Chapter 26
Following the events that occured in the basement of Dead Bird Studio, DJ Grooves and Hat Kid carried Arthur to the nearest hospital as quickly as they could after the latter got stabbed by the Conductor and fell unconscious. Upon their arrival, the medics – who were owls – immediately took Arthur to the operating room to extract the knife and try to save the boy's life. After that, they moved him to one of the rooms to do a medical exam on him.
It was currently early in the morning. Hat Kid and DJ Grooves were sitting on a bench in the hallway, just outside of Arthur's room, anxiously waiting for the results.
The purple-hatted girl had her eyes covered by her hands as the disco penguin did his best to comfort her. It was needless to say she was a mess at the moment. Not just because she was worried about the fact that Arthur might not make it, but also because part of her feels responsible for what happened to him. Arthur was right; they should have just asked for the Time Pieces from the start instead of taking part of the two bird movie directors' movies. Had they done it before, the Conductor wouldn't have found out about the power of the Time Pieces and Arthur wouldn't have gotten stabbed. Accepting the birds' request for help was her call when Arthur wanted out. She was just so excited at the idea of being part of movies, it was like a dream come true. Never would have she imagined it would end up so badly. And she felt even worse knowing that Arthur was the one who got stabbed when the knife was meant to be for her instead.
What's done is done, but Hat Kid was really hoping that Arthur will make it. She couldn't lose him... He was the first friend she made in a long time – not counting Mustache Girl for obvious reasons. Sure, maybe he tended to act like a jerk and be a bit of a mood killer sometimes, but Hat Kid knew it was tied to something that was bothering him. Obviously, something tied to his past, since he always refused to talk about it. He wasn't a bad person, he was just going through that depression thingy that she heard people talk about.
The young alien sighed sadly. She didn't want to go back to being alone on her spaceship with just Rumbi to keep her company, like it always has been. She didn't want to have to go look for Time Pieces on her own. She just wanted Arthur to live...
The sound of a door opening caught the attention of Hat Kid and DJ Grooves. The head doctor – a brown owl wearing glasses and light green surgical hat and gown – walked out of the room as he removed his surgical gloves.
"How is he, doctor?" DJ Grooves asked anxiously. Hat Kid lifted her head up to look at the doctor, her eyes puffy and red from all the crying. The owl doctor pulled his surgical mask down from his beak and looked back inside the room, before turning his attention back to the duo.
"He's stable for now. We managed to get the knife out of him and close the wound, but he's in a coma right now. We don't know when he'll wake up," he explained.
"Is he gonna survive though?" DJ Grooves asked, worried about the answer.
"We're not sure yet, only time will tell. Thankfully, no vital organs were hit, so there is a high chance that he'll survive," the owl doctor said. Hat Kid and DJ Grooves sighed in relief. Thank goodness, there was still a chance. "I gotta say, he's very lucky. A little more to the right and the knife would have pierced his heart," he added, causing Hat Kid to close her eyes and shiver at the thought.
"Thank you, doctor," the disco penguin thanked him.
"Don't mention it," the owl doctor said with a smile. "Oh, and there's something else you should know."
"What is it?" DJ Grooves asked, getting slightly worried along with Hat Kid.
"So, of course, he has a scar on his chest and another one on his left cheek due to the knife... but we also found some other scars all over his back. These ones are older, they were probably made one or two years ago," the doctor explained.
Hat Kid and DJ Grooves looked at each other with shocked expressions. Arthur had scars all over his back? They didn't know about that... Out of the two, the one who was mostly shocked was Hat Kid. Arthur never told her about these scars. Did someone do that to him? And why didn't he say anything about them? Her heart sank. It seems like Arthur's past might be darker than she thought.
"Can... can we see him?" DJ Grooves asked.
"Sure, you can come in," the owl doctor said as he stepped aside to let the duo in.
"Thank you," DJ Grooves thanked him with a nod, before he and Hat Kid made their way inside the room.
When they entered the room, an owl nurse was writing something on her clipboard, hiding the view of Arthur from the duo. When she noticed them, she left the room to give them some space. Hat Kid and DJ Grooves approached the bed and they formed sad looks at the sight of the injured boy. Arthur was lying in the bed, with half of his body covered by a sheet. His eyes were closed and he wasn't moving. He was hatless and was wearing a blue hospital gown. The cut on his left cheek was visible, although it had been sewed back by the medics. He was in a coma. Only the regular beeping of the electrocardiograph proved that he was still alive.
