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
A/N: 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.
Now I have two empty slots to fill in. I'll probably take a break and just focus on the one story I still have in progress until the holidays are over. That, or I'll spit out some one-shots while we wait. Visit my profile for updates on upcoming stories as they happen.