Chapter Text
It’s hard to track time whilst flying through the endless void of space. The endless darkness broken up by stars both new and faded, as well as countless, endless game worlds that don’t seem to ever stop appearing just on the horizon.
Sure, their recon ship, Nimble, had built in displays and other gizmos that monitored all sorts of things, from vital signs, to navigation, to humidity, air conditioning, internal pressure and, of course, time. But. This is how Kit felt for the longest time now. They’ve been at it for so long that all of it blends together, becoming monotonous, days and weeks becoming nearly indistinguishable from one another. It all passes in a blip. A blur. Find a game world, learn more about it, try to stop the hero, Syntax show up, ka-BOOM, another failed mission, and another world gone. Another world SHE couldn’t protect, couldn’t save. They haven’t been able to save any game worlds, really. Not in a way that mattered, or wouldn’t result in their destruction anyways… Back to the drawing board, back to flying through the, admittedly, beautiful emptiness, with only you, your allies, friends and your own thoughts that weight on you heavily. That is something Kit has been dealing with on the regular, but right now her priority should be on the mission, which is… Ah, right. They were on another recon mission. They were supposed to map out as many possible safe and fast routes to new, uncharted game worlds, gather as much intelligence as the ships memory banks and processing unit allows with the on-board scanners, and after a while – return to base with a complete report. Simple.
The journey so far hasn’t been too exciting. No Syntax interference, nothing. It was likely that the Syntax are active in another sector of the Gameoverse right now, which would mean that other Farcade teams have to deal with them. Hopefully they are far more prepared for such confrontations than what Kit and the rest had to make do with on multiple occasions, outnumbered, outgunned… That kind of thing.
Farcade had managed to gather a sizable amount of previous heroes(in some cases other characters from their worlds that managed to escape alongside them) as well as scramble together a respectable fleet to patrol large portions of the between the world territory. The Farcade fleet swelled in numbers over time, relying on smaller task forces with decentralized control doing as many missions as possible, rarely taking direct battles, as opposed to the Syntax’s tactics of smashing everything with their flagship (and also their main operating base). Regardless of- that. Having more people to do the job is always helpful, meaning Kit and her crew have far less to deal with in terms of orders from Dusk, including the intensity and amounts of missions they have to deal by themselves. It’s a relief, honestly, despite how selfish it may be. They deserve a break once in a while, do they not?
With a heavy sigh, Kit would open her eyes and assess the situation. She had been zoning out and thinking too hard, too frequently as of late. She’s been so tired and drained of any energy after so much happening of quickly. She’ll figure this out later, right now she should check up on others and focus on the mission.
Having a quick glance around the interior of their brave recon ship – she gathered the following information:
Kaboodle was at the wheel, elevated on the front row pilot seat, as basically always. He’s very gifted in that field, having a much easier time with electronics and all sorts of machinery. He’s been their primary pilot and mechanic for a while now. He doesn’t mind, of course, but sometimes… a little bit of help surely would be appreciated(even if he won’t say that out loud). He’s also been opening up a bit more lately, which is also great progress as of late. Kaboodle seemed less tense than usual, probably because they didn’t get into any life ending skirmishes with the Syntax for what felt like weeks. He’s still very alert and attentive, but not as stressed as before. That’s good to know. He seems to be staring off in front of them, admiring the view of a passing comet in the distance.
As for Gobbles - he was standing next to the seat Kaboodle was occupying. He was monitoring one of the many panels their ship had. It’s a variety of trackers, scanners and other gizmos that Kit couldn’t be bothered to remember off the top of her head. Clocks, scanners, vital signs monitoring, pressure and thermal control, and so on. Right now Gobbles is monitoring their flight trajectory, seemingly manually inputting a more optimal route for the return trip to the base. The navigation system has been having a few hic ups here and there, likely because of the constant use and regular damage that their brave Nimble had taken over the course of so many mission, so it isn’t a surprise that someone would want to ensure a proper path back incase anything breaks, so they don’t get stranded.
