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Jun 10, 2024

Chapter 56: Ivy's Little Trip

Ivy normally didn't mind the cold, but this time of year always bugged her. Even with the phantom ruler's attempt to keep snow from even trying to settle on the ground, the world itself got colder. The wind, the air, the ground, the water. Even that of her swamp was never safe. She could still swim in it just fine but, it always brought a shiver to her spine. She would minimize going out of the little hunt that was her home, mostly saving it for trips to get food on the occasions she fell for hunger.

Things were warmer this year, though. Now that Snatcher knew of her existence, he had placed little poles with 'eternal flame lanterns' along the swamp for her to swim near for warmth, as well as making sure she had one at her hunt. He claimed he was just doing it to light up the dark but, she knew. Still, there were many areas of the swamp that were cold. And sometimes the cold was a little too much for her. She couldn't stay by the warmth of the lanterns forever, she didn't have the patience for that. Maybe if she felt warmer inside...

She knew it was early in the morning, decently early. She knew most of the ghosts were likely to still be asleep. She was honestly confused about why they used a similar sleeping schedule to the living. They were ghosts, they drained less energy from themselves, right? She took a glance around as she approached the edge where the swamp met the land, climbing up as she got to it. She took a second to warm up by one of the lanterns, wiping some of the water off her clothing, a faint hiss from each drop that made contact with the ground.

She glanced over at the tree and began to head over, quietly. She didn't want to risk waking Snatcher up if he was asleep. This time of year didn't seem to be the best for him, and she didn't know why. He just seemed to be more put off by, well, everything it seemed. It confused her, a lot. She glanced inside, seeing him asleep in his chair, a hand on some spellbook. It didn't look like he had fallen asleep reading it however. It felt more like he was holding some sort of weapons. In case a monster came in the middle of the night.

She tiptoed across the floor. She felt odd about the ghost. He seemed sadder, more tense. Was it because of the stuff with the Moonjumper? She spoke to Badge about it but hadn't talked with Snatcher... She shook her head as she carefully came up the stairs, pausing when she got the room, seeing Shadow kid asleep in bed, a candle by her side with a glass jar placed around it. Ivy looked around and saw a similar set up with the rest of the room. It was warmer here than in any part of the forest, it felt like.

"Did he use most of the spells in here?" She whispered to herself as she walked up to the one the jars. The candle's flame had an odd glow to it, one that seemed unnatural. She backed up slightly, the image of the fire spirits appearing in her mind for a moment before she shook her head. Snatcher wouldn't use their magic, especially near his own daughter. At least, Ivy hoped... She looked over and headed over to the edge of the bed. "Shadow?" She whispered as she tugged on the blanket slightly. "Can you wake up?" She asked, getting a small mumbled in response.

"What if I don't wanna..." Shadow stated as she grabbed her pillow and pulled it above her head. Ivy crossed her arms and gave a small huff as she walked to the side of the bed, taking the pillow from her hands. Shadow's tired eyes locked with her for a second, before they widened and backed up, only to take a breath after. Ivy blinked confused, before what she did processed. "Ivy, don't do that without at least a heads up next time." Shadow whined quietly, shaking her head as she looked at her.

"Sorry. I just wanted to stop by." She said as she glanced around. Shadow kid's room wasn't the biggest or most grand, there was only so much you could do with the top part of the tree. But it sure felt like one for royalty, it felt much bigger than it actually was. There was a small bit of books and a box with toys that looked in surprisingly good condition, all things considered. "Huh, did Snatcher redecorate? I think things look different then when I was last here." She claimed as she looked at Shadow. "You think I can take a candle but in liquid form?" She wondered aloud.

"Are you talking about candle wax?" Shadow questioned and Ivy shrugged. "Papa told me how he tricked someone into drinking that stuff once, and then they died." Ivy nodded, a bad idea it seemed. She paced back and forth as Shadow yawned, pulling the blankets off her so she didn't risk falling asleep again during the conversation. She tilted her head as she watched. "I don't know how it would work for you but I think it's too much of a risk... Why do you wanna drink it anyway?"

"I just feel like it would be warm. Or at least warmer then the swamp." Ivy stated, Shadow giving a small nod as she thought about it. Water was cold by nature unless warmed, so water filled with souls during winter seemed like it would be a nightmare. Like stuck inside the coldest rooms of the ice queen's manor... Shadow shuttered as those memories came back to her. "You ok?" Ivy asked as she looked over, getting a nod from Shadow. "Do you know of any soda candle drinks?"

