Chapter 24: Eclipse
A/N: Bet you weren't expecting that twist. Time for a 'new' character to shine.
Snatcher had assembled his minions and barked at them to search around the forest for magical spellbooks, especially books that had to do with ice magic. He was waiting in the tree with the kids, and had even sacrificed his chair so Bow Kid could sit down with her feet in a bowl of piping hot water when a minion walked into the tree, with a grave expression.
"Boss, we have bad news." He said somberly.
"What is it?" Snatcher asked furiously, expecting a new intruder.
"We've combed the entire forest, even near her manor and even in the deeper parts of the forest, and we found nothing that had to with breaking ice spells." He replied gravely.
The shadow cursed out loud and turned to his minion. "Well, find someone outside the forest that knows about magic, and bring them here! I do not want to lose another contractor so soon! Especially one as elite as them!" He shouted, and the minion took off.
"You said you needed with magic knowledge?" Someone asked mysteriously, and the shadow froze and turned around. "Well, I may be of assistance." It was the Badge Seller, who was smiling.
The shadow turned to the merchant and stared at him. "Who are you?! You're not one of my minions, what are you doing in my forest?" He barked at the merchant, who smiled even more.
"Oh, shadow, you do not remember your old friend?" He asked, then laughed. Then, something clicked in the shadow's mind and he realized who the person was.
"NO! I killed you!" He yelled at the merchant, who laughed even more. Hat Kid walked up to Snatcher, wanting to know what was going on. The Badge Seller turned to the child.
"Young one, you said you wanted to know my name?" He asked, and Hat Kid nodded slowly. "Allow me to introduce myself formally." Suddenly, a powerful aura emerged from the merchant, as his mask fused with his body, his cane disappeared, he floated into the air, his legs vanished, and chains appeared around his now-blue arms. His eyes also began glowing with red crystals and orange circles, and Snatcher became enraged.
"I am..." He stated slowly, with bravado. "The Moon Jumper! And I know how to heal your friend!"
The Snatcher growled. "I thought when I beat you, I told you to get lost, Moonboy. What are you doing back?!" He shouted, and the merchant was unfazed.
"Oh, shadow, I mean no harm. I have grown attached to the two young ones, and only wish to help." He explained happily. "Now step aside, I am the only one who knows how to clear her magic."
Snatcher wasn't buying it. "How do I know you aren't going to try to make them one of your puppets?" He asked, and the salesman frowned.
"You've taken their souls, their submission belongs to you. Even if I tried to take them, it would fail. Now, STEP ASIDE. I will not ask again. She does not have much time." He stated, annoyed.
Snatcher huffed. "Fine, but if you try anything I'll tear off your arms next!" He yelled, and the Moon Jumper nodded, satisfied, and floated into the tree and picked up a flabbergasted Bow Kid, who yelped.
"Relax, young one. It is I, The Badge Seller, only in my true form. You have no need to fear." He reassured the girl, who nodded.
He laid her down on a stump, and summoned magical red strings from nowhere. Some of the strings wrapped into a ball around the girls legs and feet, which already succumbed to the ice, and the rest seemed to make a runic symbol around her.
He pulled out a book and flipped to a page, then read and muttered a line to himself. He put away the book, then stretched out his hands, and began chanting in a language the girls could not comprehend, and the strings began glowing, and looked as if they were made of fire. Bow Kid began sweating, and the Moon Jumper continued chanting, sounding as if he were insane.
Eventually, all the strings had burned and were replaced with a magical flame, and when the flames eventually disappeared, the ice around Bow Kid's legs and feet were gone.
Snatcher was shocked. "Where the HELL did you learn that?" He asked the puppeteer, who turned to him and grinned.
"Oh, the ones who taught me of this certain ritual are people you would refer to as 'pests'." He explained mockingly, then laughed.
The shadow thought about what he said and realized what he meant. "The fire spirits taught you that?!" He shouted, and Moon Jumper laughed.
"Yes, if you aren't trying to murder them constantly then you realize they are actually very nice people." He replied. "Well, my work here is done. Farewell, shadow." He then disappeared with a burst of red, leaving behind a shocked Snatcher, healed Bow Kid, and confused Hat Kid.
"Care to explain what that was all about?" Hat Kid asked, but got no reply, as the shadow was lost in thought.
However, they were all shaken from their thoughts when rumbling disturbed the forest, and he cursed under his breath.
"Well, kiddo, looks like you're getting another contract!" He shouted to Hat Kid tiredly, who gave him a confused frown. Bow Kid got up and walked around slowly, making sure her feet and legs were working ok, and ran over to Hat Kid, and a contract appeared in front of them.
"Complete this final contract, and you're free to go!" He shouted malevolently, grinning like mad. Something seemed rather odd this time. Snatcher typically wasn't this joyful, he SHOULD be angry and miserable, but he seemed very excited and happy. It put Hat Kid on edge slightly.
They looked at the contract. It was the toilet of doom contract. Hat Kid snickered reading the name of the contract, and Bow Kid grinned. Both girls signed the contract, and it disappeared.
"Trust me, kids, when you confront that thing you'll know why it's called the Toilet of Doom." He said evilly, then cackled, grabbed both girls, and disappeared into the ground.