Chapter 27: That Sinking Feeling
'This is interesting...'
Snatcher sat in his room with his arms folded, staring at the latest Death Wish the doll had jumped into. It had been at it all night, and at this point it had completed 20 contracts! It had done time trials, boss fights, special conditions, collected all the Snatcher coins from the ship, every category at this point! All with just its stringy body and the needles it wielded.
'Your toy certainly is impressive.' Snatcher admitted to the deceased.
Just then a stamp showing his visage appeared on the contract. It appeared the thing had completed this latest one as well. He watched as its soul return to its body, instantly giving it life again. Its form was more slumped, lax, not forming the perfect shape, it's hair not bothering to tie itself and instead just falling down past its back.
"That's another one down, doll-face. Very impressive." Snatcher chuckled.
"Next one." Was all Knit said.
"Woah, woah, slow down there. You don't wanna burn your soul out." He couldn't risk losing the thing after all this work. It was close, he could feel it. Close to unlocking the magic he buried deep inside it.
"I'm almost there." Knit rasped. Ah, it seemed it could tell as well, another testament to its developing abilities. "So close...to the power dad gave me...!"
"Yeah, great work ethic and all, but how's that going to help you if you're dead?" Snatcher prompted.
"I'm fine." It stated, looking dishevelled. "Pull up the next one...!"
Snatcher groaned. Things with free will were so troublesome. "If you say so. This one's a fight against the two birdbrains from Dead Birds." He created another contract. "Have fun."
Knit's soul once again exited her body as it flew into the contract.
So close...so close...!
I was fortunate in that my pancake making skills hadn't weakened due to CC's involvement the next morning, and I was able to make breakfast for us all.
"I didn't know you could cook, Tie." Bow admitted as I served her food.
"Oh, thanks. Who do you think cooked before CC was here? Hat?" I questioned.
"I'll have you know I make a mean jam sandwich." She defended herself.
We sat around and ate breakfast in relative silence, which gave me time to think. Moonjumper said that I just needed to be there for Knit, to help her, which meant first and foremost getting her away from Snatcher. But he also confirmed that this dimensions Moonjumper didn't love Knit like a father at all, only made her to make sure others remembered him, which worked seeing as how Snatcher seemed to recall him. It made me angry that someone sweet like Knit was nothing more then a memorial for someone like that, and that she was practically forced to idolise him. Still, the other Moonjumper turned out to be okay. Maybe Knit just inherited all the good instead.
"Okay! Day 2 of the Arctic Cruise!" Hat cheered. "Let's get moving, crew."
"Aye-aye!" Bow saluted.
"Alrighty." I nodded as I stood up and followed them to the Laundry Room.
We jumped out and landed back on the main deck, instantly looking around.
"I scratched my head. "So where do you reckon the Time Piece is this-"
"Found it!" Hat said, pointing out over the railing.
"That was quick!" I gasped as we all walked over to the railing and stared off into the distance. Sure enough, there was that distinctive glowing on a far off iceberg.
"That's...far away." Bow stated.
"Really far. Even with my Bat Bow I couldn't reach that." I stated.
"How are we supposed to get over there?" Hat whined. "Think we should go back and try to jump to it?"
"There's no solid surface to land on over there." I pointed at the spiked jutting icebergs. "And I don't think we want to land in this freezing ocean."
"There has to be a way..." Hat mumbled to herself. "Let's go see if we can think of a way to reach there. Split up, everyone."
"Roger." Me and Bow agreed.
I walked along the deck, noticing that the Walrus was staring out across the ocean.
"Shouldn't you be at the helm?" I questioned as I walked up to him.
"Let an old captain relax, pup." He told me as he puffed on his cigarette, horrible things really. "The seals can handle things for a moment or two."
"...You sure?"
"Not entirely, but I need this every now and then."
"Fair enough." I turned on my heels.
"You keep those friends of yours safe, pup." Walrus told me. "You never know what you have until it's gone."
I looked at him, but decided not to pry. "Trust me, I know." I then headed off.
