Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

You had just defeated the Snatcher, so now you have your soul and another Time Piece back. You also have a new friend, even if it is under a contract you edited and signed. It counts, right? Anyways, now you just need to grab the Time Piece and leave. But you will come back, even if he doesn't want you to.

"Hey kid!" Your thoughts are interrupted by the Snatcher. "Stop spacing off and come get your Time Piece. I have nothing more to offer you, so the sooner you get it the better." You hadn't realised you spaced out. You get up from the bench and grab the Time Piece. Unlike other times though, something different happened when you grabbed this one. It began to glow. Well, in the dark Subcon Forest the Time Piece already was glowing, but this time it started glowing brighter and brighter. You don't remember it ever doing this.

The Snatcher seems to realise this too and manages to let out a "What the-" before the Time Piece suddenly shatters and the light expands, catching him and you in it. You knew that if someone broke a Time Piece they would only be sent back a few seconds before it broke if it were an accident. If it was on purpose and they had a desired moment they wanted to go back to, then they'd be sent there. But that was if it was broken by you or someone else. You had no idea how long you would be sent back if it broke itself. Time was rewinding, like someone pressed the rewind button. When it stopped, you were still in the Subcon Forest. But now it was daytime.

Chapter Text

Who knew that it could be daytime in the Subcon Forest. Looking around, you realize that this forest has a lot more trees than usual, but you recognize that you're in the middle of the forest. There aren't any of the Snatcher's minions or the dwellers anywhere, nothing is frozen over, the swamps look normal, nothing's on fire or frozen, and the bridge to the creepy manor is fixed. It was still a bit dark in the forest because of the shade of the trees, but it still looked rather nice.

A little ways away from you is the Snatcher. He's looking around and wondering what's happened out loud. He doesn't seem to notice you though. He probably doesn't realize you two traveled through time-

Time! You check your pockets quickly. Where's the Time Piece? Where is it? You can't find it! You had worked so hard to get it back, along with many others, and now you've lost it again. It's never good to lose a time piece, but it's worse when you've lost it while back in time with no idea how to get back to the present.

"This is... peculiar," you hear the Snatcher say. "What did the kid do? When I find her, I'm gonna-" You walk away before you could hear anything else. You need to find the Time Piece, and fast. But something grabs your cape and lifts you towards them. Of course, it's the obvious.

"Found you! You're not going anywhere, kiddo. Guess you're still of use after all. Now tell me," He pulls you closer and lowers his voice. "What have you done to my forest?" He does not sound happy at all. He probably wouldn't be happy if you gave him the silent treatment again. It's not your fault you don't like to talk much. Still, you briefly explain to the Snatcher that you've traveled back in time and that you lost the Time Piece he just gave you.

"Of course you lost it!" The Snatcher yells. "You've already lost it in my forest, why not lose it again. Well, all you have to do is find it and then get us back to the present." You glare at Snatcher. He should at least offer to help. "Well it's your Time Piece, so I don't see why you can't get it back again on your own. You've already managed to complete your tasks without dying, you can do it. As for me, I'll just be watching you from the shadows." He lets you down and disappears somewhere. What a jerk.

Well there's nothing you can do about him, even if in the past he has no control over the forest. Guess you're on your own, as usual. Using your regular top hat, you try to locate the Time Piece. Luckily it knows where it is. It directs you to the bridge to the town. Last time you were there it was frozen over and abandoned. As you walk over the bridge you notice that there are less trees in the town. Now you can see the bright blue sky and the sun. It's still weird that it's daytime in this part of this strange planet. You were so used to looking at a purple sky.

There are a bunch of children running around and playing. You notice that they're all wearing masks that the dwellers would wear. There are a few adults outside too, but only some of them are wearing masks. You try not to think about what this implies that the dwellers are, because even though you speculated it before, it's still a horrifying and sad thought. Come on, you just need to find the Time Piece.

You walk more into the town. Some of the children you see notice you in wonder. They say things like "Look at that hat!" "Why isn't she wearing a mask?" or "I've never seen a kid without a mask before." Guess all the children in the village wear masks. No matter. The Time Piece was straight ahead. You just kept on moving until you get to-

The gates of the Manor.

Again, last time you were here, one of the gate doors was broken, the front door was locked, and inside was a crazy, heartbroken Queen who would've frozen you if she caught you. You already known a few things about her past self from the book pages you found in the Time Rift and the papers scattered around the manor. Let's just say she might've been a bit crazy before she became... crazier. Nonetheless, you still need to get inside. As you approached the manor, you're stopped by the two guards covered head to toe in armor.

"Halt, stranger!" one of the guards shout. "This is the manor of the Queen and Princess. No outsiders are to be allowed inside whether they be villagers, travelers, or wild animals."

"Unless you have a written document signed by the Queen or Princess granting permission to visit, or a ticket for the ball, which is tonight so you're too early for that, then leave," shouted the other guard. "If you try to sneak in, you will be locked up in the dungeon for one month and will be fined 1 billion pons."

1 billion pons! And you thought the fines at Dead Bird Studio were expensive. Guess you can't go inside. You turn around, thinking of another way to get in the castle. They mentioned a ball, so you could try and find a ticket for tonight, or maybe you could-

Suddenly, you notice your shadow stretch out taller. A long, shadowy arm pops out from it. The arm turns you around and quickly pushes you back towards the guards and through the manor doors. You hear the guards yelling at you, but you're still pushed around the hallways. Suddenly, the arm throws you under a table that has a tablecloth on it. After a while, you hear the sound of armored guards running past you.

