AN: Hat Kid tells Mu about the dangers of using the Time Pieces and I explore the lore around the A Hat in Time universe with my own ideas and interpretations. Also, I apologize for how long this author's note is going to be, but I need to mention something important.
I've gotten some concerning comments on AO3 about the nature of this story and an assumption someone had, so I want to make it abundantly clear as to what this fic is about. Snowcon Forest is a story about FOUND FAMILY with bits of angst, comfort, and adventure, and will NEVER, EVER contain any sort of pedophilic or NSFW content towards the child characters found in A Hat in Time. If any of you guys support that disgusting shit, never read any of my stories ever again. I don't want your support, I don't want your follows or favs, I want nothing to do with anyone who supports the abuse of minors in such a way, joke format or not.
Also, quick warning that there is a brief description of an eye injury so if you want to avoid that just skip the section where Hat Kid tells the story.
Anyways, onto the next chapter!
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It was a quiet night in Subcon Forest. Both Snatcher and Moonjumper were focused on finishing up the treehouse that would function as a sort of home for both Hat Kid and Mu, primarily Mu given the circumstances. Based on the hushed conversations between the two, it seemed as though they were doing some final testing to see how safe the structure was, and how much damage it could withstand before breaking.
A necessary measure in case a certain icy witch ever escaped.
Suffice to say, they were going to be busy for some time as they focused on finishing up these few, vital details. Even Christine was busy as she supervised the Subconites and Dwellers back in Subcon Village. She had become a sort of secondary guardian for the Dwellers, doing her best to heard them and keep them away from any potentially dangerous sections of the forest while Snatcher and Moonjumper were busy, and the Subconites were more than happy to aid her in keeping the most vulnerable members of their community safe.
Which left Hat Kid and Mu alone.
While this typically would have been a recipe for disaster, the two were perfectly content with being able to spend time with one another and relax without having to worry about anything going wrong. Currently they were both taking shelter in Snatcher's tree, one of the best places to avoid the lingering chill that permeated the forest. The mustached child was taking this opportunity to snoop around as best she could. Unfortunately for her there was nothing of interest having only found books strewn about.
Ugh, nothing was worse than books! Well, maybe the Mafia, but at least she could have fun beating them up! Books were boring, unless they were action stories!
Wait… speaking of stories-
"Hey Hat," Mu began to ask, looking over at her cousin. "Since it's quiet and stuff, how about you tell me that story? Y'know, that weird one with the Time Pieces!"
Hat Kid, who had been busy staring at the somewhat melting snow outside, startled and glanced over at Mu in surprise. It had been some time since she had mentioned the warning tale involving the misuse of the Time Pieces, so she had not expected such a question and was actually quite stunned that the mustached girl had remember it.
Then again, she had also been very curious when Tim first mentioned it...
"Alright," The hatted child sighed, ignoring the excited cheer Mu let out.
Finally! Something interesting!
Hat Kid jumped up into Snatcher's chair as Mu sat cross legged on the floor in front of her, eyes wide with excitement. The hatted child cleared her throat, somewhat uncertain as to how to tell this story, but began the tale, nonetheless. "It's called the Tale of Cap and Blade, and Tim told me it when he was teaching me about the Time Pieces. It's not a happy story, but it's an important one."
She paused, trying to recall the exact details the old man had told her all those years ago. "It begins with two... students from some place called the Academy, one called Cap and the other Blade. Cap and Blade were rivals, both super talented in their own way, but sometimes Blade took their rivalry a bit far-"
"That Blade person sounds like a jerk!" Mu interrupted, scoffing and crossing her arms.
Hat Kid nodded. "Tim said that Cap never took it seriously, but Blade always wanted to fight, and win."
She then sighed, recalling the sorrow she had always felt upon hearing this part of the story. It was unfortunate what had happened, and Tim had always been… angered in some way, as though he was personally frustrated with how things had turned out.
He made her promise not to tell anyone, though, which was kinda weird.
"One day Blade got tired of losing over and over again and learned about where the Time Pieces were kept. He decided to break in and steal one to beat his rival once and for all…"
A young girl panted heavily as she sprinted down a long, seemingly abandoned hallway. The floor beneath her was built out of rough, grey stones and the walls were a polished marble. There were no windows as the structure had been built underground, and her path was lit up by the occasional ceiling light.
