Chapter 38
Back in Goat Village, Hat Kid waited patiently for Arthur to return. She was sitting on the edge of a cliff with her legs dangling in the air, moving back and forth.
The girl was keeping her mind busy by humming a song she made up in her mind. She named it 'Tale of a Deep Forest', inspired by her time spent in the Subcon Forest. The lyrics flowed naturally in her mind like a river through the woods.
After a while, she heard distant footsteps approaching her from behind. Not wanting anyone to hear her singing, she stopped humming and turned to see who it was. She smiled when she saw that it was Arthur coming toward her.
However, her joy was short-lived when she saw that the boy was moving strangely. It was as if he was... limping?! She got up and rushed towards him.
As she got closer, she let out a loud gasp when she saw her friend's condition. The poor boy was a total mess... He looked battered and exhausted. He had a black eye and was covered with bruises all over his arms and face, especially on his neck.
"Hey, Hat Kid..." Arthur smiled weakly at her, trying to make her think it wasn't as bad as it looked, to no avail. "Don't worry, I'm fine- AHH!" He nearly collapsed when he felt a sharp pain in his ribs. Fortunately, Hat Kid caught him before he did. "Ow ow ow, that hurts! Ahhh!" So much for trying to sugarcoat it...
Hat Kid helped him sit on the ground, then knelt down next to him. She began to write frantically on a sheet of paper that she pulled out of her pocket and made him read it.
Arthur, what happened?! Who did this to you?! Are you dying?! Please tell me you're not dying! D-:
"Calm down, I'm not dying..." Arthur reassured her, gently pushing her hand holding the sheet away from him. "Not yet at least..." He carefully moved to get into a slightly more comfortable position. He took a deep breath and began to recount his misadventure in the Dweller Dimension. "When I got to the peak, I rang the Twilight Bell and found myself in a dimension full of Dwellers and holographic stuff. So far so good... then when I got to the Time Piece, I found myself face to face with Mustache Girl. She had followed me there."
Hat Kid's eyes widened. Mustache Girl was here in Alpine Skyline? Ohhh peck, that's not good...
"She started telling me nonsense... tried to trick me into turning against you. I told her to go to hell. She didn't like that, so we got into a fight. Made a meatball outta me..." Arthur began to cough and reflexively placed his hand over his throat as the young alien looked on in concern. "Sorry... She tried to strangle me... Damn, that hurts..." He sighed sadly, a feeling of guilt gnawing at him. "I... I lost the Time Piece. It fell out of my pocket during the fight. Mustache girl took the opportunity to grab it and make off with it. I couldn't stop her and she disappeared without a trace..."
The young boy rested his head in his palms. He was struggling to swallow the bitterness and guilt of his defeat at the hands of that mustached snake. But most of all, he felt like he had let Hat Kid down. She gave him one job. ONE PECKING JOB! And he screwed it up!
"Dammit!" Arthur punched the ground in frustration, not caring about the pain caused by his injuries. "How could I be so stupid?! So damn careless!" He sniffled, looking dejected. "I'm really sorry, Hat Kid... I really pecked up this time."
He felt a hand rest on his shoulder. He looked up and saw Hat Kid smiling at him to reassure him. "It's okay," she tried to say. However, for once, her words didn't reach the young boy, who pushed her hand away from his shoulder.
"No... No, cut the crap. Telling me life is good, cotton candy, and all that..." Arthur brooded in frustration, his gaze once again fixed on the ground. "This ain't okay! On the spot, I got too cocky. Too confident. I was alone with that snake and I took a real beating! ...And that's just the thing: I was all alone. All the folks we beat the other times, it's because we were together. The Mafia Boss? We beat him together. The Conductor? Ditto. The Snatcher? Got him too... But then I fought Mustache Girl on my own and lost."
He let out a depressed sigh, picking up the blades of grass on the ground. "Admit it... You're the only reason we won them fights. Same thing when I went into the basement of the Dead Bird Studio alone... if you or DJ Grooves hadn't stepped in, I'd be dead meat by now. I shouldn't kid myself... I'm useless- Mmfff...?!" Hat Kid suddenly cut him off by covering his mouth with her hand.
"Stop. Now," she said through clenched teeth, surprising the boy. She was tired of hearing him put himself down all the time. She understood his lack of confidence, especially since his defeat by Mustache Girl had put a dent in his self-esteem, but it didn't matter! She too had her fair share of losses in the past, but she learned from her mistakes and became stronger because of it!
Sure, Arthur may have lost the Time Piece but he was still alive! That's all that matters. And losing a fight because he was alone doesn't make him useless in the slightest. She's going to get that through his thick skull!
Hat Kid took her paper out of her pocket and wrote on it. Frustration showed in the way she wrote and the frown on her face. When she finished, she shoved the paper in Arthur's face. He silently complied, taking the paper and reading the note.
Hush now, silly! Just because you lost a fight by yourself doesn't mean you're useless! So stop saying that! :-(
Have you forgotten the time you saved me in extremis when I was about to fall into the lava in Mafia Town? Or when you took a knife to the guts in my place in Dead Bird Studio's basement? And even when I almost got roasted like a chicken during the shooting of the Big Parade and when the Conductor was being a meanie, you were there and supported me! Does all that count for nothing?
Yes you didn't win the fight, yes you lost the Time Piece, and yes Mustache Girl has one more... So what? You think I didn't lose some fights too before all this? Plenty! In the meantime, you're still alive, that's all that matters to me!
So stop blaming yourself! Or else, I'll tape your mouth shut! :-P
At the end of the paragraph was a sketch of an annoyed Hat Kid comically placing a tape over Arthur's mouth. The representation made the young boy laugh a little as he pictured the scene in his mind. Nevertheless, it had the desired effect.
"You're right." Arthur handed the sheet back to his friend, then intertwined his fingers before letting out a soft sigh. "I'm really sorry, Hat Kid. I'll try to get my act together... for you."
Indeed, he really needed to stop feeling sorry for himself. It's all he's done his whole life... It didn't help. Although he lost a battle, he didn't lose the war. There's still a chance to catch Mustache Girl next time and take back the Time Pieces she stole from them by force.
"Heh... Hey, go easy on the tape, though! Otherwise, my lips will be so red folks will think I put lipstick on," he joked with a wink. Hat Kid burst out laughing at this. She was very satisfied with the result. Operation 'Cheer Arthur up': success!
"Okay," Arthur began to stand up, "Come on, let's mo- Ow!" He immediately sat back down as the pain in his sides suddenly shot through him. "Ahh, damn it, this hurts!" The boy gritted his teeth and hissed in pain, holding his ribs. Hat Kid slowly helped him up and let him lean on her. "Ah hell, my ribs... I think Mustache Girl messed me up pretty bad... Gonna need some patching up here."
Hat Kid nodded in agreement. Arthur was indeed in a bad shape. Fortunately, she had met Dr. Alkhar earlier. It's worth making a stop at his place.
Without further ado, the young alien began to gently lead her friend toward the doctor's house.
When the two children reached Dr. Alkhar's house, the latter settled Arthur on the bed near the one where Seth was lying and went straight to work. He applied aloe vera on the bruises and disinfectant on the small cuts. The disinfectant stung a little on contact with the wounds, making Arthur wince with pain. Nevertheless, the boy remained quiet and let the doctor do his job.
"All good there, kid?" Alkhar asked the boy as he applied bandages to the cuts.
"Yeah..." Arthur nodded as he gritted his teeth. "I'm fine, I've had worse."
"You still got one hell of a beating if I do say so myself."
"Yeah, no kidding..."
"But it's okay, nothing's broken. Same goes for your throat: no serious after-effects, except for the bruising around your neck. Nothing too big," the doctor reassured him. "You'll be able to walk again pretty soon. You just need to get some rest and you'll be fine."
"Sounds good to me, yeah."
"Don't worry, kid! There's nothing like Dr. Alkhar's medicine to get you back on your feet in no time!" Seth reassured the boy in an optimistic tone. He hadn't moved from the bed since Hat Kid had brought him there. He did, however, look better than before. "Those pesky cats from the Lazy Paws Gang scratched me up pretty bad, but now look at me: good as new!"
"Yeah? Then what are you still doing here?" Arthur questioned him with a raised eyebrow.