He’s been learning a lot lately. Kaboodle got him more involved into the whole machinery stuff, and sometimes Gobbles even manages to outdo Kaboodle in his own game, finding a glitch or patching a problem before he can even finish his sentence. It’s amusing to watch Kaboodle be humbled sometimes, but also watch the unspoken pride on his face when Gobbles does manage to get the job done so efficiently. They’ve grown quite close, compared to the first days and weeks they’ve spent as part of the team. Gobbles is a Learn-O-Saurus after all, he does learn a lot and quickly. Just to think that Kaboodle at first thought him to be useless, only to bond over the time they’ve all spent adventuring together… It brings Kit enormous amount of joy, as well as some sense of normalcy. She tends to enjoy a calmer, more jokey and light hearted environments as opposed to the constant life or death exploits they have to go through…basically daily.
Anyways, Gobbles seemed to be too focused to notice Kit wake up from her thoughtful slumber, and as such left her with just one last person to check on. Flappers.
Her super dolphin friend had been dealing with… A LOT, ever since the whole ordeal with the Syntax and his world exploding. Just like Kit – he still blames himself for what happened, and despite it being a long while since that incident…He can’t forgive himself and move on just yet, but he also can’t just mop around all day, when the perpetrators that caused this were still out there. The Syntax. Fold and Miss Information. He had been so filled with rage(and later sorrow) after it all happened, but with the help of others he was able to compose himself a little better. Sure, Flappers lost a little bit of his carefree and joyful attitude in favor of becoming a bit more serious, not taking things from others for granted and being a far more capable individual due to the lessons he’s been taking with Gobbles over time. He’s able to read and write on a decent level, and currently he’s been learning more technical sides of how their worlds and the entire Gameoverse works, which he is doing right now, actually. Flappers was resting on the pilot seat on the opposite side of the ship in comparison to the one Kit resided on at the moment. He was holding a small data pad, where he was seemingly reading yet another page with detailed information about the Float, or the matter of which game worlds are made of. It is from a report that the finest minds of Farcade have put together in the short time they were allowed to work with the samples, determining what properties all of that data has, and possible application in restoration of lost worlds.
The Syntax and their leader Warrick have been boasting all about “bringing back what was lost”, “restoring everything” and “changing the rules of the Gameoverse for the better”. Whilst in reality not taking a single step towards that goal. All that bravado only resulted in them assisting heroes of many worlds to destroy everything dear to them, and take millions, billions of lives in the process.
Kit knew why Flappers was so relentlessly reading into every word that was before him. He wanted to understand, to know… Were his friends, family, village… Were they still there? Was there anything left of them to save? Were they still out there, tangled in the endless amounts of Float that the Syntax ship had absorbed over these years? This…This question had been nibbling at the back of her mind as well. She didn’t want HER family and friends to be truly gone. She knew how I felt, everyone here did…
…
She couldn’t watch the pained expression on Flappers’ face shift into that of sorrow at the uncertainty of it all. Will he ever see them again? Will he ever be okay with letting go…? Will she? Kit caught herself on drifting into that kind of thought again. Not now, she will deal with this later, on her own time. She doesn’t want to burden and stress everyone out with her trauma when all of them already have plenty of their own to deal with. Right now her priority is to make sure all of them will be okay and well.
With a single swift motion she was back on her feet, walking past Gobbles and Kaboodle, giving them both a confident look, which would be met with rather tired gazes and positive nods, silently acknowledging her welcome presence. She quickly made her way to Flappers, standing beside the seat as he continued reading. Kit would lightly tap him on the shoulder, prompting him to shudder slightly from not expecting it. Flappers would pull the data pad down a little, and turn to seat to be facing Kit now. “Oh, uhm, hey Kit…” Flappers would say, still a little bummed out after reading for probably longer than he should with absolutely no breaks.
“Hello” she calmly replied, looking down at the data pad he was still holding “You’ve been reading a lot recently, something’s on your mind?” she gave him a sympathetic look, guessing that she already knew what was probably on Flappers’ mind, but didn’t want to say it out loud. It hurt so much to remember for her, and it is undoubtedly painful for him, too. She wanted to offer any comfort she could in this situation.
