Chapter 6

Mustache Girl took Arthur to higher parts of Mafia Town. They made their way to an abandoned house located on top of a building. There was a blue plate with the number '1110' above the door. The two children stopped in front of it. Looking at the abandoned house, there was a hole in the wall, another two on the roof, and the door was boarded as well.

"Let's go inside..." Mustache Girl said in a sad tone before walking inside through the hole in the wall. Arthur stared at her, surprised to hear the usually-energetic mustached girl speak so glumly. Nonetheless, he did as he was told and followed her in.

After going inside, Arthur had a look of horror on his face as he looked around the place. There was two more holes on the other wall, a fire pit in the middle of the room, and there were broken decorations lying around on the floor. The whole house had been trashed! What the heck just happened here?

"What is this place?" Arthur asked, a shocked expression clearly visible on his face.

"This used to be my house..." Mustache Girl said in a depressed tone.

"...Your house?" Arthur asked her with widened eyes. The red-hooded girl nodded sadly.

Mustache Girl took a deep breathe and began to explain, "Ever since I was born, I was living here with my family. I loved the house, I loved my family, and I loved this town. I was friends with most of the people here. I had such a great life...".

Arthur watched her intently as she began to tell her story. Having a family and friends who loved you? He wished he had that... Well, there was his mom and... another person he knew but... The twelve-year-old boy shook his head and watched as Mustache Girl's expression turned darker, and she clenched her fists.

"Then about a year ago, the Mafia arrived on this island by boat. As the naive and welcoming little girl I was, I went there to greet them..." she said before raising her fist until it was at the level of her eyes. She clenched it so hard that it began to tremble as anger built into her.

"Then they pushed me to the side and began trashing the whole town. They tagged the walls, bullied people, used them as cannonballs... I tried to go back to my family to warn them, but when I arrived..." Mustache Girl trailed and remained silent for a second before she continued. "The Mafia were already at my house... They were breaking and throwing everything around. And... they had my family... I tried to make them stop, reasoning and bargaining with them, but they just laughed at me and then they..." She stopped, trying to prevent the tears from coming out.

Arthur knew where this was going. Judging by what she said earlier, her family was probably catapulted out of the island with a cannon.

"Say no more..." Arthur said as he gave her a look of sympathy. He felt sorry that she went through all of this. He knew how it felt to lose something or someone important to you. He knew that feeling too well... Mustache Girl turned to look at him. She managed to stop herself from crying, but Arthur could tell that she was still depressed.

Mustache Girl looked at Arthur firmly and said with venom in her voice, "This is why I've been fighting the Mafia this whole time. I want to make them pay for what they did to the people of this island, to my family... and to me. I want to make them suffer and make them feel the pain they made me go through..."

Arthur looked down, his hat hiding his eyes. He understood how the girl felt. Though he didn't know how to feel about the revenge part... Before telling her about that, he just had one question for her.

"Why are you telling me this?" he asked.

"To show you how important this fight was to me. For my plan to be a success. I know you and the other girl have your differences but... if you guys continue fighting, you will both get in each other's way and you will become easy prey for the Mafia. It could ruin the whole plan we set! That's why I want you both to solve your conflict so we can easily take down the Mafia together!" Mustache Girl explained. Arthur understood what she meant, though it was easier said than done. Because of how people had treated him in the past, he tended to hold grudges toward those who had wronged him in a way for a long time. Heck, he had never tried to forgive anyone in his whole life...

"I understand, but it's not that simple. Me and the kid... we didn't really have the 'best' of introductions. Then she said something I didn't like and... That was that," The twelve-year-old boy explained sadly.

"Come on, Arthur. I need you both to make an effort with this. At least until we've dealt with the Mafia Boss," Mustache Girl begged. Arthur sighed in defeat. Guess he didn't have much of a choice... It was going to be tough, but... he will try to make an effort. For Mustache Girl.

"Alright... I'll try," the twelve-year-old boy said sadly but genuinely.

"Thank you, Arthur," Mustache Girl said with an appreciative smile. Arthur nodded before his expression grew serious.