The blue-hooded nomad seemed very embarrassed by the question and rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Uh, well, uhhh-"
"Just to keep it short, kid," Dr. Alkhar chimed in, a mischievous smirk hidden behind his clothing. "His mother came in here all freaked out after hearing his altercation with the gang. She showered him with kisses, gave him a twenty-minute lecture about not being a hero, and made him stay in bed until she comes back."
"Alkhaaaar..." Seth groaned in embarrassment, hiding his face with his pillow.
Arthur chuckled at the nomad's reaction. " Yup, that's what moms are all about," he said with a fond smile as he thought about his own mother. He missed her dearly, but at least he was able to remember her without falling into depression. Thanks for that, Hat Kid.
Speaking of whom, the girl was in no mood to laugh. She stood away from the others, her back turned, arms crossed, and a dark look on her face. She was angry. VERY angry! She was really upset with Mustache Girl. This was the second time in a row that Arthur had been seriously injured because of the rebellious girl's actions. And this time, she had gone after him directly. Hat Kid could handle the betrayal and the manipulation... but hands off Arthur! She would NEVER forgive Mustache Girl for that! Never!
Hat Kid's teeth were clenched, as were her fists. Grrr, she was so mad! Never once in her life had she felt so much hatred for someone. Her emotions were running wild. She wanted to hurt Mustache Girl. Punch her, kick her, beat her up with her umbrella...
The young alien had never had these kinds of thoughts before. It scared her... but she was too angry to care. Eventually, her long silence was noticed by everyone in the room.
"Hat Kid? Uhh, you okay?" Arthur asked her with a concerned look.
Hat Kid slowly turned around. She was breathing hard and her eyes were hidden by her top hat. Then she took out her pen and a sheet of paper and began to aggressively scribble on it. When she finished, she held the paper up for the others to see. It was a crude drawing of Mustache Girl making a face, with stinky lines around her and an arrow with the words 'I'm just a stinky meanie!'.
Then Hat Kid looked up, revealing her angry glare. And then- POW! She punched a hole in the middle of the drawing, shocking the trio. Then she crushed the paper in her hand, gritting her teeth, and finally threw it into the wastepaper basket at the other end of the room. Since it was full, the paper only bounced off it and ended up on the floor next to it.
The action had sent a chill down the spine of everyone in the room, especially Arthur who had never seen that side of the girl.
"Allaenatu..." Dr. Alkhar nervously murmured.
"You said it, buddy. Haha..." Seth added with a nervous laugh as a few drops of sweat dripped down his forehead.
For his part, Arthur worried about Hat Kid. This was the first time he'd seen her so angry ever since he'd met her. But what worried him most was the dark look in her eyes. That blood-curdling gaze that cries out for vengeance... He knows full well where that somber desire leads; he doesn't want Hat Kid to do something she'll regret if she crosses Mustache Girl again.
"Ahem, anyway..." Dr. Alkhar cleared his throat. He took out his notebook and began to write in it. "So for you, young man: two hours of mandatory rest starting now while the ointment takes effect." He clicked his pen and put it and the notebook back in his pocket. "I'll check back in the next hour to see how well the bruises are healing."
"Sounds good," Arthur nodded. "Thanks, doc."
With that, the nomad doctor headed for the exit. On his way out, he stopped beside Hat Kid who was still drowning in her anger, and put his hand on her shoulder to get her attention.
"I know you're angry, kid, but you shouldn't remain by yourself. Stay by your friend's side; some company will do him good while he recovers," he suggested. Hat Kid glanced at the weakened boy on the bed and realized that Dr. Alkhar was right. She sighed and nodded. The doctor smiled at her and patted her shoulder in approval, before leaving the room, closing the door behind him.
After a few seconds of silence, Hat Kid grabbed a chair from the desk, then went to sit next to Arthur's bed. The purple-hatted girl gave the boy a tiny smile and he gave her one in return. However, the latter sensed that Hat Kid was still tense, and so he remained silent.
Sensing the tension, Seth began to speak, hoping to lighten the mood. "Well, it looks like you'll be here for a couple of hours, and I'm still waiting for my mom to come before I can leave, so uhhh..." he scratched the back of his head, thinking about what to say next. Then he got an idea. "How about we tell stories?"
The two kids looked at each other for a moment, then shrugged and nodded.
"Great!" the nomad grinned enthusiastically. "Okay, I'll start! So, I'll tell you about the time..."
For the next hour, the trio spent the time telling stories. Seth told the children about his various explorations around Sand n' Sails, the nomads' former village. He described himself as an 'adventurer', although he had never ventured beyond the areas around the village.
Moreover, his explorations were best described as misadventures from the children's point of view. Indeed, the nomad was prone to many misfortunes during his travels: falls into ravines, attacks by wild animals and insect swarms, a very poor sense of direction that caused him to be lost in the desert many times, and any other imaginable accidents. It made one wonder if Seth was not cursed, he had even received the reputation of a 'black cat' among his people. But his stories lightened the mood and made the two kids laugh a lot.
Then Seth asked them to tell their adventures so far. Hat Kid gladly lent herself to the game and began to talk (or rather write on paper) about their journey on Earth. Since the nomad saw the Time Pieces fall from the sky, the alien girl made him believe that they were collectibles owned by her to hide the true nature of the hourglasses. Seth bought the lie, much to the relief of both children.
"So you guys are movie stars?" Seth asked in wonder, getting a nod from the kids. "Whoa! That's so awesome! My first time meeting TV celebrities! Ohhh, wait until I tell mom about this! ...Although she'll probably never believe me, hehe..."
"Yeah, she might take you to an insane asylum," Arthur joked. "I must admit, I still have a hard time believing it myself. It happened so fast and in such a short time, all for a few Time- hourglasses..." Close call. "Hat Kid had the time of her life, though. She's a natural in the field."
"Hehe!" Hat Kid proudly flexed her arm while the other rested on her hip.
"Oh boy, you guys are selling me the dream here... I sooo wish I had a TV to watch the movies," the nomad admitted, clearly bummed.
"Wait, you don't have a TV?" Arthur asked him with a surprised look.
"No... Nobody does at Alpine Skyline."
This revelation surprised both children who looked at each other with wide eyes. "But then how do you keep up with the news in the world?"
"Uhhh... Heh..." Seth laughed nervously as he rubbed the back of his head. Clearly, the nomads couldn't keep up with what was going on outside their community.
"Like, not even newspapers or magazines? Nothing?" Arthur asked him. The nomad shook his head no. "...Alright. Just out of curiosity, what do you guys do to keep yourselves busy?"
"Hmmm... Well, we work, hike, hang out at the inn on certain occasions, and sometimes we chat with the goats even though they don't talk... It still makes for good conversation. Not to mention that visitors are very rare because of the altitude."
"I see," the young boy replied with a slight nod of his head. The nomads' daily lives already seemed more varied than his own. Since he had no friends in his home world, he spent his time drawing, watching TV, or playing video games in his room. Nothing thrilling, but it was a routine he had grown accustomed to.
"But yeah, I guess you could say we're... no-news! Haha!" Seth grinned proudly at his pun, pointing his two index fingers forward and winking at the kids. However, he only got silence in return. "Y-you got it, right? No-news because... no news, ya know?"
...Still no response from the children. Hat Kid seemed confused and was trying to figure out the joke, while Arthur gave the nomad a 'Seriously?' kind of look. The atmosphere was uncomfortably silent, save for the buzz of a fly flying around the room, making the situation both awkward and comical.
At the failure of his pun, Seth quickly sought to change the subject. "Ahem... anyway! Where did you go after Dead Beard Studio?"
"Dead Bird Studio."
"Right... So where did you guys go next?"
"After we got out of the hosp- the studio," Better not mention the knife incident... "We went to Subcon Forest. Really crappy place... It's some kind of forest haunted by a ghost that looks like a noodle, acts like a noodle, and is nothing but a nood- Ouch!" Arthur took a small elbow to the arm from Hat Kid who disapproved of his insults toward her contractually-obligated BFF. Despite being pouted at by Hat Kid, the boy rolled his eyes as he rubbed his arm. "Whatever, this place sucks."
"S-Subcon Forest, you said?" Seth suddenly exclaimed, a mixture of shock and fear showing in his eyes. His reaction took both children by surprise.
