(Chapter thirty-eight: It's a start)

"So… now that you're here…" Jack sat at the table alongside a few other cats that trusted and admire him, "I'm assuming you've considered my offer to take over?"

The other cats looked at their leader with surprise and shock. To Julia, It looked like he hadn't talked to anyone, let alone mention something. It was clear to her that being a person in charge of others can be stressful.

"No," Julia stated softly.

She stood at the end while Kero and Bonnie sat at the table with the others. Behind the boy, the ghostly figure watched in silence.

The atmosphere was hard to identify; Some relaxed, some were still shocked, and others found it awkward.

"I am, however, here to help any way I can." Julia looked at "If you guys don't mind risking a little as well."

"What do you have in mind?" Meko's twin sibling Dante asked. He looked rather worse for wear than the 'old' wanted posters. It seems like the poor feline had lost his sight in both eyes.

Julia sighed, shifting her eyes to the side to look at nothing in particular. Then to the bowed child at the table. "Bonnie, I'm going to need to tell them about the mission for this to work…" the woman scratched at her neck "but… it's all up to you right now to allow it."

Bonnie looked surprised at Julia, that was the last thing she thought she'd say. True, Julia had no real say in the matter when it came to her people's work, and as much as she probably knows that Melody wouldn't want to involve anyone unless it was necessary.

"Is it necessary?" Bonnie asked, looking at Julia dead in the eyes

"To get the upper hand on the Empress, then… yes." Julia nodded.

The girl hummed, seemingly thinking about it, then nodded "alright, I just hope nothing bad happens…"

Julia turned back to the cats who seemed more interested in what she had to say now. Anything that'll help with their Empress problem, they'll be all ears. The woman walked around to the board, picked up a drawing utensil, and started drawing out a Timepiece.

"These, are the reason why my group is down here, to begin with." Julia explained, also narrating for Dante "these hourglasses, some of you have probably seen them. Or even felt them." She drew a little glowing aura around them.

"These hourglasses are important to my friend here; some of you probably won't believe this but Bonnie isn't from this world, and neither are these." She tipped her fedora up, looking around at everyone and making sure they were listening "if broken, bad things start to happen; time-shifting, reality-altering, world-shattering. Quite literally on the shattering part."

"Have you seen these… alterations before…?" Jack asked, looking up at Julia quite scared.

"I have. Heck, my family and I were in the middle of one of the most serious time anomalies that happened here in this world…" Julia then rubbed her chin in thought. The walrus captain and his crew nor the metro cats were there when it all went down. Was it because Lynn didn't know they existed? Did… did the cats all die in the metro because the world was filled with lava?

Julia shook her head, she didn't want to know or think about something as gruesome as that.

"The Empress has been collecting these timepieces… don't know if she had before we arrived…" looked back at the group "but I honestly don't want to know what she'll do with them if the Empress figures out they're not just some money giving trinket."

"It sounds like letting her get more of these is a bad thing…" One cat pointed out.

"What do we do if she gets more?" A second one asked.

"She won't, we may be working under her, but I'll be damned if I let her get more." The human woman clenched her fist, nearly snapping the utensil, "Dante, Meko… how many cats here can turn invisible?"

Meko's ears perked up, then seemingly counted off their paw "let's see, me, my brother… about a handful of others…." He mumbled, then looked up "enough to make three squads. That's twelve of us in total."

"That's more than enough." Julia nodded "I'm gonna be entrusting you guys to help us out and find these Hourglasses before us. Hide them here."

"What?" Jack questioned, along with a few others.

"I know, it's crazy… some of the remaining could already be broken, like shards still radiating light" Julia remembers those glass shards back on the Arctic cruise "However if you see a swirling orb, contact me or Bonnie. We know how to deal with them." She pointed out, drawing a time rift "blue ones are alright for now, but any purples… stay far away, and get us immediately and discreetly."

"Man, was this what it was like when you were helping Melody!?" Bonnie smiled, she was getting excited watching Julia confidently explain things "when you were Fedora?"

Julia just chuckled, looking away "well, half the time it was just me and her." Remembering that she was notably goofing off with Melody "We didn't have any other allies on the field. Only friends from fixing problems." much had happened since then. So many things; the emotions… happy, sad, excited, angry; feeling courageous, to downright terrified. "I don't know why it feels like there's a little more weight on my shoulders since then…"

"Don't worry, Julia!" Jack looked at her, a new sense of awe coming from him "we'll try and take some of that weight off. That's what my brother would say… that's what he'd do." Julia quickly noticed the tall feline ghost straighten up after Jack announced that, then looked back at the smaller cat as he then tapped at the table, seemingly excited as always "oh, oh! This would be a perfect time to make a graffiti calling card! Our new team name!"

"Team name?" Bonnie asked with a lopsided grin

"Yeah! Oh wait- I guess it would be considered a clan name…? Gang name? Let's go with a clan, yeah- sounds cooler…" Jack had rambled to himself as almost everyone looked his way.

Julia smiled with a half-grin and a huff of amusement; looking back at the board, the woman tapped her chin. How was she going to relay this to Zephyr without making this look suspicious when they leave?

After a moment, Julia's eyes widened; Astral projection! Though, when was the last time she had done it on purpose? She could easily leave the metro as well to travel back to the ship but… she fears what could happen when she's away. Not to mention the large apparition currently standing behind her son. With her spirit no longer tethered to her body, if she leaves it unattended it's free real estate for the spectral realm.

She's never had to forcefully remove a spirit from herself before, and honestly, Julia hopes she never has to. Taking this chance, the woman just hopes this spirit here isn't malicious.