"But listen... take this as a personal advice. That 'revenge' of yours... You should give up on that," he said. Mustache Girl's smile dropped right after he said that.

"What? Why would I do that?" Mustache Girl asked, clearly shocked by what Arthur just said.

"Revenge is a fool's game, Mustache Girl. It's not worth it," the twelve-year-old explained sadly. Mustache Girl huffed in annoyance.

"Oh course it is! The Mafia took everything away from me! And I'm just supposed to let them walk away with it?!" the red-hooded girl argued angrily. Arthur was aware that it wasn't easy to let go of the past, but he knew the consequences of revenge too well to let Mustache Girl go down that dangerous path.

"It'll only get you in trouble. Trust me... I know what I'm saying. I..." Arthur tried to reason, but the mustached girl cut him off.

"I'll be fine! These brutes have been giving trouble for a year already and I've always gotten out of it! The last thing I need is a lecture on what I'm supposed to do in this situation!" Mustache Girl shouted angrily. Arthur looked down, sadly knowing he had just hit a nerve. He didn't mean to upset the mustached girl... Clearly there was no changing her mind, but at least he tried.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to..." Arthur said before sighing in defeat. "Nevermind..."

Mustache Girl noticed the regretful look on the twelve-year-old boy's face and her expression softened. She didn't mean to snap at him like that, let alone hurt his feelings if she did. She had to think of a way to make up to him and lighten up the mood. She then had an idea and she smirked mischeviously. She then proceeded to bring her fist to Arthur's shoulder and lightly hit it, faking a punch. The young boy gave her a confused look.

"What was that for?" Arthur asked, raising an eyebrow at the still-smirking girl.

"I knew you were a big softy under all that tough demeanor!" Mustache Girl said teasingly. Arthur rolled his eyes at her. Now she was trying to mess with him. Fine, he will play that game with her.

"Don't irritate me, girl," he said in a fake threatening tone.

"Aww, did I offend the little cowboy?~" Mustache Girl teased in a sing-song voice.

"I'll shave that mustache of yours," Arthur said jokingly.

"No touchy! That's my signature, cowboy! Mess with it, and you're a dead guy!" she joked, twirling her mustache a little.

"Fair enough," Arthur said with a chuckle. Mustache Girl smiled at him. She was pleased that she was able to lighten up the mood... and it was nice to see the boy smile for once.

"Alright! With that out of the way, let's get to the cannon already!" Mustache Girl said enthusiastically before running out of the house. Arthur shook his head in amusement and followed her outside.

As he exited the abandoned house, Arthur turned around to give one last look at it. He formed a sad look as he remembered what Mustache Girl said earlier. He felt bad for the young girl. There was no doubt that she went through a lot... Just like him. He understands her reasons for wanting the Mafia dead, but that idea of 'revenge'? He knew too well that it was a bad idea, but it wasn't like he could change her mind anyway.

"You coming, Arthur?" Mustache Girl called out to him. Arthur snapped out of his trance and followed her.

He really hoped he was wrong on this, but he couldn't shake the feeling that Mustache Girl's desire for revenge was going to more problematic than anticipated... Arthur shook his head. He shouldn't let the thought get to him. His priority was to help Mustache Girl with her plan. After that, he hoped she would remain true to her word and that she will help him get on a boat to leave.

Back on the spaceship, Hat Kid had just finished taking a shower. She was in a purple bathrobe and was wearing her purple slippers on her feet. Her hair were a bit wet and untied, and she was hatless. She had also washed her clothes, as well as her favorite top hat, and was waiting for them to finish drying.

She walked toward her vault and opened it. She put the Time Piece she had retrieved from the paranoid Mafia man in it. That was three Time Pieces so far, but there were still 53 more out there. She closed the vault and went down to the first level of the main room, making sure to greet Rumbi on the way. She sat on her captain's cushioned chair and stared down at the planet below.

Her eyes landed on Mafia Town and she suddenly thought of Arthur as she did. It was strange for her to think about him, considering the two of them are enemies. Though, she couldn't shake off the thought of him snapping at her earlier.