"Uh yes? You know about it?" Arthur asked.
"O-Oh uh, w-who? Me?"
"No, the vase on the coffee table," the twelve-year-old boy said sarcastically, pointing with his head to the green vase on the coffee table to the left of Seth's bed. He rolled his eyes and added in an annoyed tone, "Of course I'm asking you!"
"Ah no no, n-not at all!" the nomad nervously denied as he frantically waved his arms. "I-it's just that, umm, you're talking about a haunted forest, so that's, wow, that... sounds really cool and... creepy at the same time! Heh..." However, the duo was not convinced of his 'explanation'.
"Really? I think you have a drop on your forehead, Seth. You sure you don't know anything about Subcon Forest?"
"No no, I assure you! I really don't know! Hehe," Seth laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head.
Arthur and Hat Kid glared at him suspiciously. This guy clearly didn't win the award for biggest liar in history. He must know something about Subcon Forest that he doesn't want to reveal for whatever reason.
They wanted to keep digging to get him to spill the beans, but unfortunately for them (and to Seth's relief), the conversation was cut short when they heard the door open. The three saw Dr. Alkhar enter the room, accompanied by another nomad wearing a red outfit and a sphinx-like hat.
As the two children were confused by the newcomer, Seth's eyes widened before he said with a dejected look, "Oh no... not her."
"Ah, my sweet lil' Sethy!" the newcomer exclaimed in a cheerful tone. The voice was that of a woman. "I see you stayed in bed just like I told you to! Good boy!"
"Hi, Mom..."
The woman placed her hands on her hips. "I was afraid you were gonna go rogue again and get out of bed without my permission..."
"And here we go again..." Seth sighed in annoyance, suddenly wanting to jump out the window and run away.
"Hmmm, but I see you obeyed me for once."
Meanwhile, Arthur and Hat Kid watched the scene with their mouths agape. SHE is Seth's mother?! Boy, she seems pretty... bossy. Suddenly, the mother turned to them with a look that froze them in place, as if moving a hair would trigger her wrath.
"Did he?" she asked them in a strict tone. Both children nodded silently.
"Don't worry, Mrs. Helmy. I made sure he stayed there as you asked," Dr. Alkhar backed up the kids' answer. "Besides, these two kids were there to watch him while I was gone."
The nomad woman stared intently at her son, not moving or saying anything, for a few seconds. She looked away to Arthur and Hat Kid who gulped nervously, then finally to Dr. Alkhar, before staring back at Seth. An uncomfortable silence settled over the room and no one said anything for fear of accidentally provoking her anger.
A moment passed and eventually... "Oh, all the better then!" Mrs. Helmy exclaimed as she clasped her hands together, her strict gaze turning cheerful instead. "For once he obeyed... Usually, Seth just can't stop himself from trying to venture out everywhere and be a hero. We've seen how that works out every time, you little rascal."
"Moooom!" Seth whined, covering his face with his hands in embarrassment. Arthur and Alkhar chuckled, while Hat Kid covered her mouth with both hands to keep from laughing.
The nomad woman turned her attention to Hat Kid, who hastened to place her hands on her lap and put on a poker face for fear of being scolded. She approached the girl, her shadow shrouding the latter. Hat Kid closed her eyes and gulped, thinking she was going to get a scolding for almost laughing.
However, to her surprise, Mrs. Helmy began to speak to her in a cheerful tone, "Oh my, oh my! Aren't you the little hat girl my Sethy told me about? The one who snatched my pendant back from the clutches of those pesky cats?" The young alien nodded slowly, then let out a small yelp of surprise when she was suddenly lifted into the air by the nomad woman who hugged her tightly. "Oh thank you! Thank you! You don't know how happy I was to get my pendant back. It means so much to me! And on top of that, you brought my Sethy back safe and sound! Thank you so much, brave little girl!"
"Hngghh-!" Hat Kid groaned, wincing in pain. This woman had so much strength. The girl felt like her bones would turn to mush any second, so tightly was she holding her.
Eventually, Mrs. Helmy put her down. Hat Kid almost lost her balance as her back hurt from the spine-shattering hug. Fortunately, she was able to catch herself on the chair.
Then the woman turned her attention to Arthur who was mentally preparing himself, thinking it was his turn. "Oh dear!" she gasped as she saw him covered in bruises and bandages. "What on earth happened to you, young man?!"
"Oh, uh... I-I went to the Twilight Bell and got my butt kicked," the boy stammered, caught off guard by the nomad's concern for him.
"Oh, you poor thing..." Mrs. Helmy gasped in horror, clasping both hands to her chest. "No child, especially a cute little boy like you, should have to go through that."
"O-oh um... t-thanks ma'am?" Arthur looked away and began to blush. Did this woman just call him 'cute'? The boy wasn't used to receiving this kind of compliment and wasn't sure how to react. He secretly hoped that no one would notice his embarrassment.
Fortunately, that didn't seem to be the case and Mrs. Helmy had turned away from him and was now focusing on her son. "See, honey? This is why I keep telling you to be careful! Danger is everywhere and this young boy's condition is proof of that. You can end up like him or worse, so listen to your mother for once and stop playing the extreme adventurer!"
His mother's authority and example didn't sit well with Seth, who looked away and crossed his arms, clearly annoyed. "You can't always tell me what to do..." he muttered with an angry look.
"...Excuse me, young man? Would you mind repeating what you just said?" the overprotective woman asked in a firm, intimidating tone that made everyone in the room shiver. Her eyes were hidden by her hat and a vein popped out of her clenched fists, signaling the nomad's impending anger.
"S-Sorry mom..." Seth gulped nervously.
"I like that better," Mrs. Helmy nodded firmly. Then, as if a switch had been flicked behind her back, she returned to her cheerful mood. "Anyway! You feeling any better, Sethy dear?"
"Yes, mom..."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, mom..."
"Really sure? "
"Yes, mom."
"Like, really really really really sure?"
"Yes, mom."
The nomad woman turned to Dr. Alkhar with a suspicious look. "He's better, right?"
"Yes, mo- Erm... yes, Mrs. Helmy," the doctor confirmed with a nod.
Mrs. Helmy took one last suspicious look at her son before she clasped her hands together and gleefully announced, "Perfect! Come along Sethy, we're going home!"
"FINALLY! Not a moment too soon!" Seth exclaimed as he raised both fists in the air, happy to finally be able to go home. He jumped out of bed and began to make his way towards the exit, waving to Arthur and Hat Kid. "See you next time, kids-"
"Not so fast." The woman cut him off as she abruptly placed her hand on his shoulder. Seth groaned in annoyance as he thought he was about to get another earful.
However, to everyone's surprise, her attention wasn't on him, but rather on Arthur to whom she gave a strict look and pointed. "You. Get some rest and don't leave the bed until the doctor has double-checked- no, TRIPLE-checked your physical condition!" She then did the same to Hat Kid. "You. Watch him and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid!" Dr. Alkhar's turn then followed. "And you. Don't let him go until he's well again! And if anything happens to him or the little hat girl, you'll have to answer to me!"
Finally, she placed her hands on her hips and gave the trio an intense glare before asking the next question, "Understood?"
"Yes Mrs. Helmy," all three answered at the same time.
"Good." Mrs. Helmy kept a stern eye on the trio for a moment before once again reverting to a jovial attitude, clasping her hands together. "Okay, well, let's get going! Have a great day, kids!" She waved goodbye to the kids before heading for the door.
"Well... see you soon, kids! Nice chatting with you!" Seth waved at them too, before following his mother out of the room.
When the door closed, a long silence settled between the three remaining in the room.
"...Is she always like this?" Arthur asked puzzled, unsure of what had just happened.
"Always," Dr. Alkhar replied with a nod. "And she's like this with everyone else too. So the other nomads avoid her as best they can."
"You don't say."
"Yeah. One time Seth got his lunch stolen by a classmate when he was little, and Mrs. Helmy pulled the kid's ears as well as their parents' to make them apologize. No one's bothered him ever since, I tell ya."
"Yeah, she's got a hell of a temper. I wouldn't mess with her," the twelve-year-old boy said in a nervous tone, backed up by a nod from Hat Kid.