Hat Kid took Arthur's limp hand in her own and placed her other hand on his forehead, rubbing it with her thumb affectionately while giving the boy a sad smile. Arthur saved her life back in that basement. He didn't have to take the knife for her when the Conductor attempted to kill her, but he did nonetheless. He had a good heart and he cared about her, despite his cold exterior and snarky behavior. If only she realized it sooner when she found him in her spaceship on their first encounter...
DJ Grooves watched Hat Kid with a smile, before it dropped and a regretful expression formed on his face.
"I'm sorry, darling," he said with a sad sigh. Hat Kid turned her head to look at the disco penguin with a confused expression. "If I had known it would've ended up like this, I would've never asked you two to be the stars of my movies. I never imagined the Conductor would go that far... Don't get me wrong, I'm really grateful for all your efforts during the recordings and you gave me a new view on my career, but..." He looked down and sighed, before saying, "It wasn't worth Arthur getting injured."
Hat Kid let go of Arthur's hand and walked up to DJ Grooves. She took his flipper in both of her hands and gave him a smile as to say 'it's not your fault'. The disco penguin looked at her surprised, before giving the girl a smile of his own.
"Thank you, darling," he said appreciatively. Hat Kid nodded before letting go of his flipper. He then pulled out the Time Piece he got from the Conductor and said, "Here, I picked it up after the Conductor dropped it. It's all yours," before handing it over to her. The young alien took it and stared at it for a moment, before looking back up at DJ Grooves.
"Thank you," Hat Kid thanked him, before putting the Time Piece in her pocket. DJ Grooves nodded with a smile, before glancing at Arthur.
"We should let him rest for now. We can come back later to visit him again if you want. In the meantime, I can treat you to some ice cream or something," the disco penguin offered. Hat Kid nodded. She wouldn't mind a little ice cream to cheer herself up a bit. "Alright, darling. Let's go," DJ Grooves said as he made his way towards the door.
As she was about to leave, Hat Kid glanced at Arthur one last time, before following the disco penguin out of the room.
Back in Dead Bird Studio, the Conductor was sitting behind his desk inside his office. The room was almost dark, only a small lamp on the desk was providing some light. Multiple empty bottles were on the desk, and some of them were even on the floor. The strange owl had a half-empty glass of whiskey in his right hand, while his left hand – that had now a bandage wrapped around the spot where Arthur bit him – propped his head.
He was in a depressed mood and an half-drunken state right now. Not because he lost the Time Piece, but because of what he did to Arthur. Just what was he thinking? Attacking a child with a knife like that? The Conductor had no idea what had gotten into him. The moment he learned about the power of the Time Pieces, it was like he was no longer in control, almost like... someone was possessing him... and he just couldn't stop.
If only the mustached lass- The Conductor suddenly growled in anger. That red-hooded peck neck! She manipulated him! She tricked him! HIM! The Conductor! She made him believe that Arthur and Hat Kid were selfish and just wanted to keep the Time Pieces for their own needs, but it turns out it was all lies to turn him against the duo. It was all her fault!
...Oh, who was he kidding? Sure, maybe the mustached lass tricked him by revealing the power of the Time Pieces and lying about the two children, but HE was the one who went and attacked them when they were just trying to get back what rightfully belonged to them. And he ended up stabbing the little lad. His lad. And for what? For a single trophy that he lost and probably didn't even deserve... He was the selfish one. Not Arthur. Not Hat Kid. Him...
The Conductor let out a sad sigh as he drank more from his glass of whiskey and hiccuped. He wished he could take it all back. Just... go back in time and fix his mistake. But he didn't have any single Time Piece left now, and in all honesty, he didn't want to be anywhere near those since it was what started the whole thing. ... Perhaps he should try to apologize to the kids. Will they ever forgive him though? Maybe not, he wouldn't either... but it was the least he can do; especially to Arthur since he was the one he hurt the most, and not just physically. He broke his trust... The young boy was the first person on earth he could talk about his passion with. The Conductor had to admit, he became fond of Arthur and he missed having those conversations with him. He would give anything to have them back.
The strange owl hoped that Arthur survived, so he could go apologize to the lad first. Then, he'll apologize to Hat Kid too. But the kids will probably be accompanied by DJ Peck Neck and the latter will no doubt still be angry at him after what happened in that basement. He didn't want to get punched in the face once more. The memory was enough to make the Conductor shudder. So how was he gonna get the kids' attention without having to deal with DJ Grooves?
