(coughing, gasping, covered in mud and swamp grime, I emerge from behind you and below. before any questions can be asked, I throw this at the ground to your feet. it hits the ground with a meaty SCHLAP noise. I turn my harrowed gaze up at you, and just before I collapse, croak out my final words) ...it's riftin' time.

Sorry about the delay with Shadow Rift, everybody! I feel obligated to explain, even if you already know. I really meant to get this out MUCH earlier, but I ran into the hardest combo of procrastination and writer's block I've ever seen. I managed to slither my way out of it by writing very small chunks a day, despite the several other factors that contributed to various delays.

I suddenly understand why authors abandon their fics now. It was like siren song calling to me. It was beautiful and life-changing, but dangerous and terrifying.

Anyway. Enough with the dramatics! I'm sure you want to get to the chapter already :) This wouldn't be possible without my beta reader, so of course, a massive thank you to them!

Enjoy!

---

When Snatcher woke up, he found himself staring at a completely ruined forest. His completely ruined forest. His jaw dropped. "What the-?!"

Any other words he wanted to exclaim in shock about the situation were stuck inside him. The ground was split in every direction, with deep rifts shining with poisonous purple light. The cracks ran through his forest, and went deep enough to make his head spin. The normal diluted colors of Subcon had been saturated to crazy pulsing colors, and he had to squint to try and process everything.

The world around him flickered and glitched. He could spot spiders and mushrooms in the distance, floating in the air, frozen. Not in ice now, but in time.

"Oh, no." Snatcher's widened as he surveyed the devastation. "Oh no."

As he picked himself up, he caught a glimpse of his body. Snatcher flinched, almost reeling in shock.

He'd expected to see human hands and a human body, but the familiarity of his spectral form was the least expected. Had all that happened when he was gone? Snatcher frowned. He got his own body back, and he didn't even get to see it? That was just unfair.

He pulled his arms close, his claws curling into fists. Oh, he'd missed this. The size, the magical power, not having to worry about keeping yourself alive. His forearms brushed against the patch of fluff on his chest, and he closed his eyes. If he still had lungs, he would've breathed a sigh of relief.

Wait a second. Snatcher's eyes shot open again. He didn't have time to waste. His forest was in danger! He had no idea what happened to Hat Kid, where she was, or even a direct confirmation that she'd caused all this. Snatcher immediately reached back into his mind, screaming at Elliot. WHAT happened to Subcon?!

...

There wasn't a response.

Snatcher hesitated. He...he would know if Elliot answered, right? He would know the difference between a regular thought and Elliot's reply, right?

He probed his consciousness. He searched for the surplus of memories and the intrusive thoughts that came from sharing a body with a second mind. The only thing he found was Elliot's recent memories, and found the answer to his question himself.

Burning anger, breaking the watch with a swing of his hand. The heartbreak of immediate regret, watching Hat Kid transform.

It didn't explain the deep grooves in the ground and the altered time, but Snatcher at least had an idea of what happened.

Just in case, he reached out in his mind again. Elliot seemed to be gone, permanently. Dead again, he supposed.

A still feeling settled over him, the realization draping him like a cloak. He thought he'd be happier about it. Snatcher finally had his body all to himself again, but he didn't feel overjoyed, or even triumphant. Only... melancholy.

It wasn't a deep sadness, no. It was more of the heavy calm one would feel when they lost someone they cared about. Maybe it was ridiculous to mourn for Elliot, but it was something he didn't feel bad about doing.

A second later, Snatcher shook his head wildly. What was he thinking? He didn't have time to have a moment of silence for Elliot! His forest was in danger, for crying out loud! He had a job to do! Whatever that was!

While stopping the destruction of his forest seemed a nigh insurmountable task, he at least had an idea to start. He just had to hope that it truly was Hat Kid that had caused this.

Concentrating hard, Snatcher brought his hands together. Sparks of magic fizzled to life between his palms. Shaping the growing spell, he fashioned a portal and breathed a figurative sigh of relief when he saw it was stable. His fiasco with time magic had put him on edge; he'd been half-expecting to not be able to use his magic, for whatever reason. Snatcher cautiously reached inside, poking his head just through the opening.

