A/N: BOO! Told ya I'd be back with the DLC! And it only took about a year… and two months. Anyway, yeah! Here we are! This is obviously going to be shorter than the original story, but hey! Let's have fun! :)
So, if you're new here... Hello. This is a continuation of my other story "A Cloak In Time's Trials". So, if you're interested and haven't read that story, I highly recommend that you read it.
Rain poured down from the darkened skies of Mafia Town. The place typically had a warmer climate, but that did not save the island from having snow in the winter.
Still, Cloak Kid couldn't be happier. He wore his purple, waterproof cloak and was joyfully walking the streets. He trotted up to the higher parts of Mafia Town, only stopping when he saw the observatory. His green eyes focused on it completely.
How long had it been since he and his shipmate, Hat Kid, came to this planet? If he remembered correctly, did his math and remembered to account for this planet's rotation and compare it to his old planet, it would be around six months.
Cloak Kid became stark still. It had been a year since… he and his friend left their old home. It wasn't like he hated this planet or anything, but it was easy to miss the things he loved about his old home. Up until that day a year ago, he had never left his home planet before… and now he could never go back.
Suddenly, the tall building that caught his eye was too much for him to look at. Still, he had to go higher to get home, so off he went.
The Mafia had gotten better in their ways, but at the same time, they were still the Mafia. So, they still had their HQ at the top of the island, supported by a volcano that was repurposed to shoot water upwards by sucking up water from the ocean. One day, Cloak Kid wanted to discover how they did that.
The boy made it back to the ship. It was near the top of the island, on a big landing platform made of only the finest of wood. A golden hourglass emblem was in the middle with a matching circle around it. For safety purposes, there was a railing on the edges.
With the door on the big window of the main lobby, Cloak Kid hopped onto the frame and opened it, where he was soon welcomed by the warmth of the ship's heater. His cold, almost numb nose and fingers felt as if they were thawing out from being frozen. He lowered his purple hood, revealing his brown locks of hair.
"You're back!" a voice called, as Cloak Kid shut the door.
As if on cue, Hat Kid tumbled out of the yellow tube slide, letters and envelopes tumbling out with her before she landed safely on her bottom. She quickly reached over for her indigo top hat that had fallen nearby and placed it back on her head before standing.
Cloak Kid just sighed, but as he rolled his eyes, he smiled and took off his waterproof cloak. He shook it around a little, raindrops touching the carpet. Rumbi showed up just in time to clean it up, as the boy put his cloak on the nearby hanger.
Hat Kid's yellow cape flowed behind her as she ran up to her shipmate. "That was a short walk. Are you okay?"
Cloak Kid nodded. His irises darted to the side for a moment. "I just thought it'd be better if I got back to work sooner. We have only this platform built, and the terrain in Subcon Forest and the Alps can be difficult.
"Pfft! Come on! You just came in. Warm up a little."
"But my cloak-"
"As in relax!" Hat Kid chided. "You should see the stuff they broadcast on this planet some more."
Cloak Kid sighed. "If I give you ten minutes will you leave me alone?"
That was all Hat Kid needed to hear. She had him sit down by the TV, with his boots off, wrapped in a warm blanket, and some cushions and some snacks. They sat down and watched cartoons. It wasn't long before they were laughing their heads off. Ten minutes turned into twenty, and then an hour. A movie came on, but halfway into it, Hat Kid turned to see her friend fast asleep, his head snuggled against some pillows.
Hat Kid could only smile at the sight. Cloak Kid only sighed in content when she ran her fingers through his hair. She knew she would have to get him to bed, but decided to at least finish the movie. She huffed as it cut to a commercial break.
Of course, the young girl knew exactly why Cloak Kid had gone nose deep in his work. He didn't have to say a thing. It had been a year since they had been forced to leave their old planet. Yes, Hat Kid was grateful everyday to the universe for Cloak Kid's new bill of health. She just wished he'd appreciate it more, rather than using it as an excuse to work even harder. Even though Tim was gone, it didn't mean he'd want his grandson to join him.
Such melancholy thoughts also made her think of the one other friend she had back in her old home. Nobody blamed her for what happened, at least not anymore. Still, when she did think about that, she wondered if that friend of hers was okay. Even if she was, Hat Kid wasn't certain if she deserved to see her.
Hat Kid let out a sigh. Maybe she needed a break, too…
And then, as if on cue, she heard exactly what she needed to hear.
"Set on a journey to the coldest cold, all while in the lap of luxury!"