"She couldn't have gotten far!" you hear before they're gone. You peak out a head from underneath the table, and then you crawl out. You look at your shadow as it stretches out on the wall behind you. It's so much taller than it should be. Plus, it looks nothing like you. It does look familiar though. Your shadow then opens it's yellow glowing eyes. You let out a startled gasp.

"Relax, kid. It's just me," the shadow says rather plainly, like it was expecting this reaction. But thinking about it, of course it was the Snatcher. "I just didn't want to wait for hours to get back to the present. That's all this is, kid. I wasn't helping. I've got a forest to run." You're smiling at him though, because he is helping you like a contractually signed best friend would, even if he denies it. He looks away and scoffs. "Just wipe the stupid smile off your face and keep moving, unless you want the guards to catch you right here."

So now you're sneaking around the first floor of the Manor. You've never seen this part of it actually, aside from the dungeon. You have to crawl under tables and run past guards when they aren't looking to sneak by them. Good thing you've snuck into a movie studio before, so you're familiar with this. After a while, you reach the end of the hallway to two double doors. When you open them up, you're greeted with a giant ballroom, complete with a beautiful chandelier and a second floor with railings on the side.

In the middle of the room with their back towards you was a woman. She had flowing blonde hair and was wearing a green dress. She looked familiar as well. You suddenly realize that it's Queen Vanessa from the storybook you read. Though she's not wearing a gold crown, and the green dress is different from the one in the book. She seems to be mumbling something to herself, but you can't hear it. As you step into the ballroom, you hear the door close behind you. Vanessa does too as she turns around startled.

"I'm not doing anything! I'm just-" Vanessa stops panicking when she notices you. She takes a deep breath, puts on a more serious face, and asks "Who are you and why are you trespassing?"

You're quiet. What do you say to royalty? What do you say to someone who turns crazy (well, crazier) in the future? 'Hello, I'm a kid from the future. Me and a shadow who has just tried to kill me, or in your case is going to, have lost an hourglass that allows time travel. It's somewhere in your manor so please don't lock me up in your ex boyfriend dungeon and let me find it. Also there are more important things than the Prince. He has a life too, you know. But he still loves you very much so please calm down or else you'll become an old ice lady!' You just tell her that you've lost an hourglass and that you need it back.

"An hourglass, huh?" She lifts a hand to her chin. "I haven't seen one here. And even if I have seen it, you can't just barge in here looking for it. You are trespassing after all. In fact..." She looks down and analyses you. "You're not even from here. As a soon to be Queen, one of my roles is to recognize every resident in this little kingdom. And I don't recognize you. You're not even wearing a mask like the other kids here usually wear. A trespassing stranger is very suspicious. I should have the guards send you to the dungeon immediately!" No! You can't let that happen. How can you convince her though?

"Princess Vanessa," you hear a voice coming from the ballroom entrance. Both you and Vanessa turn towards the doors. Standing there is a tall man wearing a mechanic like outfit. He has on a brown hat with goggles that reminds you of one of your hat flares. He also has a mustache and a goatee, which makes you think of the Mafia. It also seems like he likes to wear a lot of buckles. "The furniture and decor has just arrived, so we can start setting up for the ball."

"Thanks, Thor," Vanessa says rather nonchalantly. She looks rather displeased to see him. Thor then notices you and asks "Who's this kid?"

"A trespassing stranger looking for some hourglass. I was just about to get the guards to come and lock her up in the dungeon."

Thor looks surprised now. "Really?! That's a bit extreme."

"Doesn't matter." Vanessa turns away from him. "A trespasser is a trespasser. Just make sure she doesn't leave while I go get the guards." She's about to walk out when Thor stops her.

"Wait! I mean, Princess! You can't do this. She's just a child. You can't expect to just throw her into a dungeon for months."

"Thor. You know how I feel when someone tries to stop me." It's like she didn't even listen to him! You're at least relieved that someone else finds this whole thing silly.

Thor sighs. "Vanessa, this isn't fair though. The poor girl is just looking for something. Instead of locking her up, maybe you have her help out with a few things for the ball." Vanessa lets out a huff. "And besides, how do you think your mother would feel about you locking up a child?" Vanessa seems to freeze at the mention of her mom. She tries to speak, but all that comes out are quiet stutters.

Finally, Vanessa gives up and says "Fine! She can help. But you have to go tell the guards that they don't have to lock the child up and that she'll be helping." Thor nods, looks at you and smiles. You smile back as a way of saying thanks, and he leaves. "Let's see..." Vanessa walks over to a table with a brown paper on it. She takes a quill and writes down a few things on the paper. When she finishes, she walks back over to you and hands you the paper and quill.

"So there are three things I need you to do. They're all listed down there. You just need to sign it so that when you come back here, you can show it to the guards and they can let you in." Of course you have to sign it. No matter what, you can't escape signing a contract. Sure it's a task list with a verification that you can enter and exit the manor, but it might as well be a contract. You sign the line above where Vanessa had signed it as well. Her signature is very curvy. You hand her back the quill. "Thank you miss... Hat Kid? Kids names are just getting worse and worse. Also, what is going on with your shadow?"

You turn around to the wall and see your shadow, or more specifically the Snatcher hiding in your shadow. His glowing yellow eyes were opened briefly before they immediately shut. But still, Snatcher looks nothing like you. How do you explain this?