The silence was unnerving, especially considering what she had heard her rival speak of earlier. It was forbidden to enter the room at the end of this hall, but if he had been telling the truth something terrible was bound to happen.
So, the moment their class had ended, she immediately followed him to this location, taking care to not be seen by any of the adults patrolling the area. The punishment for being caught would be severe, which meant it was best for her to search for her classmate on her own rather than tell anyone else what had happened.
Speaking of which, it was quite strange to see this area unguarded. There was no one else here and that was concerning to say the least. The Time Pieces, unprotected.
Why?
She was broken out of her thoughts when the hall suddenly opened into a much larger cylindrical room. She was bathed in a harsh, near blinding light, and forced to come to a halt.
The walls and floor she had previously seen were now replaced by some sort of mirror. Even though the reflective surfaces had to stretch to accommodate the circular room, her reflection was not distorted in the slightest.
It was… creepy and made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.
However, the most notable feature of this eerie place was the massive, sun-like construction that hung down from the ceiling. It glowed with a holy golden light, and yet the energy within it was well contained.
This was it, the Vault of Time, or more commonly known as the Vault.
The place where all gathered Time Pieces were kept, preventing them from causing any harm or risk corrupting any of the inhabitants of her planet.
"Cap found out somehow and followed Blade. They beat up a whoooole bunch of guards and stuff too. That's why it took so long for anyone to find out what happened."
A sharp click startled her out of her thoughts, and she watched with horror as the device hanging from the ceiling started to descend. As it got closer to the ground, she caught sight of a figure holding on to the top of it, a glowing item held in their grasp.
It was her classmate.
And he was holding a Time Piece.
"No," She breathed, eyes widening in horror.
Just being in their untamed presence would start to corrupt an individual, and holding onto one like that…
"Blade broke into the Vault, smashing up a whole bunch of stuff and breaking things as he tried to get the Time Piece. When he did, it was time for their showdown, or whatever Tim called it."
She had to stop him, she had to get him to let go of the Time Piece or else the worst would happen to him, a process they had both learned about during their classes, a thing that never failed to result in suffering and death. As annoying and bratty as he could be, even he did not deserve that.
"You idiot, the Council will kill you for doing this!" The girl howled, hoping her words would reach him. "You'll die when they find out you used a Time Piece, so stop!"
"Never." He breathed, landing on the ground, and holding the hourglass even tighter. The Time Piece disappeared as a rich purple aura began to surround him, a sign of the corruption taking over. He could feel the pure power radiating through him, and with that he could see everything. Timelines where he was the victor of every match and brawl, moments where he was worshipped by his classmates, hailed as the strongest student at the Academy. Everything he ever wanted, had ever dreamed of, was now possible. The future was in his hands, and now there was only one obstacle left for him to overcome.
"The Time Piece made him super tough to fight! Really strong and… uh-"
"And?"
"I don't know, that's all Tim told me!"
One final fight that he would finally win.
He smiled and struck at his rival!
The girl yelped as a sword materialized in the air and was swung at her face. She ducked just in the nick of time, barely avoiding the deadly attack. She jumped backwards putting some distance between her and her attacker.
"You idiot!" She shouted once again, and then she charged.
Unfortunately, the girl had no weapons, all she had was her trusty cap and the unique power that all members of her species had, her Gift, it being her ability to counter attacks. She would need to be agile to dodge the oncoming blows and had to time her counters perfectly if she wished to defeat her foe and bring him back to his senses.
Another sword was swung her way but this time she was able to counter it, tilting her cap down to creating a powerful barrier around her. The energy from the oncoming attack was absorbed and reflected at her rival, knocking him back a couple feet and slicing up his arm.
He growled in anger as that unfortunately familiar, rich purple mist oozed out of his wound and healed it in an instant. His eyes flashed as she smirked at him.
Once more the boy lunged forward, and the duo engaged in a deadly dance. The girl ducked and dodged, countering whenever she could, while the boy continued to mercilessly hack away at her.
Unfortunately, the cap wearing girl soon found herself suffering a misstep, tripping over one of the several swords that had been littering the ground. Unable to dodge or even counter properly, she could do nothing to stop the oncoming attack.
Blood splashed across the floor of the Vault, followed by a piercing scream.
The boy smirked as he glanced at the tip of his blade, now stained red. The girl, crying and wincing in pain from the blow, lifted a hand up to her now bleeding face.
