Masked (A Hat In Time)

New Growth

And now, the moment you've been waiting for...

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Bow Kid had run over the bridge that led to the manor and was starting to come into sight of it. She nearly did a double-take as she realized that she was running over a grassy field where there would normally be ice and snow. The ice was Vanessa's magic, right? Was it melting because she was dead?

And what did that mean for Halcyon- Jaide's home?

Now wasn't the time to think about that.

Bow Kid picked up her pace until she saw the ruined manor. Windows were broken, and there were burn marks everywhere from Jaide's attacks. Structures once supported by ice had collapsed.

And in front of the manor, where snow still covered the ground here and there, there was a large patch of flowers. Bow paused. All the flowers were white and ethereal. Even from a distance, Bow Kid could tell they were Hope flowers.

And the prince was sitting right in front of the field, his back to Bow Kid.

Relief flooded through her. "Prince!" she yelled, racing toward him.

The prince looked up and was nearly knocked over as Bow Kid plowed into him with a hug. "Kiddo?" he asked, sounding somewhat bewildered. "What are you doing here?"

"You ran off!" she told him, biting back tears with a sniffle. "W-we were so worried!"

His face softened, and he hugged her back. "I-I'm sorry," he murmured. "I wasn't thinking straight. I was just so upset about Snatcher being angry at me that I wanted to get out of there. But I shouldn't have gone off like that. I'm sorry for worrying you."

Now he was apologizing for needing some space when he was stressed? Bow Kid frowned, but she decided not to press him. She didn't want to stress the prince out further.

After a quick squeeze, she pulled away. "Why'd you come back here?" Bow Kid asked.

The prince looked somewhat puzzled. "I'm not sure," he answered. "Instinct, maybe. I wasn't really thinking about where I was going."

At Bow Kid's concerned look, he gave her a shy smile. "I'm glad, though- with the snow melting, it's so pretty here now!" He reached over and gently brushed his thumb over a flower. "I remembered something new when I saw these flowers. It's an old Subcon legend that they'd show you something happy to come when you picked them. I wanted to try and pick one to see if it's true."

"It is," Bow Kid told him. He gave her a wide-eyed look. "I've picked a few," she explained with a smile.

Does he know about the other Hope flowers? The black ones? The ones that serve as warnings?

As if summoned by her thoughts, a flower pushed its head out of the soil next to her feet and opened its black petals. The black blossom turned toward Bow as if it was expecting her to pick it.

Instead, she lifted her leg and crushed it beneath her shoe. There was no way she wanted to see that creepy image of her crying and saying "Please," again. Besides, she'd done all it asked. She'd taken the timepiece and had it in her pocket right now! Why did it need to keep reminding her oh, something bad is gonna happen!

Thankfully, the prince didn't seem to notice her crushing the flower. He was too busy admiring the soft white petals of the Hope flowers. He looked like he was gathering his confidence.

Finally, he plucked the flower gently from the ground. With a curious light in his eyes, he carefully observed the petals of the flower. Bow Kid hoped that whatever he was seeing, it made him happy.

But his eyes widened, and he just looked sad and confused. The flower crumbled to ash in his hands, making him flinch. The prince let the ashes drop to the ground. "What did you see?" Bow Kid asked.

The prince turned his solemn gaze to her. "I...I didn't see anything," he told her. "There wasn't an image in the petals."

"What?" Bow Kid asked.

He just shook his head. "What does that mean? That nothing happy is going to happen to me...?" The prince's face fell.

"No, that can't be it!" she exclaimed quickly. Bow hated seeing anyone this sad, especially the prince. "In the flowers, it shows me everyone being happy together!" she told him. "You, me, Hattie, Jaide, Snatcher, and Moon!" Just to make sure, she picked a flower. It was the same image of everyone hugging. She ignored the last mystery person there and focused on the prince. He looked a little nervous, but also happy! Then again, he always looked nervous.

"I see it right now," Bow told him. "We're all happy. How can your flower not count that as something happy in your future?"

"I'm not sure," the prince said with another small shake of his head. Bow Kid tossed away the flower just as it crumpled and withered.

"Well, who cares what that flower says?" Bow Kid said stubbornly. "Maybe it's just superstition. Maybe it knows nothing about our future."

She knew that what she said wasn't true. After all, the visions in Jaide's flowers had come true. Bow Kid was still a little bewildered that the flowers had predicted that Hattie and Bow would meet Jaide.

Still, she wanted to hold out hope. Maybe the bad thing that the black flower predicted wouldn't come true. She would make sure that the prince was happy, no matter what any stupid flower said.

Of course, she and Hattie would have to leave...but the smile that Bow Kid's declaration had brought to the prince's face reminded her that they weren't leaving yet. They still had to get that timepiece back.

Bow Kid reached out and hugged the prince. "We don't need those flowers to have hope," she told him.

His smile widened as he hugged her closer. "Honestly, how do you do it?" he asked with a small laugh. "You kids can bring a smile to my face almost effortlessly."

She laughed too. "It's just part of our natural charm, I guess."

"Aw, isn't that sweet?" said a familiar voice behind her.

Bow Kid stiffened, her eyes growing wide.

The prince looked up. "Bow Kid...do you know this person?" he asked. There was a note of alarm in his voice.

Bow Kid reluctantly pulled away from the prince and stood. She was almost dreading turning around because she knew who it was. She knew who was there. And she knew he would try to hurt her and the prince.

Still, the only way to fight him was to face him.

Bow Kid took a deep breath and turned around.

The Outlander flashed a bright white grin at her. "Miss me, brat?"