"If you want a warm drink, I don't think you need candle wax." Shadow Kid claimed. Ivy gave a small nod. She supposed that was true. She just didn't drink much of anything, wasn't a main issue for her. And the few times she needed to drink, at least to her memory, she was just able to stop by the well and get water from there... She paused as Shadow Kid chuckled. "There's these two toppats that used to fight for which warm drink was better, hot chocolate or coffee. I think they're dating now, actually."

"Oh yea, those guys." Ivy stated. Outside of Hat Girl and Platinum, she didn't really know the Toppats super well. The only time she had been to the station was that meeting about that weird piece of fabric, and even then she didn't pay much attention. She didn't even want to be there, Snatcher just brought her along since they had just met and he seemed to want to know more about her, or something. "Do that all have to wear those weird hats? At least with the dwellers the masks look cool."

Shadow gave a quiet giggle. "I think they're called the Toppats for a reason." She started as she rubbed her eyes slightly. "Although, now I'm wondering if they used to be the tophats."

"Is that what they wear is called, it has a name?" Ivy asked, getting a nod from Shadow, before she pointed at her's resting on the dresser beside her bed, waiting to be garbed in the morning. Ivy shook her head a bit as she glanced around as she thought. She really didn't know much outside of the forest did she? She always felt the urge to stay close to it, especially by the swamp. "Hmm.. Aren't they working on fixing their big house? The giant metal tube? Why did they design it like that?"

"It's an orbit-all station." Shadow Kid claimed. "It's supposed to float around planets but it broke." Ivy tilted her head. Man, she hated to admit it but she was getting really curious now. It felt similar to the curiosity she gained for Badge but to a much, lesser scale. She didn't feel the need to go there, per say. But now she wanted too, mostly to see what they were doing. "But I think they got everything made for heat working, I haven't heard them complain about it being cold inside their station."

"Is it possible for it to be warmer there than here? Because your Dad set up well." Ivy stated, Shadow Kid giving a shrug. She hadn't been back to the station in a while. She hadn't really heard from the toppats in awhile as well, even Hat Girl which was... a little odd to think about. Ivy gave a nod as she made up her mind, walking over to the dresser and putting Shadow's hat back on her head. "Come on then, let's visit the toppats and see how they're doing the warm stuff. See these warm drinks myself."

Shadow shook her head as she took her hat off. "I would love to see them, really, I would! But I'm, very tired." Ivy started to speak but Shadow cut her off. "And even if I wasn't and went with you, that would give Papa a heart attack when he woke up and I can't do that to him." She said, looking to the side as she placed the hat back on her dresser, garbing her blankets again. She pointed in a seemingly random direction. "The station is that way, just be careful you don't get hurt."

"I can bite at anything that tries to attack me." Ivy said, waving a dismissive hand. "You want me to bring a warm drink back for the village?"

Shadow's eyes lit up. "I think that would be a good surprise!"

There was a grumble from downstairs, both girls pausing as they waited for the phantom ruler to awake. But he didn't come up the stairs, allowing them to breathe a sigh of relief.

Ivy took it as a sign to leave, giving Shadow a quick thumbs up before she began to head down the stairs. She better not be disappointed.

-------

Shadow at least could have warned her snow existed the further away from Subcon she got. Sure, Ivy had an idea of it, but it didn't quite hit her until she was walking with it almost up to the tip of her socks. It almost felt worse than the coldest the swamp could get. She thought 'almost' because she couldn't tell if the shock factor was making it worse then it realistically was. It looked so peaceful from the other side of the broken bridge that led to the snowy areas of the forest.

She did eventually spot the metal building in the distance. Although she had to blink twice to make sure it was still the same. They had gotten a lot more work done on it now, it seemed. She barely recognised it. Sure there were some areas with obvious disrepair but they were few and far between. It took her about a minute of walking close before she even spotted a piece of metal lodged into the ground. It felt like they were everywhere when she first came by. They must be getting close to leaving.

She…wasn't sure how she felt about it. She should be indifferent, she barely knew more than two of their members but…she had an odd feeling she would miss them. Or at least miss Hat Girl.