You then notice what's behind Vanessa and point behind her. She turns around and sees two of the castle guards. They're carrying a table with a vase on it. In the vase are a random assortment of flowers all arranged in a circular shape with some long leaves poking out. Conveniently, it was shaped just like Snatcher, so it could look like the strange shadow is just the flower vase. And it seems like Vanessa bought it.

"Oh, the flower tables!" Vanessa pointed to the far left of the ballroom. "Just put them somewhere over there, along with the chairs if they're here yet." She then turns back to you. "And you can get along with completing that list." The guards do what they were ordered, and you make your way out of the ballroom, Snatcher carefully following behind. When you get to the table you were pushed under before, Snatcher points back at it and the two of you go back under it.

"Since the little "princess" has seen me, I can't pretend to be your shadow anymore. She may not have discovered it was me, but still it's too risky now. I could just transform into something, but I'd still look like a shadow no matter what. This kingdom isn't ready to meet a talking shadow. At least not yet." The Snatcher laughs a bit. "So kid, do you mind taking off the hat for a second?" You're confused why, but you do so. Snatcher begins to warp away inside your hat. When he's done and you look in the hat, you don't see him in there.

"Turn the hat over kid! I'm starting get a headache." It was still the Snatcher's voice, just coming from the hat. You turn it over and notice that one of the buttons on your hat has changed. The Snatcher has become one of the buttons. It even has his face on it, and it can move!

You've got the Snatcher Badge (Temporary)!

You place your hat on your head and smile. Then you're back out from under the table. As you walk out, you pull out the list of tasks.

"Tasks I am required to do:

* Deliver the rest of the invitations
* Collect special yellow-pink flowers from the forest
* Help out with decorating the ballroom

All these must be done before the ball tonight.

Signed: Hat Kid
Confirmation Signature: Princess Vanessa"

Just three simple tasks. Shouldn't be that hard. Hopefully you aren't given anymore tasks added onto the current ones this time. "Alright kid," you hear the Snatcher say. "Let's go."

Chapter Text

You decide to do the first thing on the list, which is to deliver invitations. It seems silly to have these ones delivered at the last minute. This one should be easy though, since it was the easiest task you did out of all the Snatcher's tasks. The only difference was when you got the last ten invitations from one of the royal guards, you saw how they actually had names addressed on them, so you couldn't just give them to the first ten people you find like you did with the minions.

You make sure you have your scooter badge equipped and change into your sprint hat, which is now an adorable dino hood. Despite having magic himself, Snatcher isn't used to your hat changing so fast. Nonetheless, you hop on your scooter and ride around delivering invitations. Thankfully those waiting for invites are waiting right outside their house.

After a while, you've only got one invite left. But there's no one else outside waiting. Who was this suppose to go to? There's an address on it that isn't around here. Maybe someone else would know where it is? You go around asking people if they know the address, with no luck. Then you ask a woman at a flower stand if she knows.

"Oh, I think I know the address." She points to the Subcon Forest and then she points up. Way beyond the forest was a really big hill and on top of it you could see a house. You thank the flower lady and ride off there.

"You think if they wanted to make this more challenging they'd put death traps around the hill. Like spikes. Not just make the house farther away," Snatcher complained. "Honestly, all these tasks are boring. And for what? Some little ball miss blondie wanted because she cried to her mom about it?" Wow, that was mean and oddly specific. You don't push him on it though as you ride through the forest, making sure you stay on the path and not run into any of the birds on the way. You didn't realize how much longer this forest was.

Finally you're out of the forest and at the top of the hill. You had to walk up there since for some reason your scooter wouldn't ride up it. Outside of the house is an Owl, though they're not dressed like the Express Owls but more like the villagers. He's a Subcon Owl.

"Thank you," the Subcon Owl says. "Sorry I live so far away. I personally think the air is much nicer over here. Plus you get a great view of the forest from up here." You look over the forest and at the view. You've got to admit, he's right.

"If you're in a rush to get back, then you can hop on that platform." The Subcon Owl points to the platform which you recognize once you see the snowflake pattern on it. "It'll take you as far as the outside of the forest. Have a nice day." You wave the Subcon Owl goodbye and change into your ice cap. You then hop on the platform and freeze. When you land on the other side and unthaw, you hear a scream. Yep, it's Snatcher.

"WHAT JUST HAPPENED?! HAD SHE CAUGHT US?! HOW DID SHE FOLLOW US BACK?! HOW?!" The Snatcher won't stop yelling. You take off your hat and poke the button Snatcher on the cheek. A small, shadowy hand pops out from it and slaps your finger away. Even if he looks annoyed, at least he's calmed down a little.

"Hey, kid. Do you think you could not use that version of your hat while I'm hiding in it?" Snatcher asks. "It's just that being frozen like that brought up a few... bad memories." Well if the Snatcher was who you think he was based off of a story book you found in a time rift, then it'd make sense why being frozen scared him. Now you feel bad, so you apologize. "There's nothing to be sorry about. You didn't know. Let's just continue." You still feel bad, but if he implies it's okay, it's okay.

You put your hat back on and change it to your regular top hat. You pull out the list and check off the first task. Now there's only two more to go. Already knowing which task you want to do next, you step back into the Subcon Forest.

Chapter Text

The next task was to collect special pink and yellow flowers. You run around the forest trying to find these flowers. Eventually you find a whole bed of yellow flowers with a pink tint at the edge of their petals. On the side you notice a crate with some sort of design on it, but you aren't sure what it is.