As he asked himself the question, the strange owl's eyes landed on a couple of western figurines all neatly disposed on his shelf. He got up from his chair and made his way to the shelf, almost stumbling and hiccuping from all the alcohol he drank. He picked up a figurine of himself in a cowboy outfit, then looked at the rest. They were either horses, train cars, or owls wearing different western outfits – some of them were the Conductor himself. There was even an old brown cowboy hat that he used in one of his previous movies.
As he looked back at the one he had in his hand, he suddenly smiled widely. That's it! He exactly knows how to get the kids' attention, especially Arthur's! All he had to do was wait for the boy to heal up and get out of the hospital, then he'll set his plan in motion. Well, if Arthur survives, that is...
The Conductor shook his head. No, he will survive! He has to! Otherwise, the strange owl will never forgive himself for his actions. Well, he will have to wait and see...
"I hope yer can forgive me, kids..." he said to himself with a sigh.
Three days have passed since the incident of Dead Bird Studio's basement. Hat Kid had been staying at Arthur's side the whole time. She only came back on her spaceship to put the Time Piece in her vault and get some sleep. The young alien didn't even bother trying to continue looking for the rest of the Time Pieces. She just wanted to be here when Arthur wakes up.
During this time, Hat Kid also called Cooking Cat to inform her on what happened. The cat chef didn't hesitate a second before she packed her stuff and went to the hospital to see Arthur. DJ Grooves also made sure to visit him whenever he had free time. Also, since word of the incident got out, some more people came to visit; like the receptionist from Dead Bird Studio, Moon Penguins, and even Express Owls who brought gifts as an apology for taking part of the Conductor's scheme. There were even letters of support sent by Arthur and Hat Kid's fans from the moon.
At the moment, Hat Kid was sitting inside Arthur's room, playing with her dolls to keep herself busy. DJ Grooves and Cooking Cat were also here, busy talking with each other. Suddenly, a small moan was heard in the room, causing the trio to look at Arthur. They saw the boy's eyes move slightly. Hat Kid's eyes widened. She... she wasn't hallucinating, right? Could it be...? Arthur's eyes slowly opened some more. Yes, he was waking up! The purple-hatted girl gasped as joy came over her. She put her dolls back in her pockets and got up from her seat, before rushing over to the bed.
"Wh... Where am I...? What- Oof!" Arthur's question was interrupted as Hat Kid wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. It took him a few seconds to process what was happening, before he spoke again. "H... Hat Kid...?" he asked, still feeling a bit groggy.
"Darling! It's so good to see you're awake!" DJ Grooves said joyfully as he approached the bed, along with Cooking Cat.
"Hey... Wait, where am I?" Arthur asked, looking around the room while Hat Kid continued hugging him.
"You're at the hospital, darling. The Conductor stabbed you and we brought you here soon after," the disco penguin explained. Arthur nodded in understanding, finally remembering the events that occured in the basement of Dead Bird Studio.
"So that wasn't a dream then..." the young boy deadpanned. Well... that's another opportunity to die missed. Looks like the Grim Reaper didn't want him once more. Dammit... His eyes suddenly widened as he remembered something. "Wait, what about the Time Piece?" he asked in panic.
"Don't worry, I picked it up after the fight and gave it back to your friend," DJ Grooves reassured him.
Arthur sighed in relief and said, "Good." He then noticed Cooking Cat's presence and said, "Hey, Cooking Cat."
"Hello, dearie! I'm glad you're okay! Your friend called me the other day and told me what happened in Dead Bird Studio, so I came here as quickly as possible," the cat chef said with a smile.
Hat Kid then pulled away from the hug, only keeping her hands on the boy's shoulders, and gave him a stern look, before saying, "Don't do that again," firmly. Arthur looked at her surprised. Was she really that worried about him? Then, perhaps going to retrieve the Time Piece on his own wasn't such a good idea after all. Way to go, Arthur...
"Sorry, kid. I guess I gave you quite the scare then..." the twelve-years-old boy apologized with a sheepish expression. Hat Kid nodded, still keeping a stern face. "Well, if you want you can put me in the corner with a dunce's cap on my head," he added jokingly, causing the small girl to giggle and break her serious-like attitude as she let go of Arthur's shoulders. Suddenly, a sharp pain manifested itself in his chest, causing him to wince in pain and sit up on his bed.