Something bright purple and panicked shot out over his head, escaping his claws by mere inches. Snatcher drew out of the portal and closed it, leaping forward and snagging the writhing soul before it could dart away from him.

"Woah! Hey, hey!" Snatcher's voice dropped to a murmur as the soul bucked and squirmed in his hands. He adjusted his claws, cupping his hands as if he'd caught a bug instead of holding on directly. "Geez! Calm down! I'm not gonna hurt you!"

He could feel the soul slowly calm, settling in his palm instead of wildly bucking at his hands, trying to escape. Feeling it tremble against him, he slowly let a gap open between his claws.

Hat Kid's soul was terrified. Although its face was perpetually twisted into a distressed grimace, it was shivering against his hands. Snatcher's face softened. He'd dealt with his fair share of scared children's souls over the centuries.

"I'm going to return you to your body," he promised, peering his face closer. The soul flattened against his hands, trying to get as far away from him as possible. Snatcher decided to ignore the pang in his dead heart. "Okay?"

Forget the logistics. He didn't even know if a soul could be returned to a ghost. Forget that, her soul shouldn't exist in the first place! Was this more time magic keeping it in place?

But he had to try. He had to at least try. With the small nod, the kid's soul gave him, he felt somewhat empowered.

"Okay." A grin slipped onto Snatcher's face. It was a shadow of his usual boisterous smirk, but it felt more genuine. He opened his hands more. "Do you know where you can find your body, or...?"

Hattie's soul slowly peeked out of Snatcher's fingers, looking around Subcon. After a moment, she nudged her head in a certain direction. He followed her indications. The way she was pointing, the cracks in the ground grew continually brighter and deeper. "I should've guessed," he huffed.

Snatcher set down the path of destruction, keeping the kid's soul closely clasped to his chest. He set his expression, putting on a stern face. Inwardly, his thoughts churned.

What exactly would he be facing down? Surely Hattie wouldn't be an incredibly dangerous ghost- she just transformed. Then again, the damage she'd already done to his forest was unbelievable. Didn't she mention she had knowledge of wielding time magic? Would Snatcher be able to win this fight?

He pushed away his insecurities, pausing briefly to calm himself. Overthinking the worst-case scenarios wasn't healthy. It had taken him far too long to learn that. If it came to a fight, he would win, Snatcher told himself. He had to. Imagining any other outcome would only distract him.

Snatcher kept moving, following the soul's directions. He was heading toward a massive source of purple light near the outskirts of the forest, and it was only growing stronger the closer he got. Soon the harsh violet glare drowned out even the trees. Snatcher squinted, raising his arms automatically to shield his face as the light, seemingly tangible, passed over him.

The difference between the layer of light and the outside was like the difference between water and air. The moment he pushed through the magic, he was submerged. Snatcher's eyes widened as he found himself inside a bubble of pure magical energy.

Inside the bubble, the distortion had grown beyond anything he could've prepared himself for. The ground abruptly ended where he floated. The newly crafted caverns in the ground combined and created what looked like a bottomless pit. The gargantuan ditch practically screamed with temporal energy. What used to be the ground now floated in rocky chunks, dripping with dirt and twisted with roots. Joining the boulders in the air were patches of ripped fabric and displaced nooses. Snatcher's expression sank as he recognized several beings caught in the mess; along with several spiders and mushrooms, he spotted a few of his minions, all motionless.

All the wreckage spun together and spiraled upward, mismatched and ascending. At the top resided exactly who had destroyed it all.

Snatcher gazed up at the ghost, and she met his eyes.

Not bothering to use her own twisted staircase, Hat Kid launched herself down from the top to meet him. He could only tense as his body was suddenly met with large claws gripping his sides. With limited use of his arms, he was shoved down and pinned to the broken ground. He cringed, pressing himself against the ground in a futile attempt to escape the burning blue eyes half a foot away from his own.

