Where Time Stands Still

Prelude- Mafia Town

A/N: Okay so, today's the big day we release the first chapter and I want to make sure I get it out nice and early so I'm not worrying about it later in the day so what if I last minute decided to make chapter art

Oh well. At least it's getting out today

Also, introducing our completely correct protagonist!

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Bow Kid adjusted her bow as she looked at the window, using her reflection to make sure it was on right. She then sighed and sat down, leaned against the window, and pulled out the pieces of paper she had collected. The Twilight Ascent, read the first page. The title was framed by a bunch of stars in the shape of a bell.

Bow had spent the past week-ish finishing her business on this planet. After taking a day's break to recover from the planet being overrun with lava by a certain mustached someone, she resumed collecting the timepieces she had lost what felt like ages ago. Over the course of the past two weeks, she had taken (and definitely not crashed) a cruise, joined and then betrayed a gang, and climbed multiple mountains, collecting many timepieces along the way. Bow also patched up many rifts all over the planet, ending it off with a purple time rift in Alpine. She skimmed through the storybook-which told the story of a goat who climbed the Alpine mountains and ascended-then slipped them into her pocket along with all of the other storybooks. Bow stood up and peered into the telescope next to her, making sure the purple rift was patched before stepping away.

With the purple rift repaired, Alpine Skyline was finally done. That brought Bow's total amount of timepieces up to 56. Every single lost timepiece was back, and Bow could finally go home.

She was still for a moment before pumping her fist in the air. "YES! Finished!!" She yelled. Bow could head to her home planet at last! Sure, she would have to say her goodbyes first, and get some people off of her ship, but then she was good to go! Bow turned around and looked into the space and stars beyond the window. Somewhere out there was her home planet. And she was about to return.

Bow switched to her Sprint hat and got a running start before hookshotting across the room and sprinting to the main room of her ship. The planet she was parked above could be seen from the giant window. Bow looked down on the planet proundly, knowing she had explored every inch of it. Now, to see the product of her work. Bow turned around. On the wall behind her were screens that kept track of her collected items. All of her pons, all 18 relics, and, most of all, her timepieces. A glorious 55 timepieces, collected from every cornet of the planet. Bow grinned. Finally, she had...

Wait.

Her smile dropped away. 55? She's supposed to have 56! Did she miss one? She frantically thought of what could be missing, a feeling of dread growing. She knew Alpine was finished, she had just checked that, but there where so many other places to look. Mafia Town had a lot of timepieces, maybe she missed one? Or would it be in Dead Bird Studios? Subcon was a big place too, maybe she missed a time rift? Did one sink on the cruise? Did the Empress manage to keep one hidden from her? Bow climbed the ladder to the second floor and burst into the kitchen, making Cooking Cat jump a mile. Looking into the telescope, she confirmed she got everything in Mafia Town. Then she checked the engine room, then her bedroom, followed by the laundry room and the lab. Everything was clear. Did she miss a time rift in the ship? No, that couldn't be it. She knew her ship like the back of her hand, and routinely checked for rifts in every room. Maybe in the attic? Bow headed up and looked around. Nothing but the telescope. Though she knew it wouldn't happen-The telescope lead to a time rift, and you can't spawn a time rift in a time rift-Bow peered through just to confirm a rift hadn't appeared.

So where was it?

Bow Kid huffed. Did somebody take it? There were many, many people who tried to steal her timepieces on this planet, and she had several others on her ship. But everyone on her ship seemed so nice, or didn't have the arms to do it. She didn't think anyone would take it. Still, might as well check. Just in case.