"Heh... Yeah, me neither," the doctor chuckled. "She's not a bad person though. It's just the way she is and how she cares about others." He walked over to the window and looked outside, hands behind his back. He let out a deep sigh and displayed a sad look before speaking again, "I'm trying as hard as I can to remind Seth that she's still his mother and not some tyrannical control freak. Even though Mrs. Helmy tends to be overprotective and overbearing, she means no harm and cares about her son like any other mother would."
"Yeah, the basis of it all..." Arthur said sadly. He still had the memory of his mother's horrified face whenever he came back home covered with bruises after having been beaten by Johnny and his clique. So yes, he understood Mrs. Helmy's concerns about her own son, even though she was admittedly... very extreme in her gestures and words.
"Anyway..." Dr. Alkhar sighed before glancing toward the clock on the wall. "It's been an hour." He walked over to Arthur's bed. "How are you feeling, kid?"
"A little better... Doesn't hurt as much as it used to, I think."
"Let's have a look then." The nomad began to check Arthur's bruises. From a first glance, they seemed to have begun to fade. That was a pretty good sign. He also took the opportunity to lift one of the bandages to see the state of the cuts. They were starting to heal. That's good. He put the bandage back in place, then applied light pressure with his fingers on the bruises to gauge the child's reaction. Arthur winced slightly, but nothing more. "Hmm..."
"Verdict, doc? Is my condition improving or is it wheelchair time for me?" Arthur asked, half-joking, half-concerned.
"No wheelchair. Although, maybe you'll need a cast on your arm." Arthur grew silent, while Hat Kid's eyes widened at this. Then Dr. Alkhar started to laugh. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" he reassured as he wiped a tear from his eye, eliciting a sigh of relief from both kids. "Don't worry, kid. You won't need a cast. From what I see, the bruises have started to fade and the cuts are healing. You're on the right track! I think you should be up and about in an hour."
"Great."
"I'll still apply some ointment again just in case," Dr. Alkhar informed, pulling the tube of ointment out of his first aid kit and taking a dab of it before applying it to the twelve-year-old's bruises. "In the meantime, you know the drill: rest and all that stuff."
"Will do. Thanks, doc," Arthur thanked him with a smile.
"You're welcome!" the doctor nodded with a smile. When he was done, he screwed the tube back on and put it back in his kit. "Well, I'll leave you kids to it! See you in an hour! Don't hesitate to call me if you need me, I'll be around."
After that, Dr. Alkhar headed through the door, leaving the two children alone in the room. Arthur looked at Hat Kid who smiled warmly at him. He returned the smile for a moment, before dropping it. Now that they were alone, he figured it was the right time to talk to her about a serious topic.
"Hey, uh... can I ask you something?" he asked cautiously. Noticing her friend's change of tone, Hat Kid's smile dropped and she slowly nodded. "After the doc patched me up, I saw you, uh... looked like you were ready to run out there and turn Mustache Girl into pickles, heh."
"Hehe..." Hat Kid rubbed the back of her head with a sheepish smile. She did get a tiny, bitsy angry before... Yeah no, that's an understatement. She was furious and wanted to spend a whole day hitting the red-hooded girl's head with her umbrella over and over.
"Yeah..." Arthur sighed. "Listen... I get that you're pissed at her for my sake and I appreciate it. But if we do have to fight her again, please just... make sure you're not doing it for revenge. The Time Pieces are all that matter."
Hat Kid tilted her head, looking puzzled. Where did that come from? Of course she didn't forget that the Time Pieces were her priority.
"Maybe I'm just being a worrywart, but I just don't want you to fall into that spiral. The 'Oh my God, this girl beat up my friend, so I'm gonna make dog food out of her, that'll show her' kind of one. Don't do the same mistake-" Arthur paused before sighing sadly. "The same mistake I did once."
Hat Kid's expression became a mix of shock, confusion, and curiosity. What did he mean by that? Did he... actually try to get revenge on someone before? That's weird. Arthur always loathed revenge and he made that clear when the Mafia Boss confronted them inside the spaceship after being turned into a liquid-filled jar.
She couldn't imagine the boy doing that, it was so unlike him. However, the sadness and regret in his eyes told her he wasn't lying. Curious, she stared at him attentively, expecting him to continue.
"Remember when I told you about Johnny switching my test with an insult letter to the teacher? Well, I got so mad that he made a fool outta me. And when I tried to plead my case to the teacher but that idiot still didn't believe me... I was furious. I couldn't think straight and... I wanted payback. I was so fed up with Johnny's crap that I tried to take justice into my own hands. So when I confronted him and we fought, I eventually got the upper hand..."
Arthur closed his eyes, preparing himself mentally for his friend's reaction to what he was about to say next.
"I just... I just lost it and I kept punching his faceover and over and over again, even though he was already out cold. His face was just..." He shook his head, trying his best to push the picture of that moment out of his mind. "Well, to spare you the details, it wasn't pretty... I could never forget it, even if I wanted to."
He sighed again, feeling disgusted at his past action. Meanwhile, Hat Kid remained silent as she processed the information she just heard.
"It took one of Johnny's pals and the school principal to get me to stop. And then... consequences fell. I was taken to the principal's office and the big guy decided to call my dad to tell him what I did, and then..." Arthur shut his eyes and clenched his teeth at the dreadful memory. "You already know what happened next..."
Yeah... That was when he and his dad argued, and as a result, Arthur was struck with a bottle and ended up with scars in his back. The thought of that made Hat Kid shiver.
"After that, I realized vengeance was a big mistake. It's satisfying on the moment, but in the end, it only causes harm to you and others you care about. Hence, my motto being 'revenge is a fool's game' and all that." Arthur looked away. "Well, more like I heard it from one of my favorite games. Guess they were right..." He sighed before glancing at his friend. "And I just... I don't want you to go through that too. If... if something were to happen to you because of this... because you decided to go on a little revenge mission... You, the first friend I've gotten in ages... If you were to..." He shut his eyes and shook his head, trying to keep the tears inside. "Then nothing will matter anymore..."
...It was a lot to take in for Hat Kid, but it also explains a lot. It explains why Arthur didn't want to be involved in Mustache Girl's shenanigans when she exposed her plans on the Mafia and the Time Pieces at the very beginning. It explains his words to the Mafia Boss when the latter wanted revenge on the both of them... And it explains his reaction when she displayed anger after hearing what Mustache Girl did to him.
It made sense after all. Arthur hurt someone out of spite (even though this Johnny jerk kinda deserved it) but he got hurt in return and was left traumatized by this event. Now the young alien felt bad for letting her emotions get the best of her and possibly reminding him of this moment. Perhaps she should apologize for that... Maybe give him another hug? That'll probably help–
"Hat Kid?"
Hat Kid snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at her friend who was staring at her with a serious but pleading expression.
"Can you..." The young boy paused and frowned for a moment. He hesitated about making her keep a promise since none of those that were made to him in the past were kept. He was tired of being lied to and he figured it was best for people to keep their mouths shut instead of making empty promises.
But then again, Hat Kid was different... She even helped him, despite their rough start. So... perhaps he can make an exception for her. "Can you promise that you'll never do anything out of revenge, please? I'd feel better knowing you'll keep your head no matter what," he said.
"..." Hat Kid crossed her arms and looked down, deep in thoughts. Arthur was right. She mustn't let herself be blinded by her anger toward Mustache Girl. The Time Pieces were all that mattered. Plus, she didn't want to break his trust. He's been through a lot already and if she does that... then not only she'll lose him as a friend but he also won't trust anyone ever again.
...Okay then! She always liked a challenge after all. She'll keep her promise no matter what!
The purple-hatted girl looked Arthur in the eye with determination, before making a cross motion with her finger on her chest and raising her other hand up. With this simple gesture, the promise was now made.
Arthur sighed in relief. "Thank you. Really." He hoped he wouldn't regret this... but deep down, he knew he could trust Hat Kid, despite his doubts. With a smile, the young girl got up from her chair and gently wrapped her arms around him in a hug, making sure not to hurt him. Arthur returned it, feeling the anxiety in his chest slowly vanish.
After a minute, they let go of each other. As Hat Kid sat back on her chair, something popped in Arthur's mind.
"Hey, uhh, by any chance, did you see them weird purple flowers outside?"
Hat Kid made a grimace as she nodded. It was quite hard not to notice, seeing how weird-looking and how smelly they were. Yuck! The smell was engraved in her mind and it was like a mix of garbage and rotten egg.