As a ghost, Hat Kid was smaller than him, but in a split second, she'd gained the advantage. The tips of her hair ended in bright blue sparking flames that matched the furious cyan of her glare and scowl. Her hat hovered above her now, and her cape flowed and flapped in an unseen wind. The clip to said cape had transformed into a flickering, swirling bead of magic, angry and red.

"Oh." Her eyes narrowed. "It's you." Her claws dug further into him, making Snatcher cringe. "You should've just gotten lost."

"Those are my lines, kiddo," he croaked.

A ripple of displeasure went through her body, the bead to her cape spitting furious ruby sparks. Snatcher tensed. Would now be a good time to give her her soul back...?

Before he could make an attempt, Hat Kid pulled away. He scrambled back, his spiked body disheveled, hands clasped. With Snatcher on the ground, the ghost kid towered over him.

"I don't know why you came back," she hissed. There was a load of venom in her eyes. "I destroyed your forest. There's nothing left for you here. And I'll just kill you, too."

Tentatively, Snatcher rose. "I'm already dead, kiddo," he pointed out. "Your plan isn't going to work out."

A smug look flickered across Hattie's face, her red bead fading to a yellow that painted her face in amused light. "Oh, really?" she sneered.

With a swirl of her cape, Hat Kid turned and floated away, ascending the stairs to the center of the swirling chaos. Snatcher cringed and recovered his balance, following carefully. Could he use this as an opening to give her soul back? Would her ghost body accept her soul again?

What was he thinking? Her soul shouldn't even exist- she was dead! Snatcher's brow furrowed. Was that also caused by time magic...?

Snatcher's thoughts drifted into obscurity as Hat Kid reached the peak of the ascending detritus. She turned, looking down at him, and raised a hand. Sparks of purple gathered into her open palm, coming together and solidifying until an hourglass rested in her hand. Snatcher tensed at the sight of the timepiece.

"Maybe I can't kill you now," Hat Kid mused. "You can't kill a ghost, y'know." She flipped the hourglass sideways and held onto the tops with her enlarged hands. She pressed her palms together, crushing the timepiece between her claws.

From the broken hourglass, a blue wave of temporal magic washed over the area. Snatcher flinched as it reached him-

-he gasped in shock, stumbling on legs that hadn't been there a second before. Snatcher froze in place, his eyes traveling over his body yet again.

His breath- his actual breath- hitched the moment it sank in that he'd been regressed to a human body yet again. Desperately, he clamped his hands together, trying to keep the kid's soul in his grasp. He couldn't afford to lose it now-!

He flinched as another blue spasm of energy hissed over the area, shutting his eyes tight. When it passed, he cautiously opened his eyes and relaxed a second later when he saw his ghost body again.

Snatcher turned his eyes up to the kid and scowled, meeting her smug gaze. "But time is relative," she continued. "And I have control over time. So I have control over your now- and your then."

Dread swept over him, making the fluff on his torso stand on end. If she could just mess with time, was there a way he could win a fight? Snatcher steeled his face, refusing to slip up and show the ghost kid any sign of what he felt.

"I did try to warn you about this, y'know," Hat Kid added. Her grin reverted back to a frown. "I tried to warn you that I'd turn into a ghost. With my control over time magic, you should've realized how dangerous I would be!" She spread her arms, gesturing around the environment. "All of this? It's your fault, not mine!"

"In my defense, you were incredibly vague with your warnings," Snatcher retorted.

She growled, irate electricity rippling over the bead of her cape. She raised her hands again, summoning another timepiece, and broke it too.

Snatcher saw the rush of time magic coming this time. Was there a way he could dodge it? He twisted to the side, but the blast caught him, and he stiffened-

-Finding himself in a completely unfamiliar place, Elliot froze, eyes darting around.

Where was he? The ground was broken, and everything was cast in harsh purple light. How had he gotten here?

His gaze traveled down to his hands. What was he holding onto? He didn't remember ever grabbing ahold of something. He started to unclasp his hands and let whatever it was go, but he hesitated.

I need this. It's important.

Elliot looked up again, jolting in surprise as an abrupt wave of blue energy enveloped him-

-Snatcher doubled over, eyes wide, clutching his hands and the kid's soul tightly to his chest. What was that?