I went into the garden, where all the rooms were.
"Alright, they've gotta be here somewhere..." I was looking for Snatcher and Knit, or at least Voice and Moustache. They had to be around here, and I would either help my friend or get some answers. Win-win.
I went around, knocking on all the doors one by one, but so far I only got birds and Mafia members. "Seriously, where are they?" There were a lot of rooms to get through...
Suddenly, the ship lurched violently to the left, and I fell back against the hand railing. "What the-"
"Hewwo!" A voice went out over the intercom. "The cawptain wants to-"
"Give me that microphone!" The Walrus' voice interjected. "Who's at the wheel!? We're heading straight for an iceberg!"
"Oh no..." I breathed as I put on the Bat Bow and flew upwards towards the control room. I just prayed I was wrong.
My suspicions were unfortunately confirmed when I had to climb into the room and stare at the wheel.
"Hat! What are you doing!?" I screamed.
"Oh, hi, Tie!" She waved at me with a worried look on her face. "Turns out, this things a lot more difficult to move then the ship!"
"Aaaaaaahhhhh!" Bow cried as she was tossed around the room from the lurching.
"Stop, quickly!" I pleaded.
Then there was the crash.
I was completely thrown off my feet and sent flying as the ship crashed and immediately turned 90 degrees. I fell back through the main room, wiring and electricity crashing around me as I collapsed out a window and onto a chunk of ice, the world still spinning.
"Ohhh…" I groaned as I stood up and shook my head, only to look up at the devastation.
Already the ship was beginning to submerge. There was a giant crack in the middle of it, as all of the reasidents were screaming as the lifeboats splashed down into the icy cold water. The giant metal ship groaned as it leaned further and further downward, until it stopped with a large thud as it collided with a chunk of iceberg that kept it steady.
"Hat!?" I instantly yelled out. "Bow!?"
"Tie!" I heard my captain call. "Over here!"
I began running in the direction of the voice, but yelped as a piece of machinery crashed in front of me, still sparking. I ran around it and turned a corner around an iceberg, finding Hat in a lifeboat, pulling Bow onto it, the only person with them being an Express Owl.
"Are you okay!?" I gasped.
"I'm fine, but..." Hat looked at Bow, who was shivering terribly. "Bow fell into the water."
"F-F-Freezing..." She whimpered.
Me and Hat quickly took our respective costumes out of our Hammerspaces and wrapped them around her for warmth, but she was still shivering.
"This is bad..." I muttered as I looked out across the ice cold ocean. I could see various people in lifeboats...no sign of Knit or Snatcher, nor of Voice and Moustache.
I flinched at a loud metallic groaning. The ship was slowly beginning to scrape against the ice holding it afloat. It was only a matter of time before it sank completely.
"Hewp!" Oh double no that was somebody calling for help. And a seal by the sound of it. A cute blubby seal about to die. "Somebody hewp me!"
"There are people still trapped in there!" Hat gasped.
'Badbadbadbadbadbadbad!' My mind panicked. 'Think! You have to stay calm in this situation!' I looked around at the lifeboats, with so many people missing. No Knit. I looked at Bow. She was shivering so much. I looked at the ship. It would be underwater all too soon. All of this because...because...
"W-We've gotta hurry!" Hat cried. "We've got to hurry and save them, Tie!"
"Hat..." I spoke.
"Ohhh how many are in there do you think?" Hat wondered. "Plus the water's freezing, and everything's coming down...!"
"Hat!"
"C'mon, Tie!" She tugged on my sleeve. "We've got to hurry! We need to hurry and go now!"
"CAPTAIN!"
She flinched at that, and stared at me, as I gave her the most serious look I could muster against her.
"Captain...I'm fine getting dragged into your messes." I told her. "I honestly am. I'm used to it, and I appreciate you...but the truth of the matter, Captain, is that you DO make messes, a lot, like breaking things, and hurting others, even if you do it unintentionally. Because you have a one track mind, Captain. You want to have fun, and you want to complete your goal, but do you think about the consequences of your actions?"
