Chapter 6:

When I woke up, it was to Pepper fussing about in her sleep, me then resorting to hugging her to my chest and her to then hug me again. I then pet her on the head again and she squeaked in her slumber, me smirking at her cuteness. She may have been a sailor mouth when awake, but she was pecking adorable when asleep.

"Freddy..." she cooed as I smiled at her, but only because everyone else on the ship was still asleep.

"I'm here, Pepper," I said softly, her then rubbing her head against me in her sleep.

"Don't let the cheese win... only you can... burn the cheese king... and save the world..." she said, me smirking at that. What in the world was she dreaming about? I simply looked at her thoughts and saw that she was having a very weird dream where a bunch of cheese balls were attacking people and I was fighitng them off to protect Pepper. I then decided to mess with the dream by forcing my dream self to annihilate the cheese balls with laser vision, which Pepper screamed in joy at as I burned the cheese until they all melted, me then picking up Pepper and her then eating the melted cheese after I'd turned Pepper into a hybrid of her and a vacuum cleaner.

"I feel so full... so yummy... the world... safe..." Pepper said as she then hugged me and she then finally opened her eyes and I smiled at her. "Um... was I dreaming again?" she asked.

"And talking in your sleep. You were dreaming about cheese taking over the world and asking me to defeat the cheese to save the world," I smirked at her, which Pepper blushed at.

"Ah... that must mean I was hungry in my sleep..." she smirked as I saw the others started to stir, inclduing Hat and Bow.

"What time is it?" Hat asked as she went to the clock on the bedside and saw that it said 7 AM.

"Fwahh... should we get going before the others wake up? Or should we wake them up before we head out?" Bow asked as I looked at Pepper and she smiled.

"They'll be fine, just make sure that the security is up," she smiled.

"Of course. Here, this is where the escape pod is to get to that creepy-looking forest," Hat said with a whisper as she revealed that it was actually in the toy chest, her and Bow going into it while I used the Time Piece to warp myself and Pepper to the planet in the exact area that Hat and Bow landed at. And when we did, we proceeded to look around and note that it was very dark and that the sky was coated in a purple hue.

"Hmm... this place looks spooky. There's sure to be danger lurking around every corner," Pepper spoke as Hat then looked in front of us and saw one of Snatcher's minions, him then running away for us to follow after. But after a bit of running, Hat and Bow then stepped on and triggered the sack trap, them being hoisted into the air high above the ground!

"ACK! We've been trapped! Let us out, quickly!" Hat shouted as I then jumped up and used the laser power to melt away the ropes... but it was pointless, as, shortly after they fell to the ground, we were surrounded by creepy thorns as the ham of the hour finally arrived.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA! FOOOOOOOLLLLLLLSSSSS! ! !" he shouted his catchphrase. "You blew it! You totally screwed yourselves! No one comes into my forest and gets away with it!" the Snatcher smirked widely as I saw that Pepper looked terrified and behind me while Hat and Bow looked at him in annoyance.

"What's this guy's deal?" Bow asked.

"Ham and cheese sandwich. That is all," I said.

"And just what is that supposed to mean, little man? You trying to say you know about me?" he asked as I looked at him with seriousness.

"I do. Mister Prince," I said, him then losing his big smile and getting a frown instead.

"Don't. Call me that. Ever. Again. Got it?" he growled at me in anger, me frowning at him.

"Then what do I call you?" I frowned.

"Snatcher, that's what you call me! Now, rules are rules, so I'm going to need you to sign these if you want to walk around my forest," he said as he produced 4 different contracts. One was for going to the well and killing the fire spirits, one was for going to deliver mail to his minions, one to defeat the soul-eating outhouse, and a final one to visit an 'old friend' at a mansion. I looked at him and then at the others, especially since each one required our souls. Maybe I could do something eventful.

"Uh, mister Snatcher? I think I'm going to be the only one who could sign all of these, as these lovely ladies are still a bit young to sign legal documents. I'm an adult, so I can sign for them," I said.

"Peh, very well. I can handle that," he said as I then smirked at how I then signed all of them and he then smirked at me.

"Okay, the deal is set! Now time for me to hold my end of the bargain!" Snatcher smirked as he snapped his fingers... and my theory was proven. Nothing happened to any of us! "Huh? Come on! Work! Why can't I take your souls?!" he asked as I smirked.

"Very simple. I don't have a soul and the ladies here didn't sign your contracts. I just scammed the scammer," I smiled widely, him then looking at me with a growl as I smirked. "But don't worry, we'll still tie up these loose ends for you. But only in exchange for items that look like this," I said as I presented the time piece in my possession, the Snatcher looking at me and then at Hat, Bow, and Pepper.

"And what kind of importance do these hourglasses have to you, hmm?" he asked.

"More important than Queen Vanessa is to you," I said, that making the Snatcher finally growl and grab me with his noodle arm.