Hat Kid turned to the TV and saw a big sea ship. It was bigger than any of the ones she had seen in Mafia Town. It was white, with a bunch of windows, sparkling with a mirror shine.
"With our five star facilities and staff, we will attend to your every need as we explore the vast oceans of the arctic." Hat Kid's eyes sparkled as she saw a big dining area with chandeliers, a pool, a bar, the greenery of a garden, statues and a casino.
As the phone number appeared on the screen, Hat Kid stood up. She looked around the lobby, seeing Cloak Kid fast asleep, and Rumbi bumping into a corner again.
"Ow! My circuit board!"
Hat Kid dusted off her hands. This was a trip they needed. She had been looking after Cloak Kid since he got sick, and she wasn't going to stop now, just because he was better. So she marched herself to the Machine Room and dialed the number on the TV.
Cloak Kid glared the next morning when Hat Kid stormed into his room and took him away from his bed before he could work at his desk. He was taken to the kitchen where he counted Hat Kid lucky that he loved waffles for breakfast. After serving herself, Hat Kid hopped onto a barrel in the back and made her proclamation.
"A cruise?" Cloak Kid asked after her announcement. "I've never been on one before."
"Well, me neither, but it's worth a shot," Hat Kid replied. "We could use some relaxation."
Cloak Kid frowned. "But-"
"Ten hut!" Hat Kid then raised her voice. "As the self-proclaimed captain of this ship, I order you to escort me to an official function on the, uh…" She paused for a moment to check the brochure, "the S.S. Literally Can't Sink."
Cloak Kid tilted his head, with a brow raised. "Is that really what it's called?"'
"Well, it's what it says in this thingy!" Hat Kid grumbled, waving the brochure around. She hopped off of the barrel and walked back over to the breakfast table. "We can worry about our work again when we get back. We both need it. Besides, I've never seen so much snow in one place. It sounds peaceful."
Cloak Kid finished his waffles. He then took a sip of his warm milk. "Vanessa's Manor."
Hat Kid raised a brow. "Huh?"
The boy set down his mug. It then occurred to him that it was possible that she didn't remember much while she was under the Snatcher's spell. "N-Nevermind." With that, he took another sip of his drink. "You know, I thought you'd be more serious about this considering how more time sensitive you are."
"What?"
Cloak Kid smiled, even if he sounded solemn as he spoke more. "It's how you were able to activate the Time Pieces so easily. For most people, they have to physically touch the hourglasses, and even then it can take years of study to even use them in a stable manner. But you were different. You just had to be near it for it to do what you needed it to do. Maybe that's why gramps wanted to train you." With that, Cloak Kid stared down at what remained in his mug. "I was… kind of jealous actually."
"Huh." Hat Kid did remember all of those times of the hourglasses working for her when she needed them to. There was the Mafia Boss who once threatened Cloak Kid with a cleaver, and when DJ Grooves was about to stab him when he was vulnerable and severely ill. Even though she had forgiven them for their transgressions… somewhat, the memories still haunted her. Then she remembered their fight with the Snatcher. "Wait. Is that why you-"
"The Time Stop hat?" said Cloak Kid. "Yeah. I read Gramps's book and… Well, only someone like you could handle it. I, uh… I had to use a bit of the Time Piece's power to make it, and uh…" He craned his neck, grimacing harder as he made this admission of guilt. "I can't tell you how many rules I probably broke making that for you, but I-"
Cloak Kid was stopped when Hat Kid ran up and pulled him into her arms. The boy just stopped for a moment, his mouth hanging open, before he gently set his mug back on the table, to prevent spilling. Then he hugged her back.
"Thank-you…" she said, gently. "I'm surprised you didn't tell me sooner."
Cloak Kid shrugged. "Me too."
Hat Kid pulled away. "The Time Pieces will be fine," she reassured him. "Besides, I know you've been making some upgrades to our security and stuff."
"Yeah… While trying to make sure nothing blows up…"
Hat Kid patted her shipmate's back. "It'll be fine, I promise."
Finally, Cloak Kid picked up his drink again and finished it before conceding. "Okay." He then picked up the brochure and read it. "What the peck is a face peel? They don't… peel your face off… do they?"
"They do if you don't watch your language," said Hat Kid.
"Shut up."
As soon as Hat Kid got her shipmate's approval, she had him relax while she got everything ready. Since the cruise offered laundry service, she didn't see why they couldn't just pack light. They were also able to provide coordinates for the young spacefarers. So, they decided to launch the ship into space and just let it stay in orbit while they were on their first official vacation.