"Ahh, hell..." Arthur said with a grimace as he clutched his chest, receiving a concerned expression from his friends.
"Must be the stab wound. Try to take it easy, dearie," Cooking Cat advised him.
"Sounds good..." the young boy muttered. It wasn't his first time in a hospital, so he got that feeling a lot after waking up with an injury. That didn't mean he was getting used to it... Suddenly, DJ Grooves remembered what the doctor told them after the operation and decided to bring it up.
"Darling, the doctor said that you got scars all over your back. Not counting the ones you got recently... The older ones," the disco penguin said. Upon hearing this, Arthur formed a blank expression and remained quiet, earning a worried look from the trio. "Darling... where did you get these scars? Who did that to you?" DJ Grooves asked, clearly concerned.
"Somewhere... Someone..." Arthur simply said. Clearly, he didn't want to talk about that.
"It's okay, dearie. You don't have to answer if you don't want to. We're just worried about you, that's all," Cooking Cat reassured him.
"Why?" he suddenly asked. Hat Kid, DJ Grooves, and Cooking Cat all glanced at each others, surprised by the sudden question.
"Well, because we care about you, darling. Isn't that obvious?" the disco penguin said, raising an eyebrow in confusion. Arthur remained silent and looked down in wonder. They... cared about him? Were they really serious about it? He didn't know what to say... Due to the lack of response, Cooking Cat started having an idea of what was wrong.
"Dearie... Have you had people caring about you where you lived? Parents? Siblings? Anyone?" the cat chef asked concerned.
Arthur remained quiet for a few seconds, then he said, "It doesn't matter," before looking away. He actually had his mom who cared about him, along with... a man he met in the street. That was a long time ago though. They were just... not around anymore to put it simply. It doesn't matter, he didn't want to talk about it. Not now. Not ever.
The trio looked at each others sadly after hearing the boy's answer, knowing exactly what he meant. They all felt bad for the boy... mostly Hat Kid. The young alien figured that people hadn't been nice to him in the past. She remembered Arthur telling her he had 'bad experiences' with them. Though, she had no idea it was this bad. Like, not even his parents cared about him? That's rough... No wonder he thinks people don't or won't ever care about him. If only she could make him see that she does...
A knock on the door was suddenly heard, catching the attention of everyone in the room.
"Come in!" DJ Grooves shouted, so the person behind the door could hear him.
The door opened, revealing a Mafia man wearing a black fedora and carrying a white box in his muscular hands.
"Hello. Is this the room of little hat boy? This is barman from Mafia," the Mafia goon introduced himself. Arthur and Hat Kid's eyes widened as they remembered the man.
"Mafia Barman? Hey. What are you doing here?" Arthur asked.
"Hello, hat boy. Mafia heard you were at hospital, so Mafia came to visit," the Mafia Barman said with a smile, stepping inside the room.
"I appreciate it," Arthur said gratefully. He then noticed the hat on the goon's head and asked, "What's that hat you got?".
"Oh this? Mafia wanted to try new style. Mafia like it," the Mafia Barman explained as he touched the fedora on his head.
"Looks nice," Arthur said with a smile. It was actually very convenient. That way he could tell him from his fellow Mafia friends and recognize him easier. The Mafia Barman smiled at the boy appreciatively.
"Thank you. Mafia thought little boy might be hungry when he wake up, so Mafia brought speciality. This is fish cake," the goon said, opening up the box in his hands as two flies flew out of it. Everyone in the room, except for the Mafia Barman, grimaced in disgust upon seeing the 'speciality'. It was a strange brown-and-green-colored cake with an entire fish inside it. The head and the tail were sticking out of each side of the cake, and it smelled really bad, almost as if it was cooked months ago. Arthur and Hat Kid forgot how bad the Mafia were at cooking.
"Uhh... thanks, Barman. I'm not hungry though... You can put it on the table, I'll... eat it later," Arthur lied, trying to be as polite as possible to not upset the man. The Mafia Barman nodded and placed the box on the table. DJ Grooves looked like he was about to say something, but Cooking Cat shook her head at him, silencing him.
"Don't worry, I'll replace it with my own fish cake later," the cat chef whispered to the boy, winking at him. Arthur nodded appreciatively.
At this moment, the head doctor entered the room to check on Arthur and noticed he was awake.