She stared at the ground in shame. It was hard, but after a disaster like this, she needed to hear this.
"Look around you, Captain." I spread my arms out for evidence as she shamefully looked left and right. "People are in danger! People who you call friends! The people you call friends could DIE, Captain! Because of something YOU did! Not all of them may be innocent, but you have ruined something for them! Like they did for us! Just because you didn't mean it doesn't make it any better!"
Her bottom lip was quivering. She was on the verge of tears.
"Captain...you can't keep being single minded." I said. "I know that you're better then that. You can be kind, and considerate, and thoughtful. You don't have to give up being excited or happy, you can be those things with everybody else. That's how you saved me, remember? That is the best part of you. And this...this Captain, is the worst. Not even your personality. This moment right here. You're better then this."
I held my breath as she looked up at me...with tears welling up in her eyes and her face all red.
"I-I didn't m-mean to crash the ship!" She sobbed. "I-It was an accident!"
"I know! I know it was!" I assured her. If she started crying I'd start crying. "But you understand what I'm saying, right!?"
"Y-Yeah..." She sniffled as she tried to wipe away her tears with her sleeve. "I'm sorry...I'm really sorry for everything, Tie..."
"Hey, come on. I don't regret a thing." I told her. "I'm best at your side."
The moment was interrupted by loud metallic groaning,
"We should probably save the people still trapped in there." Hat mumbled.
"Yeah, probably." I nodded as we set off across the ice.
We climbed into the giant crack in the ship via the inflatables. I went left whilst Hat went up, and I found myself in what was left of the Engine Room, wires hanging down and the water sparking dangerously.
"Is that you, spark?" A voice called out.
"Huh?" I jumped over and saw the octopus still there! "What are you doing here!?"
"I'm bolted into this engine. The override short-circuited." He said. "The water all around here is electrified and I'm sinking...seems like my lights about to go out, spark."
"Not yet." I told him as I put on the Spark Scarf and jumped over to the engine. I plugged the two ends and managed to discharge enough energy into it to activate the override, causing him to pop out.
"Thanks, Spark, but we're still not safe from a shocking." He was quite a big thing with a lot of limbs.
"Leave that to me." I told me as I used both arms, and managed to pick him up as he held his tentacles over his head.
"You're shockingly very strong." He said as I slowly carried him out of the room.
"It's a trait...!" I huffed as I threw him into safe, freezing waters.
"You saved my ample self." Seemed he didn't mind the temperature. "You're a brilliant little thing, spark."
"Thanks. Can you help carry away anybody else me or my Captain bring out?" I told him.
"I'd be zappy to help."
"Okay, you were reaching with that one."
I went back into the ship and made my way into the dining room, which was now half underwater, when I heard crying. I saw one of the Conductors grandchildren bawling as it was trapped on a table, pieces of debris falling around it.
"Hey, hey, it's alright! I'm here!" I jumped over and picked up the baby, as it cried in horror, tears streaming down from underneath its hat. "Shhshhshh, it's okay, it's okay..." I kept it as stable as I could as I jumped back the way I came. This poor thing was gonna have some trauma of boats...
Luckily it had stopped crying by the time I handed it over to the octopus, who was already carrying two other babies and a seal courtesy of Hat. Being reunited with its siblings helped it to perk up again as I went back in.
I managed to find a seal in the casino who was quite far away. Using the Necro Necklace was a no-go whilst carrying something, so I had to rely on the Bat Bow to move around, and in this instance, use the Cleaner Cape to vacuum the seal over to me.
"Thank woo, siw." It complimented me cutely. Didn't seem all that fazed that it was nearly crushed.
I went back to the octopus who now had more babies and seals on his person, as well as Boss! Just as Hat came down with-
"Mind the feathers, lassie!" Conductor cried as she dropped him on top of the squid. "Oh! Me grandkids! ye wee leetle selves are safe! Thank goodness, haven't had you're swimming lessons yet after all!"
"The worse vacation ever!" Boss commented.
