Apparently, it was common practice on this planet to drown a sickness out of the body with lots of soup.

Hat and Bow sat nestled in a mound of pillows in the bedroom they'd dragged from the plush pit to the wide window set over it. It was hard to say whether or not their arctic cruise voyage had been a true success. On one hand, they'd managed to collect three more Time Pieces: On the other, they'd crashed the ship mid-journey and gotten small colds from the frigid waters. It wasn't the worst of events, and they'd gotten everyone to the lifeboats in one piece, but the two still agreed not to tell anyone the truth about what happened.

"'I already fly a spaceship,'" Bow Kid mumbled, stirring the last few bites of chicken noodles with her spoon as she echoed her friend's own words spoken a mere moment before disaster. "'How different can it be?'"

The other child sniffed through her mildly stuffed nose, "In my defense, there is no liquid water in space. I can do as many rolls as I want to with no problems."

Neither was actually upset with the other: It was just their usual banter. Nevertheless, darting around the sinking ship had been a terrifying experience they didn't want to repeat, and whatever time they had gained from the trip's early end was mostly lost as they recovered from it. Minor as it was, a foreign virus wasn't something either of them wanted to toy with. As such, they'd taken Cooking Cat's advice by allowing themselves a few days to rest.

They were mind-numbingly boring days—especially with so much left of a wide world to explore staring them in the face from the viewport—but they were still very much-needed. Even back home, free-time was sparse. It didn't keep them from worrying about the lost Time Pieces remaining, but it was a chance to breathe and let someone take care of them for a change.

Hat Kid stared into her bowl. The soup had already gotten a little cold, giving the noodles a slimy texture as she forced the last of them down. She washed her mouth out with a sip of water next. Cooking Cat said that, if they finished their food, she'd have brownies ready for dessert. The feline had only made them for her once before. The rich, chocolate flavor was like a special delicacy to the alien, and she wasn't going to miss out.

"Any idea where we're off to next?" Bow asked. Most of their colds had ebbed, leaving behind only a slight, runny nose for the both of them. "Just tell me it's not gonna be another, subzero wasteland."

Scrambling out from under the pillows, Hat crossed over the bedroom to a set of controls next to the door. Within seconds, she connected to the ship's main computer and pulled up an assortment of data. There was a slight cringe to her voice as she replied, "Well, there is one place left that's plenty warm."

Bow raised a skeptical brow, "How warm?"

"Desert warm."

Bow flopped back into the pillow mound with exaggerated exasperation, dragging one over her face. As Hat continued looking over the data, she shook her head at the sight of flickering signals. The spiritual realms across the planet were a problem all their own, and the supernatural beings that called them home apparently hadn't abandoned their interest in her Time Pieces either. What each of them wanted from them was beyond her—not that it mattered, since she intended to get them all back anyway, one way or another. It didn't worry her too much though. Those had become few and far between: It was better to focus on where the hourglasses had landed in mass for now.

An alarm suddenly rang out through the ship, the one that always signaled an intruder's presence onboard. Hat Kid had heard it so many times now that she was more than used to it; Bow, however, was startled enough to immediately jolt up from her seat. Both girls gave each other a curious glance, then made their way toward the main deck with their umbrellas in tow.

They were in their pajamas, but neither of them cared enough to change. There wasn't anyone on the planet they were trying to impress, and whoever had shown up clearly didn't care to give them a chance to prepare for their arrival either.

Unexpectedly though, the intruder turned out to be one of Snatcher's minions. Although they rarely left Subcon Forest, it wasn't unheard of. Sometimes, they ventured beyond their borders out of necessity or on special occasions. The two aliens had even seen Snatcher himself—or at least heard him—on the docks before boarding the arctic cruise, though where he went after that was a mystery. Almost as much as why one of his subjects would be here, standing in front of them now. Many of the doll-like beings tended to carry themselves in a restless way. This one, however, fidgeted nonstop, twisting the fabric of their cloak anxiously.

Cooking Cat stood on the level above, near the kitchen doors, also summoned out by the alarm. Upon looking over the three figures below, she quickly sensed the off atmosphere and leaned over the railing, "Is everything alright?"

"That's what I'd like to know," Hat Kid replied, her expression knotted with confusion. She stepped a little closer to the minion, "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Um, uh…" This one was more nervous than the others; more like the shy, bodiless Dwellers than the brash, mischievous personality the minions tended to share, inspired by the shadowy overlord that looked after them. Not only that, but the voice seemed fairly young too, if wiser than her supposed 'age,' as if she had passed on when she was barely beyond her toddling years. At last, she pointed toward the viewport, "Just l-look out there, at Subcon."