"Weird, right? And what's even weirder is how fast they bloomed. One moment they were still in their bud form, and the next second, they suddenly became fully-grown flowers. Just like that," Arthur explained, snapping his fingers when he finished his sentence. "I don't know why... but somethin' ain't right with them."
Hat Kid nodded firmly. "They're stinky too!" she added, sticking her tongue out in disgust.
"Really? Maybe that's what's wrong with them," Arthur joked, making Hat Kid giggle. "We'll keep our distances then."
After that, the two children became silent. While thinking of a way to kill time, Arthur realized something: he didn't know a lot about Hat Kid. Only bits and pieces, right? Since he told her about himself, perhaps he could ask more about her? Now's a good time as any.
"You know, we've known each other for about two months now. I just realized I don't know a lot about you. Let's see... You're an alien, the keeper of the Time Pieces, a space traveler, you beat people up with an umbrella... You got powerful hats, an annoying feisty cleaner robot... AND you're a shorty."
"Ruuude!" Hat Kid playfully slapped his arm, earning a chuckle from the boy.
"Sorry, not sorry," Arthur smirked teasingly. Hat Kid playfully stuck her tongue out at him in response. "Anyway, we still got an hour to kill. I figured... well... I'd like to know more about you; where you come from, what you've been up to all them years, and how you got here before I came along and that Mafia dude punched a hole in your window, etcetera, etcetera... Well, only if you want to, that is."
Hat Kid blinked a few times, not expecting him to ask about her history. Come to think of it, it's true she didn't tell Arthur about herself. These past two months were busy, trying to find the Time Pieces and not getting killed by people or creatures. Even though they'd been teaming up for a while, she didn't take the time to sit down and tell him about her past. Arthur told her about his, so it's only fair she does the same.
Oh boy, where could she even start? There was a lot to say and Hat Kid didn't like talking much... She'll have to write everything down on paper. Peck, her hand's gonna hurt at the end of the day... Oh well.
Taking a deep breath, Hat Kid took out her pen and a sheet of paper, then she began to write. It took a moment. None of the two kids said anything; only the sound of paper filled the air and the muffled sound of nomads talking outside. The small girl had to take a few short breaks to shake her hand which hurt from all the writing.
Eventually, she was done. Hat Kid gave the paper to Arthur and he began to read it. The top contained a drawing of Hat Kid with a smile and a directional sign directed at her that reads 'About me!' And underneath was the text written at length by the girl.
Hi Arthur! It's me, Hat Kid! Your best friend! ;-D
Well, you know that already, but that's okay! It's cool to say it! And you know I'm just the coolest kid around! ;-P
Arthur couldn't help but snort after he finished reading the sentence. "Yeah sure, whatever you say, buddy," he teased her.
"Nah-nah-nah!" Hat Kid sassily teased back, sticking her tongue out. Arthur let out a chuckle at her childishness before continuing to read.
Ahem! Anyways, I'll tell you all about me, yada yada yada. So I was born on a planet called Xerius. And as you can see, despite my appearance, I'm not human. I'm part of a species of human-looking aliens (ugh, the a-word sucks... :-() called Xerians. The difference with humans is that we have superhuman strength and special abilities. Some got their abilities from birth and others can obtain them from clothes or accessories made by Xerian technology (in my case: hats).
Our technology is well advanced, if not the most advanced, to the point where we're able to build awesome spaceships that allow us to cross the entire universe. However, only those with the status of Timekeeper are allowed to visit other planets, and for mission purpose only. Timekeepers are the ones in charge of recovering the Time Pieces and bringing them safely back to our planet.
Because you see, Time Pieces are like gifts of time itself. Their creation remains a mystery, but according to what I learned at school, it is a natural phenomenon that occurs at random intervals and takes up the form of hourglasses that are therefore called Time Pieces. Then they eventually end up on different planets across the universe.
As you saw it, when you break them, they can rewind time from a few seconds to several hours or days depending on the amount you break. Unfortunately, doing so tends to have nasty side effects which can drastically affect the timeline we live in and irreversibly put our universe in a tailspin.
That's why Xerius has assigned Timekeepers to find lost Time Pieces and bring them back to storage facilities that are reinforced and heavily guarded. And at the same time, to fix Time Rifts if some appear.
"Wow..." Arthur awed, stopping his reading. So Hat Kid comes from Xerius, a planet inhabited by Timekeepers and people just like her? Suddenly, the boy realized something... "Wait, hang on a sec. You too travel through space to collect Time Pieces and fix Time Rifts, right?" Hat Kid nodded in response. "Then that makes you... a Timekeeper too?"
"Yup!" Hat Kid said with a proud grin, happily swinging her legs back and forth.
"And are Timekeepers supposed to be this young? No offense, but that seems like a ton of responsibility for a nine-year-old. I can barely handle the pressure of a math test, so personally, I'd be a stress ball having this much responsibility on my shoulders."
Hat Kid shrugged, then motioned to Arthur to return the paper, which he did. The young alien wrote a reply, then gave the paper back.
Timekeepers begin their training at school at the age of 4.
"Wait what?! At four years old already?! That young?!" Arthur exclaimed, his mouth wide open. Hat Kid only shrugged casually as to say 'Well, that's how it works for us.' "...Okay? Different planet, different customs, I guess... Anyway, movin' on."
It takes more or less time to pass the tests and successfully become a Timekeeper, depending on how well you did in school. It only took me a year to get the status, I was amongst the best students. The training is very hard and intense; it requires a lot of agility and reflexes because they teach you to become a fighter. Plus, they put you through trials with fire, acid, things that sting, beasts with sharp teeth, and many other things! Phew... I was so tired at the end of these trials. I just wanted to go home and sleep the day away after that... ^_^;
Arthur visibly cringed as he pictured in his mind walls of fire, rivers of acid, giant chasms, dangerous creatures, and anything else that can raise his anxiety sky-high. He couldn't tell if Xerian people liked danger or were just plain crazy for exposing children to these kinds of trials. He shook his head and decided to keep reading to distract himself from these thoughts.
After being recognized as a Timekeeper, I was paired up with Bow Kid, another TimeKeeper who had just gotten the title as well. We did missions together for a year, then afterward our HQ decided to pair her up with a boy named Timmy. I ended up in charge of my own spaceship and I've been given solo missions ever since.
"They left you solo for missions? Why? Ain't that risky?" Arthur asked curiously before handing the paper back to Hat Kid to write her answer. The small girl handed the paper back once she finished writing.
Not to brag (well, maybe a little! Hehe! :-P), but thanks to my fighting skills and my many plans that saved us and the Time Pieces during our expeditions, Tim, who is my superior and the CEO of Time (and the nicest man in the whole universe! =D), figured that I was strong and resourceful enough to carry out high-risk missions on my own. So he gave me this responsibility. However, Bow Kid still lacked experience for missions like that and on top of that, someone was needed to train Timmy, who had just received the Timekeeper status. Since no one else was available at that moment, she was chosen to form a duo with him to teach him the ropes.
I was so sad to be separated from her. We had so much fun going from planet to planet, fighting bad guys, meeting new people, and getting Time Pieces together. We went through so many adventures; we were almost like sisters. But hey, CEO's orders! Have to deal with it. Even if I miss having a buddy on board... :-(
Arthur remained silent, then asked, "So... if I'm not mistaken, you've been traveling in space and dealing with danger all on your own since you were five?" Hat Kid nodded. 'And still alive?! Damn, what a tough cookie!' he thought in awe. He returned his attention to the paper again. However, he lingered on one name in particular. Hat Kid's former partner: Bow Kid.
"Tell me. Your old buddy, Bow Kid..." the twelve-year-old boy began. "You seen her since?" Hat Kid nodded, which reassured him a bit. The young alien took the paper back for a moment so she could give more details before giving it back to him.