"Ah, you're awake. Good," the owl doctor said with a smile. He suddenly sniffed and asked, "What's that smell?" He then noticed the box with the fish cake in it and grimaced in disgust. "Who brought that here?" he asked. Everyone comically pointed at the Mafia Barman, and the latter raised an eyebrow at the owl. Intimidated by the man's imposing stature, the doctor decided to keep quiet about it.
"Nevermind... Anyway, now that you're awake, I think it's time for me to tell you your state of health," the owl doctor said to Arthur.
"Okay," the young boy said, waiting for the owl's response.
"So it goes without saying that you have an injury in your chest and a cut on your cheek because of the knife. Thankfully, no vital organs or anything essential to your body's function were hit, so you'll be able to continue living without any severe sequelae," the doctor explained. "I recommend you take it easy though. We're gonna keep you a few more days in the hospital so your wounds can heal up properly, and then we'll let you go."
"Alright. Thanks, doctor," Arthur thanked him.
The owl doctor nodded and said, "We'll be around if you need anything." And then, he walked out of the room, leaving the group alone.
"Isn't it great, darling? You'll be out of here very soon," DJ Grooves said with a smile.
"Yeah, that's good. We still got a lot more Time Pieces to find. The sooner I get out of here the better," Arthur said as he looked at Hat Kid with a smile. The purple-hatted girl nodded and smiled back at him.
A few more days passed, Arthur spent his time resting in his hospital bed while waiting to recover enough to leave. It was boring, but thankfully, Hat Kid brought him some papers and colored pencils so he could draw. The purple-hatted girl remained at his side the whole time; although Arthur suggested that she go find the rest of the Time Pieces instead of 'wasting her time' with him, but she stubbornly refused.
DJ Grooves, Cooking Cat, and the Mafia Barman continued visiting him regularly. The young boy also received more visits from Moon Penguins, and some Express Owls who came to apologize to him. Even a few Mafia men came, bringing 'gifts' mainly consisting of fish or another 'cooked recipe' that smelled just as bad as the fish cake from the Mafia Barman. Of course, Cooking Cat made sure to replace all of them with her own food. Arthur was surprised by all of the visits he got. Although he was grateful, it almost made him uncomfortable. He wasn't used to this, since no one ever came to visit him in the previous times he ended up in a hospital bed.
Finally, after some recovery, the doctor told Arthur he was now allowed to leave the hospital, much to everyone's joy. The young boy was given his regular clothes and his cowboy hat back, and was able to join his friends outside. He was instantly greeted by the warm welcomes of the group and a hug from Hat Kid who was happy to see him back on his feet. She also gave him back his crowbar after they left the building, since no weapons were allowed inside the hospital.
Arthur and Hat Kid were in the parking lot of the hospital, talking with DJ Grooves, Cooking Cat, and the Mafia Barman. Suddenly, the young boy's eyes landed on something on the ground that caught his attention at the entrance of an alleyway in between two buildings.
"Uh, guys. Can you give me a minute? I need to check something," Arthur said to the group.
"Of course, darling. Just don't wander too far," DJ Grooves said with a nod.
"Yeah," the young boy simply said as he walked away.
Once he reached the entrance of the alleyway, Arthur was able to take a better look at whatever was on the ground. It looked like a brown cowboy hat. Looks nice! Did someone lose it here? Arthur shrugged and picked it up. If he meets whoever lost it, he will give it back to them. If not, he'll just keep it.
Then, as he looked up, he saw something else a bit further in the alleyway. It looked like some sort of figurine, although he couldn't tell what kind it was. Arthur looked back at his friends who were still busy talking with each others, then back at the figurine. He remembered they told him not to wander too far, but he wasn't going to take too long. He will just check out that figurine, and then come back to them immediately.
The twelve-years-old boy walked further in the alleyway and reached the figurine. He knelt down and picked it up, examining it. His eyes widened. It was a cowboy figurine, but its face... it was...
"Conductor?" Arthur asked, looking down at the figurine in shock.
"That's right... One of me old figurines that sold after the release of 'Once Upon a Time on the Owl Express'," someone said from behind. Arthur jolted in surprise at first, then he frowned and sighed in annoyance as he recognized the familiar Scottish accent from the voice. Great... he just got baited like the fool he was.
The young boy put the figurine and the hat he found on the ground, then he got up and turned around. Sure enough, the Conductor was here, standing a few feet away from him, while playing with his hands nervously. Arthur could also see the bandage wrapped around his left hand where he bit him during the fight.