After a few seconds of silence Flappers would reply, moving the data pad so that Kit can see what he was reading “Yeah, I have been trying to get more familiar with how… All of this works.” He would move his fins in the air to indicate their entire world, their entire existence. “I can’t say I understand everything, and…” he would pause, debating if he should go into the theories and hopes he has regarding Float and it’s contents. Reluctantly, he continues, his voice shaking slightly. “I was just wondering if…if there’s still anything left of them, of my home, of my friends, family. Not it a way we can see of course! But…” Flappers began drifting off into a quiet sob, emotions getting the better of him. Kaboodle and Gobbles didn’t move to join Kit in their dialogue, but they did have the understanding look on their faces. They were all in this together.
Before Flappers could continue, Kit would extend her arm and gently take Flappers’ empty fin, to offer some physical comfort. “I don’t know.” She began, her voice slowly becoming a bit more somber “I don’t know if they are still there, or if they are gone or if there’s nothing but an idea of them existing, somewhere in the data of the Float of our worlds...” Kit’s expressions would shift from slightly pained, to a more reserved and compassionate as she squeezed Flappers’ fin just a bit tighter. “We’ll figure this out together, I’m sure of it. There’s still so much we can do, and the Syntax don’t have a monopoly on changing the Gameoverse for the better.” She paused for a bit, letting Flappers breathe for a bit. He knew they couldn’t bring everything back right now, if there even was a way. But having that hope… that everyone and everything is still out there, or at least what makes them is still around despite the death of the world…
“Breathe with me, alright? In and out.” Kit would say and begin as follows: Breathe in, and breathe out. After a moment of hesitation Flappers would do the same. Breathe in, breathe out. Both of them felt a bit lighter now. The mutual understanding said more than any complex words or poems ever could.
Kit would let go off Flappers’ fin, and let him settle back into the seat, a little more relaxed now. “Thank you, Kit.” He would quietly say, deciding that he had enough reading for the day(?). Regardless, after giving him a nod of approval – both Kit and Flappers would turn to look through the main windshield of their ship, watching and admiring the look outside for a little while. The entire team was unified in their resolve, and desire for a better future.
They would spend a while just floating through space, gliding through the rays of light and dust particles as they followed the direction to which the ships scanners has given a positive for “potential mass equal to A game world” as it said.
A few chats here and there, some rotation at the wheel because Kaboodle ran out of patience and wanted to stretch his limbs for a bit. With Gobbles now at the helm they stayed on course, slowly approaching their awaited destination. It should be simple, just fly up to the planet, grab a full scan with a few pictures for good measure and ta-da! Mission complete, return to base.
At least it was, until a minor meteor shower made them go off course, and take an alternative route that avoided that inconvenience all together. They didn’t have all day to have their Nimble stop and repair every 2 steps forwards they take.
It wasn’t so bad though, as they had made it back on track to not fall behind on their previous schedule(even if a small delay was in order). In fact, they were hovering close to the orbit of one of the unidentified game worlds they have been tasked to scout out and document for further operations.
“We’re getting pretty close… Should be in range of the scanners in just a bit.” Said Gobbles, carefully entering the orbit of the game world, for now drifting just above the threshold that would allow them to properly begin the scan.
“Yep. Just don’t forget to turn them on at the next tick AFTER we get in range. Don’t want any disturbances or graphical errors damaging our data set, do we?” said Kaboodle from half way across the ship, pacing back and forth from one wall to another, getting the spare energy out of his system. He was letting Gobbles try doing it PROPERLY this time. Flappers would look around for a bit, wondering if they will be able to find out something that will actually let them save the world, instead of MAYBE doing so, perchance.
“Alright Gobbles, just lightly descend a little lower and count to 4 when you do. Take it easy. Do not rush it”. Kaboodle said with a bit cautiousness returning to his voice, clearly ready to jump into action to save the day if anything goes wrong, and they get a corrupt set of data instead of a proper report. Hopefully they wouldn’t have to deal with this, because they’d have to circle the WHOLE planet again.
That would be the least of their concerns though, as Kit…. well… An overwhelming feeling of familiarity washed over her. That presence… She could feel it from anywhere, she knew it. But how and why and- She was confused, uncertain of what any of this meant.
No. She knew. From the first view she got of this game world… The closer they got, the more obvious it became… The grand lush forests, sky filled with heavy clouds, long rivers and stretching oceans that she heard stories of when she was little, of brave travelers that made the trek to other possible settlements, only to return with new stories of their own, so fantastical and incredible that her mind still can remember what a boon it was for their artists and writers that were inspired by it all.