Curious, if uncertain, the two aliens did as instructed. With her hands on the glass, Hat Kid peered out at the planet below. They weren't really at the best angle to see the purple, hazy blot that made up the forest from space, no matter how much it contrasted with the world's natural blues and greens. After a minute though, she found it.

Sort of… The miasma that constantly hung over the woods already gave them a sickly look, but it had joined with something else: The swirling mass now coiled over the landscape with thick, white streaks, similar to a snowstorm. She felt her heart sink in her chest, all too aware of what the sight undoubtedly meant.

Bow Kid nudged her out of her daze, "What's going on?" It hadn't been very long since she'd arrived to the planet to help Hat Kid retrieve the Time Pieces. The latter had tried catching her up on recent events the best she could: There was just so much to cover. Of course, she knew Snatcher's story already—by extension, Moonjumper's too—seeing it firsthand was just another thing entirely.

"Vanessa…"

That was all the answer that was really needed. Behind them, the minion released a soft, scared whimper and ducked her head. Too many of them, the queen's name alone was enough to drag up so many horrifying memories. Nevertheless, this was not the time for fear.

Bow was the first to act, moving back over to the minion and taking them by the shoulders in a consoling way. Hat joined them and tried to pry for more information, "What's happening down there? Did Snatcher send you to come get us?"

The minion shook her head, "N-no, he doesn't know I'm h-here." She began to sob, the idea of getting in trouble with him adding to the already frightening situation. "Please don't tell! It's just… the ice is moving again, and we can't get it to stop! I thought you could do something!"

She couldn't imagine why. Even if she hadn't been allowed to use her hats in the manor according to her contract, the alien had learned fast that the ice queen wasn't something to trifle with. One touch was all it took for her to add her enemies to a grisly collection of frozen statues.

It wasn't like she planned on refusing the cry for help, but Bow gave her a worried glance. Her friend had a kind heart—her eyes reflected her desire to go—but she knew as well how this would set their own goals further back. The didn't have time to waste.

It just seemed that neither did Subcon. Hat Kid forced herself to take a deep breath, "Ok… Let's get ready and get down there."

The minion calmed down a bit, "You're really coming?"

She nodded before starting off back in the direction of her room, "Just give us a minute to grab some things."

Bow Kid soon followed after her, walking close at her side to whisper, "Are you sure about this? There's still a lot of Time Pieces we have to find."

"I think some of the spirits have a few of them anyway," she returned in a voice just as quiet, "We can keep an eye out while we're in Subcon."

For a moment, Bow went quiet, then seemed to laugh to herself, "You know, we're breaking so many rules, right?"

Where to even begin? Losing the Time Pieces and then lying about it to their superiors, letting anyone other than themselves onboard the ship, getting too involved in the affairs of a strange world that didn't center around their work as clocksmiths… They were in a heap of trouble. Still, that was only if anyone from their organization found out. This world was stable enough and so unimportant to their people that it was considered to be nothing more than a pitstop on this side of the galaxy—one that only she, out of all of her people, had used in years. It was just her sad luck that their information on the planet was beyond dated, surprising her when one if its inhabitants had come knocking on the hatch of her ship.

And now she was deeply involved in the planets' affairs. She had no choice to be: Even if she tried distancing herself, her conscientious nature wouldn't allow it for long. It was the same for Bow.

Hat Kid called over her shoulder to Cooking Cat, "I think we're going to need those brownies to go."

She heard her tssk in response, "You alien kids don't know how to stop for a moment, do you? Well, fine! Just don't blame me when you make yourselves sick again!"

Hardly more than an hour later, the ship was steered around the planet to suspend itself over the forest. Thanks to the storm, they'd had to drop down further along the trail and take the long walk further in to reach the village—now bundled up in heavy coats against the rapidly settling chill. It gave them the chance to see just how bad things were getting.

It was just a light snowfall, but it was constant. The ice was moving from the direction of the manor in an arc, stretching around the whole of the forest itself as though to block as paths of escape. Grey clouds settled in above the canopy of trees, and a thick layer of fog rolled in from the burning wood as opposing elements clashed.

They were greeted by Snatcher's enraged shouts well-before they spotted him in the heart of the village with his back turned to them, "I can't be gone for one week—one week—without something going wrong! Now, which one of you attracted the ice witch?! That's all I want to know!" As if recalling that he was mostly dealing with already panicked children, he added, "I'm not mad, just very disappointed!"