"Keep your stupid hourglass! I don't care! They've been nothing but trouble for me so far anyway! It's because of one of those things that I'm stuck here now! Away from home!"

"It doesn't matter anyway. For all I know, I'll be stuck in this hellhole forever with no way to return home..."

Hat Kid's face was blank as Arthur's words echoed in her head. They definitely didn't leave her indifferent. She had expected him to argue with her about giving him information on the Time Pieces or even try to snatch the one she had from her hands, but he didn't. Instead, he looked... lost, broken and depressed. Hopeless even.

When she had first met him on her spaceship, she thought he had snuck in to steal her Time Pieces and use them for his own benefits. But after seeing him look so glum earlier, she realized that he just seemed to not care, despite the fact that he asked her about them before. Maybe... he was telling the truth this whole time. Maybe he really did end up on her ship by accident. She always thought it was a lie, but now...

Hat Kid's heart was suddenly filled with guilt and remorse. She had treated him so badly for something that he never intended to do. And as a result, she had caused the twelve-year-old boy to hate her guts and he probably will never forgive her for what she had done to him. The girl sighed sadly. She will have to apologize to him once she comes back down, and hopefully she can make things right between the two of them.

But for now, she had to wait for her clothes to finish drying...

Mustache Girl and Arthur made their way to the top of the building where the cannon was located. They climbed ladders and crossed rooftops until they reached their destination. Once on top, the two children spotted the cannon just sitting there, ready to be used.

"Alright, there it is!" Mustache Girl said happily.

"Great. Now off to get catapulted away and possibly die," Arthur said sarcastically. He still wasn't sure about the idea of 'safety' about using the cannon to get up to the Mafia's HQ.

"Oh, don't be such a scaredy-cat! It's safe to use! The Mafia use that to get up there all the time! I also tried it before and it works!" Mustache Girl reassured the twelve-year-old boy.

"And there was no 'accident' or whatsoever?" Arthur asked unamused, still not convinced about the safety of the cannon usage.

"Well... There was this Mafia guy who broke both of his legs after using it the wrong way last month. Couldn't stop laughing for ten minutes when I heard that happen!" Mustache Girl said, trying to suppress a laugh at the thought of the Mafia man getting his legs broken.

"Well, that's reassuring..." the twelve-year-old boy muttered sarcastically. That statement didn't help him feel more confident about it. Mustache Girl patted him in the back.

"You'll be fine! Alright, I'm already gonna go up there and scout ahead! You go tell the other girl to come up here as well. Don't take too long though!" the red-hooded girl said as she made her way toward the cannon.

"Sure..." Arthur answered hesitantly, remembering that Hat Kid was probably still on her spaceship, unknown to the mustached girl. He would have to wait for her to come back down before going in, but he hoped she wouldn't take too long to come as he didn't want to make Mustache Girl feel suspicious.

As the red-hooded girl climbed into the cannon, she glanced at the young boy and said with a serious expression, "And Arthur, be cool with her. I don't want to see you two fight again, because we might not get a second chance at this."

"As promised," Arthur said with a sigh. He hoped the kid would not give him another reason to get mad at her. He didn't want to break the promise he made to Mustache Girl. Enough people had done that to him in the past, and he certainly didn't want to stoop to their level.

"Great! See ya up there!" Mustache Girl said, giving him a thumbs-up. Arthur nodded at her.

The young boy watched as she closed the hatch of the cannon, locking herself inside. The cannon laid back and pointed upward. After that, Arthur saw Mustache Girl get shot out toward the sky and landing on the huge platform sitting on the geyser, disappearing from sight.

"Well, she made it..." Arthur muttered nervously. Just watching the mustached girl get shot up by the cannon made him feel uneasy. His anxiety was definitely not going to like that when his turn will come. Well, for now, he had to wait for Hat Kid to come back down. So he still had time to prepare himself mentally for this.

Arthur walked up to the cannon and sat down against it. As he was waiting for Hat Kid, Arthur pulled out the crowbar that Mustache Girl gave him back on the spaceship and decided to play with it to kill some time, tossing it upward and catching it in the air.