"What do you want, Conductor? You here to finish the job?" Arthur asked angrily, getting ready to pull out his crowbar.
"N-no, I..." the Conductor stuttered nervously. He never apologized to anyone before, not even during his outbursts... and he didn't know where to start. And it was going to be even harder considering he tried to kill him before... but he had to get that out of his chest. He took a deep breathe and said, "Laddie, I... I just wanted to talk." Arthur rolled his eyes in response.
"About what? If you're here for the Time Piece, I-" the boy began to say.
"No! I..." the strange owl quickly interrupted him, before he sighed. Peck, why was it so hard to say it? "I wanted to apologize to yer..." he finally said. Arthur's angry expression changed to a surprised one.
"What?" he asked in confusion.
The Conductor sighed and said, "Laddie... I'm truly sorry for stabbing you like that. I just... I... I have no idea what got into me. The moment I learned about what the Time Pieces could do, I just... I couldn't control meself. I was ready to do whatever it took to use the Time Piece and reclaim the trophy I lost during the 42nd award. This day was rough for me, but... what happened in the basement that night... it was harder to take in."
Arthur stared at the Conductor, trying to see if he was lying or trying to trick him. However, he couldn't see any sorts of malice on his face like he had during the Award Ceremony or that night in the basement. Instead, the strange owl seemed truly regretful and genuine on his apology. Is it possible that the Conductor truly wasn't acting like himself back then?
"And then, there was also this red mustached lass who came to my office after 'Train Rush' and told me yer were selfish-" the strange owl said, before Arthur interrupted him.
"Wait, who?" the young boy asked him curiously. The brief description of the person sounded familiar to him.
"A red mustached lass. Curled mustache, red hood, blond pigtails... about yer age too," the Conductor described the girl. As soon as he heard that, Arthur gritted his teeth and tightened his fists. Mustache Girl... That was her indeed, she was the one who told the Conductor about the Time Pieces. Of course she would...
"That snake..." Arthur muttered with venom in his voice.
"She said she knew you and the lass, that yer never cared about me movies and just wanted to keep the Time Pieces for yerselves. She told me the truth 'bout those props, I... I thought she said the truth about you too," the strange owl explained. Arthur nodded in understanding. That explains everything... Mustache Girl tricked the Conductor and turned him against them. Even if the strange owl attempted to use the Time Piece for his own desires and attacked him and Hat Kid, it turns out he was just a victim of Mustache Girl's scheme.
"Yeah... We met her in Mafia Town. She formed a rebellion against the Mafia and decided to involve us in. When she learned about the power of the Time Pieces, she wanted to use them. But we refused, and then she flipped out on us. Now, we have a bit of a competition with her regarding the Time Pieces and if she uses them, it won't be good," Arthur explained. The Conductor suddenly began to feel nervous. "What?" the young boy asked, noticing the movie director's nervousness.
"I, uh, may have given her one of the Time Pieces I had..." the strange owl explained, chuckling nervously as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Great..." Arthur muttered with a sigh, putting his hands on his hips and shaking his head. Now, Mustache Girl had a Time Piece in her possession. He didn't know if she got more, but they should really find the rest of them before she does.
"I'm really sorry, laddie... I shouldn't have let my loss over the 42nd bird movie award and the Time Piece get to my head. It wasn't worth losin' ye," the Conductor admitted with a sad expression, causing Arthur to give him a surprised look. He continued, "Yer the first person I got to talk about western stories for a long time. I always liked talking about me passion, but no one, even my owl actors, were really interested in listening to my stories. But ye, laddie... yer different. You share my love of western movies, and the talk we had after the premiere of 'Murder on the Owl Express'... it was one of the best moments I had. Yer a good lad, and I wish I could take back all the things I said or did to yer after that."
Arthur couldn't believe what he was hearing. The Conductor really felt remorseful for what he did, but mostly... he enjoyed talking about his passion with him? ... Maybe he did care about him after all. But then why did he say he didn't during the recording for 'Train Rush'? ... Perhaps it was in the heat of the moment and out of fear of losing his train...
Arthur sighed and said, "You know... Out of all them folks who hurt me physically before, you might be the first one to truly feel sorry about it..."
The Conductor gave him a shocked look and asked, "W-what do yer mean?" in concern.