Her previously pristine cap now had a slice missing out of the brim, a slice that fell perfectly in line with her left eye, now hidden by her hand. The pain was excruciating, a constant stabbing ache that was almost too much to process, and made her feel like throwing up, but she forced herself to push past it and continue fighting.
If he managed to escape the Vault with that Time Piece, growing more corrupted and powerful as time went on, few would be able to stop him.
And many would die in the process.
Her parents, her team-
She grit her teeth and charged.
With a yell she sprinted forward, ducking, and dodging the various swords and blades that were thrown her way. Before she had forced herself to hold back, show some mercy so her rival could come back to his senses, but now it was clear that this was a fight for her life.
Mercy was no longer an option if she wanted to survive.
She jumped, ducked, and lunged, avoiding all the blows as she slowly got closer to her attacker. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she reached him, scooping up a knife that had been discarded on the floor at some point. She sprinted forward, knife aimed at her foe, and howled.
The knife was plunged deeply into the boy's heart.
He choked in pain, staggering back from the blow. Almost immediately the intense purple aura that surrounded him faded, disappearing from view as the hourglass lost its connection to him. She fell forward with him, collapsing onto the ground in pain, exhausted from the battle that had only lasted a couple minutes but felt like it had gone on for hours.
"C-C-" He wheezed, trying to call out her name.
"You idiot." She breathed, tears gathering in her one good eye as she futilely tried to stop the bleeding, red staining her hand. "You absolute moron!"
The boy smiled, light fading from his eyes as he looked up at his rival for what would be the last time. He chuckled and whispered his final words.
"Looks like you win…"
And then all was silent.
Suddenly the Time Piece popped back into existence, no longer fused with him, and landed on the floor with a heavy thud. She jumped up and whirled around, attention focusing on the forbidden item.
As if being pulled along by some sort of string, she walked over to the Time Piece, staring down at it when she got close. She bent down, scooped it up, and held the glowing item before her face.
"Cap went kinda crazy after beating Blade. Time Pieces can be… bad, they can corrupt you and that was happening to Cap."
Scenarios floated through her mind, each centering on the battle that had just happened, the person she had just killed. Tears fell from her one good eye and she clutched the hourglass to her chest, sobbing as guilt and grief slammed into her.
"Please..."
"There's no way to save someone so far gone except by beating them."
"I DON'T WANNA BE A MURDERER!" The girl, practically a child wailed to the heavens. She sobbed and held the Time Piece even tighter, the reality altering artifact starting to glow.
"She would've killed a bunch of people if she hadn't been stopped!"
"Halt!" A voice boomed from the entrance of the Vault.
She looked up, a hand still firmly pressed over her wounded eye, and yelped when a vicious backhand sent her flying. She skidded across the reflective ground, Time Piece falling out her grip and clattering to the floor. Face aching and heart hurting, the girl looked up at the one who had attacked her.
She caught sight of the pin resting on their chest, an hourglass, and she froze. It was a guard. One of the missing guards. They must have heard the commotion from the fight, but why had it taken them so long to get here?!
Where had they been-
"You are under arrest for tampering with the Time Pieces and trespassing in a restricted area!"
"What?!" The girl cried. "But I stopped him! He was gonna hurt everyone if I didn't do something!"
It seemed as though they didn't care about her reason, her excuse, the guard simply grabbed her by her hair and started dragging her out of the room while others rushed in to take of the mess. "The Council shall decide your fate."
She tried to scream, tried to fight and force them to go back so she could save her rival, her classmate, her friend, and stop that mess from happening, but a firm hit to the back of her head had her falling unconscious.
The now one-eyed girl collapsed and was pulled out of the Vault to her demise, leaving a trail of blood and sorrow that stained the floor.
Above her, the Sun shone brightly.
"So, Cap was taken away to be punished for her crimes."
With her story now complete, Hat Kid fell silent and looked over at Mu, who was staring at her with wide eyes.
"That's why you didn't want to use the Time Pieces to fight crime." Mu mumbled, realization dawning on her. "We would've been in a bunch of trouble!"
Hat Kid sighed and shook her head, clenching her hands together as she recalled how the story ended. "No, we would've been killed. Messing with the flow of time is forbidden on my planet. Time Pieces are for ship fuel only."