"SHUT UP! I do not like being reminded of that incident! If you mention that instance one more time, your head is getting popped off your little neck!" he growled at me.

"Have you even tried to talk to her?" I asked, Snatcher about to speak, but him then frowning. "I thought so... how about I go visit her and you watch from a distance? I want to see if I can warm her frozen heart. And if I fail, well, then I'll just go ahead and get my punishment," I said, him frowning at me.

"Fine," he pouted as he placed me back down and the world returned to its normal, forest-like state.

"Um... what now?" Hat asked.

"Now, we go do our jobs. Hat, you go ahead and get the fire spirits and the well cleared. Bow, you handle the outhouse. And Pepper, you deliver the mail," I said.

"Aw, come on, I wanted to punch the toilet!" Pepper complained.

"I can switch with her," Bow smiled.

"Go ahead. I get the most dangerous job regardless," I said with a frown as I then went down the path towards the frozen part of the forest. And Snatcher followed me in annoyance.

"Tell me, little Freddy. How do you know so much about me when I've never met you before?" Snatcher asked me as I continued down the path, needing to jump across the vast broken bridge in the process until I reached the ice wall.

"If I told you, then you'd just kill me. If you promise you won't kill me, then I'll tell you," I said.

"Peh, you're no fun at all. But fine. I promise not to kill you... at this time," he said, me frowning at that.

"Fine, no killing me at this time. At least wait until the contracts are done," I frowned. "Anyways, if you must know, it's because of this machine that I own. It allowed me to see a distant universe that was outside my world's boundaries. But then, through means I don't even understand, I get teleported into this world, which is carefully crafted from that machine. And I feel pain, can interact with everything, and all that. As for you? Well, I know all about you and Vanessa's history, as it was a big part of the lore of Subcon Forest," I said, him frowning at that.

"Then, do tell, what is this lore of me and Vanessa?" he asked with a frown.

"You and she used to be a couple, with you being a prince and her the princess. But then, one day, she noticed that you were getting flowers from a shopkeeper. She mistook the sight as you cheating on her, so she locked herself away and got progressively angrier. You tried to explain the situation, but it was too late. She ordered her guards to throw you in the dungeon as she became filled with so much hatred that it literally reshaped this side of the planet, freezing her heart and her mansion solid in ice and turning all the poor people of the town into spirits. And then, after you transformed from a similar thing, you gave most of these dwellers a purpose by putting their spirits into clay dolls so they could be alive again," I said, Snatcher looking at me with increasing intrigue at every word I spoke.

"Only one thing was incorrect about that whole thing, and that was that I was transformed by Vanessa herself... hmm..." he said, humming to himself as I managed to finally breach the defenses and reach the mansion, it being blistering cold from the air as I looked at the Snatcher and saw that he proceeded to hide himself among the frozen architecture. It was time for me to possibly die from meeting with the cursed queen. I timidly went to the door and proceeded to knock on it politely, not getting a response at first. But when I looked through the doors with the invisible mask power, I saw that Vanessa was actually in the hallway leading to the door. And ignoring the knocking.

"Hello? Miss Vanessa? May I be allowed to come in for a small visit?" I asked as politely as I could. I then saw that Vanessa slowly walked towards the door and I saw that she opened a peephole at the top to reveal her cold, red eyes.

"Whoooo are yoouuu to invade my hooome?" she asked in a very raspy voice, me feeling scared, but keeping my cool.

"I wanted to visit you. Maybe enjoy a cup of tea? Just wanted to ask if I could be company for a little bit," I said, her then breathing in and out from behind the door before then unlatching at least 20 different locks before then opening the door... and when she did, I saw that her appearance... was not what I expected. Her eyes were still dark red, but she looked almost identical to what she did in the flashback! The only difference was that she looked slightly older, almost like a 40-year-old woman with a bit of a hunch.

"Come in, then... just don't do anything to test my patience," she said, me then nodding as I calmly went into the danger zone.

"Thanks..." I said as I walked into the hall, and she then proceeded to lock the door with only 10 of the 20 locks and I started to breathe in and out in a bit of concern. "So... um... after you," I said, her smiling and nodding as she walked past me, and I could feel the frigid air emanating from her body.

"It would be wise not to come into physical contact with me, little man... anyone who does gets a cold shoulder... and body... and organs," she said, me gulping and nodding as she led me to the kitchen area and she proceeded to pour out a cup of tea for both of us, us then sitting on opposite ends of the table and me feeling a little uneasy, especially with there being a couple frozen corpses in the same room as us.

"Give it to me straight, little man. It was... him... he sent you here, didn't he?" Vanessa asked me. I could feel cold sweats coming from my head as I then chose my words very cautiously.