"Ivy?" The sudden use of her name surprised her. She scanned around before spotting the man nearby. Reginald, that was his name right. He ran this place from the little she remembered overhearing of the meeting. He walked over with a confused and concerned look, bending down slightly when he got closer so they were more on eye level. Even for an living adult, he was tall. "That was your name, right?" he asked, getting a nod. "What are you doing all the way out here, without even a coat?"

"I didn't know it would be this cold outside." Ivy stated. "Shadow said you had warm drinks and I wanted to try one." Reginald offered his hand to the girl, and she just looked at him. He waited a second, before beginning to head to the station and jestering her to follow, taking off the scarf he was wearing and letting her catch it. It felt weird around her neck, she wasn't sure she liked it. "I never touched snow before." She looked up at Reginald. "I'm surprised you remember mine-"

"There you are, Chief." A voice called as they got up the station stairs. Well, they weren't really stairs since it was flat, but Ivy didn't know what else to call them, especially since she was surprised by the lunar being that floated over, Reginald turning his attention to the voice. The 'Moonjumper'. Right there in front of her... he didn't seem that grand. "Sven's been looking all over for you and-" He paused when he saw the girl, concerned about taking his features. "Who is this? And is she ok?"

"This is Ivy. She lives in the swamp of Subcon, or at least that's what Snatcher claims." Reginald stated as he moved past the 'deity', him following the group as they got inside. The heat 'magic' hit her once she stepped in, allowing her to breathe a sigh of relief as she could already feel herself warming up a bit, Reginald checking over her a moment to see if she was hurt. "Ivy, this is Randy." Reginald mentioned, jestering to the lunar being. "He's a past leader that got dragged into the prophecy."

"Man, what’s with this planet, that's the term right?" She quickly asked with a slight shiver, getting a nod. "Ok, what's with it and dragging you guys into certain parts of it. I only overheard things and it sounds wild." Reginald gave a small, unsure sigh as Randy shrugged. Ivy glanced at him as he tilted his head. He lowered down to where he was actually touching the floor. "You aren't as scary as the stories tried to make you sound." She said, earning a small chuckle from the man.

"I mean, I didn't plan on changing my personality... I didn't plan this at all which, is usual for me." He said as he glanced to the side, making a hum. He got a nod and small chuckle from the girl, while Reginald excused himself and left the area. Randy gave an odd blink and Ivy did too. Something felt off in the air... it almost reminded Ivy of when she ment Badge. "Say, are you related to the original Moonjumper in any way?" Randy asked. "I'm getting a similar feeling with you as I did with the Moonjumper pieces. But I was only told there was four of them."

"Not to my knowledge... and the moon what-ers?" Ivy asked, tilting her head and pushing some of the hair that fell into them out of her eyes. Randy gave a nod and she gave a tiny huff, tapping her foot against the ground slightly. "I asked a question." Randy gave a small chuckle at that, leaving her confused. Was it what she said? The way she said it. She gave a small glare. "I'll bite you." She warned. Randy shook his head slightly as he floated over. "I can still bite you sir!"

"Oh, I have no doubt you can. I'm just not interested in learning if my blood is still red." She crossed her arms as he chuckled. He couldn't help it, she was just so oddly cute. "The Moonjumper pieces are beings made from what remained of Moonjumper's magic. Well, the first one." Ivy gave a small nod to that. Did Badge mention something about that idea to her? She had a vague idea but..couldn't remember the exact details. "Either way, you have some odd magic to you."

"Isn't all magic odd to us?" Reginald asked as he came back in, a cup with steam coming from it faintly. Ivy locked eyes with it as he pasted it down to her, her taking it and looking at the brown liquid inside, before bringing it to her mouth. She swore her eyes had to have sparkled for a moment because it was just that good. She took a larger sip as Randy held back a laugh. "Careful, you'll spill it or burn yourself!" He warned, before pausing. "I'm giving her a sugar rush, aren't I?"

"Oh almost definitely." Randy said, rolling his eyes (or at least the one with a visible pupil), Reginald giving a small sign as Ivy pulled the cup back as her mouth started to get full, swallowing in and wiping the laid off her mouth. She looked at the mug and started debating if she should drink the rest of it right this second, or save it for later. "Don't worry, I'll handle it Reg. I dealt with Java on a sugar rush."

