As many spirits as there were bustling about Subcon Forest, the ruins still remained fairly empty. The girls only stopped once on their trek upon running into another group of fire spirits before going deeper in. Meanwhile, the dense fog rolling in from the burning portion of woods made the crumbled landscape seem all the emptier and more haunting.

It made the giant Time Piece among the rubble seem even more vibrant than it already was, like a lighthouse standing against a dark sea. Nevermind the light shining at its fragmented core, the two aliens could feel the strong magic emanating from it; forever locked in time—just like the thick, shattered bits of glass that hung suspended in the air.

There was something about this part of the ruins that seemed much more ancient than the rest of its surroundings, from the iron fencing that had clearly been erected around it at some later point to the barren earth that served at the large hourglass' base while all encompassing land was blanketed by a thick layer of undergrowth. Not even the snow seemed to dare touch that one spot. From the equally massive, floating gears to the temporal symbols engrained in some of the architecture, there was also something about this place that felt very much like home.

"Wow…" Bow Kid gave a barely audible whisper, placing a gentle hand on one of the ornate beams that used to frame the Time Piece. Her eyes were wide in wonder, as if she were touched by a distant nostalgia: The kind you felt for an ideal place or era you never truly knew, but longed to see in its prime. Hat stood back, giving her friend a moment to take it in. She'd been overcome by those same feelings when she first saw this too.

There was no help for it: Even this far from their planet, it was still a part of their history.

"Do you know what it is?" Hat Kid asked in a teasing, matter-of-fact way that one of their instructors may have used, arms folded behind her back.

"One of the first Time Pieces," Bow rattled off excitedly. She began to circle the broken hourglass, as if dedicating every fragment of it to memory. Her answer could've come straight out of a textbook, "They were basically generators for temporal magic. Once we got to the stars, we set these up on all allied and colonized worlds!"

Nevertheless, her smile soon faltered. There was a much darker history tied to the Time Piece's legacy as well. The use of temporal magic, blending it with technological ingenuity, had given their people an extremely useful fuel source for their starships and neigh-complete control over their world. However, no one could distort the fabric of time without consequence. There was no mortal being wise enough to truly wield such insane power to begin with…

It didn't stop them from trying: They paid for that arrogance in spades. Whether at the hands of corrupt or desperate individuals, meddling with the flow of time set off a multitude of chaotic chain-reactions. Lapses in judgment caused floods, droughts, and other natural disasters. The choice to go back and save some lives meant sacrificing others. Battles were waged for the Time Pieces, which were more-often-than-not destroyed in the heat of the fighting. The inevitable eruptions of temporal magic distorted the makeup of entire planets.

Take Earth, for instance: A backwater world rich in beauty and life, with traces of magic that went largely undetected. That was, until this hourglass shattered, causing a global calamity that would change it forever. Magic became more prominent. Several species gained intelligence, along with a more humanoid physique. Lifespans altered. The gravity in different patches of the Earth was lessened, and the atmosphere itself became far more breathable. It was one of the rarer, lucky worlds.

As for Hat's and Bow's home-planet, the fallout from its own series of unfortunate events had ripped it apart and locked it away in a massive time rift—closing it off from the rest of the galaxy. Now, they needed the Time Pieces just to enter or exit their own, trapped system. To any other space-traveler, the coordinates were just another empty spot in the sky.

Bow Kid was silent for a long while, then glanced over her shoulder at the other young alien, "Do you think there are any clocksmiths left from here?"

Hat shook her head. She'd already thought of that, but if there were any left, then they would've tried to make contact with their homeworld long before either of girls were ever born. It wasn't like the Clockwork Fellowship hadn't tried reaching out to the fallen colonies once they were able to escape their system: Any attempt usually just resulted in failure. Distorted worlds were often dangerous, and clocksmiths had enough trouble on their hands trying to clean up those messes. They were still trying to clean them up…

Besides, what little records there were on Earth showed that it remained stable early on, meaning it wasn't a heavy concern for them. So, like most similar cases, the Fellowship chose to leave it and its people alone from there on out. To them, beyond this new revelation of remaining temporal magic, this world was nothing more than an occasional pit-stop or planetary scan. They refused to repeat any past mistakes by establishing their synthesized science once again.

"If there were any survivors, they probably mixed in with humans," she answered. Although centuries behind them technologically, they were just as intelligent as themselves and similar enough physically that it was only natural for their two kinds to be drawn to each other. "It doesn't look like they really bothered keeping track of their history either, since the Dwellers don't seem to know much of anything about what happened."