"What are YOU doing here?!"
The Conductor jolted and turned around at the sudden voice, then he gasped in fear. Hat Kid, DJ Grooves, Cooking Cat, and the Mafia Barman were all standing at the entrance of the alleyway, glaring at the strange owl.
"I thought I made myself clear about you staying away from my divas, Conductor!" DJ Grooves said angrily as he and the rest of the group stepped closer, causing the Conductor to back away in fear.
"Is he the one who stabbed Arthur?" Cooking Cat asked angrily. Hat Kid nodded, while glaring at the strange owl.
"Weird yellow raptor better give Mafia reason to not punch him in face," the Mafia Barman threatened as he cracked his knuckles. The Conductor's face flushed red in anger upon hearing that. 'Weird yellow raptor'? How dares he call him that?! He was an owl! An OWL!
"WHAT?! I'm an owl, you big mustached, bald-headed, fedora-styled, apron-wearin' peck neck!" the strange owl shouted as he jumped up and down furiously.
"You don't look like one," the Mafia Barman retorted as he raised an eyebrow, causing the Conductor to fume.
Sensing that the tension was rising, Arthur stepped in between his friends and the strange owl and raised his arms up to defuse the argument.
"Hey, hey, calm down! It's fine. He apologized," the twelve-years-old boy said, nodding at the Conductor. His friends all formed shocked looks on their faces.
"B-but, darling, he tried to kill you!" DJ Grooves reminded him, surprised that the boy was willing to take the Conductor's defence after what he did to him.
"I haven't forgotten about that... but he got tricked. Mustache Girl came to his office and told him lies about us," Arthur explained. Hat Kid, Cooking Cat, and the Mafia Barman gasped at the mention of the red-hooded girl's name.
"Who's Mustache Girl?" DJ Grooves asked confused, since he never met the girl.
"A rival of ours we met in Mafia Town. She's trying to collect the Time Pieces before we do," Arthur said. Hat Kid nodded to back up his explanation.
"Yeah, she even flooded the town in lava," Cooking Cat said.
"But little hat kids saved everyone and became heroes of Mafia Town," the Mafia Barman said, smiling at the two children.
DJ Grooves's eyes widened. He never imagined that his little stars had made themselves an enemy before. Then again, the idea of using the Time Pieces to rewind time could have tempted anyone, including himself... but he didn't since he wasn't interested in competition anymore. And even so, he would never want to hurt his little divas.
The Conductor looked at Hat Kid and said, "I'm really sorry for stealing yer Time Piece and hurting yer friend, lassie. I ain't proud of what I did, but I promise I'll make it up to ye. If I see any more Time Pieces around, I'll make sure to tell yer about it." Hat Kid stared at him for a second, before she smiled and gave him a thumbs up, showing that she forgives him.
"You should also apologize to DJ Grooves. I know you don't see eye-to-eye with him, but you sabotaged his movie set. He deserves an apology," Arthur said. The Conductor's jaw dropped at the boy's request.
"What?! No way! Apologizing to yer kids is one thing, but I ain't sayin' anything to that disco-fanatic peck neck!" the strange owl huffed stubbornly as he crossed his arms, earning a glare from his rival. Arthur crossed his arms and gave him a stern glare. The Conductor sighed in defeat and faced DJ Grooves. "I'm sorry for ruining yer movie set..." he mumbled relucantly, before quietly whispering, "Peck neck..."
"Hmpf... Apology accepted," DJ Grooves simply said.
Arthur sighed and said, "Alright, good enough I guess... Anyway, now that the sappy stuff is out of the way we should probably get going." Everyone, except for Arthur and the Conductor, nodded and began to walk away. As the boy was about to follow them, he was stopped by the Conductor.
"Wait, lad! Err... I've got a question... What did yer think of me movie? Yer know... the one I gave you after the premiere of my murder mystery movie," the strange owl asked him. Arthur gave him a puzzled look before he eventually remembered. He was talking about 'Once Upon a Time on the Owl Express'. Arthur kinda forgot about that movie after everything that happened.
"Oh, uh, I haven't finished watching it yet... but I really like it so far. The plot is amazing, I like the idea of the bandit robbing the train to save his family. I think I stopped at that part... I'll continue watching it when I can," the young boy said.
"Thank you, laddie! Oh, and if yer want we can find a moment to talk about more western stories," the Conductor offered with a smile.