"I think that's supposed to be a basket," The Snatcher guesses. "Meaning there's a basket in that crate. Well, you know what to do about this. Open it up." There he is being pushy again. You change into your Brewer hat, but it feels different. You somehow feel more powerful than when you've worn it before. Nonetheless, you get out a vial, shake it, and throw it at the crate. The explosion it makes is much bigger and also familiar looking. It's just like one of Snatcher's attacks! You quickly change back into your regular hat and ask Snatcher what just happened.

"Well, I think it has to do with me. It's like how the scooter badge only works with your speedy hat. Your magical hat might be reacting to my power, thus amplifying it's magic." That actually made sense. It did feel cool to have his power, but it was also scary. You let Snatcher know you're not going to use that hat for a while. So there's two hats you can't use with Snatcher. This makes you slightly disgruntled.

"Don't be angry, kid. It's not like you can't use them ever again. And look!" His arm reaches out from your hat and to a basket, which he then places in your hands. "You got the flower basket. Kids like picking flowers, right? So pick them and be done with this." Snatcher's still telling you to do things and acting rude, but it now sounds like he cares about you. You can't really prove it without him denying it, but that makes you feel happy.

You go to the flower patch and start picking flowers. They all smell so sweet. The Snatcher sneezes and complains about their sweet smell. You then realize that you've never seen these flowers in the eerier present day Subcon Forest. The ones there are white and they don't smell like anything. For that matter, the past Subcon Forest doesn't have any of the bouncy, colorful mushrooms!

After a while, the basket is overflowing with flowers. There's still room in it for one more, but it can't just be any flower. You need to pick the best, most amazing flower out of the bunch. You look around the patch until you spot the one. It's yellow like the others, but the petals are purple on the edges instead of pink. It matches your outfit! And Snatcher too, you figure. You go to pick it when suddenly a bird flies out from nowhere and snatches the flower in it's beak. You gasp and fall onto your back in shock. When you get up, you see the bird has flown up to one of the trees.

"Oh well," Snatcher says. "It doesn't matter. Look kid, you've already got a bunch of flowers in that basket. Those are enough for the stupid ball." You agree with him, but you really liked that flower! You then notice the tree branches make a perfect path towards the bird. Perfect! You run to the trees and hop onto the first branch. "Of course you're going to try and get it. Fortunately for you and unfortunately for me, you're never one to give up."

You make your way up the branches until you reach the bird. You slowly reach for the flower and grab it. It notices and flies farther away. You hop a few more branches until there's a big gap between you and the bird. Luckily there's a lantern overhead so you swing across with your hookshot. This makes the bird fly away to an even higher branch. You jump up more branches, swing across more lanterns, and even use your dweller mask to make some invisible branches visible.

Instead of the bird flying away when you reach it, it pecks at you, causing you to tumble down to ground from several feet above. When you crash to the ground, you can feel something groaning underneath you. Or rather, someone.

You quickly get off them and offer the stranger a hand. They take it and rise, giving you a full look at this guy. He's wearing a dark green cloak over his outfit, which is rather fancy looking compared to the dirty cloak. He has light brown hair that swishes upwards at the ends and two baby blue eyes that are almost covered up by his bangs. Wait a minute, this guy seems... familiar.

"Are you okay?" the stranger asks. His voice also sounds familiar, albeit different. You nod your head.

"What were you doing climbing the trees? Don't you know how dangerous that is? Especially with how tall these trees are." You immediately apologize, saying you were just trying to get a flower back from a pesky bird. This isn't the first time you fell from the tree, nor is it the most dangerous thing you've done.

He smiles. "At least you aren't hurt." Shouldn't he be hurt as well, you ask him. "No, I'm fine. Didn't hurt that much. Now where did it go?" The stranger looks to the ground for whatever it is he lost. You decide to help.

Looking around yourself, you spot something not to far from you. When you pick it up, you realize it's a book. But not just any book, it's a law book. The pieces finally click together. You just crashed into Vanessa's boyfriend, the Prince! And if you're right, the Prince eventually becomes...

Snatcher.

A smile spreads wide across your face. Sure, how the Prince becomes Snatcher is very sad, but it's interesting to get to see who he was before. You run up to the Prince and hand him his book. The Prince thanks you and takes the book. He then pulls out the yellow and purple flower you were trying to get. "I believe that this is yours. It's very nice." Now it's your turn to thank him as you take the flower.

"Excuse me, where are my manners? I didn't even introduce myself!" He's right! Just because you know him, doesn't mean he knows that, especially when you know stuff that hasn't happened yet at this point in time. "You could probably tell, since I've managed to make myself familiar in this kingdom, but I am Prince. Yes, I am a prince and Prince is my name." That's not the weirdest name you've heard, surprisingly. You introduce yourself, which involves a little twirl and signature pose whenever you land on the ground. "Hat Kid, huh? Is that a nickname or something?" You shake your head. Prince seems surprised, but then he laughs a little. "Well it's a unique name at least."

Prince thinks for a bit before he asks, "Are you going to be at the ball tonight?" You nod your head yes. "That's nice! I'm not usually one for events like this. They're mostly boring and there's usually a lot of snobs there. But I've agreed to this one because, well... this kingdom's like a second home to me. Plus, the princess invited me herself, and I don't want to let her down by not showing up." How sweet, you think. You're 99% sure Snatcher hates Vanessa now, but it's nice that he once did care about her.

"Anyways," Prince continues. "I have to get going now. It was nice meeting you, Hat Kid. Actually, can I just call you Kid?" You're smiling wider now as you nod. Oh this is just perfect. "Great! Hopefully I see you at the ball Kid!" He waves goodbye and returns to his book as he walks away. You wave back as well, then run back to the flower basket and place the special flower in it. Now you have enough flowers. You pull out the task list and check off the second item.