…
. . .
….Home.
. . . .
Their home.
. . . . .
HER home.
That feeling that had been bubbling below the surface had finally reached it’s boiling point, blowing over in the most spectacular way possible. As Gobbles began to slowly descend, and initiated the early stages of the game world scan – Kit felt an incsinctual urge, a push and a shove and Gobbles was no longer in the pilot seat, he was out of the way with only confusion and panic. “Wh- Kit! What was that for!?” Gobbles said in confusion, with Flappers and Kaboodle being caught off guard.
Kaboodle for his part was caught off guard just as much as anybody else, except… he knew Kit far, FAR better than anyone here or in the Farcade ever could. He knew this will end badly. Kit doesn’t usually get this pushy or try to do something so stupid, unless… Oh god damn it, she’s doing something stupid. That was the train of thought Kaboodle had before they all suddenly got flung all around the ship, as Kit propelled it down towards the game world with no proper explanation, seeming very desperate and unresponsive, her face frozen in a worried, yet determined frown. Flappers was the first to recover, grabbing a hold of Kaboodle who made a gesture of asking to be picked up, and thrown towards Kit and the damn wheel. Flappers obliged, not being able to muster up anything in this moment of confusion. Gobbles held on for dear life on one of the railings just below the main control panel, and just above the floor. “What has gotten into you??” he asked, Kit still being unresponsive as they began to approach and penetrate the outer layers of atmosphere. This was it, Kaboodle muttered to himself as he was flung towards the control panel, grasping onto the controller as well as Kit, obstructing the immediate vision in front of her.
“Wha- OUT OF THE WAY KABOODLE!” Kit would yell out, attempting to pilot the ship down towards the planet more safely, while Kaboodle wrestled the controller with her, sending the ship into an even more chaotic spiral “WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING!? Are you trying to blinding kill us here with this little stunt you’re pulling? Really, what’s gotten into you Kit? This is a regular recon mission we’re not supposed to go to the game wo-” but Kaboodle wouldn’t be able to finish the sentence before Kit would blare out “IT’S OUR WORLD!”. For a second, the world stopped. The interior of the ship fell silent as they continued falling uncontrollably towards the ground. Everyone was left speechless.
Both Kit and Kaboodle were frozen. Not because of some dumb Gameoverse rule or anything or sorts. Just. That feeling, that realization. Something resonated within them like a familiar call or a presence or god knows what the HELL WE ARE FALLING! Thought Gobbles as he and Flappers scrambled to take control of the ship before they all turned into one metal pancake on the surface of the planet.
“Flappers, get to the controls and try to stabilize the ship, or else will crash!” Gobbles let out, attempting to get up and do so himself, not doing it fast enough. He feared he might not be able to do so in time. Without hesitation Flappers rushed into action “Hand on!” he said as he carefully tossed both Kit and Kaboodle to the side, grasping the steering controller hard enough that it would break under normal circumstances, attempting to keep the ship upright before it smashes into the ground. Our iconic duo snap out of their weird trance thing, only to begin panicking over what had they done, bracing for impact. “HOLD ON TIGHT! THIS ISN’T GOING TO BE PRETTY!” Flappers yelled, as everyone braced for impact. He wasn’t the most proficient pilot on the team, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Kaboodles and Gobbles’ training DID come in useful.
With that, our band of heroes slice through the heavy clouds, rapidly approaching the foliage and rock-hard ground that awaited below. With the decisive action of Flappers – the collision was averted(for the most part). They managed to straighted their course just in time to not get smashed into bits by the ground, flying just above the trees, hitting off the top of every single on with the bottom of the ship that was still going full speed. It was probably the middle of the night, with only a close by moon illuminating their surroundings, giving just barely enough light for them to not hit a ridiculously taller tree, or a GOD DAMN MOUNTAIN LOOK OUT- With the last of their effort they strafe to the right, avoiding a head on collision, with the thrusters beginning to give out from all the lack of proper use and maintenance in the previous weeks. And with that they crash land at the bottom of some sort of a hill… It was a normal grass hill, with a few medium sized boulders and a log laid sideways on the very top, sort of like an improvised bench.