Hat Kid packed only what she needed in a small one person suitcase that was the same color as her indigo tunic and hat. Cloak Kid's suitcase was red like his tunic and the zipper sealing it was purple, like his cloak. They took their luggage to the lobby and Hat Kid took one last look at the landing location from the captain's desk.
"What about my other cloaks?" said Cloak Kid.
Hat Kid gave Rumbi a little pat after seeing that they were all good to go. The little machine did some joyful flips.
"It's a cruise!" Hat Kid chided. "We don't need those or my other hats!"
Cloak Kid rolled his eyes. "Fine! But I'm taking my staff."
"Well, yeah!" Hat Kid replied, her umbrella in hand. She walked over to the window and opened the door. Cloak Kid pulled out his controller and turned on all of the new security controls he had put in.
Both children watched in awe as the room in the lobby turned dark to save power. Barely visible lasers zig zagged all over the place, pillars appeared around the Time Piece vault, a forcefield powering up to block any potential chance of intruders touching it. Rumbi's glowing little digital eyes turned red, and little hands of metal came out. One was holding a rod that was electrified and the other had a little stun gun.
"You're in charge, RumbI!" Hat Kid declared. "Good luck!"
The girl turned to the planet below and grinned. Cloak Kid was double and then triple checking the brochure. That boy was going to relax if it was the last thing she did! "Let's go!"
Cloak Kid barely managed to grab his suitcase before Hattie grabbed his other hand and jumped from the ship. A surprised yell emerged from the boy's mouth as they made their way down to the planet.
Once they were almost at the location in question the pair of kids used their landing equipment. Hat Kid's umbrella unfurled, and Cloak Kid pressed a button on his staff that deployed a parachute.
The pair landed safely onto a docking area by the coast. Even so, they could already feel a chill in the air coming towards them. When the cruise promised "arctic," they weren't lying.
Lights were shining up from the stone pavement, leading up to the docks and the ship looked exactly like it did from the commercial, which Hat Kid was happy about. Palm trees were to their left and right, with green grass on the ground and colorful streamers hanging over their heads.
It seemed that word had gotten out about the cruise, since they weren't the only ones who arrived. There were tons of familiar faces, like the Express Owls, the Moon Penguins, the Crows of the Crow Agent Watch, some Mafia and a couple of the Nomads. Cloak Kid and hat Kid made their way through the murmuring crowd.
"You know, after traveling on the Conductor's train all the time, I'm looking forward to something a little more… reliable," said an Express Owl.
"I hope there's something to do other than take a dip," said a Moon Penguin.
"I can't wait to get some time in the pool," another Owl said, hopefully.
Cloak Kid tried not to pout, but all of these people were making him nervous. As much as he was happy that most of these people wouldn't harm him or his friend, he was still used to the quiet and solitude his work gave him. He knew Hat Kid meant well, but he was once again feeling doubtful about this vacation.
And then, Cloak Kid's face lit up upon seeing someone even more familiar. He passed by the people and darted up to none other than the Conductor. And he was nearly knocked off balance by Cloak Kid's sudden need to embrace him. The Conductor growled at first, ready to chew out whoever it was, but paused upon seeing it was Cloak Kid.
"Hi!" Cloak Kid chirped, looking up at him.
"Cloak! There you are!" Hat Kid showed up just in time and pulled him away. "Sorry."
"Not at all, lassie," the Conductor said, messing with the boy's hair, which Cloak Kid just laughed at. "The lad and I haven't spoken in a while, and it's nice to see someone who appreciates me passion fer trains."
"You're going on the cruise, too?" Cloak Kid asked. He pulled his cloak towards himself upon feeling a tug. He looked down at the grass and saw what he could only describe as a tiny version of the Conductor. In fact, there were multiple of them, peeping and waddling around. "Um, are these your kids?"
"Grandkids," the Conductor answered. He smiled at the sight of Hat Kid's eyes lighting up and started letting them grab her outstretched fingers when she held them out. Cloak Kid, on the other hand, was nervous about the young Owls pulling at his hair and cloak and had wordlessly hid behind him. Despite that, the Owl couldn't help but laugh. "And yes. The wee ones haven't been on a cruise before and I was thinking of a vacation after the world almost endin' and all. Anyway, I'd better go ask about the child care on board. I love these little blighters, but I cannae bring them to the bar with me, can I?"
"I-I suppose not…" Cloak Kid responded, nervously. Finally, Hat Kid came to his rescue and took his hand.
"Well, we'll see you on board," said Hat Kid. Cloak Kid waved with a smile as they made their way to the docks.
There was a white banner hanging over the entrance. It said the words "WELCOME ABOARD" in all caps, but the letters were sloppily painted on and some of them were written backwards. There was a brown walrus for a captain standing at the side underneath it. Both kids could tell he was the captain because of the hat on his head. He had a big bushy mustache and eyebrows. A pair of cigarettes were in his mouth in place of one of his tusks, and he had a white collared shirt with a walkie talkie attached to his shirt pocket. On his left and right were a pair of small white seals.
"Wewcome to the cruise!" one of them said, cheerfully.
"We hwope you have a gweat time!"
The captain held the walkie talkie to his mouth. "Are we ready to set sail?" his deep voice spoke into the mic. He flinched at the sound of a crash and the sound of seals barking. He sighed, irritably and turned off his device, before seeing the small pair of travelers before him. "Uh… you two look a little young to be sailing alone."
Cloak Kid placed his free hand on his hip. "Hey, we're actually a hundred sixty-eight in space years… I think?"
The captain had absolutely no idea what the child was talking about… but it probably didn't matter. "Whatever. Just don't get in anyone's way. The 'crew' do enough of that already."
Cloak Kid pulled up his hood, feeling a little intimidated. But then he saw his eyes and could almost see something in his heart, before the smoke from his cigarettes got too much and he started coughing. Hat kid immediately dragged him away and onto the ramp that would take them onto the ship.
"I'm fine!" Cloak Kid pouted. "It was just the smoke!"
Hat Kid sighed. "I know, but it's not polite to stare. And no heart reading! We're here on vacation!"
"Hmph. Fine…" the boy grumbled.
The top deck had a view of one floor below which was a giant pool. There was a diving board and a water slide. Lounge chairs were placed all around the pool and in the corner was a bar.
"Wow…" Cloak Kid said, staring downward.
Hat Kid pulled him away from the railing. "Let's get checked in first!" she said. Luckily, the seal staff were directing everyone on board with arrow signs they were holding in their mouths.
The reception was downstairs in the ship's depths. There were white marble tiles on the floor, along with blue carpet that led up to the reception desk. The walls were painted in wavy stripes of blue and cyan and big potted plants were on the left and right of the desk. There was luggage everywhere. It seemed like the bellhops were trying to get everything sorted out, but it was kind of hard when the staff didn't have opposable thumbs.
"You're all checked in!" said the receptionist. "One woom fowr two!" The seal placed the key on the desk. "Thewe you go! Woom 201 in the gawden suite." Cloak Kid was hesitant, but with a reassuring pat from Hat Kid, he let the bellhop seals handle their luggage.
Hat Kid and Cloak Kid made their way to the indoor garden. The floor was paved in stone and the grass was as green as it got. There were tulips, palm trees, pine apples, shrubs and lots of daisies. There was also a big waterfall in the back with bushy ivy growing on the walls. In front of the waterfall was a statue of what looked to be a mermaid seal.
Cloak Kid was in awe. He stared, not realizing his mouth was hanging open. "I haven't seen this much green since we were back home…" he said. The boy had to wipe his eyes several times to make sure he wasn't dreaming.
On the sides of the garden were the hotel rooms. Theirs was on the second floor. Their hotel room was a modest size with blue carpets and light blue walls that faded out into white near the top. Next to the two person bed, that was in the corner, was a shelf closet with two others on the opposite side of the room. A single gently lit lantern was on one of them and there was a door in the back that led to the bathroom. And, to Cloak Kid's relief, their luggage was safe and had been left by the bed they would be sleeping in.
"BED!" Hat Kid exclaimed. She kicked off her boots and was the first to run up and jump onto the cushy mattress.
Cloak Kid inspected the shelves, felt the softness of the complimentary towels that were left on one of them, and entered the bathroom. The walls were the same, but the floor was wood with a wax finish. On the far wall was a window and as the boy approached it, the intercom came on.
"Attention, passengers. And 'crew'." It sounded like the ship's captain from earlier.
Suddenly, The ship rumbled with the powerful sound of the engine starting to work and move the ship forward. Cloak Kid hung onto the towel rack, but heard an audible "Wah!" from back in the bedroom.
"The ship is now leaving. Please try not to fall off."
Cloak Kid made his way back to the bedroom once the rumbling settled. Hat Kid was fine, sitting comfortably on the bed, before hopping off and grabbing her shipmate's hand once again.
"Come on!" she said, pulling him out of the room. "Let's find a better place to watch!"
The pair were just in time to watch the departure from the top deck. They weren't the only ones up there. As the ship got further and further from the coast, everyone began to take in the cold ocean, the beautiful icy glaciers and the starry night above them.
Despite the nighttime chill, Cloak Kid couldn't stop beaming as he stared at the sights around him. He saw his breath as a slight wisp of steam. He took a deep inhale of the icy air and then let it all out, his heart soaring at how smooth that went. Six months ago, he would've been a coughing mess from deep breathing the cold air. His green eyes sparkled.
If only he could see him now…
Suddenly, Cloak Kid grabbed Hat Kid's hand. "Let's go!" And despite not changing into the proper clothes, he dragged Hattie from the edge of the deck towards the middle. This time it was her turn to yell as they jumped and dove into the pool below.
Cloak Kid was the first to swim up and reach the surface and he just started laughing. His hair and clothes were sopping wet and his cloak was dragging behind him, flowing as if he were a floating ghost. Hat Kid's hat landed gently on the surface. The girl emerged from below, growling, but her heart softened upon seeing Cloak Kid's laughter. So, instead of chewing him out for ruining their clothes, she started splashing him, escalating things into a playful water fight.
The pair played around in the water until Hat Kid finally dragged herself and her friend out and they retreated to their room to warm up. After a hot shower and just changing into their pajamas for the night, they decided to eat dinner in their room, warming up in the room's provided blankets and then they got to learn about the planet's local plant life in the garden.
The odd duo retreated to their room once they were tired. Cloak Kid was the first one in bed once they were done brushing their teeth. They sent their ruined clothes down to the laundry unit, with a special note of how Hat Kid's top hat was dry clean only.
Cloak Kid was snuggled up on the pillows. Hat kid joined him before pulling the blanket over them.
"Thanks, Hattie…" Cloak Kid mumbled. "I had a great day…"
Hat Kid patted his head. "Told ya. Now get some rest. We've got a few more days on this ship."
Cloak Kid was too tired to chew out his friend's sass. He was fast asleep before Hat kid laid herself down beside him.
This really was the vacation they needed.
Hat Kid looked up at the night sky. It was odd. Cloak Kid was next to her, but she noticed that they weren't on the ship anymore. She didn't even know exactly where she was, but when the girl looked around, she saw tall buildings like… clock towers.
Cloak Kid pointed up, an excited smile on his face. When Hat Kid looked up, she saw a shooting star and she wasn't sure why, but she started running after it as it sparkled across the sky.
Suddenly, Hat kid saw someone out of the corner of her eye. Still running, she took a moment to glance, and her focus was taken away from the shooting star entirely.
Hat Kid was struggling to slow herself down. She saw a girl. A green long sweater, brown curly, poofy hair…
The girl turned to her, Hat Kid's teal eyes gazed into a pair of strong purple eyes.
Then the star struck the ground over the horizon and everything went white.
"BOW!"
Hat Kid awoke with a start. She sat up in her bed, and looked around the darkened room. After seeing that she was still in her room on the cruise ship, she let out a sigh. Cloak Kid was still fast asleep, no doubt exhausted from all of the excitement of today's events.
It was just a dream… right?
Hat Kid wasn't sure. She's had dreams with her friends in it, but this one somehow felt different. With her hands on the blanket, Hat Kid glanced once more at her sleeping shipmate as more and more thoughts clouded her judgment.
"You know, I thought you'd be more serious about this considering how more time sensitive you are."
Was this a thing from her so-called "time sensitive" abilities? Hat Kid didn't know. The only one who probably did wasn't around anymore to tell her. The more she sat there, however, the more she felt her heart sinking in her chest. Something wasn't right, but she wasn't sure what.
Hat Kid wasn't getting any sleep at this rate, anyway. So, she got up and slipped her feet into her boots. Still in her pajamas, the girl found herself leaving her room and wandering around the ship. Despite it being the middle of the night, she could still hear other passengers up, playing in the casino, along with the laughter of those crows from the Crow Agent Watch.
Then, Hat Kid made her way down into the reception area. The seals were still sorting out the luggage, when one of the bellhops slipped and fell to the floor pushing one of the carts towards another suitcase stack.
As the cases fell everywhere, Hat Kid covered herself, making sure nothing hit her, but as the wreckage settled, she noticed something sparkly in the middle. It had been buried underneath the pile. She hopped and skipped over cases. Once at the center, Hat Kid noticed that they were shards of glass, and pieces of a wooden frame. Her jaw then dropped.
Was that… a Time Piece?