You realize that Snatcher's been awfully quiet, so you tap his face and ask if he's okay. "Huh?!" He shouts, but not too loud. "Yeah, I'm fine kid. Great, now I don't want to call you that anymore. We just had to crash into me-him. Crash into him." Too late, you heard his little slip up. You confess to Snatcher that you already knew he was Prince. He lets out a stuttered gasp.

Snatcher flies out from your hat and grabs you by the cape once again. He looks angrier than he's ever been before. "You're not supposed to know that! Tell me how you know before I twist your head off! I don't care if we're stuck in the past, I can just go get the time piece back without you!" Shaking in fear, you tell him about the Time Rifts and the story books you find. You add that you didn't mean to find out. Whatever story a Time Riff decides to tell you is always a mystery until you collect the pages and then the Time Piece. You apologize, even though you know he doesn't care for apologies.

Snatcher drops you to the ground. "Of course! It's the Time Pieces! At this point, I am just sick and tired of anything having to do with time. Scratch that, I'm sick and tired of anything having to do with you." He points at you accordingly. "All of this happened because of you. You lost your stupid Time Pieces in my forest. And when you get them back, they fling us both in the past for no reason other than to anger me. Maybe I don't want to remember my past, maybe I like my life much better now since I'm not with her because I was too stupid to notice the warning signs back then, and maybe I don't want anyone else to know who I was since that part of me is long dead now! But no, we're reliving it and now you know about it. Scratch that, you already knew it! So listen well, kid. When we get back, you will leave my forest immediately and never, and I mean never, come back. And if you do, I will make sure you get obliterated before you even land on the ground. GOT IT?"

Wow. That was brutal and heartless to say, but it was clearly something building up in Snatcher that he's wanted to say for a long time. You thought he was warming up to you and that you both could become actual friends. Sure, he's a jerk who took your soul and forced you to do tasks, some of which were scary or deadly, but you don't hold him against that. But you guess he's right, that part of him died a long time ago. You feel like crying, but you don't want to. It's not worth it for him, and he'd probably yell at you for doing so. But you're still a kid, nothing's wrong with a kid crying.

You instead just nod, get up, and walk away from the Snatcher without looking at him. He grabs you by the shoulder and turns you around, bitterly saying "Hold on, let me get in the stupid hat first." Really? He's still going to be with you after basically telling you how much he hates you? Normally you'd be happy and consider it a second chance. Instead, you smack his hand away with your umbrella. You glare at him, and he looks angry and confused. You turn back and quickly pop on your Sprint Hat, which also pops out the scooter, and ride away from the Snatcher. He's calling out to you, but you don't listen. You wipe away the tears forming at your eyes as you make your way back to the manor.

Chapter Text

When you get back to the manor, you go around to the back where there's no guards, Vanessa, or anybody. You don't want anyone to see you cry right now. After a while, you take deep breaths and slap your cheeks a few times until you're a bit more calm. It doesn't stop you from thinking about what just happened.

The past stinks. Neither you or Snatcher deserve to be here. You don't control what the Time Pieces do. He didn't have to act like a big jerk and yell at you. Why did you think you could be his friend? At this point you just wanted to go home, more specifically to your spaceship. Snatcher won't have to worry about you anymore because after this you're never coming back to the Subcon Forest. All that's in it is death, a stupid toilet, a crazy old lady, and a nasty shadow.

You kick the wall. It doesn't do much to let out your anger but it's something. You then remember the reason you first came back to the manor was because your Time Piece was here, not because there were more tasks to do. Why didn't you just keep looking around? You could've been out of here a long time ago and Snatcher wouldn't have to yell at you. Part of you did want to go to the ball since it's basically a party and parties are fun, but at this point it isn't worth it. Your top hat locates the Time Piece somewhere inside the mansion on one of the upper floors. You run back around to the front and inside.

You enter the room with the pool table and see a guard blocking the doors to the second floor. He spots you and shouts, "HALT! You're not supposed to be here. Once you have finished your tasks, then you can go to the second floor to talk with Princess Vanessa." Are you kidding?! The Time Piece was right up there! You were so close to getting back to the present! And you couldn't because of some stupid knight guard. You smack him with his umbrella a few times and he surprisingly doesn't fight back, instead just continuing to talk. "Are you perhaps lost? The ballroom is the next place you need to be to help with decorating." You don't want to decorate, you want to go home!

