imagine what it must have been like for him: Having to be taken care of by the girl who took everything from him. He fought me all the time, even when I was just trying to help, even when he knew he needed help… I knew he hated me…”

Mustache Girl gulped. It would explain how they were to each other in the beginning. Still, even when she was mad at him for running off all that time ago, it was out of love. She still cared about him.

“But despite that, I kept going,” Hat Kid continued. “I made a promise that night, and I swore to keep it. I would protect Cloak Kid, no matter what. I think that’s what my mentor would’ve wanted.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because, Cloak Kid despite everything that happened… he found it in his heart to forgive me… He knew it wasn’t really my fault… even if it kind of was in a way. If it wasn’t for this place, he might have never realized that. That… There's strength in forgiveness. I… I’m not saying you should forgive the Mafia for what they did, but if you come to their headquarters, you can see a change. I just… I just hope you can forgive me.”

“What?” said the red hooded girl.

“So… we can be friends again… It…” Hat Kid’s eyes darted around a little and her fingers shook a little. “It’s no fun being alone. You… you don’t have to. I didn’t have many friends on my home planet, and I don’t want you to feel like that either.”

Mustache Girl sat back. She scooched her feet just a little closer to the fire for a bit more warmth and crossed her arms.

“You idiot…” the girl hissed. Tears were in her eyes, but she turned away to try and suppress them.

“Huh?”

“I did all of that…” said Mustache Girl. “Sure, I… I think… I think I did go overboard with the Time Pieces. I guess that doesn’t make me better than you, huh?”

Hat Kid nodded.

“I took your Time Pieces, and used it to try and hurt everyone. So how do you know, I won’t just try it again?"

Hat Kid gasped. She tilted her head to the side. “I don’t,” she answered, honestly. She stood and walked over to the blonde’s side, reaching out her hand. “But… I guess that’s the risk versus reward, when it comes to forgiveness.” And with that she smiled. “So, how about we get out of this rain, okay?”

Mustache Girl looked at Hat Kid’s hand, then at her teal colored eyes and then her smile. How could she put someone through all of that, and yet, have that someone still reach out her hand and smile? She sighed as tears left her eyes again. Hat Kid was kind, almost to a fault.

So, she reached up and took her hand.

“What is she doing here?!”

Back on the ship, Cloak Kid leapt down from his spot around the kitchen table. He had been showing the others the schematics he’d drawn up to build several landing areas for the ship across the planet, when Hat Kid walked in with Mustache Girl.

“Stay back, laddie!” the Conductor called out. He held out a wing and yanked the boy behind him. Defending the Kids from that red-hooded brat was what he and the DJ could agree on.

Cloak Kid gasped, but at the same time was touched by the Owl wanting to defend him. It kind of reminded him of how Tim would be protective of him whenever there was danger. Several Mafiosos were also there, who had brought their leader who was still nothing but a jar of mush. They started cracking their knuckles, Cooking Cat turned away from the stove and grabbed a frying pan, and the Snatcher looked ready to just devour her soul. There was rumbling, the sound of the Goats rushing towards the kitchen.

Mustache Girl found herself surrounded. Still, Hat Kid stepped forward.

“Wait!”

“What are you doing, darling?” said DJ Grooves. “You’re going to let her stay here?”

“Well, we forgave the rest of you guys, right?” said Hat Kid. “It’s not everyday someone forgives you for trying to kill them.”

“W-Well…” the Conductor stuttered. He technically didn’t try to kill him, but he did cause Cloak Kid a great deal of distress when they were making the movies, and pushed him away when he tried to console him. The Snatcher, DJ Grooves, and even the Mafia didn’t really have a comeback.

“Fine,” said the Snatcher. “But, if that girl even breathes wrong, she’ll have us to deal with.”

The others looked at the shadowy being. They couldn’t really object, even if they did, it was still Hat Kid and Cloak Kid’s ship. Plus, the Mafia had already helped install a new lock on the vault to keep it even more secure this time. So, they reluctantly agreed.

Cloak Kid pulled up his hood. He didn’t see any of those desires when he looked into Mustache Girl’s heart. Actually, it was kind of blank. Something wanted to be there, but it was fuzzy, like she didn’t know. Perhaps, even she didn’t think she should be here. In fact, she probably shouldn’t, in Cloak Kid’s opinion.

But, that was just how Hat Kid was.

He pulled down his hood and nodded in agreement. “Oh, Hattie…”

Cooking Cat eventually sat everyone down for dinner. There was lots of chatting and laughter, and the culinary feline was happy to serve all kinds of people other than just Mafia. Mustache Girl seemed relaxed, despite not engaging in much. She wasn’t much for idle chat, but liked listening.

It was getting super late. In fact, it was late when Hat Kid decided to walk out in the rain to try and find Mustache Girl. Some of the Mafia, Express Owls, Moon Penguins, Subconites and a few of the Goats and Nomads still didn’t trust Mustache Girl and decided to switch between watching the vault, which Cloak Kid was glad for.

Hat Kid decided it would be a good time for a sleepover, so people took some pillows from Hat Kid’s epic pillow pile from her room and picked a place around the ship to sleep. The Snatcher just slept on the giant pillow pile itself. He didn’t really need sleep, but it still felt nice to participate.

Hat Kid was just doing one last scan of the ship. She walked out into the lobby and found Cloak Kid looking outside of the giant window towards the planet below.

“There you are!” said Hat Kid. “Come on, you. It’s time for bed. Just because you’re healthy, doesn’t mean you don’t need sleep anymore.”

Cloak Kid sighed. Hat Kid wasn’t going to stop fussing over him, even with his better health.

“Sorry,” he said. “Just… last night.”

“What?”

“After we saved the planet, I had a dream,” said Cloak Kid. He wiped his eyes at the memory. “And… I saw my grandfather.”

“Really?” said Hat Kid.

“He sounded proud of me… Talked about how space was boundless and had many forms of life. I think it was something like… telling us that just because we live here now, it doesn’t mean we have to stop exploring. So… maybe we’ll find Bow someday.”

Hat Kid smiled. She turned away from Cloak Kid and gazed down at the planet below. “We will!” she said. “I know it.”

Cloak Kid nodded. He reached out and held the girl’s hand. “And whatever comes next, we’ll face our future together.” Hat Kid’s response was a squeeze back.

Later, everyone had settled down for sleep, minus a few of the Mafia, Express Owls, Moon Penguins, Subconites, and Goats who decided to keep an eye on the vault with Mustache Girl still around.

Mustache Girl had fallen asleep at the bottom of the pillow pile in Hat Kid’s room. She seemed like she had been crying, but was smiling a little while she slept. Hat Kid grabbed an extra blanket and tucked her in.

After changing into her pajamas, Hat Kid walked towards her bed to Cloak Kid who had already fallen asleep, or was at least close to being so. She climbed in next to him and immediately felt his hand grasping hers. The girl smiled and looked around the room one more time, knowing that all of their friends were around them and laid down, her head landing against the pillow.

Cloak Kid’s head turned towards her, but his eyes stayed closed.

“Thank-you, Harriet…” he mumbled.

“No, thank-you, Colin,” Hat Kid said back. She closed her eyes, and they drifted off to sleep.

They were finally home…

THE END

Notes:

And we’re done! WOO! Yes, I will be covering the DLC in the future, and probably the Vanessa’s Curse thing, too. Thanks so much for reading! I’m kind of sad it’s over, but I enjoyed the journey.

Series this work belongs to: