Masked (A Hat In Time)

Recovery

Um, wow? We're pretty much done with arc 3 already. I might need one or two chapters to wrap things up, this one included.

Anyway *angsts you*

---

Everyone returned to Snatcher's home feeling and looking weary and drained. Moon had his arm around Jaide. It'd taken her a while to calm down, but now she kept her gaze down. Her yellow-green eyes were blank with no sign of remorse or any emotion at all.

The prince was awake by the time they entered. Moon's strings had withdrawn now that he was fully healed. He was sitting up, rubbing the back of his head. He looked up when they came in, his eyes widening with shock when he saw how battered and broken they looked.

"W-what happened?" he asked, his voice quiet yet filled with horror.

Snatcher's eyes narrowed. "Out of my chair," he growled.

The prince immediately hopped down from the chair and moved out of the way. Snatcher floated over and settled rightfully in his chair.

Bow Kid rushed over and pulled the prince into a hug. He looked startled and confused.

Hattie felt tears rush into her eyes. Everything she'd just watched had to be nothing compared to what the prince had gone through. It was horrible to think about it.

It just was nice to finally get a break. To know that even if it was just for this moment, everyone was okay. Everyone was safe. No one was hurt.

She swept forward and hugged the prince too. He gasped when she joined the hug. Why does he sound scared? He's safe now. He's not going to be hurt anymore. So why...?

Bow Kid looked up at him, blinking back tears. "Never do something like that again," she told him forcefully, her voice cracking.

Hat Kid lifted her head, wanting to see the prince's reaction. He looked frightened, ashamed, guilty, and painfully sad. His face softened as he finally wrapped his arms around them and hugged them back. "I'm so sorry," he whispered. He sounded like he was on the verge of tears too. "I-I should have known better. I shouldn't have done that to you."

Bow Kid lowered her head again, burying it in the prince's chest. Hat Kid managed a small, half-hearted smile, but her heart wasn't really in it.

With another look around the room, she realized that her previous assumption was wrong. Snatcher had an exhausted, dark look on his face. Moon was saying something to Jaide with an ashen look on his face. And Jaide still had that emotionless look on her face, her clothes in tatters.

They weren't safe at all. Safe people didn't have this aura of dread and shadows hanging around them. Safe people didn't have those looks on their faces. Safe people smiled without forcing it.

They were still in danger. Hat Kid just didn't know what the danger was.

---

"Could we please go back to the spaceship?" the prince asked softly after a few more minutes of hugging. "I-I don't like how Snatcher's looking at me."

Hat Kid snuck a glance at Snatcher. He quickly averted his gaze. She'd been noticing it too. Every so often, he'd send a glare in their direction, all of them aimed at the prince. Why was he so upset?

"Sure," Bow answered. Reluctantly, she and Hattie pulled out of the hug and took his hand. They were transported back to their spaceship immediately.

The moment he was no longer under Snatcher's scrutinizing gaze, the prince relaxed. "I'm sorry," he whispered again. Tears welled in his eyes, and he feebly tried to wipe them away. "I-I'm so, so sorry."

Again, Hattie and Bow stepped forward and hugged him. This time, he felt comfortable enough to completely melt into them, pulling them close and holding them tight. Despite how sad he was, it was comforting to hold him. He was squishier and softer than a normal human, which made a great hug.

"Did she hurt you?" Bow Kid asked softly. Her voice was shaky.

The prince stiffened. Hat Kid winced.

"I'm sorry," Bow said, backtracking quickly. "I know it's a touchy subject, I shouldn't have asked-"

"I-it's okay!" the prince said, assuring her just as quickly. "Y-you deserve to know. I never should have-" he cut himself off, biting back a sob.

Before Hat Kid could ask if he was okay, he spoke again. "She did hurt me," the prince said solemnly. "I don't want to go into details, but I thought I would die again. After that, she threw me into the dungeon. Again."

The girls shared a sad look. "Why did you go?" Hat Kid whispered.

Again, the prince grew stiff. And again, he told them. He looked away, too ashamed to make eye contact as he told them. "I...well..." He sighed. "I only have bad memories of Vanessa. But I know that I loved her. Even if I can't remember, I loved her. But all I can remember is being hurt and killed."

The prince shuddered and had to take a moment before he continued. "I wanted to know why I loved her," he murmured. "I wanted to see if I could find any hint of the woman I loved. I wanted to know why exactly it hurt so much when she betrayed me."

The kids shared a look, wide-eyed and horrified. "But she still hurt you?!" Bow Kid asked.

He nodded, and Bow held him a little bit closer.

"That's not all," the prince said softly. "No, I had more than those reasons for leaving."

When Hattie looked into his eyes, she saw they were filled with pain, guilt, and misery.

"You said you were leaving, right?" The prince's voice had dropped to a mere whisper. He was shaking hard from oncoming tears. "I thought you were leaving b-because...you- you hated me."

Bow gasped. Hattie just stared in disbelief. "I-I thought I was bothering you...I always had to stay in your ship, and you had to take me back and forth...th-that must've gotten tiring..." His explanation had turned into more of an anxious ramble. "I-I thought I was doing you a favor by leaving. You wouldn't have to deal with me anymore."

"What?!" Their exclamation was almost a yell. Hat Kid couldn't believe what he was saying. He really thought we hated him?! WHY?!

The prince flinched. Hat Kid cringed, feeling guilty for scaring him. "Sorry," Bow quickly murmured.

"No, I'm the one who's sorry," he mumbled. "I-I didn't know that you would come and save me...even after I thought you hated me- even after I abandoned you."

"Why wouldn't we?" Hat Kid asked. The prince just looked at her with sad yellow eyes. "You're our friend. You're kind and sweet, and you never deserved all the pain you've been put through. Moon, Jaide, and Snatcher all agree too. So of course we'd come to save you!"

The prince couldn't think of a response to that. Instead of replying, his tear-filled eyes finally started to spill. He trembled as he cried, feebly trying to wipe the tears away as they came. Hattie and Bow held him tighter than ever, and he leaned into their touch.

"I-I'm so sorry," he whispered again and again. "I'm so sorry."

---

When the clock in their room indicated that it was nighttime, and Hattie and Bow started to get tired, they finally untangled themselves from the prince's hug and went to get ready for bed.

The prince headed over to his pile of pillows and fell into them with a sigh. Hat Kid watched them for a moment, then headed over. She leaned down and hugged him, just like how she hugged him when he was unconscious. "Good night," she whispered.

He hugged her back a lot tighter than she was expecting. "P-please d-don't leave my side," he stammered. "J-just for tonight? Please?"

Hattie couldn't help but smile, but her heart fell from how sorry she felt for him. "Of course," she said. "I'll stay with you."

"Me too!" Bow exclaimed, suddenly diving into the hug. She cannoned into the pillows, wrapping her arms around the prince. He gasped in surprise but smiled at the hugs.

"Thank you," he whispered, giving them a loving squeeze. "Thank you."