"I wish you luck, I need to go hear about whatever issue Sven needs me for if he was looking for me."

Ivy watched as Reginald left with a sigh, pausing as she reach for her neck. "He forgot his scarf..." she shrugged. "I guess it's mine now." she said as she looked up at Randy, who just chuckled a little. He paused and offered his hand, she looked at it confused. She reached for it, and grabbed onto it. Randy hummed as he pulled away. Her hand, or at least her fingertips, were still cold. "What are you thinking?" She asked as she looked up at him, the man tapping his fingers together as he thought.

"I can't let you go back to subcon without something remotely warm." He claimed, Ivy tilting her head. There was something that could conveniently keep her warm. Was he going to give her more of the strange yet wonderful brown liquid? He floated down the hall slightly, jestering for her to follow with a small smile. She tilted her head as she slowly headed that way. "Come on, let's head to me and Java's room. Java knows a good bit of sewing."

"Huh, did I hear that name somewhere before?" Ivy questioned herself as she took a small sip of what remains of the hot beverage. It was slightly colder now. Still warm but she noticed it. She quickly finished the rest of the drink as she walked, Randy giving a small chuckle as he watched from ahead. She raced up to him to hand over the cup, a little bounce once she got close so she could reach him. "Can I have more of that candle wax?" Randy had to hold back a shout of laughter.

"It's called hot chocolate, little friend." Randy stated and Ivy just gave a small, slightly confused nod. So candle wax was definitely deadly then, noted... yet at the same time she could survive the swap that could apparently harm ghosts. So maybe she could survive... she kinda wanted to try. Her eyes gained a small sparkle as Randy shook his head. he could practically see the intrusive thoughts in her head. "I can make you more. Would you like to try it with marshmallows this time?"

"What's marshmallows?" Ivy asked. Randy seemed shocked for a moment, before taking a breath. Different planet, remember.

-------

Oh, so this is what it's like to have sugar in your system. Maybe it was just because she was in a smaller space where she couldn't get away with running around but she felt more, antsy. Randy tried to keep her entertained as they waited for Macbeth to come back but it was starting to get a little boring after awhile. There were only so many rounds of uno Randy could purposely throw for Ivy's sake before it became stale. At some point he thought about letting her run off the energy in the halls and accept any consequences of that.

Ivy did eventually get a hold of a device and after a..rough explanation from someone still getting used to modern tech, was playing a game as she waited. Sure she was still in one place but at least she could spam the buttons all she wanted and could swing her legs back and forth while on the bed's edge.

"You claim there isn't much magic where you came from, but you got things like these?" Ivy said as she glanced over at Randy, who was by the stove of the kitchen, making sure the pot he had on and what was inside didn't boil over. Randy gave a small shrug, it was all magic to him. Mainly because of how sudden it was since he had been dead for thirty years. "Odd. It seems just like a bunch of magic in a box. I wonder how people made these things." She stated with a hum.

"Oh it's a process that sounds really boring, at least of what I heard." Randy stated, pausing as he turned off the stove part and went to the cabinet, Ivy's eyes sparkling as she waited. Her teeth were almost sore from all the sweets but she couldn't help it, it was just so good. She did pause however as the pot seemed to shift slightly on its own. Randy seemed to notice it too. "What in the-" he said, before a big butterfly creature appeared beside it, shaking its head slightly. "Oh! Are you ok little Overseer?" He asked the bug.

"Overseer?" Ivy asked as she looked at the bug, who seemed to nod a bit, before flying up and going to rest on the fridge nearby, its big eye closing. Randy looked over at Ivy and gave a nod, before quickly pouring her a cup of hot chocolate and one for himself, her placing the game to the side as she took the mug, taking a quick gulp as he sat in a chair near the bed. "Is that what those things are called? I think I heard Snatcher mention them before but I didn't think they had a name."

"Well, they didn't until recently." Randy explained. "They were made by the original Moonjumper for, basically me, and left the name up to me. I figured that name fit them well." Randy explained as he looked at the sleeping bug with a smile. It was an odd thought. Like he had something going though his mind that kept him from truly smiling. It felt odd. "It's so sad to think about, in a way. He gave up a lot in his the days leading up to his final, I don't know how he did so."

Ivy paused as she thought of that. How hard must it have been for him? How could he not fight back?