"So… I'm going to…" Julia slowly started to sit down and "meditate?" She questioned herself as she quickly thought up an excuse for why she'll zone out. In case anyone asked. The only ones who'd see Julia would be Kero and Zephyr anyways, the latter is why she's doing this in the first place. "You guys… continue doing what you're doing and think stuff over."

With idle confirmation from the chatting group, the woman took the time to get comfortable and shortly close her eyes. Mentally preparing herself and breathing long inhales and slow yet steady exhaling.

Kero secretly watched her.

With that, Julia was floating off. In front of her, the apparition seemed to have been startled as it fell causing them to move a chair and gain everyone's attention for a moment. Julia was left dumfound on multiple things… well only two things.

One; she could finally see what the ghost looks like more clearly and how it can still interact with objects. The woman doesn't know if she should be surprised or not by the fact that the ghost haunting the underground was…Jack's brother, Ace.

Two; her arm and her leg were missing, probably half of her face too. That was one of the things that probably startled the cat.

"Wow, oh WOW!" Ace exclaimed, "I was not expecting that!" The tall cat rubbed the back of his head.

Julia sighed, she was able to hear him now as well as see him better for some reason. If he was anything like his little sibling, she really doesn't want to have another long talk about how she can do these sorts of things, so with a hop, she floated off but not before addressing him.

"If you touch my body… I'll…" she honestly couldn't figure out anything that could keep him away "I'll seal you… in a vase or something!"

"Whoah, alright! Wasn't even thinking about laying a hand on you… okay, that was kind of a lie," he followed her out of the tent surprisingly "I really want to shake your hand." He had a giddy smile.

"Welp, I only have one bud." She retorted, waving her only hand with a lazy smile.

"Wanted to ask about that…" he eyed her up and down and looked back for a moment in a way of remembering how her body looked "you seemed to look okay back there but… in the in-between you… heh… sorry to say, but you're a bit messed up."

The conversation didn't stop her from attempting to reach Zephyr, however, she lingered a the ladder of the hideout "yeah, not sure if that has something to do with stress or… the fact that I'm dying?" She waved a hand, honestly, she was just so confused to the point that she accepts any kind of answer.

"…damn…" Ace looked away with a sorrowful look "I… I don't know what to say after hearing that."

"You don't have to say anything, honestly." Julia pushed herself up, it was such a breeze floating through the shaft, and up out of the metal door that was blocked off like how it originally was. "I don't really mind it anymore. Not like I'm gonna disappear, Or at least I hope not."

She wondered through the bar, it seemed like the place was a full house. Who would have thought this place was popular despite harboring rebels? Ignorant is bliss as the saying goes.

"I was not expecting you to be so…" he moved his hands around trying to figure out what he wanted to say next "uh… this." He couldn't find the word.

Julia didn't really want to know what that meant or what 'this' could mean to him. It does have her thinking, however. She'd probably be more cheerful if it were her younger self… or her amnesiac self. That was probably the person he was expecting.

Not a stoic, numb woman who can speak and see the dead. Let alone dream with them. Julia smiled to herself; in her own eyes, that was pretty damn cool.

"Much has changed since you've seen the movies. Even then, you only saw a little proportion of me." She turned around and floated backward "that's right, I have magic, I've had astral projection ever since I was a little kid! I was raised by a strong and wonderful moon demon!" Julia's voice picked up "I've done so much more in such little time and…" she slowly realized she was smiling to herself thinking about everything again. "Made so many friends… and grown so much. I've made a name for myself, made a home for myself." She slowed down.

In her eyes. She was pretty damn cool. she needs to keep reminding herself of this, for some reason yelling makes her feel better.

Ace was confused at the sudden outburst, but knowing there was so much to his favorite movie actor that he hadn't known about… honestly makes the cat want to know more. "I'd watch a movie about your life… or maybe a book. You should write a book."

Julia chuckled, rubbing the back of her head. "Maybe… maybe."


With a whistle, Julia called out to Zephyr, who in turn was sitting as still as a statue on a bench. He only moved when the jester heard her voice, Zephyr must have been conversing with Allen.

"Don't say a word, not a sound." Julia talked to him "not even of my appearance." She noticed Zephyr raising a finger to say something as she mentioned that last part.

"I'm astral projecting to keep suspicions down. Call it paranoia, but I had a feeling if we had a hushed conversation after we've been away for so long… or if I left the bar full of people…" Zephyr made a face at that as he stared off "it would bring up questions of where we came from."

Ace then walked up and waved in front of Zephyr making the mad man jump slightly.

"Oh F- he can see me!?" Ace yelled, causing some small lights to go haywire.

The jester stood up and turned to the lights, not expecting them to be affected by the sudden new person.

"Yeah, he can. So can my son, Kero." Julia points out "they're… not actually… how do I say this. Alive."

She watched Zephyr sit back down, folding his arm. That was a way of saying 'you have talking to do.' And honestly, Julia was tired of talking by now.

"I know, I know. We already have a plan; I'll explain everything when We're able to group up again." Julia sighed loudly, moving one hand around. It was weird, she still feels her other hand, but it wasn't there.


So uh... howdy folks. bit a hot while huh? I had half of this page written down for so long, and I couldn't find any motivation to keep the ball going. I'm this close to wanting to make a few time skips for the next chapters but man- we're so close to the arc's ending. So close to the story finishing. Sorry for all the dialogue-heavy stuff as well, I promise you it'll lead to a lot of action later. Here's to however many chapters to the end. cheers.