He was more irate than usual. So much so that Hat Kid thought twice about giving him any of the usual snark she'd started after their battle and BFF contract. The minion they'd been traveling with now snuck away behind them, joining her allies at the far side of the village. Normally, Snatcher's influence over the forest was so great that—coupled with generations of vast knowledge and his own, otherworldly power—he could carry an air of confident authority. However, with the queen roused and his home threatened once again, all of that was starting to shatter, nevermind his personal grievances with her.

Clearly, it didn't wipe away all of his wits though. On top of attacking the spreading ice with his own magic, he directed the minions to use cherry bombs and any tools on-hand against it. Even the other Dwellers seemed eager to help, if only because the queen was a far bigger danger than Snatcher in their eyes.

It didn't take him long to notice them either, raising his hand, in an irritated, claw-like manner as he glanced over. "Oh, not you two on top of this! Can't you runts see I've got enough of a mess on my hands?! Beat it!"

Bow wasn't used to the ghost's threatening demeanor just yet, and thus kept back while Hat took a stubborn step forward, arms folded across her chest. "We know," the latter pressed, "That's why we're here to help!"

For a moment, Snatcher balked at them, then his mouth pulled back in a half-grin of belittling disbelief. It was a look that ticked a nerve Hat Kid didn't even know she had. No matter no many insults he threw at her, that expression got to her the most. After all, she'd not only completed every task he'd given her without fail, but had beaten him alone! And he'd been there when she fought against Mustache Girl too!

It didn't stop him from scoffing and shooing them away with a flick of his wrist, "Yeah, I don't think so. Run along, kiddos, and let the dead handle this."

As he turned away, Hat Kid ran in front of him, pointing her umbrella at him fiercely. "But you need help! Admit it!" She waved her free hand toward a line of ice spikes, "Vanessa is one of the strongest spirits here. If she manages to turn this place into a winter wasteland, it'll only let her work in her element and there could be no stopping her! There has to be something we can do!"

"Nope!"

The young girl didn't have time to blink before she was airborne, Bow screaming her name after her. Snatcher had grabbed her by the back of her coat, tossing her ungraciously behind him. She landed in a cluster of fallen leaves, which exploded around her on contact and cushioned her fall. They were wet and mucky from the poor weather.

Bow Kid just stood there, shocked. Thus far, Snatcher's first impressions hadn't been the best on her. The other child was certain that her friend wondered why she even bothered trying to help him to begin with. Leaves crumpled under her as she stood up and wiped the ones that stuck to her off. It was because he wasn't as bad as anyone thought, as much as he tried to be.

Her hat had flown off mid-tumble. Two of the minions that had seen what happened picked it up and ran to her side to check on her. Snatcher didn't spare her another look, too busy with the maddening task at hand. It was taking enough effort to hold a line and protect the village alone, much less wherever the ice was expanding throughout the rest of the forest. For every pillar they shattered or disintegrated, another slowly grew in its place. The pond in the heart of the village was freezing over, a thin, frigid layer wobbling above the slight current.

Her lips drew back in a firm pout. She screamed at him, "Stop being stupid!"

"I already told you: Get lost, kid! Learn when to quit for once in your life."

Why wouldn't he just let her help? What was his problem?! He still didn't seem to care if she died—most of the ghosts she met really didn't—so what was wrong this time? She figured he'd leap at the chance to force her to work again, with a fresh contract at the ready.

The fog was getting thicker, advancing upon the village from the opposite side. Clearly, the burning wood was fighting just as hard to keep the storm at bay. It made Hat Kid think of the fire spirits, and she hoped they were fine in all of this. Since water and ice opposed their element, it could sometimes be a common danger.

A cherry bomb went off not far from her. Patches of ethereal flames from Snatcher's attacks licked at the ice in random bursts before fizzling out. A smile crept on Hat Kid's face. She tugged off her pack, hunting for one of her badges, then raced back over to Bow and tugged at her arm to follow.

Only after they were out of earshot did she begin to explain, "The fire spirits can create barriers that even Snatcher couldn't destroy. I'm not sure how strong they'd be against the ice, but it's something. If we can get their help, maybe they can hold off the storm a bit."

"Maybe, but why would they help?" Bow asked, "I thought you said that they didn't like Snatcher. I thought you said that you weren't exactly on the best terms with them anymore either."