Not as much as before unfortunately. But at least we keep in touch and we sometimes bump into each other on Xerius. We take this opportunity to catch up and talk about our adventures. We always have so much to say, it's so awesome! :-D
She also tells me a lot about Timmy. Even though she misses me, she told me that she gets along well with him. And between the two of us... I think she's got a little crush on him. ;-P Because she kept talking about him with a dreamy look on her face, and one day I asked her about it and suddenly her face got so red I thought I was talking to a tomato. She kept saying "Nonono, he's just a friend! Yeah, a friend!". It was so funny! XD
Arthur chuckled at this comparison. He imagined the scene with the girl in question, red as a tomato, covering her face and trying to deny that she had a crush on a boy, and Hat Kid teasing her about it. At least, he tried to imagine it... Pretty hard to imagine someone when you don't know what they look like.
"Say, out of curiosity, what does Bow Kid look like?" he asked. He handed the paper to Hat Kid for her to write a response. Better change paper soon by the way. She's already written a lot in it... After that, Arthur resumed reading.
She has curly hair, dark skin, and purple eyes. The last time I saw her, she was wearing a green vest, a light blue skirt, and black boots. She also wears a blue bow around her hair, hence her name Bow Kid.
Below the description was a sketch of Bow Kid carrying an umbrella similar to Hat Kid's in her hand, which was resting on her shoulder. The curly-haired girl was winking and wore a big smile on her face.
She's very nice! To tell you the truth... she and I are very similar in personality. She's kind of like my twin in that regard. The only difference is that she's very talkative, unlike me. "A real chatterbox," others would say. Kinda rude, but it describes her well. ;-P
Arthur snorted, imagining Bow Kid blabbering on and on to a crowd of people with annoyed expressions.
We made a good team! She was the one doing all the talking. And me? I was the one who acted. To me, actions speak louder than words. That's why I don't talk much: I let my actions speak for me.
Oh yeah... Makes sense. It's true that Hat Kid talks very little and lets him do the talking most of the time. On the one hand, he admires that about her: letting her actions speak for herself instead of useless babbling like many do. That's how he gets to see her sincerity.
...I miss her sometimes... It's cool and all to be recognized for my skills, but it's gotten quiet on my ship since then. Way too quiet... Quiet is good, but it gets lonely sometimes, even though I still got Rumbi to keep me company. It's easy to get bored when you don't have anyone to talk to... :-(
Arthur looked up at his friend with surprise. Meanwhile, Hat Kid was staring off to the side, rubbing her arm with a sad look on her face. She seemed embarrassed by her own revelation, but the boy could tell that years of loneliness were weighing her down.
The twelve-year-old boy couldn't help but sympathize with the girl. Having spent most of his childhood in loneliness himself, neglected, mistreated, and abandoned by everyone else, he understood how she felt. Hat Kid didn't have his life experience, but she experienced years of loneliness just like him. That counts too.
With this knowledge, it was then that he understood why she absolutely wanted to befriend him after Mustache Girl's betrayal, despite a rough start between them. He thought about how happy she was when he had finally accepted her friendship despite several rejections from him. The smile on her face when he finally let her get close to him and learn about his interests. Her joy when she showed him her gift in the gallery and he told her he loved it.
'Dammit, I'm such a fool! I should've noticed...' Arthur thought with regret. He'd been really hard on her at first, he knew that. But he had no idea how lonely she was. He couldn't help but feel like industrial garbage for how he treated her back then.
After getting lost in his thoughts for a moment, Arthur realized that there was almost no room left to write on the paper. He sighed and crumpled it in his hand before tossing it into the wastebasket. As it was full, the paper ball bounced off it and ended up on the floor with some others. However, the young boy didn't care.
"Got another one?" he asked in a monotone voice. Hat Kid checked her pockets and nodded. Arthur used this momentum to change the subject. "Can you tell me more about your adventures?"
A huge grin formed on the young Xerian's face at his question. She LOVED talking about her adventures! It'd be a blast to tell them to Arthur, especially one she dearly held to her heart! She hurriedly pulled a new sheet of paper out of her pocket and hastily wrote on it despite her hand feeling sore.
"Whoa! Easy there, fireball! You'll dislocate your thumb," Arthur joked. Hat Kid didn't care and kept writing until she was done. Then she held the paper out to the boy, bouncing in her chair in excitement. Arthur chuckled as he reached out and took it, "Alright, alright, calm down. I'll read your paper. I ain't goin' nowhere."
"Hehehehe!" Hat Kid giggled sheepishly. She couldn't contain her excitement as she joyfully swung her legs back and forth while her hands tightly gripped the edges of her chair.
Arthur shook his head in amusement and began to read. The writing was messier and sloppier than usual due to it being rushed, but it was legible enough.
Oh boy oh boy oh boy boy boy boyboyboyboyboyboyboy! So where do I start? =D I don't even know where to start, there's too much to say! Maybe I'll tell you everything but it'd take too long! I don't know, I don't know, I don't know!
Dear God... Good thing Hat Kid doesn't talk much, or he'd get a headache by the end of the day... She's a real energy ball when she gets going.
Okay okay! Ahem, maybe I won't tell you everything because I've had so many adventures Ican'tevenrememberhowmanyI'vedoneIt'ssogreattobeabletotellyousdbjdbsjkqbzb- Sorry sorry, got carried away there, hehe. ^_^;
Okay, maybe I'll just be brief. Yeah, that's probably best. I'll tell you a good one later. But just to keep it short, I've had many adventures, visited so many planets. Some were a piece of cake, no problem, no biggie, people were nice. Easy! But some others were more dangerous and sometimes scary, some locals were big meanies and same goes for some ugly creatures. Worry not, I gave them a little taste of my sweet, trusty umbrella of course! :-D
Anyway, my adventures are often the same. They're mostly missions for Xerius: I travel through space, go to planets, grab the Time Pieces lying around, fight bad guys and nasty creatures that get in my way, and fix Time Rifts if necessary. Sometimes I just explore in my spare time, whenever I feel like it.
It's not always easy, though. As I said before, some missions are more dangerous than others. I'm gonna tell you the one that, for me, was the riskiest of all. So grab your snack and hang on tight! You'll love it for sure! =D
It was 2 years ago (I was 7 at the time). HQ had detected Time Pieces on a planet called Celestia. Tim assigned me to go get 'em and bring them back to our planet. So I crossed the galaxy and went to Celestia. Once there, surprise! I was intercepted by two large Celestian spaceships. They forced me to land in one of their military bases. There were so many of them and they were armed to the teeth! I couldn't do anything...
That's where I met their leader: Montgomery Travellio (I call him Monty for short and just because I don't like him! :-P). He was the Emperor of Celestia. A dictator and a big meanie! He kept asking me annoying questions. Like who I was, where I was from, why I was there, etc. I didn't tell him anything because one, he wasn't nice, and two, I didn't want to tell him about the Time Pieces, nor about Xerius.
So, as I wasn't cooperative (and I made a few faces at him, hehe), this big jerk had my spaceship seized and he condemned me to work in his mines without caring that I was just a kid. I spent a whole day in those mines, it was horrible! It was all dirty inside, it smelled bad, and on top of that, the guards were mean and made fun of me. :-( (At least I got even by blowing raspberries at them when their backs were turned. =P)
I was exhausted by the end of the day, but at least I wasn't alone. There were other Celestians with me. They helped me and shared their food with me; they were so nice! They told me about their way of life on the planet. In short: it was misery. They were constantly monitored, overworked, overtaxed, oppressed... Poor people, it was like that every day for them. :-(
At nightfall, we were working overtime when the mine was suddenly under attack. Armed people, dressed differently from Celestian soldiers, came in and rescued us. They were a group of rebels trying to bring down Monty and free the Celestian people from his clutches. I was able to meet their leader who told me that all the Time Pieces on the planet were stored in a large tower that served as Monty's HQ. As I absolutely had to get them back and I didn't have my ship anymore, I joined the rebels.
We spent weeks fighting Monty's forces, gathering intelligence on his army, attacking their bases, capturing officers, freeing prisoners, and helping the people of Celestia. My fighting skills helped the rebels a lot, but they didn't go unnoticed by Monty, who designated me as "public enemy number one" and wanted me dead. Whoops! ^_^;
And then finally, our chance came. Monty had decided to mobilize a large part of his forces to wipe us out, but in doing so he left his HQ virtually undefended, allowing us to organize a plan to infiltrate the tower and dethrone that big dummy.
'What kind of idiot leaves his own HQ undefended?' Arthur thought, shaking his head.
