A Dimension in Time

Follow the Red Strings

How could he switch tones at the drop of a hat? What happened here? What happened to Subcon Forest, this kingdom all those years ago? Was it something Dawn really wanted to find out, the truth of Subcon Forest? Or was it something she'd rather keep unseen? "Well... we'll see about that. I-I hope." Snatcher opened his book once more, drawing out a laugh at the snowflake-clipped girl. "Let's see if you're up to the task, kid. Hope you don't go dying anytime soon!" Snatcher boomed in an eccentrically mocking voice, poking at Dawn in the most infuriating ways possible. "Gggrrrr- If you had an actual psychical body I'd flick your nose in less than a few seconds!" Dawn fumed in exasperation. Snatcher was about to interject until a bang was heard in the haunted forest. "OH. Not again! Why can't I catch a break?" Snatcher grumbled with his book slamming shut and being left on the chair he sat at. Dawn held her backpack straps, concerned with the unsettling sounds coming from the direction of Subcon Village, Hat and Bow's where there! This couldn't be good.

"DDOOGHH-! Are you KIDDING ME!? So unswag!" Dawn complained as she gripped her backpack straps tighter. Snatcher turned to partially face Dawn; "You know kiddo, why don't you make yourself useful?" Snatcher snapped his fingers and Dawn's hands were replaced with a contract- hold on, where did her bag go? "Wha- HEY!" Dawn shouted as the ghost held her backpack in his ghostly hands. "That's my backpack! Give it back!" Snatcher lifted the backpack out of reach, making Dawn more and more angry than before. "Come on now, don't make this difficult. You don't really have a say in this. Sign the paper. And don't worry! You won't have your soul stolen since I'm under my own terms of agreement with the other brats. You'll get your 'backpack' back as soon as you're finished with this little chore!" Dawn snarled as she bared her teeth. "NO! I won't do it! You can't make me!" The cryokinesis prodigy shouted, her hands slightly freezing the contract from anger. Snatcher twitched, the snowflake clipped girl definitely struck another nerve. "I don't think I made this clear enough. Your opinion, doesn't, MATTER TO ME!" Snatcher boomed in a tone Dawn had NEVER heard from Snatcher before, he then pointed to the contract in Dawn's hands. "Put your name on the contract: or I'll make your DEAD. HOLLOW. BODY sign it for you!" Snatcher grimaced in vexation, his Jack-o-lantern face staring with a humorless expression. It was either Dawn helped and had to get her backpack back or she'd make Snatcher break his end of the deal. "Ggrrmmnmmm... FINE. I'll do it!" Dawn gave in, grumbling as she signed her name on the line. At least he wasn't stealing her soul, rather her backpack and everything that was in it. "Geez, you're a total jerk! Just-! Be careful with it. It has all my stuff that I didn't leave on the ship. Don't lose it or I swear to frick frack I'll find a way to sue your ghostly butt!"

Snatcher made the contract disappear with a cynical grin, being callous as he placed Dawn's backpack on the top self of his bookcase, a place Dawn could reach but she wouldn't be able to retrieve without the ghoul being on her tail. Without much forethought, Dawn slid down the tail to Subcon village with her ice, the ice melting back into the air as she skated away. Snatcher couldn't help but be reminded of her. An old friend. Someone with the exact same abilities as the snowflake-clipped girl, yet was the one who caused... something terrible to happen in Subcon. The downfall.

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The snow queen arrived on the scene with Hat and Bow trying to ease the frantic Dwellers and Subconites. "It's back! It's back! Everyone, hide!" One Subconite shouted, running for dear life. Some of the Dwellers were taken, being yanked away in cages as pipes butted out of the ground like it was nothing. What was this!? What was going on?! Dawn eventually made out where Hat Kid and Bow Kid were in the village. "Guys! Over here!" Dawn pumped in a hurried tone, running towards her friends faster than they could reply. "Dawn! Thank goodness you made it!" Bow huffed, relieved to see the self-proclaimed snow queen in one piece. "We were hanging out with the Subconites and the Dwellers when this weird siren sound came and stole the Dwellers without warning! I tried whacking the cages but it didn't work!" Hat groaned in a burning frustration. "Newbies! Newbies!" A Subconite ran up to the reunited trio. "I know what's causing this. Just go to the end of the village and go across the cliff to the other side!" The trio gave understanding nods to the snappy information given to them in a short amount of time. Without a word the girls sprinted to the end of the village, this was the moment where Hat and Bow noticed Dawn's backpack, rather lack thereof.