Okay, now before you get the pitchforks and torches out; hold your horses, let me explain myself.
I don't hate A Hat in Time. I actually really love it, but as much as I might like its charming characters or cute moments, what bothers me about the game is its lackluster plot. I know that the developers probably put more focus on the gameplay than a plot, (since, you know, this is a game, so the gameplay comes first) and I'd say they succeeded in that area well enough, and while most of the chapters all have really solid plots that work well separately, it doesn't have a cohesive overarching plot that works as well, so I came up with this to scratch that particular itch.
Anyway, I don't own Hat in Time. Read at your own risk.
Side-note: For those of you who've seen this story before, I really didn't like the first chapter because it kind of felt like I was ticking off a checklist instead of writing a story. Most of the stuff I put in there could have probably been put in more gradually instead of dumped out at the very beginning. So I got rid of it. Now on with the show!
"Pfft. Can you believe them? What a bunch of losers."
The first thing Hat Kid heard the moment she beamed down from her ship was a really loud and annoying ruckus. Being the curious girl she was, she decided to follow the noise, and lo and behold, she found the mustached girl from before captured by the "Mafia".
Never one to ignore a cry for help, she jumped in to lend a helping hand, and with her newly acquired umbrella, she sent them blasting off into the sky. Though it seemed her little scuffle had attracted a bit of attention to herself, and now the mustached girl (who Hat Kid dubbed as Mustache Girl. It wasn't the most creative name, but what else was she supposed to call her?) was talking to her.
"Hey," Mustache Girl said, elbowing Hat Kid, "you're alright, new kid. Do you have a name?"
Hat Kid blinked innocently and stayed silent. Who gives their name to a complete stranger? Back home, no one gave their name to any weird aliens asking about their business, so why should she?
When Hat Kid didn't respond, Mustache Girl just continued to talk. "No? You shy? That's cool. You're a 'less talk, more fighting' kind of girl, I take it. My little resistance could use someone like you. Though it isn't much of a resistance right now because I'm the only one in it."
She suddenly brightened. "Say, would you like to join my little rebel squad?"
Oh no. She was not going to get involved in any sort of alien resistance. She had to keep searching for her timepieces, and she was in a rush to get it done. Besides, she wasn't supposed to talk to anyone from other planets.
"No? That's a shame." Mustache Girl gave her a disappointed look.
Hat Kid was just about to make her exit when Mustache Girl stopped her. "That thing you grabbed there," she said, pointing to the timepiece. "Are you collecting them? Because I know where there's more of them."
Hat Kid nodded eagerly, but Mustache Girl held up a hand to stop her.
"I don't do things for free, you know. If you want me to help you, I'm going to have to ask you for a few favors, first. You scratch my back, I scratch yours; that kind of junk. You with me buddy?"
Well, that was mean. Hat Kid was in a hurry to get back home, and this little girl was in her way. To be fair, though, she did look like she needed help, and Hat Kid was a good kid who never turned down a call for aid.
She supposed that a few errands couldn't hurt, right? It wasn't like she had to talk. Helping people was fun, and any timepieces she found on the way could be a nice bonus. So she agreed to help Mustache Girl with her little resistance.
"I promise it'll be loads of fun!" Mustache Girl said cheerfully. "And hey, two heads are better than one for messing up the Mafia!"
Then she dashed away, leaving Hat Kid very confused. Mustache Girl was halfway down the street, when she stopped and turned back to Hat Kid.
"Well? What are you waiting for?" she asked. "Are you coming or not, buddy?" She gave Hat Kid a mischievous smile, holding out a hand to her. Hat Kid didn't miss a beat and spirited after her.
She may have been stuck on a strange planet, but at least she had a friend to stick with from now on.
The main purpose of this rewrite is to fix the parts of A Hat in Time that I didn't really like. As a result, I will be skimming over most of Chapter 1, because I really have no problems with that chapter plot-wise up to the end of the Mafia Boss chapter. Don't expect much for the first few chapters.
Also, the name of the chapter is the name of one of the tracks from the Hat in Time OST that plays when you first start your adventure, titled "New Adventure"