He was feeling a bit nervous. Not just because of the idea of using a cannon that could probably catapult him away to his death, but also for what was coming next. They were about to head into the Mafia's main base, meaning it was going to be filled with lots of Mafia men. Being surrounded by large brutes, speaking in third person and who probably hates you, was not the most reassuring situation to be in. Especially since they were going to confront the boss of the Mafia, which will definitely seal his place on the Mafia's blacklist for good. Arthur wasn't unfamiliar with this kind of situation, which made him even more nervous... But he will have to go through it nonetheless. It was the only choice he had to get a way off this island. Thankfully, the rain falling on his skin soothed him a little.

He had to admit: he didn't have a plan, nor knew where to go after that. He hoped that there was something out there that could give him clues on how to summon a portal to get him home. Even though, he admitted that he dreaded having to go back there, since he knew it was already hell for him at home. His dad will probably yell at him and insult him – even hit him – for going missing. But only bad things have been happening to him on this planet too so far. He literally almost died earlier! At least at home, he knew what to expect, unlike here. Plus, he didn't belong here. He wasn't from this planet, so he was nothing more than a stranger and he had nothing to do here. He had no other choice...

Twenty minutes have passed, and soon it was nightfall. After playing with his crowbar for a while, Arthur suddenly heard a thud coming from nearby. He looked to the side and saw Hat Kid with her umbrella in her hand as she closed it. The young boy noticed that she wasn't covered in mud anymore, meaning she had taken a shower and washed her clothes.

"Ah, you're finally here. Good," Arthur said with a blank expression, putting his crowbar away and getting up to his feet. Hat Kid nodded as she put her umbrella away.

The purple-hatted girl walked up to him and she rubbed the back of her head nervously. Though Arthur didn't seem to have noticed that. She wanted to apologize to him for the way she had treated him before, but she was scared he wouldn't forgive her. She had to do it though, it was the least she could do after everything she had done to him. She opened her mouth to talk, but Arthur spoke before she could.

"Mustache Girl went on ahead already. She's waiting for us up there, so we should probably go as well," he said as he turned to face the cannon. Hat Kid sighed. Guess she would have to apologize to him later on... Arthur formed a nervous look as he stared at the cannon before shaking his head.

"Well... Let's get this over with..." the twelve-year-old boy said, relucantly climbing into the cannon. "Guess I didn't need to get captured to end up as a human cannonball," he muttered before closing the hatch.

The cannon pointed up and, after a few seconds, shot out Arthur toward the sky. With a determined nod, Hat Kid jumped in the cannon as well, closed the hatch, and soon she was shot out toward the platform on top of the geyser as well.

A/N: Hey everyone! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Soooo... yeah... some dark and emotional stuff is happening in this one. But don't worry, a bit of humor is also present to ease the tension a little. ^^ Also it looks like Hat Kid finally realized that Arthur is not as bad as she thought, and the latter will try to make an effort to get along with her. That's definitely a step in the right direction. ^^

Anyway, time to answer reviews! Also silly me... In the previous chapters, I thought that most of your reviews were deleted somehow. But in fact, it's because it seems like they take a certain amount of time before being made public, that's why. (I'm still kinda new to how reviews work, since it's my first fanfiction I'm posting here. ^^;)

Alright, let's get on with it!

To Shadow Necro: Everything revealed in this chapter now. ;) (And it's okay, I struggled a bit with the language when I first started learning it. Thankfully, Internet has really helped me learn english, and I'm sure you'll be good at it someday. ;))

To Maoshin: Thank you! This means a lot to me! ;)

To Katoptris12: As said in Chapter 2 and this chapter as well, Arthur already knows that both places are like hell for him. However, considering he hates both, he figured it was best to be in the one he's familiar with and knows what to expect than the other where he's not. His anxiety also plays a role in it, as Arthur doesn't like surprises. Plus, he feels like he doesn't belong here, so... there's that. But don't worry, he'll soon find a purpose in this new world. ;)

To thechickensawesome: Glad you're excited for this story! :D

Alright! That's all for today, folks! See you all in the next chapter!