…
“That uh… certainly was a landing…” Gobbles muttered out, stars above his head as he tried to recover from this roller coaster of an action sequence.
“Another happy landing.” Sarcastically muttered out Kaboodle who was in a pile up with Kit at the very back wall of the ship, where the locked exit hatch is. Kit only gave out a dissatisfied groan, seemingly back to her senses after causing THIS ENTIRE THING. Flappers seemed emotionally drained, collapsing to the floor for a bit. That was a little too close and a little too intense for his liking. He needed a moment to breathe, badly.
As our group recovered, they remained silent for a little bit. They didn’t know what to say or where to even begin, all of them looking at Kit with concern, only Kaboodle having a hint of suspecting what really caused her to do that. “is it…really…?” He quietly muttered, only to see Kit quietly nod.
“Yeah…I- I’m sorry, I couldn’t- It just came over me and I felt that it’s right here and-“ Before Kit could fully explain, Kaboodle put one of his hands on one of Kits, giving her an understanding look. He knew. He must’ve felt it too, by now.
Gobbles would finally get up and rush towards them, giving both of them a hug. “What the heck happened!? Kit, why did you do this, and why did both of you act so weirdly around here??” His concern was apparent, meaning he didn’t have the same connection or feeling to…. To home. Their home.
“I’ll…Thanks Gobbles. We’ll….We’ll explain it in a bit. Lets first recover and get outside, we need to see if we were right about something.” Kit finished, giving and understanding look to Kaboodle who reluctantly nodded, and gave the same reassurance to Gobbles. “I’m sure there were better ways to get there than the one certain someone took, but yeah, Kit’s right, we…have to see it for ourselves. It is important.” Kaboodle said, looking over to the recovering Flappers who gave them a thumbs up “I’ll stay here for a bit, make sure the ship is a-okay”. He would settle down in a more comfortable position, while the rest of the crew went outside. The ship wasn’t…wrecked per way, but it wasn’t very good either. After Flappers recovers – they’ll have to put it into repair mode for a while. So yeah, stranded for a day or two again, hooray.
…
The fresh air and the cold summer night wind washed over caboodle, Kit and Gobbles. They all stood there for a moment, taking in the scenery that seemed so familiar to the two of them… It was…surreal. They never thought they’d ever…,make it. Here. Because. It’s gone….? How are they here?
Gobbles was more so curious as to what this place was, and it’s significance, not yet having time to put together the pieces, from what Kit said, to her and Kaboodles reaction to all of this… They both rushed towards the top of the hill, with Gobbles close behind, having to catch up to the crazy pace the others reached.
It was real. It was here. Their home, their village, everything…… Oh. Kaboodle was left speechless, while Kit stood with her eyes tearing up. They could see their village from here… The walls, the houses, the central area where most the shops and markets with all sorts of crazy interactions are. The scattered lights still on in a window here or there, some chimneys puffing smoke and the trees planted inside creating the ever so familiar ambiance of a summer night that Kit and Kaboodle remembered so well. This hill…It was one of their favorite spots in the whole world. They could see their village and home from here, a little isolated patch of land where it was just the two of them (and sometimes Scratch) hanging out and just. Resting. Unbothered, unburdened, just. Living.
Gobbles quickly connected the dots with all the new clues and the information Kaboodle and Kit dared to share about their previous lives and their home, and. He couldn’t help but feel some tears of his own begin to bubble up over his eyes. It was so… strange. It felt like home, but still so….different? In a way? Like, all the trees and grass and everything was the same as they remembered, but the texture itself looked a little off. Too polished, to saturated, radiant even.
Sharing an understanding look, Kit began with “We MUST go to the village”, to which Gobbles would reply “In the middle of the night-?” followed up with a “I…suppose we CAN try” from Kaboodle. He didn’t have a snarky remark of a joke-y comment to throw this time. It was serious business. The real deal.
Well, there was no hesitating. Upon checking in the last time that Flappers would be okay keeping watch over the ship for now(and recovering properly) – the trio would sprint off into the horizon, using what they learned from so many adventures and other life experiences to open a secret passage and sneak into the village. Kit knew all sorts of secret passages, and so did Kaboodle. Otherwise they wouldn’t be able to sneak out in the middle of the night to hang out and go stargazing. Hah. To think that THIS was what they would do in their free time, when now it’s basically all they see for days and weeks at a time. Oh well, it doesn’t matter right now. They are here. It is. Their home. They NEED TO GO.
