The workload is piling up but we'll see if Shadow Rift suffers or not :')

Happy 30th chapter though! For real this time. The last time I announced the 20th chapter, I miscounted lol

Thank you to my beta reader!!

---

The fight dragged on, even with Elliot's help. Mu had given up on the shield idea and instead attacked the spectators, trying to dissuade everyone from helping the two. Unfortunately for her, that only gave them the idea to help Hattie in a different way- sacrificing themselves so she could get a nigh-constant flow of health.

Which was MESSED UP in its own right. But Hat Kid couldn't complain at the moment. She could bring them all back when Mu was defeated, and she set things right.

And Snatcher/Elliot, surprisingly, wasn't a massive liability! Even if he had some trouble dodging and had to be dragged all over the place, his fire attacks were incredibly helpful against Mu. He seemed exhausted by the effort, but he was willing to help.

In the end, it was Hat Kid who landed the final blow against Mustache Girl. With one swing of her umbrella into Mu's side, it was like a sudden change. The world flickered as Mu's eyes grew wide, and everything paused in a single freeze frame. Then, just as quickly as it came, Mu was falling forward, the bright colors all rushing back to the warm, muted tones of the castle. She landed face-first on the carpet, sprawled unceremoniously on her castle floor. Hat Kid couldn't help but cringe; it was still a pathetic sight despite all the trouble Mu had caused her.

The timepieces all flowed together, disturbed by the change in magic, and collected into a massive cluster. They hovered, turning, just above Mu. Their presence was so welcoming like they were yelling Hey! Hey! Take us back to your ship!

And as much as Hattie wanted to, as victorious as she was, she hesitated.

Mu may have ruined the world, and everyone may be gone, ultimately because of her. But deep down, she had good intentions. She was worthy of sympathy...

And, more importantly, not having to worry about a doomsday timer felt so nice. If only Hat Kid didn't have to fix the world. The world may be an apocalyptic mess, but Hattie had found an odd peace within it.

She merely stared at the ball of timepieces, contemplating, until a voice at her side cut through her thoughts. "Are you okay?"

Hat Kid flinched. The noise had been simultaneously too close and too far away. She looked up at Elliot...Snatcher.

He regarded her with concern. One eyebrow raised, eyes soft, he smiled. "You did it, kiddo. I really don't know what the drama is with that girl, but you did it."

Hat Kid couldn't help but crack the smallest of smiles. She looked back at Mu. "We did it," she corrected, nudging him. She didn't have to see his face to know the delight that spread across it.

Oh, yeah, right. That's why she had to save the world. For everyone else. For Elliot and Snatcher. For everyone who had sacrificed their lives to help her in the final battle. Who cared about what she needed, right?

She had the weight of the world on her shoulders, and at the moment, that weight existed in a big floating ball of wood, glass, and temporal magic in front of her.

Hattie reached for it, and the timepieces gravitated toward her hand. She grabbed them, spun, and smashed them against the ground.

The magic exploded from the glass and rushed past her, ready to fix the world. She squeezed her eyes shut, colors flashing behind her eyes thanks to the bright lights.

---

When Hat Kid opened her eyes again, she was back in her bedroom. Slowly, she sat up, pressing her hands hard against the pillows that supported her.

Next to her was Elliot, his crown lying next to him. Hat Kid squinted as he sat up. The crown wasn't floating over his head anymore... simultaneously, they breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness it's over," Snatcher mumbled, flopping back on the pillows again.

"Yeah." Hattie leaned back with him. "What was it like sharing a body with Elliot?" she asked.

"Stressful," Snatcher huffed, eyes widening. He grinned slightly. "But... oddly insightful. For both of us, I think."

"Huh." Hat Kid lifted an eyebrow. She'd have to ask more about that later, but there were other things on her mind.

Tick. Tock.

She slid the watch out of her pocket, a sense of dread in her chest.

1:23:02:11...

1:23:02:10...

1:23:02:09...

Right. Encroaching doom.

"What's that?" Snatcher asked, looking over. Hattie turned the watch's face toward him, and he wrinkled his nose in confusion.

"You know how I'm going to die since I don't have a soul, right?"

A strangled cough escaped him. "Um, yeah?"

"Well, this is the countdown to my death." Hat Kid shoved it right back into her pocket.

"Oh." Snatcher pressed his lips in a thin line. "How ominous."

"Yeah."

"You still have two days or so," Snatcher said, his voice filled with uncertainty. "That's more than it seems."

Hat Kid shook her head. "I don't really know what to do next," she admitted. "I have an idea, but I'm not so sure it'll work."

Snatcher sat up, resting his hands in his lap. "You've gotta at least try," he said. "What's the plan?"

She sat up with him. "The only time the countdown stops is when I'm in a time distortion," she told him. "Like, the same magic that combined you and Elliot in the same body when the world was all messed up stopped the watch.

"I want to... kinda stall my own timer," she told him. "There are plenty of time rifts I haven't cleaned up yet. Being within them stops my timer too, but I can only stay in them for a few hours maximum, or else they'll collapse."

Snatcher nodded, but it didn't look like he fully understood. Whatever. "Basically, if I halt my timer for a while," she continued, "Then you will die before I do. That way you can give me my soul back, even if we cut it close."

"Right." Snatcher shifted uncomfortably, adjusting the frilly tie around his neck. "And... what'll happen when I die?"

"You'll become a ghost again," Hattie deadpanned, giving him a look.

He scoffed. "Well, yeah, of course," he sighed. "But... I mean... What will happen to Elliot?"

Hat Kid glanced at him. Snatcher kept talking. "If I turn into a ghost, what will happen to Elliot? Would we be sharing a body anymore?"

She shrugged. "My guess is that whoever would be in control of the body when you transform will... just be in control. While the other... disappears."

"Oh." Snatcher nodded. "That... makes sense."

"I don't know for sure, though," Hattie added. "Who knows. There's a possibility you could be stuck with him throughout the rest of your afterlife."

Snatcher snorted and shook his head. "Oh, that would be miserable," he joked.

But she sensed hesitation in his voice.

"Alright." Hat Kid stood, deciding not to press the issue. "I'm gonna get started on my plan. Every second counts."

Snatcher stood too. "And where am I going to stay?" he asked. "While you're off... rift-stalling, or something."

Hattie paused. That was a good point. What would Snatcher do? Leaving him unsupervised was a little worrying, especially if she kept him in her home. "Do you wanna stay in Subcon?" she asked.

A flash crossed his face- an emotion Hattie couldn't quite place. "Of course," he said, his voice gruff and quiet.

"Alright." She took his hand, leading him gently to the telescope leading to Subcon, and peered through.