"Things are getting shocking, sparks." The octopus informed us. "We're out of here in a flash!" He began carrying us away from the ship and towards the life boats.
"Is that everybody?" Hat called to me, and I looked down at the lifeboats. Mafia, owls, penguins, crows, CC (oh thank space) plus everybody on here...
"Where's Snatcher and Knit?" I called.
"Ye mean the Subcon Shadow?" Conductor sqwarked. "I saw it fly out of a room carrying a suitcase with it as soon as the ship started going down!"
"Was there a little red...doll with him?" I had to phrase that carefully.
"Think I saw a splash of red on it." I sighed in relief. Snatcher can drown for all I care but at least Knit was safe. Only now I had to find them in Subcon after this mess...Voice and Moustache I had no doubt could've escaped that on their own...which only left...
"Attention, this is your captain speaking." The Walrus' crackling voice came out of the speakers still above the water. "Go on and get outta here while you can, pups. I'm a goner. This is my ship, and I'm gonna go down with it..."
Me and Hat looked at each other for a moment, before jumping down onto the ice.
"Wait, lass, lad! You wanna go back for him!?" Conductor cawed at us. "That thing's coming down!"
"Where haven't we checked yet?" I gasped as I looked around the ship.
"This way!" Hat pointed to another hole which we went in, this one taking us through the front, and allowed us to make our way down to the laundry room, where the Walrus was sitting on a block of ice.
"What are you pups doing here!? I told you to go!" He yelled.
"Sorry, but we're here to save you!" Hat declared.
"Just leave me be! Let an old captain go down with his ship..." He moaned sadly.
"No can do." I denied. "If there's something I'VE learned, it's that as long as somebody cares about you, you can't die so easily!"
Me and Hat picked him up easily together.
"Whoa now! You pups put me down!" He gasped. "How are you so strong!?"
"Charrrrrrrrge!" We both yelled as we ran back the way we came together.
"Holy mackerel!" He cried as we ran out of the ship and onto the ice.
As soon as we reached the last lifeboat, there was the screeching of metal being torn apart, as the ship completely broke in two, and began to sink beneath the waves.
"Oh...why couldn't you pups just leave me?" We turned to the groaning walrus. "I can't drown, but I could at least pretend for a moment."
"Hey, c'mon." I said. "Without you, who's going to lead all these seals?"
"Even if they don't look it, they value your opinion, so they must care about you. And so does everybody else who had a good time before any of this happened." Hat told him. "You did a lot of good, and should be proud of your life."
He grumbled. "Suppose you pups are right, in a sense. Never make it back without my help. Just hope the insurance covers that."
"THAT'S the best part of you. That and your adorable face of course." I pointed at her. "Hat."
"Heehee!" She giggled at that.
"You pups really saved us." Walrus continued. "There's actually something shiny off over there, near where we crashed..." Hat looked away at that. "Why don't you grab it as thanks?"
"Will do." We both nodded as we skipped across the ice, and began climbing towards the shine.
"It's a good thing he didn't ask about how the ship crashed..." I whispered.
"Mmmmmmm." Hat answered with pursed lips.
We climbed up to where the shine was, only...
"Took you long enough." Moustache was holding it, with Voice beside her.
"Moustache!" Hat gasped as she readied her umbrella.
"Hey! We deserve this Time Piece!" The hooded girl argued. "After all, it's compensation for YOU ruining our vacation!"
"O-Oh..." Hat looked a bit guilty for a second, before shaking her head. "No! I already told you, you can't mess with-"
"Bored now." Moustache groaned. "Voice, let's go back and put all those soaps and towels we snatched in the cave."
"Right-o." Voice nodded as they created a portal that Moustache dived into.
"Hey!" Hat went to give chase, but I held her back.
"That one is dangerous, Hat." I told her as Voice stood between us and the portal.
"But she's getting away with the Time Piece I...!" She bit her lip instead of saying 'crashed the boat to try and get'.
"We'll meet again, you two." Voice said as they turned.
"Hold on!" I yelled. "Voice, you've been travelling to other dimensions, haven't you? What are you hoping to gain from doing that?"