Soon you get sick of hitting the guard and stomp away. Halfway to the ballroom you realize you left the basket of flowers back behind the manor, so you run back to get them. This only makes you grumpier. When you get them back, you realize the special yellow-purple flower is gone. You could retrace your steps to get it back, but you don't want to see him right now.

~~~~~~

(Snatcher POV)

Soon there were no more flowers left in the patch. All that remained were twisted stems and scattered petals. Unfortunately, that still wasn't enough to calm you down. Though it was the only thing you could do right now since any magic could put you at risk of being caught by someone wondering what was happening in the forest. Currently you were slumped down against a tree, facing away from the dirt path as you pluck petals off a few of the flowers the brat dropped.

It's the most you could do at the moment, considering how vulnerable you were out here. You can't go after the kid either due to the fact you're a giant shadow. You can change shape, but that's it. No matter what form you're in, you're still a shadow. You can pretend to be an actual shadow on the wall or someone else's shadow, but there are problems with that.

One, you can't change shape in that form. Two, your eyes and mouth still glow bright like a light bulb. You can hide them by closing your eyes and shutting your mouth, but then you can't see. Which leads to three, when pretending to be someone's shadow, you need to move when they move. If you can't see where they're moving, you can't move around properly. Teleportation isn't an option either, as you send out a shockwave whenever you do. So basically, you're stuck. This is all the kid's fault.

You remember the kid's expression. It was a mix of anger and sadness. Why did she make that face? The kid's been through much worse, such as a toilet and a crazy queen, and it's yelling at her that made her upset. That was the last straw, apparently. If you knew that's all it took back when she finished her contracts and defeated you, you could've had her out of your skin a long time ago. Still, it probably would've been better if you didn't yell at the kid. Maybe you overreacted...

Wait, are you feeling bad? No, no you're not! You aren't supposed to feel that emotion anymore. You don't care for others, and you definitely don't care about the Hat Brat! You're just mad she was snooping around your past and then abandoned you, that's all. To prove to yourself how much you don't care, you pick up the last flower the brat dropped. It's the stupid yellow-purple flower that started all this.

When you grab the top of the flower, you imagine it being the brat's head and you're about to pop it off so you can take her soul.

You're going to break the flower, right now.

You're gonna twist the top off, any day now.

...

...

"FORGET THIS!" You yell at the top of your lungs, forgetting you were trying not to draw attention. "I can't do it! It's just a stupid, dumb flower, but I just can't! I need to find the kid." And apologise, you think. It'll just be so you can hide again. That's all. You don't care.

You don't care...

You teleport to the manor, causing the two guards at the front door to fall over. You turn into a regular shadow and slip underneath the doors before they get back up.

~~~~~~

(Back to Hat Kid)

The ballroom looks much nicer than before. Tables and chairs are set up with each one decorated with flowers, candles, plates, napkins, and silverware. Near the center of the ballroom you notice a row of chairs, probably where the musicians go to perform.
Thor's the only other one in the ballroom. He greets you with a smile.

"Hey, kid. You ready to get decorating-whoa!" Thor's face shifts to a look of concern. "Your eyes are puffy. Are you okay?" You tell him that you're just fine. "I don't buy it. I know when something's wrong." He kneels down so that he's close to your eye level. "I know we just met a few hours ago, but you can tell me what's troubling you. And I promise I won't laugh."

So far Thor is the best thing about past Subcon Forest. It's nice that there's a friendly face to talk to. Without telling too much, you tell Thor someone yelled at you even though you didn't do anything that bad to them.

Thor lets out a groan and stands up. "I hate when that happens. Before I left home, my dad was yelled at me about how I was wasting my time, saying 'Why you be inventor when you can be cook like rest of family?' when everyone else was on board with me doing something new. Or how Vanessa once yelled at me for 'embarrassing her in front of her prince' even though all I did was have a chat with him. Point is, a lot of people are going to yell at you for stupid things, but you shouldn't let them make you upset. Even if you're still mad at them, it shouldn't keep you down. So turn that frown upside down and let's get to decorating!"

Well that was an abrupt end to a motivational talk. Still, you feel less upset now. You smile at Thor, and he smiles back. "I'm just about done with decorating. All that's left is the streamers." Streamers? Aren't those reserved for birthday parties and not fancy balls? Well you are on a different planet, so streamers might not be out of place for a ball.

Thor continues to speak. "After the streamers are all hung up, we'll then place flowers along where each one is hung up. It's going to look great!" Thor places two streamers in your hands, one white and one green, as well as tape. "You hold onto these and wait. I need to go get a ladder." And with that Thor is out, leaving you alone. A normal person would wait for him to come back so the two of you could decorate together. If being an alien from the future didn't prove you weren't normal, you don't know what will.

You look up and notice that the chandelier has rings on it. This gives you an idea. You tape the ends of the streamers together then hop on one of the tables. You get out your hookshot and start swinging from the chandelier. This was so much fun! Each time you get closer to the wall or balcony, you place part of the two streamers there, making sure to turn them every so often so they swirl into each other. When you're done, you use your teeth to cut the streamers and land carefully on the table.

Switching the streamers for the basket, you swing back up to the chandelier and start placing flowers along the streamers. You do it two at a time since you picked a lot of them. Suddenly, your hand slips and you start to fall. The hookshot/umbrella is still attached to the chandelier, so you won't be landing safely. Then you suddenly stop just a few feet above the ground. Something's got your cape! It lifts you up a bit and you're face to face with... Snatcher?! What's Snatcher doing here?

"Hey there, kiddo!" Snatcher greets. "Guess almost falling to your death is now your thing? Here, let me help." He places you down, and you're just confused. With a snap of his fingers, the rest of the flowers are placed along the streamers and the umbrella falls from the chandelier right into his hands. He hands it back to you, saying "I believe this is yours." There was also something else handed alongside it. It's the yellow-purple flower! You ask Snatcher why he's here, since he made it clear he didn't like you and you made it clear you didn't want him with you.

"Well I've been thinking for a bit, and I've figured maybe yelling at you was a bit unnecessary." You cross your arms and glare at him in response. His smile vanishes. "Okay it was completely unnecessary. I still don't like that you were snooping in my personal life, but it wasn't an excuse to be cruel. I know, I'm a heartless shadow who kills and eats souls, and I feel I went to far just by shouting at a kid. If that isn't the ultimate irony, then I don't know what is." Snatcher laughs a bit, but it's more quiet and awkward sounding compared to his usual laugh. You can tell he's not used to concerning about another person.