The only people she'd met who even knew what Time Pieces were at all were the Mafia Boss, Snatcher, and Moonjumper—all of whom were "well-traveled" or had an extensive knowledge on magic. Everyone else needed to see the hourglasses in-action. Those that did had proved the Fellowship's worse fears right, like with Mustache Girl's near-takeover of Earth.

Hat Kid's brow furrowed as she stared up at the floating glass. She'd already given their superiors a full-report about this. This would bring the planet back under their radar. So, what would they do then? Move in as quietly as possible, probably. They always did, disguising themselves so they wouldn't cause a stir while they fixed whatever anomalies still caused issues for whatever world they visited. As defensive as Snatcher was about Subcon though, they were bound to run into him.

The child bit the inside of her cheek, twisting the front of her coat in her hands. Should she warn him? It sounded like the right thing to do, but she and Bow weren't allowed to talk about the Clockwork Fellowship with other beings. Besides, he always tried to chase her out. He'd just get angry, knowing she invited others to his forest…

They'd be back home, at Clockwork's, soon enough anyway. If everything went smoothly, she'd be so busy with her training that it was unlikely she'd come back to this world for a long while. Maybe she'd even be working on small-scale missions, like the one that put Earth on her route in the first place.

Her chest tightened.

Bow's voice snapped her out of her thoughts, "I'm surprised a Time Piece with this much magic didn't cause more problems than it did." Eying a moss-covered, stone platform that faced the giant relic from the left, she jogged over to climb on top of it. "Hey, look! This looks like it could've been an observation deck! You can almost imagine what everything might've been like back then."

She allowed a small grin to come back. It took a lot of imagination, but she was right: You almost could. The Time Piece would stand in the heart of an equally massive chamber, connected to a series of gears and gaskets almost like the inner-workings of a big clock. The earliest clocksmiths—maybe a few of them made up from Subcon Dwellers—would be buzzing in and out of the tall space like a hive, making sure the hourglass was stable and seeing as to how its temporal magic could be used for the planet's benefit.

A cold wind picked up, reminding them that they had to keep moving. There was no more time to waste.

After checking three more of the fire spirit's bonfires and a close run-in with one of the headless statues, the two had collected enough of the foxes' tufts to bring back to the Badge Seller who—as promised—was already waiting for the pair at Subcon's large tree. Whether Snatcher was too busy to notice the vendor's presence or he just didn't care, or if they themselves were too sneaky to be noticed, was hard to say. How they always seemed to be in the right place at the right moment was equally lost on the girls, but they were still grateful for it.

They greeted the two with a light wave, fingers twitching so erratically that the movement looked disjointed. Hat and Bow gave them a polite smile in return, holding up their finds victoriously. They seemed to smile behind their mask, "Good work, young ones! That should be plenty. Most of the work is already done, so if you'll just give those to me…"

The girls obeyed and the Badge Seller grunted, leaning on their cane for support as they sat down on the grass and fished through their large bag of supplies. Hat and Bow sat down close-by, both trying to take a curious peak inside without success. Soon enough, the vendor pulled two, nearly finished badges into the palms of their hands.

They were just as well made as all of their other work; two embroidered, brightly-colored buttons with a metallic, silver border. The base was a rich, midnight blue framed again by pale, jagged shades of white and aqua—like melted ice on the open water. Decorating the center of the badges, meanwhile, were vivid, warm shades of yellow and orange shaped like an abstract flame.

Hat and Bow remained silent as the Badge Seller turner their attention to the first badge, eager to watch them work. Despite the vendor's bulky, twin digits, they selected their tweezes and needles as if it was the more natural thing in the world. Little by little, the fox hairs were picked up and woven through the delicate stitching with a master's careful touch at their craft. Little by little, the badge seemed to shine with the fiery magic that was slowly imbued into it.

The children were so on awe at the work that there was no telling how much time passed on in silence until, eventually, the simple flame completely erupted to match the fire spirits' ethereal glow. The basic strands of yellow and orange took a life of their own, interchanging now amid brilliant waves of blue, violet, and white—so much so that it was easy to think the badge might catch on fire itself. The two were quick to pick it up as the Badge Seller set it aside to begin on the next one, taking an even closer look.

"This will really keep us safe?" Hat Kid asked. Her mind went back to the time she broke into the queen's manor, back to the mafia goon who hadn't been as lucky as herself. After seeing Vanessa's power firsthand, she couldn't help but feel a little bit of doubt.