The hooded girl gasped. "No way! That means the girl-"
"She didn't die." The hatted child interrupted. "She escaped with someone's help, and supposedly they're both still out there, but if she hadn't been freed…."
Silence filled the air.
Mu laughed nervously. "Well there goes my plan of being time traveling crime fighters-"
"I still need to get back the rest of the Time Pieces." Hat Kid muttered, her words cutting off the mustached girl's joke. Her fists clenched in frustration. "I don't want anyone to get hurt because of me."
Mu marched up to the chair and jumped up beside the hatted child, wrapping her arms around the younger girl so she could hug her. "I'll help you get them back and beat up any bad guys that try to stop us!"
The hatted child smiled and hugged her cousin back.
Yes, they would get the Time Pieces back and stop anyone from getting punished by the Council. No one would get hurt and everything wound turn out perfectly fine...
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Heavy footsteps echoed through the polished halls as the group of uniformed people escorted their prisoner to his destination. The guards all wore the same dark blue shirts with black pants, an emblem of a Time Piece resting directly over their hearts. They were clustered around an old man with messy white hair. Glowing chains encircled his wrists and ankles, preventing any sort of escape.
It was Tim, the CEO of Time, Guardian of the Time Pieces, the one who had raised Hat Kid.
And he was a prisoner.
"Keep moving!" One of the guards barked, shoving the old man to make him move faster. The group was approaching a massive set of doors, even with Tim doing everything in his power to slow them down.
He did not need his future sight to know that the next several minutes would be fairly ugly, full of shouting and accusations.
The doors before them opened, revealing a massive chamber with polished white walls and an intricate mural stretched across the ceiling. The images depicted several hands reaching towards a Time Piece, all of them engulfed in a purple glow except for one.
This was the chambers where the Council, the governing body of their planet, met to hold discussions and pass judgement.
And today judgement would be passed upon him.
Before him was a tall stand that appeared to be made out of some sort of polished marble, the same substance that the rest of the room was comprised of. All members of the Council were currently present, and all wore the same white robes.
Well, all aside from one that is. A rather bored looking woman with brightly dyed hair appeared to have decided to wear pajamas to this meeting. At least there appeared to be one potential source of amusement during this somewhat stressful time.
The stand that took up most of the space in this room featured ten seats with several being set at different heights, the highest of course belonging to the current Head of the Council.
A short, older woman that went by the name of Sheena.
Speaking of which, said leader of the Council was currently glaring down at him from her seat as the guards around him dispersed. He hated how neat and presentable she looked, her short, black hair neatly framing her face, casting strange shadows over her icy blue eyes. A false face she constantly wore.
It disgusted him.
"Tim!" Of course, Sheena would be the one to start this trial. "You are charged with keeping the location of several Time Pieces hidden and aiding a traitor. How do you plead for your crimes?"
Tim sighed and rolled his shoulders, looking not at all bothered by her accusations. "Plead? I haven't done anything wrong and Hat Kid isn't a tra-"
"You've kept the location of your charge hidden from us!" Another Council member interrupted, a young-looking man with bright red hair and an aggressive demeanor. As his fists stuck the polished surface, the brass knuckles covering them making contact, small jets of fire broke out around them. "And she was responsible for returning lost Time Pieces, so we didn't know where they were for months!"
Didn't know? They still shouldn't know what planet she's on…
Though the phrasing worried the old man, he did his best to continue looking as relaxed as possible as he smiled at the hotheaded Council member. "Bart, how can I keep a secret I don't know the answer to, it doesn't make sense. Besides, Hat Kid probably got delayed with all of the fighting going on."
"So, you would continue to maintain the argument of your innocence?" Tim twitched at the next voice, immediately recognizing it as belonging to one of the more… disturbing members of this group.
Phase, a short man dressed in rags all dyed the same shade of black. His appearance unknown aside from the tufts of silver hair that occasionally poked out of the stipes of fabric.
"Yes, I do." His response was a bit snappier than intended it to be, and he mentally cursed as he noticed a worrying smirk cross Sheena's face. He had to keep his composure.
High pitched giggles pierced the momentary silence that took over the room, and Tim cringed. Why, why were the most annoying members of the Council speaking up now?! This pink hued and pastel obsessed alien went by the name Flora. Her curly, pink pigtails bounced as she clapped her hands together and smiled brightly at Tim, her star shaped pupils contracting harshly.
