~Author's Note~
More and more answers leading to more and more questions. Don't worry this will be sorted out in later chapters and thank you for commenting! As always enjoy!
The door opened and Mugman rubbed his eyes as he walked in. Dice noticed it was morning, around eight or so, and he walked over to open the blinds. A bright beam of light shined through the windows, causing him to wince while his eyes adjust. He does the same to the other windows in the room as Porsha smiled seeing Mugman take Dice's hand.
"Breakfast time." Mugman yawned as Dice follows. He's hunched over, due to Mugman pulling on his hand, as Mugs took Porsha's hand too.
Porsha saw Cuphead rush up to them, and the boy smiled wide. "Morning! We made food for you two!"
"Well, ain't that swell." Dice replied as Mugman was still dragging him onward to the kitchen.
"Morning to you too." Elder Kettle whistled as he set the plates of food down on the table.
Porsha and Dice sit down while the brothers take their seats, along with Elder Kettle. He pours fresh coffee on into coffee mugs. They all began eating, discussing civil matters, and the brothers laughed at Dice's kid-friendly jokes. Porsha, however, remained silent as she sipped her coffee. Cuphead noticed her silence and finally asked her a question.
"Are you okay, Miss Porsh?" He looked concerned for a moment, but Porsha smiled brightly hiding her worry.
"I am fine. There is no need to worry." Porsha replied sweetly.
"Boys, why don't you go into town and get some supplies for supper?" Elder Kettle asked and Cuphead stands in his seat.
"Alright! What do we need?" He jumped down from his seat and Mugman got the list from Elder Kettle.
"Okay, C'mon Cups! Let's go!" Mugman said gleefully exiting the room with Cuphead.
"Elder Kettle," Porsha began while folding her hands, "do you have one of Moon's tapes?" and finished her question.
Elder Kettle got up and removed a book from the recipe shelf in the kitchen. "Indeed, I do have one...but this is not for the faint of heart to hear..." He said removing the tape from inside the recipe book.
"Please, we need to know." Dice cut in and he put a tape recorder on the table.
"You are Moon's girl. I can tell from your eyes, dear." Elder Kettle replied as Porsha looked at him.
"Same ruby red ones?" Porsha laughed lightly.
"You have knowledgeable eyes. Eyes, that see many things, for someone at such a young age and that is rare. Never lose sight of gaining knowledge, but also proceed with caution." He explains as he sits down. Kettle put the tape in the recorder and it begins to play.
~~~Tape two: Aster City~~~
"Come see in awe and wonder as our Elder is a miracle worker! He has healed many and soon many more will be saved from their pains by him. All you need to do is go to Aster City! The city of rebirth and happiness is only one miracle away!"
"Moon. Please reconsider this...Aster City is not as it seems." Elder Kettle pleaded with Moon not to go.
"I am sorry...but I do not have a say anymore." Moon said reluctantly picking up his bag.
"Moon dear, our little girl is ready to go." Moon's wife replied as she got into the car.
"Alright, I will be there shortly my sweet! I just have something I need to do first." Moon explained while putting something in a book. "There, now to give it to Dr. Kohl..."
"Moon..." Elder Kettle sighed. "Be wary of the city, my boy."
"I will Elder, but I need to save my child at any cost. If this man can do it then I will have the research I've been looking for."
"But that man is workin' with something wicked! Please, there has to be another way!" Kettle begged as Moon snaped.
"You have already lost a daughter and her husband! Do you want your grandchildren to die as well? I will NOT stand by and let my daughter get killed like you did!" Moon stormed out and slammed the door behind him.
"Moon, your quest for this will lead to your untimely end, my friend..."
~~~End of Tape two~~~
The tape ceased its' tune as Porsha noticed Elder Kettle face. Weary and saddened by the words he heard. She looks to Dice, who just has his hands covering his face. She broke the silence for answers.
"My parents left to conduct their research for me?" She asked and Kettle nods.
"Not just for you, see...before the boys were born, there was a series of outbreaks. This disease spread all over Inkwell and Eden, my daughter and her late husband died. Your father and mother were the only ones who tried to stop it...we all were too afraid to. I was too afraid because after the boys were born they had to be incubated for quite some time. Once they were deemed well then they got to come home with me...but that was not the end of it." Elder Kettle pulls out a photo of Eden. "Once Moon and your mother left, to go to that cursed city, and came back with a cure. They healed everyone that was suffering from the illness. Unfortunately, they couldn't bring the ones who had passed from it back. Once Dr. Kohl found out what the cure was he kicked your family out of Inkwell...and they never returned."