A shudder went through him as the implications of what happened truly set in. The kid really had complete control over him. How could he hope to fight back if he couldn't dodge her attacks? How could he do anything if she could simply regress him so he didn't know where he was or what he was doing?

Was this just an impossible fight? Would Subcon be destroyed? Would he be destroyed with his home? And would he be granted the mercy of remembering himself and his forest?

Snatcher didn't know how much longer he could keep telling himself he could win. The way the kid was staring down at him was starting to set him on edge. His mind raced as he tried to think of possible solutions. Was there any way to combat time magic? Unfortunately, the one person who might know the answer was staring him down and looking ready to rip him to shreds. Great.

"I did try to warn you," Hat Kid repeated. Her blue eyes flared menacingly. "If you hadn't taken my soul, and if Elliot hadn't broken the watch, none of this would've happened!"

Hurt shot through Snatcher. Maybe it was time to take accountability for things. Yes, he took the kid's soul. But he was planning to make that better! He'd learned by now! Yes, Elliot made a mistake, but he didn't know it would hurt her!

Even so... "I'm not the one destroying Subcon, kiddo," Snatcher yelled back. "That's all you. Don't try to pin your mess on me, even if I took your soul!"

Hat Kid's hands balled into fists. "I wouldn't be doing this if you hadn't taken my soul!" She was practically screaming.

"You can choose not to do this!" Snatcher's voice rose further. "Becoming a ghost doesn't automatically make you evil! Trust me! I've been a ghost longer than you ever will be!"

A strained snarl escaped the ghost kid. "SHUT UP!" she screamed. Magic rippled to life between her palms as she called a third timepiece to her. The sight of the hourglass already sent a wave of alarm through him- and the time magic hadn't reached him yet.

Was there a way he could stop her somehow? Snatcher darted forward, flames blazing through his scruff as he lunged. Hattie's eyes widened, and she quickly smashed the hourglass on the ground.

No, Snatcher realized ruefully as the radius of blue sped toward him. He couldn't stop it. He jolted back, moving his arms and opening his hands, covering his face, a feeble last-second attempt to shield himself somehow-

-And nothing came.

Sure, he felt the ripple of the magic speeding by him. But it didn't touch him. It didn't change him. He lowered his hands cautiously. What had stopped it?

His answer lay, or, well, floated in front of him. Snatcher's startled reaction had caused him to let go of the kid's soul. Now that very soul stood protectively before him, a force that had stopped her hollow counterpart's attack. Huh, Snatcher thought in wonder.

From the look on the ghost kid's face, she was just as baffled as he was. "How did...?" she trailed off, staring at her very soul before her.

Adrenaline seized Snatcher. His element of surprise had been used, and his opportunity to move was rapidly draining away. He had to act now.

Snatcher darted up the twisted staircase of debris, launching himself forward with his claws. He grabbed the kid's soul along the way, shooting rapid fire toward the ghost just above him.

Shock quickly turned to alarm on Hattie's face. She moved back, her arms raised, as if trying to summon a fourth timepiece, but Snatcher reached her first. He slammed into her, using his superior size and weight to throw her to the ground.

"H-How is this POSSIBLE?" Hattie shrieked, pinned by Snatcher's grip. "My soul shouldn't exist!"

"Maybe you should've stopped messing with time so much," he grumbled back. He shoved Hattie's soul to her.

A part of him expected it not to do anything. She was right- now that she was dead, her soul should not have existed. Would her ghost body be able to absorb it? Would the soul be rejected? This was the moment of truth.

The kid's soul took on a warm violet glow as it met her estranged body. It sank into her chest and faded. Snatcher moved back immediately, unable to hide the baffled look on his face. I can't believe that worked-!

Hat Kid scrambled upright again, floating hat askew. "D-did you really think that would fix things?" she spluttered, looking indignant. "I'm already dead! I-I don't know why my soul still exists, but that's not going to change things! The world's gonna end anyway!"

Snatcher scowled at her. "So explain this whole 'world ending' thing, then," he retorted. "Because you haven't really warned me well on the issue."