"Awwww, can't I play with that little cutie Hattie poo? I promise you'll get to see her again, in pieces~"
Even Bart, who had appeared to be pretty hyped up for some potential fights and violence, was visibly sweating as Flora rambled on and on about the fun times she could have. It at this point that arguments began to break out as the least morally corrupt person currently present, Arc, slammed a fist down on the top of the stand and pointed aggressively at Flora.
"How dare you suggest such a sickening thing-"
"Yeah! She's a freak!"
"What'd you say, Barty~"
"Nothing I swear-"
"You all have the same maturity level as children."
"LEAST I AIN'T AS SHORT AS ONE, PHASE!"
"Silence!" Sheena boomed, short hair standing upright as energy danced though it. "I want order in this hall, not chaos!"
Immediately the bickering group grew silent and Tim could feel anxiety running through him. It was at this point that another member of the Council sighed, a man who appeared to be the same age as Tim as was known as Hex. Sightless eyes were fixated on Tim as Hex spoke.
"Tim, I know how much you care for your charge, but there is no denying the facts. Hat Kid has been missing and we have only now received some sort of confirmation towards her condition, and that was an automated message from her ship, which we should have received some time ago. It is quite clear that something has happened, and you have always held more knowledge than you admit to."
"But she's not a traitor dammit! She's a child-"
"She shall be tried according to her crimes!" Sheena interjected. "Regardless of age!"
Hex winced at that, clearly not agreeing with her opinion while Arc shook her head in a combination of disappointment and disgust. While the mirror covering her face kept her expression hidden, there was no denying the worry present in Arc's voice.
"Tim does have a point, as she is a child it is entirely possible her ship might have truly gotten stranded somewhere. Perhaps she has been trying to repair it all this time so she could send out a distress signal. Her punishment should only be determined after we have a chance to converse with her."
"Arc is correct." A new voice spoke up, this one belonging to a woman that was the slightest bit taller than Phase with bright green hair, but still quite short. She seemed to be a bit nervous, her tanned skin gaining a red hue as the attention shifted to her. She anxiously adjusted her glasses and continued. "Logically speaking there is a chance that Hat Kid could have chosen to remain on that planet due to malicious intent, or that she might have been stranded there. Therefore, I advise that it would be best to-"
"Hehehe, look at the neeeerd being all smart and stuff." The pajama wearing woman spoke, cracking her dove grey eyes open and playfully winking at Sheena. "She's super smart so you better listen to her, lol."
"Is that a threat of some sort, Trix? Would misfortune befall me if I chose to ignore your words?"
"Naaaaaah, threats are boring. No funny surprises, hehehe." Trix smirked while finger gunning.
Tim exhaled quietly as he watched the interaction. Despite how dire the situation seemed to be; he was grateful that his earlier assessment of Trix stirring up some chaos was not incorrect. Her laid-back and meme obsessed attitude made it so she and Sheena constantly butted heads and argued.
Well, Sheena argued while Trix laughed. Perhaps, if he was lucky, the ongoing spat might distract them from Hat Kid-
"A-Anyways," The speaker from before continued as she adjusted her glasses again. "I have already taken the necessary steps in order to progress this case."
Dammit!
"Your foresight is appreciated, Claire." Sheena thanked, nodding at the now identified Council member.
Claire blushed brightly and eagerly nodded her head, nearly knocking her headband off due to the intensity of the gesture. "I live to serve and maintain the authority of the Council, Sheena! It is truly my pleasure!"
"Kiss ass." Tim muttered under his breath, his hands clenching tightly. None of this was going correctly, this was not supposed to happen! Something must have changed, but what-
He was snapped out of his thoughts as the sounds of footsteps reverberate on the polished floor. The faint murmurs of other discussions grew silent as the steps became louder and louder, the owner drawing closer, until…
"Well, well, well." A cool voice intoned. "To be summoned by the Council for a mission, what an honor."
Claire cleared her throat and gestured towards the newcomer. "After scanning through the skill set of the currently inactive Time Piece Collectors, I identified Hunter Oz as the best selection given the projected outcome of our actions. His Gift allows for optimal capture potential with minimal resulting injuries."
The cruel man was tall and thin, sharp being the best word to describe him with. His short black hair fell into his venomous green eyes, and that cocky smirk was stretched across his face like usual. The rest of his appearance was hidden by a dark green cloak that reached down to the polished floor, the fur trim brushing the underside of his jaw.