While the rebels kept the main forces busy, me and the rebel leader snuck inside the HQ. We went up to the very top of the tower and came to some kind of large meeting room. The weird thing was that there was no one inside, but we found a vault in there. When we opened it... Jackpot! All the Time Pieces were inside!
...All of a sudden, we heard a voice behind us. It was Monty with a big dumb smile on his face. He had all his guards with him. We were surrounded... That smelly old rat had set a trap for us! He had sent his main forces to the front as a decoy to lure me and the rebel leader into their headquarters to pick us off like cherries. DX
'...Oh okay, that explains it...' Arthur thought, feeling a bit stupid for not having thought of it himself.
He had come to figure that I had something to do with the Time Pieces and that I was looking for them because I had arrived shortly after they had fallen on Celestia. And the fact that we broke the vault open confirmed his suspicions. So he asked me tons of questions about them... Guess what I did as a response... ... ...I blew a raspberry at him! Hehehe! :-P
Arthur snorted, then chuckled at this. Classic Hat Kid move.
His reaction was so funny! He was grinding his teeth and it looked like his eyes were gonna pop out! XD Although... after that, he just wanted to kill me. Hehe... ^_^; So I did a genius move! I distracted him for a second, then took out my umbrella and hit him hard in the face. BAM! That sent him flying through the window and he fell off the building. Obviously, that made the guards really angry, so we had to fight them.
Once we got rid of them, we heard a loud noise outside. Then, big surprise... A large spaceship appeared, levitating at a good distance from the tower. It stopped at our level, and then a giant screen lit up out front with Monty's face on it. He had somehow managed to survive the fall and decided to rub it in our faces... (Doesn't matter, he's still a big dummy! :-P)
However, he told us that his troops had suffered too many losses. As a result, he admitted defeat and said he was leaving Celestia to us. He then gave me a mean look and said he held me responsible for his downfall: that without me he would've crushed the resistance and that it was all my fault (Ha! Take that, Monty! :-P). He swore he'd find me one day and make me pay for it before flying off into space.
With their Emperor's departure, the remaining Celestian soldiers surrendered to the rebels. The rebel leader became the new ruler of Celestia. Not as Emperor, but as President (No idea what's the difference between the two, but eh, that's cool! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯).
As a token of gratitude, he rewarded me with a shiny gold medal. Then he gave me back my ship that Monty had requisitioned at the beginning and also allowed me to take back all the Time Pieces of the planet stored in the tower's safe. We said our goodbyes, then I flew away in my spaceship back to Xerius. Mission accomplished! =D
The End! :-3
"...Wow," Arthur whistled, looking up at Hat Kid with a smile. "All's well that ends well, huh?"
"Hmhmm," the girl nodded proudly.
Arthur zoned in on the text for a moment. "I'll admit, it's impressive. Fighting a dictator and his entire army... that's a big fish you took on." He looked at his friend again. "Is the guy still looking for you by the way?" Hat Kid shrugged. She hadn't seen him since that time, so she had no idea.
The young boy decided to read the beginning of the story again... "It happened two years ago, right? And you really haven't heard from him since, despite his threats?" Hat Kid shook her head. She was the first one to be surprised that she hadn't gotten any retaliation yet to date. "Weird... I don't want to sound paranoid but look, if he's not dead or whatever, maybe he's been up to something big all this time. If that's the case, be careful... You knocked him off his ivory tower, so I doubt he'll let you just get away with it."
However, Hat Kid wasn't worried. Reassuring him with a smile, she held out her hand to ask for the paper back. Arthur silently returned it to her, raising an eyebrow with curiosity. The young Xerian added a paragraph, then gave the paper back to her friend.
Don't worry! I'm prepared! If he ever shows up, his rat face will meet my umbrella again! And he''ll have to eat soup for the rest of his life! :-3
This remark made Arthur burst out laughing. The last sentence sounded very much like something he'd say. They are very similar in that aspect. "That I don't doubt. I also got the umbrella-in-the-face greeting when we first met," he joked. Hat Kid winked and stuck her tongue out in response, letting out a giggle herself.
"Well, that's good then." Arthur briefly skimmed over the story again, then handed the paper back to Hat Kid and crossed his arms. He remained silent for a minute before speaking again. "Tell me... Xerius... what's it like there?" The young Xerian smiled and wrote a reply about her home planet before handing the paper back to the boy.
Okay then, Xerius can be summed up in one word: it's... AWESOME! That's it! Buh-bye! =P
"Pffft... You dork," Arthur chuckled as he playfully slapped the girl's shoulder with the paper. Hat Kid giggled before taking the paper back to write the real answer in it.
Hehe! Sorry, I couldn't resist! ;-P Anyway! For real, Xerius is great! To make it short, when viewed from space, it looks like a blue-green planet precisely because all the grass and vegetation on Xerius have this color. The cities have a 'futuristic' look as many from other planets have described. We have tall buildings made of metal and neon lights, and cars hovering above the ground.
Rhazor is the capital of our planet. It's also where the Timekeepers HQ is (and where I live! :-D). The Timekeepers are led by Tim, the CEO of Time, who applies the orders of our leaders called the Xerian Council of Five or XCF for short (they're called that because... well... because there are five people in it... That's it. ^_^;). Their identities are classified though, so I can't tell you. :-/
Oh! You know what? Once we've retrieved all my Time Pieces, I'll take you to Xerius with me! I'll show you the planet, the capital, everything! ...well, maybe not the HQ because only Timekeepers are allowed in there, but no biggie! I have so many things to show you, I think you'll like it there! =D
Arthur barely had time to finish reading when his smile dropped from his face to be replaced by a look of shock and surprise. She's joking, right? She really wants him to come to her home planet with her? The young boy looked up to see Hat Kid looking at him with stars in her eyes and a big hopeful smile as she waited for his answer. ...Okay, she's not kidding at all.
"You... You want me to come... with you? On Xerius?" he asked hesitantly. Hat Kid nodded enthusiastically, confirming she was 100% sure she wanted to take him with her.
...He wasn't sure how to react. Normally, such an invitation would fill him with joy, and yet... he can't stop this feeling of anxiety that is growing inside him. This fear that's been residing in him for years... The fear of meeting new people.
Sure, he's met some since he arrived in this world. But this is different... It's a whole new level because it's about Xerians: the same species Hat Kid belongs to. Will they want him around? A stranger and a mere human who has nothing to do with them? Won't they judge him like everyone else has before? Like Johnny... the teachers... the other students... his own father?
Nobody will ever want you around! That's how it is!
Arthur's blank stare and lack of response began to worry Hat Kid, who quickly lost her smile. Did she write something bad? She waved her hand in front of the boy's eyes, which startled him out of his thoughts.
"Sorry, I've zoned out a bit..." he apologized. He took a deep breath before speaking. "I... I don't know, Hat Kid. I don't think I'm ready to meet your people yet." The confused and slightly offended look on Hat Kid's face made Arthur realize that he had misspoken. So he decided to clarify a little. "...I still got a hard time meeting new people. Like I told you, many have pulled the wool over my eyes in the past. Same thing when I first got here: Mustache Girl did it, the Conductor did it, same with the Snatcher... Meeting new folks is always rough for me."
He placed the paper on his lap and crossed his arms, looking at his friend with a serious expression. "And let's be honest... you told me that all the Time Pieces you and your kind retrieve are taken back to Xerius. You're not gonna tell me that other planets that know about the Time Pieces haven't already tried to invade you to get them for themselves, are you?"
At this question, Hat Kid bit her lower lip and twiddled her thumbs nervously. Arthur wasn't wrong... Indeed, Xerius had already suffered attacks from foreign armies whose goal was to get the Time Pieces stored on their planet. Fortunately, the Xerian army was equipped and prepared enough to repel the invaders who tried their luck until now.
"That's what I thought. You trust me, Hat Kid, but the Xerians... will they trust me? Me? Some grumpy-looking kid you picked up out of nowhere? You really think they're gonna give me a welcome bouquet and say, 'Wow, we don't know you at all, but you're Hat Kid's buddy, so everything's fine'? Tsh... no, I don't believe it."
An uncomfortable silence settled between the two children. After a few seconds, Arthur was the first to break it with a sad sigh. "Look, I appreciate your offer. It means a lot that you trust me, and I want you to know it's mutual. But... I'm not gonna say yes. I'm not gonna say no either. I just... I need time to think about it. I'm really sorry if this ain't what you wanted to hear."