She flexed her claws, momentarily looking like she wanted to strangle him. Snatcher noticed she didn't. Instead, Hattie rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "There's time magic in my soul," she grumbled. "That's how I keep coming back to life every time I die."

Ah. Snatcher's eyes widened in shock. He vaguely remembered that. Hadn't she died a lot during his fight? He distantly recalled realizing that the fight was repeating over and over, and changing his tactics based on that. Just to throw the kid off and make sure she died again.

Maybe this whole thing might be my fault. A little. Not like he'd ever say that out loud, though.

"Since you took my soul, it started that countdown to my inevitable and real death," Hat Kid continued. "You know that story. But my real death would cause a break in the universe since I'd been using time magic to prevent it. So... even if I do nothing to destroy it, the world's gonna end anyway."

Snatcher stared at her for a long moment. There was something that didn't quite add up. "...but you have your soul back."

She opened her mouth. Hattie paused. She lifted her finger, hesitated, and then brought it to tap her chin.

"So what does that mean?" Snatcher asked.

"I... have no clue." Hat Kid frowned. "Since my soul wasn't supposed to exist." She thought harder, her brow furrowing. Another beat later, she tugged at the corners of her hat in fury. "UGHH, this is a paradox! Darn it, Snatcher!"

Snatcher gasped, enraged. "Excuse me? What was I supposed to do, let the world end?!"

She glared at him. "My guess is," she grumbled, pointedly ignoring the question, "that the world won't end. That it'll just stay like this forever until it's fixed. We'll be kinda stuck in limbo... or a stasis. Time won't really move, since it's broken."

"Great. Isn't that a lot of fun?" Snatcher rolled his eyes, trying to ignore the heaviness settling in his chest like a stone. "And how are we supposed to fix it-" he stopped, seeing Hat Kid pull out yet another timepiece. "Oh. Of course." He scoffed.

"I don't like it either," she sighed. "Unfortunately, the only way to fix time magic is... time magic. And, seeing how the timeline is horribly glitched..."

"Fine." Snatcher made a face of disgust. "But, after this, could we not use timepieces? I'm done with those."

Hat Kid glanced back at him. "So when I reset the timeline, you'll hand over every timepiece you collected in your forest?"

Snatcher nodded.

"Good." She gave him a snooty look. "They're mine, anyway."

"Whatever." Snatcher rolled his eyes again. "Just get it over with. Please. I hate seeing what you've done to my home."

"Alright." Hat Kid positioned the timepiece, readying herself to break it.

Snatcher noticed that she took a few moments too long to actually do the deed. Why was she hesitating? "What's wrong, kiddo?" he asked quietly.

She glanced up at him. A second later, she shifted her gaze away, tilting her hat's brim over her eyes. She looked a lot smaller than she had been a second before. "I-I'm worried we won't remember," Hat Kid mumbled. "I don't know what'll happen when I reset the timeline. I'm afraid that... we might make the same stupid mistakes again. And we'll never learn."

Snatcher thought it over, studying her carefully. "It's not something we can prevent," he murmured. "You might as well just do it. Would you rather stay here for eternity?" He waved a hand to the volatile world around them.

Hat Kid deflated. "You're right," she relented.

"I know."

"Shut up." Hat Kid scrunched her face at him. He grinned wickedly in return.

Hat Kid composed herself again, adjusting her hat. "But... in case you don't remember..."

Snatcher flinched as she swooped forward, half-expecting another attack. Instead, it was the exact opposite. The kid had thrown her arms around him and squeezed, pouring her unspoken anxieties into the surprise hug.

Snatcher gazed down at her, his feelings muddled. How had they gotten from contracts and fighting to... this? He let out a metaphorical breath, bent down, and hugged her back. "We've been through a lot, haven't we, kiddo?" he mumbled.

She nodded. He felt the movement of her face in his fluff. He closed his eyes and relaxed.

After what could've been an eternity, Hat Kid pulled away, still clutching the hourglass. "Welp. I guess I should get... to that whole fixing the world thing."

"You really should," Snatcher agreed.