"Well, I think I need some time after what happened. But sure, maybe one day," Arthur said, smiling back at him.
"Of course, I get it. Come by my office whenever yer want, lad," the strange owl said.
"Sounds good. See you," Arthur said with a nod, before he went to join Hat Kid and the others. The Conductor watched him leave, then he picked up his figurine and cowboy hat on the ground and walked in the opposite direction. He felt like a weight was finally lifted off his chest.
Now back in the parking lot, Arthur and Hat Kid were talking about their next move with their friends.
"So I assume you two are going back to your spaceship then?" Cooking Cat asked the duo.
"Yeah, we still have to find the rest of the Time Pieces before Mustache Girl does. We're not sure where to go next, but we'll figure it out," Arthur said, earning a nod from Hat Kid.
"I might have a lead for you, darlings," DJ Grooves said, catching the attention of the two children.
"What is it?" Arthur asked.
"There's an old forest south of Dead Bird Studio, past the desert area. It has its name: Subcon Forest. It may be possible that some of your Time Pieces landed there," the disco penguin explained.
"Well, it sounds like the only lead we have," Arthur said, looking at Hat Kid for approval. The purple-hatted girl nodded in agreement. "Thanks, DJ Grooves," he thanked the disco penguin.
"No problem, darlings. Although, there's something you must know if you're heading there..." DJ Grooves said as he gave the two children a serious, yet concerned look. "I've heard that people who go to Subcon Forest... they don't come back." Arthur and Hat Kid looked at each other worriedly.
"It's true. Some fellow Mafias went to Subcon Forest once, and none of them came back," the Mafia Barman said.
"You're not telling us that this place is haunted, right?" Arthur asked, hoping they were just joking. Dealing with a Mafia crime lord and a bird movie director with a knife was one thing, but ghosts? It was another. In Arthur's home world, ghosts were only entities mentioned in tales meant to scare children; they weren't real. The twelve-years-old boy hoped the same goes for this world too.
"Nobody knows for sure... But if you go there, please be careful, darlings," DJ Grooves said.
"I've left some food in the fridge for you. Remember to pack some for your journey, dearies," Cooking Cat informed them.
"And if you see fellow Mafias, please help them escape," the Mafia Barman said.
"Will do. Thanks, guys," Arthur said gratefully. DJ Grooves, Cooking Cat, and the Mafia Barman nodded at him. He then looked at Hat Kid and said, "Alright, let's go back to the spaceship."
The purple-hatted girl nodded and pulled out a Time Piece she took from her vault. She grabbed Arthur's hand and held the Time Piece up in the air. And then, the two children flew up to the sky, heading for the spaceship.
A/N: Hey everyone! New chapter! And yay, Arthur is alive! Well, I think you kinda expected it, considering the story isn't over yet. Also, the Conductor apologized. This might be the first time he apologizes to someone, and you could feel the hesitation behind it. I always liked the Conductor, but I also felt like he fits more the role of antagonist more than DJ Grooves for the Battle of the Birds chapter, hence why I picked him as the boss.
And with the end of this chapter, I can officially say that this is the end of the Battle of the Birds section. Now, you can all imagine which section is next... That's right! Subcon Forest! Time for Arthur and Hat Kid to meet the Snatcher! Dun dun duuuuuun!
Ahem, anyway... time to answer some reviews!
To Katoptris12: *confused face* Sorry, I didn't really get the joke you made here. ^^;
To Rub37: Thank you! That's okay if you forgot, it happens. No harm done. ^^
To pokemonsora01: Haha! xD Indeed, you were right. And yeah, don't make DJ Grooves mad. The one you should never piss off is the one who always act calm in the outside... ^^; The idea is interesting. Who knows? Maybe I'll add someone to act like a father figure to Arthur. I'll just have to see if I can put that in. And if I don't, well, it'll be as it is. Anyway, thanks!
To Mr. Mega1423: I agree, this is the best way to end this boss fight in my opinion. Anyway, thank you!
To Maoshin: Heh, sorry for the cliffhanger. Don't worry, Arthur is okay as you can see in this chapter.
To HexoSpikeZ: No one likes getting stabbed or seeing someone else get stabbed, that's for sure. ^^; Don't worry, Arthur is fine. The power of the medics saved him. ;)
To Someone: That's actually a tragic way to end a story, especially in the middle of it. But nah, that didn't happen.
Alright, that's all for today, folks! See you all in the next chapter!