"...Answers." They stated, staring at me from the darkness in their hood. "To see the differences between dimensions. To see those who do not exist here, live. To see if they deserve their existence over others. The oddities. Like you, and like me."
I glared at them as they continued: "I do so, for those who have been lost. And for myself. I search for answers. And if I have to fight to get them, so be it."
They then stepped through the portal and vanished.
"What a butthole." Hat stated.
"You said it." I agreed, hiding my troubled thoughts.
"Here you two are!" We turned around to see CC carrying Boss and Bow.
"CC!" Hat cheered. "We missed you!"
"Glad to hear it." She said. "Listen, it sounds bad, but can we catch a ride with you two? Seems our vacations over."
"Yes...I wonder why that is..." Boss glared at us. I think he knew.
"No problem!" Hat waved it off with a nervous laugh. "Grab on and we'll teleport us all back."
So we all had a group hug to teleport us all back into the control room.
"Home sweet home!" Hat cheered as we broke.
"I have missed you, my companion." Boss said as Roombi approached him and beeped.
"I can't believe they got away with the Time Piece..." Hat pouted.
"We'll get 'em in the end." I assured her.
"Hope so." Wow, that was low optimism for her. Guess she was taking it rough. "What do you think, Bow?...Bow?"
We turned to look at the third member of our species, who had turned very pale, before she collapsed.
"Bow?" I gasped as we all crowded around her.
"Bow, are you okay!?" Hat cried as she shook her friend, who didn't respond. "Bow!? BOW!?"
"Finally home!"
Snatcher groaned as he threw his suitcase down, the contract Knit's soul was currently in fluttering down onto his table, as he tossed Knit's soulless body to the side as if it was trash.
"Of COURSE the boat had to crash and sink! As if my luck couldn't get any worse! Thankfully I could still fly..." He grumbled to himself. "Those two had something to do with it, I know it! They're ruining everything for me! When I get my hands on them I'll-!"
He was interrupted by a stamping sound. "Oh, now that one is done?" He scoffed. "Took it long enough." He watched as the soul returned to the body. "Alright, toy, I'm guessing you wanna do the nex-"
He paused. The dolls body was facing away from him, but the moment the soul had returned, a magical pressure had assaulted his senses.
'This is it...this is IT!' He realised. 'The little doll's unlocked Moonjumper's magic! WOW that's a lot! And now, it's all mine!'
Knit slowly stood up, which prompted Snatcher to speak. "Doll-face! Seems like you've finally unlocked your old mans magic!"
"...Yes. I did." Knit spoke softly.
"That's great, you did it! Congrats! Confetti and all that!" Snatcher's eyes gleamed. 'Too bad you won't have it for long.'
Knit slowly turned to stare up at him. "I finally have my father's power...thanks to you, Snatcher."
"That's right, toy! You can thank me later! For now tho-" He froze, as something happened.
There was a horrible c-ra-ck-ing sound, as a golden zigzagging smile broke through on her face.
"Allow me to give you..." Knit's new mouth moved as she spoke creepily sweetly. "Your reward!"
She lunged at him with golden nails and a terrifying scream.
And so we leave off on a cliffhanger. The Arctic Cruise arc isn't over yet, folks...one last thing to take care of.
This is the first time Tie ever confronts Hat about her recklessness. Like he said, he's been happy to put up with it before, but this was the big one. It kinda gets ignored in the panic of the act but, yeah, this was Hat's fault, she endangered everybody because of her selfishness. In-universe at least. It's Gears for Breakfasts fault for making us do it. Whether this is a turning point for their friendship, who knows? But it seems like there have been consequences.
Voice also remains cryptic. But you all better watch out for him just in case.
And as for Knit after unlocking Moonjumper's power...let's just say I've been waiting to write next chapter for a LONG time.
Thank you to Konan720, Fighter33000 (Thank you for the cameo, btw), Guest TimeBlade and the other two reviewers for reviewing!
Next Time:...Moonjumper's little girl...