"It won't make you invincible, if that's what you mean," the Badge Seller explained, "but yes. The fire magic contained in these fibers—these Toasty Badges—should will prevent you from being consumed by the ice, even if the queen herself catches you." They leaned forward, staring both girls firmly in the eyes. "Don't let that happen. She's still a force to be reckoned with."

It was as if the vendor could read their minds. Then again, Hat Kid alone had gotten into so much trouble by now that it seemed impossible for her to stay out of anyone's business for long. She gave them a sheepish smile.

Bow Kid changed the subject, "By the way, did you ever find that friend of yours?" It was worrying to think of anyone lost in Subcon on a normal day.

There was a bit of a pause, but they shook their head, "My search continues—away from these woods, I'm afraid, so please do what you both can to take care of yourselves."

The Badge Seller didn't give anymore details than that, not even where they planned to go next. However, at this point, it was to be expected. To Hat Kid, the vendor was more mysterious than any of the spirits she'd met yet.

Before they finished their work and left, much to the girls' delight, the Badge Seller pulled a perfectly-kept hourglass out of his bag—explaining that they had found it during their hunt through the forest. It was their parting gift before disappearing down the trail, cane in hand. Somehow, Hat and Bow just knew the vendor would find a way around the ice and snow to escape the woods just fine.

Meanwhile, the two continued their break for a short moment longer, admiring their new badges and attaching them to their hats. Both girls enjoyed a light snack that they'd brought in their packs, then soon left to scout around a while longer. The village was probably as secure as it was going to get, and Vanessa's forces wouldn't likely travel as far into the ruins as they did. That left the path to the spiders' nest and waypoint to the Horizon.

Hat and Bow walked just outside the path of the relocated foliage and guarded minions Snatcher had set in place only to run into the phantom himself. It wasn't much of a surprise to find that he wasn't alone, but it was to see who he was with, the two ghosts noticeably isolated in a circle of trees, away from prying eyes. Hat Kid would've called out to them, but their faces were stern and their voices low. More importantly, a familiar sheet of aged parchment hovered between them. Hat dragged her friend into a cluster of bushes for cover, watching the scene unfold in secret.

Lily's gaze hardened at the sight of the contract in front of her. There was a knowing, repulsed edge to her tone, "What is this?"

"Do you want to stay the Thane's pet?" came the sharp reply, "This little piece of paper is stronger than whatever mark he's placed on you. You won't have to go back with him."

The permanent devilishness to Snatcher's own tone didn't ebb now; however, he treated this far more seriously than the haughty approach he'd given Hat Kid when he'd forced her to work for him. It was hard to tell, but there was something almost pleading in his voice.

The Florist didn't hear it. She drew her lips back in a sneer, the paper loudly crumpling around itself as she swiped it away. "Right! I just have to give you my soul instead! I'd rather die all over again than work for you!"

"You really think I'm any worse than the swamp spirits?!"

"I think you're a monster!" she snapped back, "At least when they kill, it's usually over territory: You kill for the fun of it! You force people to bind their souls to you and then send them to die like it's all a big game! I'm surprised you haven't killed those children yet!"

Snatcher opened his mouth to shout something back, but apparently thought better of it. He snarled in silence, making himself take a deep, unnecessary breath. Twisting his body as though he were sitting in mid-air, he rubbed his temple. At last, he said, "Just read the contract."

After making a sound of disgust, she did. After a moment longer, the harsh look in her face softened a bit, but she seemed no more convinced.

"You'll have your orders, sure, but—except for matching some to your own abilities—they won't be any different than the ones I give to the rest of my minions. You can go anywhere you'd like in Subcon," he continued, "Better still, you can get away from them. You can be with some of your own kind again."

Hat Kid could've admired how her contractual BFF stayed purposefully vague, hiding what he knew, but the fact that he wouldn't just be honest about who he was was killing her! Then again, there was no telling how Lily would react to his true identity: If anything, it might make her hate him even more.

Not that that seemed to matter now. The Florist looked away, stubbornly folding her arms over her chest, "I can't… There's no way I'd ever trust you."

"Do you trust the Thane?"

"Enough that I know he wants me around. He respects me enough that he wouldn't throw me away. I can't say the same about you."

Unfortunately, Snatcher didn't have an answer to that.

One of the minions found them soon enough afterward, asking the phantom for their next task. The pair split, leaving the girls alone to consider what they'd just overheard.