Hat Kid positioned the timepiece again, flexing her claws. She caught Snatcher's eye with a sideways glance. She grinned and tipped her hat. "It'll work out!" she assured them both. "I know it will."

She smashed the timepiece between her hands.

Snatcher closed his eyes as the bright burst of magic rippled over the area.

What if I don't-

---

-remember?

Snatcher's eyes fluttered open again. He was flat against the ground of the arena he and Hat Kid had fought in. Wow... they'd been reset this far back? He pushed himself up, giving himself a quick physical and mental examination.

"Did it work...?" he wondered aloud, studying himself. Well, he was a ghost, so that was good. And it seemed like he remembered all of that fiasco. Elliot, Alpine, that mustached girl, the end of the world, the hug, everything. He grinned triumphantly.

Just before him was Hattie, on the ground like he had been. Clutched at her fingertips was a timepiece. Snatcher glanced over at her. Was she okay...?

He started to reach over. Hat Kid suddenly sat up, throwing her head back with a gasp. "GUH!"

Snatcher flinched away. Hattie scrambled to her feet, looking disoriented. "Did I win?" she asked. "Is this what being a winner feels like? It feels pretty lame, honestly. Eurgh." She stuck her tongue out and shook her hands, looking disgusted.

"Well, you did fix things," Snatcher agreed with a crooked grin. "I'd say that's a win."

Hat Kid triumphantly pumped her arms in the air. "Whoo!" she cheered. "I fixed... something! What are we talking about?"

If Snatcher had a heart, it would've stopped beating just then. "What?" he repeated, squinting at her.

What does she mean? Wait, does she not remember? How do I remember, but she doesn't?

"You're joking, right, kiddo? You remember what you just did, right?"

Hattie thought, frowning. "That's... an odd change of subject. We were just fighting. I dunno how long you knocked me out, but..." she shook her head. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Snatcher's hopes hit the floor and shattered. "Oh," he said darkly.

Was it really all for nothing? He remembered Hat Kid's joke a minute ago; how she didn't want him to remember the hug.

Now, the roles were reversed. How ironic.

He wordlessly snatched the timepiece off the ground and tossed it to Hattie. "Take it," he said, his voice sharper than he intended. "I've... changed my mind. I don't want any of these in my forest anymore."

Hat Kid gasped as she caught it, eyes wide. She frowned at Snatcher. "Careful!" she warned. "Do you know what could happen if these things break?"

"Believe me, kid, I know," Snatcher grumbled.

He had hoped they would both remember. What was the point in hanging around the kid if they couldn't connect over their shared troubles? Snatcher shriveled in on himself as he realized he'd had the hope that, once the timeline was reset, he could laugh it off with her. That they could look back on the past few days, and sigh in relief that it was all over.

This wasn't the outcome he wanted.

Snatcher turned and exited the arena.

"Hey, wait!" Hat Kid called behind him.

He hesitated. Maybe there was a chance that she did remember...?

"What about my soul?" she asked. "Could you give that back, too?"

Snatcher wilted again. "Check your watch," he called back. He melted into the shadows, vanishing from the area.

Now alone, Hat Kid stood with the timepiece clutched closely to her chest. My watch? she wondered. How does he know about my watch?

She shifted the timepiece to one hand as she dug through her pocket with the other. She lifted her watch.

The countdown had stopped. Instead of ticking backward, the hands were moving forward, second by second, acting like... a normal watch.

Huh. She stared at it in disbelief. So she did have her soul back. But when did that happen? Did he give it back while she was unconscious? How... uncharacteristically generous of the Snatcher.

Hattie shoved the watch back into her pocket. Her fingers brushed against something else there- something she didn't recognize.

"What the-?" She gently lowered the timepiece to the ground, pulling papers out of her pocket. Her eyes widened. They weren't just any papers, but storybook pages.

Now where had those come from?

---

Here's what Ghost Kid looks like, by the way!

And a note about the next- and FINAL- chapter. Wowie!!

The next one will take a lengthy amount of time to come out too. This time not because of the writing, but because of the art. If all goes well it shouldn't take as long as this one did, but... we'll see how things pan out. It'll be made in its own time.

'Til then, see you!