"Which him? I've met a few on this planet. DJ Grooves, the Conductor, Basil, and numerous members of the Pasta Mafia... which one?" I asked, but she had a very icy glare on me.

"The noodle with the dumb face. He sent you here, didn't he?" she asked, me being slightly surprised at how she not only described the Snatcher, but also how her description was spot-on.

"What would the consequences be if the answer were a yes?" I asked, her frowning at me.

"It depends on what he told you to do," she frowned.

"He sent me here to check up on you. And that is all. I wanted to be daring and request to be let in for some time to talk things out," I said, her frowning at me as I saw she was gaining a bit more blackness to her. "If you don't believe me, here's the paper he had me sign... which, by the way, I didn't even have to follow orders because I don't have a soul for him to steal," I said as I then pushed the contract over to her, Vanessa then reading it and then frowning when she saw what was on it. Pay Vanessa a visit was the only thing listed and it was given with the exchange of an hourglass for completion, so long as I gave Snatcher my soul.

"And how do you not have a soul in your body?" she asked, her tone of voice sounding surprised, but unamused.

"I come from a different universe... and no, that's not a lie. And apparently my universe doesn't have souls... either that or it doesn't apply to this world," I said, her frowning at that.

"It sounds very stupid... but you've been nice... nicer than him betraying me," she said as I then frowned.

"Is that a subject that shouldn't be touched?" I asked.

"Not with a thousand-foot pole. Speak of it once to me and you're dead..."

"Okay... what if I showed you with images instead of words?"

"You're testing my patience."

"Fine, how about a wager?" And when I said that, she looked at me with a frown.

"Go on..."

"If I can prove something to you with just images and no words, then you let me go. If I can't, then you make me stay here as an ornamental display piece," I said, her frowning at me.

"Very well... I'll take that bet," she said as I then used the power of the badge on my chest combined with the Time Piece in my hand. I then decided to show her some memories from the Snatcher's point of view. And deep in his mind, I managed to find the very instance I wished for her to see. The day that the Snatcher went to the market in order to get her a birthday present.

"Hmm... what can I get my lovely Vanessa for her birthday? It has to be something perfect for her. After all, she's been quite upset since her mother passed," the prince thought to himself as he then looked at the flower shop and a particular bouquet caught his interest. "Aha! Golden Roses! She loves those more than anything! A perfect gift for the perfect girl," he smiled as he then went to the stand and proceeded to purchase it, being very polite and not rude at all to the shopkeeper. And when he heard crying, he turned around and saw that Vanessa was running off back to the castle.

"Is something wrong?" the shopkeeper asked.

"I uh... I don't know... why did she cry? Was it because I got the wrong present? I need to ask her myself!" the prince said as he then went to the castle and the vision ended, as I felt that was enough. And when I looked at Vanessa? I saw that instead of being colored black... she looked almost completely blue.

"Um... Vanessa?... You okay?" I asked, her sniffling in a giant booger as she then proceeded to cry again.

"How could I have been so BLIND?! He was getting me my favorite flowers and I repay his kindness by throwing him into the dungeon! I... I... I..." she said before I then gently stood up and opened my arms out.

"It's okay... you can cry," I said, her then rushing to me and hugging me tightly and proceeding to cry her eyes out. And when she touched me, I didn't turn into a statue! Her tears did do something, though, as I saw that it was causing the room to become flooded... and then I looked outside and saw that the ice around the mansion, as well as her staff was beginning to melt into more water!

"MY PRINCE! I'M SO SORRY! UHAAAAAA!" Vanessa cried, obviously feeling guilt and sadness instead of anger and betrayal. And I could feel it. Her frozen heart was now completely warmed back to normal. She lost the redness of her pupils and she held me and cried for a good solid three minutes before stopping and sitting down to recollect herself. "T-Thank you, brave one... I finally know what happened that day... my jealousy became far too great... I should've known that my prince Sancher was going to get me a gift... those are my favorite flowers... I can't believe I caused so much hurt in my rage..." she said with some sobs escaping her mouth every now and again, me then giving her my cup of tea and her sniffing. "T-Thanks..." she said as she then sipped it and sighed. "I need to find him... I need to apologize to him and free him from his own madness... And I don't have much time left," she said, me being confused at that.

"Why not?" I asked.

"I've been in that accursed state for hundreds of years... and so was my beloved Sancher... now that my curse is lifted, I'll age into dust within the next 24 hours... I want to do so by my prince's side," she said, me nodding at her. It was the least I could do. To reunite her and her long-lost love.

"Let's go find him, then. Hopefully he can fulfill his end of the bargain for this contract regardless," I smiled.

"You mean the hourglass? If that's so, it's right here," Vanessa said as she produced it from her frock, me blushing afterwards and simply taking it. "Please, don't be bashful. I want to know the name of the one who saved me from my unending nightmare," she smiled.

"Freddy. Freddy's my name," I smiled.