I'm already done writing my second chapter, wow how time flies. Enjoy this slightly shorter chapter, I'll try and have an update up at least once a week but I'm not gonna set a schedule.

Special thanks to absolutely nobody for reviewing at the time of writing this lol. This community's kinda niche so I'm not surprised.


It was, I dunno, a few hours before I woke up again.

The hatted child seemed to be awake, as I could hear the sounds of utter chaos in what could only be the kitchen.

Good morning to you too Desmond

I jump slightly, usually I've had at least one coffee or tea before I'm talked to by Texty.

I take a good hop up onto the next level, grabbing onto the bannisters to actually reach it, and walk into the kitchen.

The kid must've tried to make something more complicated than toast, because the oven is on fire.

Here's an example of why we don't let children into kitchens…

I snicker as the kid glares at me. I don't bother grabbing anything to eat.

Don't want to get alien food poisoning or anything.

"So uh. How do you get back down onto the planet?"

The kid waves towards the telescope as they watch the oven burn with an odd glint in their eyes.

I gulp somewhat nervously, and look down the telescope. Seconds later I found myself falling down onto solid ground, next to some golden vault thing.

I push one of the buttons on my rolling pin, and a parachute pops out, seeing my descent as I hold on tight.

I elegantly land, and by that I mean I miss my mark and fall into a waterfall in front of the vault and get washed down to the shore before I pull myself out

Nice landing

Shut.

I can hear Texty snicker as I grumble about being soaked already.

Hopping around and climbing back up to the vault, I tap it, and several lines fly away from it towards what must be the code parts.

"Okay, guess I'm doing this now!"

I start chasing the beams of light one at a time, jumping over some gaps between buildings in order to grab my first code.

As I spin back round to go to the vault and get another line, Hat Kid lands up there, probably thinking I tried to run or something.

I sigh, jumping down the buildings to another code in the corner of my eyes. I snatch it out of the air as I hit the ground, and begin quickly rescaling the town.

A hop here over a gap. A smack here into the face of the mafia, and I make my way back to the vault, touching it once more

No beams come off it this time, so I sit down on the ledge next to the vault, and wait for the kid, holding the codes tight to ensure they don't get caught in the wind.

Hey, Texty?

Yes Desmond?

…Do you know how you came to be?

Not really. I'm just as confused as you are about that. Now look sharp, the kids here.

I jump slightly, looking at the kid as they land back at the vault. I hold out the codes to them, before taking a few steps back.

They give me a dirty look as they open the vault, taking the pins and the Hourglass contained inside.

"What even are those called?" I ask as the kid walks over to me, grabbing my wrist and taking us both back to the ship, in that same disorientating teleport

"Time Pieces." Hat Kid says, before pushing me back into the kitchen.

I assume the kids putting away the Time Piece, thus I look back into the telescope.

I don't think fire and flames along with lava is normal

I'm inclined to agree…

"Uhhh. Kid? We may have a slight burning problem." I call out.

The kid rushes into the room, and pushes me out of the way to look at the situation. They gasp, and quickly look at me

"Stay here! You'll slow me down!"

The kid says this before entering.

Harsh…

I shrug mentally. Hey, I'm living on the kids ship, it's fair enough that they can tell me what to do. I have a bad sensation about it, but I trust the kid.

No matter how little they seem to trust me.

I decided to busy myself with cleaning up some of the ship. Won't touch the kids room, but I can clean the kitchen.

Work time!


I've been cleaning for about 10 minutes.

I'm really worried. What if they're hurt? They may not like me, but they're still only a child…

I throw caution to the wind, and look into the telescope, focusing to see if I can see the kids' colours anywhere.

I get a glance of yellow and blue with a hat stuck on a… boat? On a lake of lava, as if they fell onto it.

I don't hesitate to drop down, using the parachute from my rolling pin to land safely.

I rush towards where I got a glance at the kid, and there they are. Stuck on that boat, no escape for them.

How am I even going to get to them?

Better figure that out fast!

Texty?

I don't have anything for this one! If you can get the faucets that are spewing lava jammed or shut off maybe that'd help?

I nod minutely, and run as fast as I can towards the nearest faucet. Most of them are already spouting water, but I can still see One that isn't.

I jump off some crumbing platforms, and smack the faucet as hard as I can, spinning it until water starts pouring out of it.

The lava coating changes back to its original water form, as I rush back towards where I saw the kid.

Hopping over what was before a flow of lava, I finally get a glance of the kid. They look a lot less worried, but a lot more confused.

"Hey kid!" I call out to them from the building I'm on.

They look up at me, and I see a flicker of something across their face, before it's back to that mean look.

I sigh, and return to climbing back up the town, reaching the canon kettle at the peak of the town, and hopping in.

I'm sent flying up to the platform being held up by the geyser. And…

People are celebrating us.

Well, the banner says "Thanks Hat Kid and Tall Not Mafia", but I understand the sentiment.

It's heartwarming.

I walk forwards to one of the tables, and just wait. The kid will show up in a few moments…

Speak of the devils, and they shall appear! The kid arrives in a similar manner to me, only more elegantly.

They ignore me as I stand to the side, and they talk to some squiggly glasses mafia guy.

"Small girl and not mafia saved town! Mafia reward small girl!"

The mafia presents a little dish, containing a Time Piece, which the kid hops up and grabs.

I meanwhile, am eating some of the fish which I'm assuming the mafia cooked? For their incompetence at everything, it tastes pretty good.

The kid walks over with an odd look in their eye, and a weird cat whispers to them about them cooking it instead of the mafia.

The kid's expression shifts to something much more… excited I guess, and they join me in eating something.

We eat for a few minutes and converse with the cat and a few of the more politer mafia members.

Soon enough the kid is looking impatient, so I excuse myself from the conversation and allow them to grab my wrist and hold the Time Piece up into the air

The next second, we're back on the Ship.

The kid stretches slightly, and walks over to what must be the engine room on the right.

I meanwhile, walk back into the kitchen, and look down the telescope once more.

Everything actually appears normal, and I've still got a few hours of SunBoost left!

I wander back into the main room, and I follow the kid into the engine room

I feel like you've called them a kid a lot.

Well I don't have an actual name for them so…

I enter what is now definitely the engine room to see the kid staring into another telescope.

"Come on slowpoke!" They call to me before disappearing in a little poof, assumedly down onto wherever this telescope takes us.

I give a light chuckle, before looking down the telescope myself and following them into the large desert-y area of the world.


And another chapter bites the dust! Next up, the start of Battle of the Birds. Both our protagonists will work with a different director to create our little dynamic here!

See you all later!