"What was the cure made out of?" Porsha asked, wanting to know more now than ever.
"I cannot say...it is not right...but, you can find out yourself." Elder Kettle sputtered out as he handed her a key. "Go to Hilda Berg and she will know why you came. Also, keep this key with you, so you can come home."
"Home?" Porsha said confused.
"Well, you two can come stay here for as long as you need. So, this will be your temporary home for now." Elder Kettle replied with a smile.
"Thank you." Dice and Porsha replied.
"Alright, then...Dice, would you join me?" Porsha asked standing up.
"Of course. I would be chasing my tail around all day, so I could use the excitement." Dice replied opening the door for her.
"Elder Kettle." Porsha stopped and looked back at him. "Thank you for telling us." She exited the house with Dice as they go out in search of Hilda.
Porsha was knowing more and more about her parents' research. She was writing in her journal about the things she found out as Dice noticed. He moved her out of the oncoming pole in front of her as she looked at Dice.
"I was about to run into a pole, wasn't I?" She asked and Dice nods.
"So, have you looked at the calculations you made yesterday?" Dice remembered as Porsha remembered the longitudes and latitudes she had written down.
"Yes, by this point in our walk to Miss Hilda's...it should be," She looked around and saw a house. "There!"
"That's Hilda Burge's planetarium..." Dice stated as they arrived at the door.
"Then this is where we get more answers." Porsha said as she knocked on the door.
Hilda Burge came to the door, "Those who knock always await an answer." she said opening the door.
"Miss Hilda Burge? I have some questions...I was hoping you could help me..." Porsha politely asked her and she let them both in.
"I can see, just as the starts told me, you two would arrive." Hilda replied as she closed the open ceiling and her giant telescope went down onto level ground. "Now, what is it you are seeking dear?" She asked Porsha and Porsha handed her the journal.
"All of my calculations, analyzations, and research lead us here. Please, what was the cure my parents for the illness that spread over 20 years ago?" She asked as Hilda has a troubled expression.
"Many lives and many tries were made, but one was perfect. The perfect star was created in a sea of madness, but the world did not want it. So, the star was smuggled out and poured into a cosmic flask. Then the world saw it beautiful and glorious."
"What?" Dice is confused by Hilda's metaphors and symbolism in her answer.
"The perfect star." She walked over to Porsha. "Was smuggled out by the madness of the world." she drops the journal onto the floor.
"So, what is the cure? Is it here? In this place right now?" Dice asked and Porsha stayed silent.
"Yes, the cure is here in a perfect star, but be careful! It is very fragile when touched." Hilda stated and Porsha sighed.
She picked up her journal and something shocked her hand. She screamed in pain as her hand was completely off. Her porcelain skin started to char off and Dice rushed to her aid. Porsha watched in fear as her skin started to rebuild every, tendon, muscle, and bone to a new hand. She looked at Hilda who had sympathy in her eyes.
"...It's...me..." Porsha couldn't believe what she witnessed and rushed out the door.
"Porsha! Wait!" Dice ran after her, for someone small, she sure can run... He caught up with her as she is catching her breath. "Porsha?" He noticed they are at Dr. Kohl's lab again and pounded on the door. Dice grabbed her hands and tried to calm her down.
"Porsha? What is the matter?" Dr. Kohl asked and allowed them in.
"Run tests...please all the tests you can on me..." Porsha stated in breaths.
"What!? I cannot do such a thing!" Dr. Kohl replied and Dice looked at him.
"Doc, please..." He asked with sympathy in his voice.
"A-alright then..." Dr. Kohl responded as he led Porsha into the experimentation room.
Days passed by and Dice waited day and night for Porsha to get done with every test, examination, and procedure after the next. It felt agonizing, awaiting the results, and seeing the fear sweep over Porsha's eyes. She was in denial that her parents would even do such a thing to their own child. After every procedure Dice noticed her face was frail in chips and cracks, but healed as the night came. They returned to Elder Kettle's home and the two played and chatted with Cuphead and Mugman. The four were very happy and Elder kettle was brimmed with pride seeing his grandchildren safe and sound.
Dice helped out more with the community when Porsha asked him, so he was not sitting outside the lab all day, and he does it to ease her mind. The people around Inkwell Isle noticed his change after the week and are finally treating him like a human being. Even Porkrind hired him as a shopkeeper in one of his shops. Finally, the results of all the tests came in and Dr. Khol handed Dice the files and paperwork of the outcome.