"Hunter Oz," Sheena began, clearly reveling in the dismay that Tim was openly displaying. "We need you to locate the criminal known as Hat Kid and bring back both her and the Time Pieces she was responsible for using whatever means necessary. Her last known location will be uploaded to your ship."
Oz's smirk grew. "Whatever means? Well then, I suppose that includes lethal too…"
The CEO of Time whirled around to face the "Hunter", all his eyes growing wide with horror. "You can't be serious, she's just a kid!"
"She's a traitor." Oz calmly replied, picking at his nails in disinterest. "And you should know what we do with traitors here."
"You know what happens when the Time Pieces fall into the wrong hands." The tallest member of the group, a bald and heavily tattooed woman by the name of Ringer, stated. Though her voice was calm and level, the intensity of it caused several of the younger members of the Council to shiver. "You have seen the fragments in the Time Rifts, you know what mayhem and destruction they bring. We cannot allow anyone who would dare risk causing such a catastrophe to happen again to remain alive."
Murmurs broke out, some of the Council agreeing with what had been said while others voiced their own opinions and concerns. Few chose to remain silent. Tim looked as though he wanted to interject, to speak up and tried to.
Key word being tried.
The moment he opened his mouth, the chains that prevented his escape glowed a bit brighter, and no sound was made. He had been silence.
Sheena smirked as despair took over the old man, his posture slumping as his hands trembled. His eyes shut and his mouth reluctantly closed. No, no, no-
"Oz!" A new voice suddenly shouted, sounding like it belonged to a young boy. "Wait up!"
The cruel man scoffed and turned around, glaring at the teenager, who looked to be around the age of thirteen or fourteen, that was now entering the chamber. "You just have to start moving faster, brat."
Most of his face was covered in various blue markings. A swirl that sat on his forehead and lines that fell from his eyes. A grey newsboy's cap covered most of his short, spiky dark hair. The moment he entered the room, more murmurs broke out with several voices sounding rather disgusted at his presence.
"Yes sir!" Timmy responded as his eyes were drawn to the various Council members sitting above him. "Do we have a mission?"
Oz chuckled, sending a menacing smirk to Tim who continued to focus on the ground below him, looking utterly broken at this point. His plans had failed-
"Yup, we've got ourselves a traitor to catch."
"This meeting is now adjourned!" Sheena announced, all eyes now on her. "Hunter Oz, this mission requires the utmost speed and secrecy. Do not engage with any native inhabitants of that planet if you do not have to, understood?"
"Of course, almighty Head of the Council." Oz bowed, his cloak swaying around him. "I will begin this mission immediately and update you when I retrieve Hat Kid."
"Good. Dismissed!"
Oz and his subordinate Timmy were the first to leave the chambers, practically sprinting out of the room so they did not dare risk disappointing the leader of their kind. The guards who had escorted Tim in were next, dragging the still muted old man out. From there, the rest of the group slowly dispersed.
Some left immediately without exchanging a word to one another while others lingered and had quiet discussions among themselves. Arc and Hex could be seen having what appeared to be a rather serious discussion with Sheena while the towering Ringer lingered behind the Council Head. Other groups, such as Claire and Trix, seemed to be engaged in other activities.
Primarily Trix doodling loss and various other… potentially offensive images all over the previously pristine section of the stand she had been seated at. Claire was torn between wailing over the vandalization or running more calculations.
Truly, there was never a dull moment in this place.
However, among the group there was still one who had not spoken yet, one who had chosen to not engage with any of the discussions and arguments that had gone on. He was the youngest member of the Council, both in terms of age and time spent in the organization. Still seated with his hands clasped in his lap, his dark, umber toned skin seemed to glow in the bright lighting. Long strands of lavender coloured hair rolled down his shoulders and partly obscured the black and white mask covering his face.
Eyes opened, the sclera pitch black while the iris glowed a brilliant red, and the man sighed. A burst of black and red mist oozed out of the opening where his mouth was before he vanished from sight.
It seemed as though he had preparations to consider given the recent development.
And what a development it had been…
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AN: AFTER TEN THOUSAND YEARS I FINALLY GET TO THIS CHAPTER! I've had the core idea for this written out for so long! Also, if things seem a bit confusing now with the characters and plot, that's okay as the next two chapters will focus more on explaining the ideas I've introduced here, so things will make more sense soon!