Upon entering the village – they proceeded to creep through a shaded alleyway, looking out for anyone possibly being awake to see them snooping around. No big deal, they knew how to be stealthy when the situation required, even Gobbles, who was before quite clumsy and awkward – now had the incredible ability of keeping his composure and not make much noise. They would sneak all the way to the town center, where Orph’s shop is located along with many others. It was empty(duh, it’s the middle of the night and everyone is asleep), but… just seeing it….here. Kaboodle and Gobbles carefully held Kits hands, as all of them walked and looked around for a bit. They would inspect a few things, experiencing feeling so foreign, yet so….familiar. It was sickening, in away. Next destination was… their home. Kit’s home. Her family….her mother and father, her friend that lived next door… Emotions swelled with each step they took, even Kaboodle having a hard time keeping a neutral face. Just… seeing it in person again made him appreciate the wacky architecture in a technological and put together style so much more.
Alas, their little trip down the memory lane would be cut short. Before they could as much as make their way from Orph’s little outside tavern-shed thingy – they would be stopped dead in their tracks by 2 mysterious figures, obscured by shadow but for a brief moment. Kit immediately pulled one of her hands into a firing position, using the other one to support it as to not possibly miss if it was a threat of any kind. Kaboodle was on high guard, letting go and preparing his razor sharp scissors-grabby hands to slice, and Gobbles stood by with a small weapon that Kaboodle entrusted him with for self-defense. As the moment passed, the air only grew colder… The two figures…they…were…. Them?
What. What what what what what what wh-
Kit froze, with Kaboodle barely able to keep himself from freezing up from shock too. Gobbles looked in terror as the scene unfolded, unsure what it means or what to do.
There were 2 Kits. There were 2 Kaboodles. THERE WERE TWO OF THEM???
This “faker”, this “New” Kit was certainly taller, with bigger gauntlets and boots. Her hair seemed to have more volume, and was very well kept. A longer tail. Her ears were bigger, her colors were much more vibrant and the outfit resembled Kit’s old self so, so much… it was… Weird, this is weird this it so weird- This “New” Kaboodle…Seemed also to be slightly bigger, and being tougher too looking at his study, shiny and undamaged exterior. They were in a stalemate, unable to say anything or act before the other side would begin hostilities.
A brawl was surely brewing…. This “skirmish” would certainly make a LOT of noise, and our Farcade trio cannot really afford to be put into a such compromising position. At the same time, it seems they are not the only ones freaked out by all this. These new versions of Kit and Kaboodle seemed just as weirded out and on edge as our heroes, also feeling mortified at seeing…some version of themselves? Our Kit in comparison is shorter, has smaller gauntlets and boots, her colors are washed out, her ears are smaller, her outfit the one she has acquired during the time of being a Farcade agent, and she was over all worse for wear, her hair being messy and her tail shorter, the eye bags and bruises that can’t be easily healed with a temporary heal. Kaboodle… was as round as ever, and also smaller, and more battered, many-a-scratches on his shell from all the exploits and dangerous situations they’ve braved through together.
All of these observations…All parties made them, and Gobbles had to figure something out before a fight broke out- “WHOARE YOU!? WHY DO YOU LOOK LIKE US!” The “New” Kit yelled out, with our original duo unable to respond, still frozen. No, no, this is wrong THIS IS WRONG THERE CAN’T BE 2 KITS THERE CAN’T BE 2 KABOODLES WHY ARE THE TWO OF US WHAT WHY IS THIS HOW IS- It hit them both. All the similarity and sense of belonging, but also that weird feeling of…it not being right. It was their home, yes. It just wasn’t THEIR home. Not exactly. They didn’t have the time to think about it.
“W-wait! We can talk we don’t have to-“ As Gobbles attempted to defuse the situation with words- a slightly too swift of a movement has set the “New” Kit off enough for her to fire the first shot, with “New” Kaboodle slightly surprised, unsure if a fight did, in fact break out, our heroes scrambling to dodge and retaliate. The skirmish was slowly growing into a proper fight…In the middle of a sleeping jungle village. This can’t end well.