Hat Kid nodded slowly, looking sad. She admits to being a little disappointed with the answer but... she understands Arthur's doubts and fears. And he's right about one thing: the other Xerians might not trust him right away. Moreover, the XCF might not approve of an outsider coming to the planet. Plus, she's already potentially in trouble given the current situation and... the one that happened before the first encounter with Arthur. So in essence... she understands.
"Hat Kid?" The girl in question looked up when she heard Arthur call her name. The latter's eyes were glued to the side on the ground, with an air of nervousness and guilt. "I... You... Do you... Oh, peck it." He opened his arms, looking embarrassed but sure of himself. "C'mere."
Hat Kid blinked twice before she realized what he wanted. Surprised to see him trying to initiate a hug himself, the purple-hatted girl remained motionless in her chair for a second before smiling warmly. She stood up and came to wrap her arms around Arthur who reciprocated the gesture.
"We'll talk about it sometime," Arthur reassured, breaking away from the embrace. "For now, let's focus on the rest of the Time Pieces before that crazy wannabe hero gets them." He winked at Hat Kid and she nodded firmly with a confident grin.
Suddenly, the sound of lightning could be heard outside.
"What was that?" Arthur asked, confused by the sudden noise. Both kids noticed that the light had begun to dim, and when they looked toward the window, they noticed the sky had turned gray. More lightning started to rumble... "A thunderstorm? But it was still sunny not even ten seconds ago!"
Then suddenly, an explosion sounded outside, followed by distant screaming. Hat Kid rushed to the window to see what was going on. A gasp escaped her lips when she saw the situation. A thin purple fog covered the village and all of Alpine Skyline. Dark clouds rumbled across the sky, constantly flashing lightning. The sky darkened tremendously, not letting a single ray of sunlight through. More screams and explosions added to the tumultuous atmosphere. Something was definitely wrong, this is no ordinary storm!
"Hat Kid, where are you going?!" Arthur cried out as he saw the girl running towards the exit. "Wait for me!" He tried to stand up, groaning a little as his wounds began to throb from the movements. "Oof!" He was suddenly pinned against the mattress forcibly. His eyes met Hat Kid's serious gaze as her hands rested firmly on both of his shoulders, keeping him pinned to the bed.
"No. Rest," she ordered firmly.
"Let me up right now!" Arthur stubbornly insisted. He tried to move despite the pain, but the young Xerian held him down on the bed. "You're outta your mind if you think I'm letting you do this alone!"
"Please!" Hat Kid begged. "I don't want you to get hurt again!"
Eventually, Arthur stopped struggling, feeling the pain from his wounds intensify and failing to overcome his friend's grip. He looked at the girl who begged him with her eyes to let her handle the problem on her own.
With no other choice but to sit this one out, the twelve-year-old boy let out a defeated sigh and said in a worried tone, "Watch yourself, okay? I don't wanna lose you the same way I lost Charles and mom." Hat Kid responded with a reassuring smile and a thumbs up. "Great. Heh, ya know what? That's the first time I've heard you talk so much. Is that it? You finally grew a tongue in your mouth?"
Hat Kid blushed as she realized she had indeed spoken more than usual. However, in response to the boy's joke, she playfully stuck her tongue out at him. Arthur chuckled. "Yep, you've got one!" he added teasingly. The girl rolled her eyes, yet couldn't stop a smile from forming at the corner of her lip. "Go on... go save the world," the boy finished with an encouraging smile.
With that, Hat Kid pulled out her umbrella and ran towards the exit, closing the door behind her. The room fell silent and Arthur found himself alone with his thoughts. He hoped that the young Xerian would be able to sort out whatever mess was out there. It should be fine, right?
...Why did he have a bad feeling all of a sudden?
A/N: Hello, everyone! New chapter after... what? A year and a half of hiatus? ...Yep, that's a long time. xD
Well... I think an explanation is necessary. Especially since this chapter has been sleeping on my computer for months, looking at me from the corner of its eye like "Hey oh, uh... I'm still here, you know?".
Yeah... I'm not gonna lie to you: this chapter was already fully written for almost a year. All that was missing was the proofreading and eventual corrections. But in the middle of the proofreading: poof! My motivation went completely out the window. Yes, that's right. I had a huge motivation drop and I didn't have the courage to finish the correction of this chapter. Basically, I think I needed a break from writing...
So, it remained on standby and I focused on other games and my real life until a few weeks ago when I thought back to this chapter and said to myself "Well... It would be nice if I picked it up where I left off and published it." And so, that's what I did. I re-motivated myself and picked up the proofreading where I left off.
I also took the opportunity to rewrite the entire chapter because when I reread it I was no longer satisfied with the result. And by the way, I rewrote it using a translator I discovered recently thanks to a friend of mine which is called DeepL Translator. Try it out, it's great! It's much more advanced than Google Translate and contains a lot of suggestions for translating sentences. It's much more convenient and less hassle than if I translated myself. Of course, if there were any mistakes, I would fix them myself. That's what proofreading is for!
In short, that was to give you a rundown on why I was away. I simply needed a break from writing. But I assure you, I've said it over and over again, I'll get to the end of this story no matter how long it takes. So don't worry if you see any gaps between chapters, they'll come out when they come out.
By the way, I'd like to take this opportunity to do a quick reminder following a comment I received while I was away and that I REALLY didn't like at all. A guest left a review on the last chapter I published saying word for word: "I like to think this guy died or gave up because this has yet to receive an update."
This comment has since been deleted, but please know that I won't tolerate this kind of comment on my stories. Clearly, the guy is joking about someone's alleged "death" or "giving up", and it's especially the former that bothers me the most. It's extremely rude and disrespectful to make that kind of joke, especially when you have no idea what the person might be going through that might be causing the lack of presence! The person could very well be in depression or worse, and receiving this kind of comment in your emails really doesn't help. I reassure you, this is not my case, I'm doing pretty well. Even so, you don't make jokes about death to anyone.
You have the right to give positive or negative feedback on my story, but please show respect and good manners. Those who make the "Hahaha, he doesn't post anymore, he's dead! RIP!" joke again, then not only will I delete their review, but I'll also report them and block them. I'm going to be ruthless on this, so be careful of what you guys write.
Anyway, I just wanted to clarify that point. Now that you've been warned, I won't bother you any more about it. Let's move on to the review answer! It's been a while, hehe...
To HeroSpikeZ: That's right. On the spot, Arthur's confidence took a hit. Fortunately, Hat Kid is there to help him in his doubts, and at least, Arthur will be more careful when fighting.
Thanks a lot! We can agree it would have been interesting to see more scenes and character appearances in the game, especially in Alpine Skyline. But hey, we make do with what we have. And yes, Mustache Girl deserves more appearances in the game, so I'll take this opportunity to do so. And indeed, she's packs quite the punch, but that's not surprising since she spent a good part of her childhood fighting the Mafia on her island ;)
Yep, the illness is coming... Get the popcorn, it's going to be a blast!
To Rub37: Thank you very much!
We'll get to that point, don't worry ;)
And thanks! I confess that once again I was away as explained above, but as said, I'll always have chapters to show you guys. :D
To pokemonsora01: No worries! I understand that the Alpine Skyline chapter can be long and tedious, and it's true that something is missing in this section of the game to make it captivating. That's why I'm doing my best to make this part interesting to read. ^^
After Alpine, there will be the short act on Mafia Town "Cheating the Race", followed by the Cruise, then the Metro, and finally Time's End.
And thanks a lot for your message, it makes me happy! :D
To spookyboi (Chapter 22): -EEEEEEET! :D
To Maoshin: Thanks a lot for your message! It makes me so happy to hear that you like my story! And don't worry, this story will go on until the end, slowly but surely. :D
To Guest (Chapter 16): Arthur tends to hyperventilate during his panic attacks. These attacks are caused by his anxiety following a traumatic childhood as indicated and explained in chapter 34. Unfortunately, this kind of thing is difficult to control, if not impossible in some stressful situations. It's not his fault, it's just the way it is.
That's it! See you all in 5 years! ...Nah, just kidding! I'll try not to take too much time for the next chapter, but I can't guarantee anything. All right, see you guys in the next chapter!