"Still, I'll admit that I felt bad. If this were any of my other previous contractors I wouldn't care. But you're the first one I've had that's a child. Any other kid would've been scared by ghosts, annoyingly tough outhouses, or even a cold dark manor. Yet you didn't even shead a tear when you faced them. You didn't even scream in terror when we first met. But you're still a kid, and kids don't like it when they're yelled at. So... I'm sorry for yelling." Snatcher pauses before adding "And even if you don't forgive me, please let me stick with you. I'll even help you this time."

You consider what to do next. On one hand, the Snatcher has proven how much of a butt he is and you were still mad at him, while on the other hand he sounded genuinely sorry despite never having to for who knows how long. Maybe there was a bit of Prince still in him after all. If you can forgive a certain bird director for backstabbing you and trying to kill you, then you can forgive Snatcher. And that is just what you do, right before you give him a big hug.

Snatcher lifts you up, this time by holding you with his hands under your arms instead of by the cape, and places you back down. "Okay kiddo, I'm only just getting used to being nice to you. Still not used to the hugs. And just because I'm being nice now, that doesn't mean I'm your BFF." Oh Snatcher, he's such a soon-deh-ray. You stick your tongue out at him and he smiles. "Glad you're back to being happy, kid."

"I found it!" you hear a voice yell from outside the ballroom. Oh yeah, you almost forgot about Thor. You quickly take off your hat and Snatcher quickly hides in it just before Thor enters with the ladder. When he sees the room though, he almost drops it in shock and awe. "Whoa, you already hung them up! Impressive work! How'd you do it so fast? You must've used magic or something." Technically only a little bit of it was magic. You smile at Thor and put your top hat back on.

Hey, this means you're done with your chores! You take out your checklist and check off the last item. "Congrats kiddo," you hear Snatcher say from your hat, but not loud enough for Thor to hear.

"Guess I can just put the ladder back," says Thor. He picks it up then looks back at you. "Vanessa should be upstairs. She told me earlier she had something to say to her mother. Also we're going to be doubling up on security tonight. Two of the guards reported some sort of monster appeared out of nowhere but disappeared just as quickly. So just be careful, and hopefully I'll see you at the ball tonight." And with that, Thor's out.

A monster huh? You have at least one guess as to who it was. But at least you can go upstairs now. You put away your umbrella and the flower and run out of the ballroom, feeling much more confident than you were before.

Chapter Text

The first thing you hear when you get to the second floor is shouting. You instantly recognize Vanessa’s voice, which sends a shiver down your spine. Even if she isn’t a scary old lady yet, she still scares you. The other voice is one you haven’t heard of before. The noise is coming from the room to your left. You sneak over and put an ear to the closed door. It’s not polite to eavesdrop, but you’re a curious kid.

“Why are you so unfair?!”

“Vanessa please, just listen.”

“No! I want you to listen to me! I just wanted one happy moment with Prince and you’re ruining everything!”

“Tonight isn’t just about him. This ball is supposed to be for everyone!”

“I don’t care! Ever since you got sick I haven’t spent even a second with him! Tonight is my one chance to tell him how I feel, and this stupid ball full of people I don’t care about isn’t going to help it!”

As the two bicker on, you whisper to Snatcher if he knows who Vanessa’s arguing with.

“Pretty sure it’s her soon to be late mother, Queen Clarisse,” he answers. “It’s been a while, but I recognize that voice anywhere. She was a fierce woman who could make an entire army surrender with just a look. The only ones she didn’t talk smack at was me, funnily enough, and children that weren’t acting like brats.” Snatcher quietly chuckles. Soon his tone goes from remembrance to remorse. “Though her illness along with her age had made her kinder to anyone else and colder to Vanessa. Though this is the first time I’ve heard them yelling at each other. Usually it’s just looks and glares.” You both go back to listening.

“Vanessa! That is not how a future queen acts!”

“Well when I’m queen I can act however I want since you won’t be there to tell me what to do anymore!”

There’s an unsettling silence hanging in the air. Footsteps stomp towards the door and it opens suddenly, sending you flying back. Vanessa notices you as she slams the door behind her. She scowls. “Do you always have to turn up at the worst moments? If I had the energy to yell anymore I would. Just know you’re already on a thin line, Hat Kid.” Vanessa sighs. You notice that she looks very tired.

“Anyways,” Vanessa continues. “I assume you’re done with everything.” Oh yeah, that’s why you went to find her. You pull out the task list and hand it over, just wanting to get this over with. “I suppose you should be rewarded, even if you did sneak in and overhear. So just take this and go.”

Vanessa pulls something out from behind her. You can’t see it yet, but it’s glowing. Is it what you think it is? Did Vanessa find your Time Piece?

You smile widely and hold out your hands. This is it! You can finally go home! You can now leave the stupid Subcon Forest, go back to your ship, and be relieved that you won’t have to put up with this ever again!

You’ve got the Ballroom Invitation!...

Wait what?

Your smile falters as you look at the fancy looking slip of paper in your hands. It has the time and location on it for the ball, as well as a notice that you can bring one guest along. Looking back up at Vanessa, you tilt your head in confusion.

“What were you expecting? Mom- I mean the Queen wanted me to give this to you as an apology for almost locking you up. If you don’t want to go, then that’s fine. You can probably sell it for a good sum of money, as anyone is allowed at this ball for some reason!” Vanessa yells the last part back at the room where her mother is. “Anyways, I’m going to get ready for tonight. Try to stay out of trouble.” And with that she walks right past you.

“Well isn’t she a drama queen,” Snatcher jokes. You flick him in his badge shaped face. “OW! Relax kid. Now’s the chance to find the Time Piece!” The sooner you get it, the sooner you can get back home. Hopefully.

You slowly open the door to Vanessa’s room. It’s much brighter in here with considerably less scratch marks on the wall. Though you could say that about everything in the manor. On the bed you see a woman sitting with her back towards you. On top of her grey head of hair is a crown. It’s the Queen, aka Vanessa’s mom. She looks to be writing in some sort of book. Despite your attempts to be quiet, the Queen notices you sneaking in.

Her face is wrinkled and doughy looking. To your surprise she doesn’t scold you. Instead she gives you a small smile as she puts the book down on the vanity next to her. “You must be the girl Vanessa was talking about. I’m Queen Clarisse, but you can just call me Clarisse. I’m sorry about my daughter’s behavior.” You smile back, reassuring her that you're okay.

“Oh no. Whenever something like this happens I feel both horrible about it and responsible. She’s going to be the next queen after I’m... not there. But that’s besides the point!” Clarisse suddenly stands and puts her hands to your cheeks, examining you. “What did she do to you? Are you hurt anywhere? What would a young girl like you be doing in this castle? What are these sticker things doing on your hat?”

You back up and reassure the queen that you are fine, you were just looking for an hourglass that wound up in the manor, and they’re badges. Not stickers.

“Well I can never be too sure! And I’m sorry, I haven’t seen an hourglass around here. Been to busy resting up for the big ball tonight. Oh, I’m so excited. I haven’t hosted a party in years! And you’re going to be there too, right?”

No, but you nod anyways. The Time Piece is in here and you won’t be coming back here ever again. You notice how Clarisse is eyeing your outfit. “Do you have anything better to wear than that?” she asks. You look down at your clothes. What’s wrong with what you’re wearing? It’s the perfect gear for someone like you. “Oh, these rags simply won’t do. Since you helped us out, let me help you. Stay right there.” The queen then walks over to the other side of the bed towards the closet. You stand still, and after three seconds you’re bored out of your mind. That’s when you notice the book again. There’s a pen sticking out of one of the pages. Your curious side of your mind takes over and, as stealthily as you can, you grab the book and open it up.

“Reading a dying woman’s diary after she just had a fight with her daughter,” Snatcher quietly chides. “You just don’t know how to stay out of everyone’s dirty laundry, do you? And I thought I was bad.” You simply hush him and start reading the latest page.

“I felt compelled to write this down so that I do not forget it. I’ve been quiet about it for so long.

I fear what my daughter has become. She’s become more obsessive with poor, sweet Prince. She’s also been lashing out more than usual. We just had a fight about a ball she asked for just because other people were going to be there other than Prince. It was our biggest fight yet. It reminded me of the last fight she had with her father.

When he died, an ice statue was made for him at his funeral. But only I know the truth about how it was made and how he actually died. Vanessa doesn’t even remember it happening, even though she was no older than nine after she had an awful fight with her father. I could hear it from two rooms over. When I went to check on the commotion, I only saw an angry Vanessa and her father frozen solid.

She hasn’t had any similar incidents since, but I’m still scared. Oh my daughter, you frustrate me so.”“

It ends there. You quickly close the journal and put it back where you found it. Memories of the frozen people in the manor flash before your eyes. Snatcher can tell you’re about to freak out. “Calm down, kid. We both know she won’t do anything until much later. I still say we ditch it now and find the-”

“Found it!” Queen Clarisse is suddenly by your side again. She’s holding a nice purple dress with yellow lace decorating the bottom and a matching yellow ribbon around it. It’s as if this dress was made for you. “I had this made for Vanessa when she was younger, but she hated it because it was the wrong color. I knew I made the right choice by saving it! Let’s try it on.”

She takes your hat off, Snatcher being placed face down on the bed, and pretty soon you’re in the dress. It fits just nice. You instinctively spin around in it, mesmerized by how it moves. Clarisse does complain that your boots don’t fit with the dress. So what? It’s a long dress so no one will notice. You place your discarded cape and zipper shirt in your hat.

“You’re not wearing that top hat with the dress, are you?” Clarisse asks. You just put your hat back on. No one’s taking it away from you again.

“Oh, it doesn’t matter. I must be going anyways. If you’ve got nowhere to go before tonight, then feel free to go into the next room. There should be some old toys in there you can play with.” With that, Clarisse leaves you alone in her room.

“Alright!” Snatcher shouts. “You said the Time Piece is in here! Well let’s find it and get the heck out of here!”

Your top hat guides you to the next room. It’s a lot different than when you first saw it. Mountains of old toys and boxes are stacked upon each other. At the top of one of the boxes you see your Time Piece. You climb up them and grab it. Yes! You got it! The time piece glows bright just like the first time! Finally you get to go home!

However, when the light fades, you find yourself in the middle of a familiar looking ballroom now crowded with adults, children, and birds. The Time Piece you were once holding is gone once again. You’re still stuck in the past.

“Ah, dammit.” Snatcher grumbles.

Chapter Text

Sorry if anyone wanted a proper conclusion for this, but I have no motivation to complete this story.

I've never been the best writer and I'm not a fan of how I wrote this one. Don't know what past me was thinking writing this in a second person POV.

Sorry. The conclusion I had envisioned for this wasn't completely thought out when I had started writing this so let's just say Hat Kid and Snatcher end up getting back to the present and Snatcher learns to be nicer to Hat Kid, or at least not as much of a jerk or whatever.