"Did Moonjumper not really love Subcon?" Ivy asked, looking at Randy who seemed surprised by the question. "I mean, he just seemed to give up. He was basically a god! Couldn't he fight back?"

Randy gave a sigh. "I’ve been asking myself that a lot, kiddo." He said as he glanced over at the resting Overseer. "He had the ability to create life, yet not save his own..." He sighed as the stress came back to him. Just for a moment. "If he could have, I think he would. But maybe he saw this future and thought if he fought, he might ruin what good there is."

That just made her more confused. Sure, Subcon wasn't a place that was bad to her, but she heard stories of what the forest used to be. Did Moonjumper fear a worst fate if he chose to fight? There was no way he could have seen how things turned out and decided it was acceptable... did he just have faith? She shook her head, and turned her attention to the sound of the opening door nearby.

The ghostly train conductor rubbed his tired eyes as he walked in. "Sorry it took so long, Rand. Cross was draggin' everythin' out so necessarily." He said as he took his hat off a moment, letting Alexsandera fly out and rest on the bed they had, a small heater placed by it to go against the cold. Randy waved a dismissive hand and Ivy gave a small wave, causing him to pause. "Ivy, what are you doing here?" He asked, tapping the side of his head like a broken mic. "I didn't even know Snatcher was awake yet."

"Oh, he isn't!" Ivy said as she took a sip of hot chocolate. "I came here all by myself!"

"Don't drink and talk at the same time on my bed, I don't wanna clean up stains later." He stated, before his eyes widened slightly as he glanced around the room. "Did you not even have a coat?"

Ivy gave a nod as Randy floated up to get another cup for her, while it was all still hot. "I was hoping you could help in that regard. Even if we could grab an old coat from storage, I don't think we have any suited for winter." He asked as he glanced over.

Macbeth sighed as he dragged a hand across his face for a second. Ivy gave him a worried look and he shook his head once he noticed. "No, don't worry, I'm not upset at you. I just assumed Snatcher would have given you one by now, since he knows you live in that swamp. It seems like a case of hypothermia waitin' to happen... Or whatever the ghostly water version of it is."

Ivy just gave a small nod. Hyper-foma-a? Was that what he said? Strange name for a case, a case for what? Glasses? She didn't need those. Or was she miss understanding things like with the candle wax.. Either way, she took the cup of hot chocolate when it was offered to her, smiling. She saw Macbeth give Randy a questioning look, mouthing something that caused the lunar figure to give a sheepish shrug. He rolled his eyes as he went to a cabinet, mumbling something about spare fabrics.

"Hey, Randy." Ivy asked as she glanced over at the man, who looked over. "You mentioned something about party's right? You do those?"

Randy gave a small chuckle. "Well, I haven't gotten around to any since my revival. Hasn't really been anything to celebrate... Though the winter holidays are coming up, I suppose. Maybe Reginald will let me do something small for those..." He said, bringing two fingers to his chin as he thought.

Ivy's eyes lit up. "You should use the Moonjumper magic to make games! Maybe a fight with snow magic."

"We already have snowball fights, no magic required." Randy said, though he did garb a book nearby. "That said, it would be interesting to make it more... spicy."

"Randy, please, for the love of whatever god is out there." Macbeth said as he looked over. "Don't, I love your ideas normally, but don't. Snow is already a cold-bomb as it is."

"Oh come on, can't be worse than us then fire..." Randy stated, rolling his eyes.

"Maybe you can find a way to mix fire and ice! In a... safe way." Ivy added at the end, her voice quieting as she grabbed her arm. Macbeth gave her a brief, worried look.

Randy patted her on her shoulders as he sat beside her, Alexsandera coming over and resting on his shoulders in a bit of curiosity at the situation. "Well, I would think that would just make water. But who knows." He said as she let him read the spells in it. "Maybe something else would happen..."

-------

The orb's light faded, the smiling Moonjumper and child fading to the dark, the orb falling into the guardian's hand as he watched.

He felt frustrated, but could do little more than sign. He wanted to see just a little longer...

It never lasted long. The beings who assigned him this purpose never wanted him to lose focus. Always wanted him to be prepared in case someone somehow found their way to the tower of flame. Whether they were friend, or foe. It was his job to protect the secrets of fire, and the magic tied to it.

Both the good, and the bad.

It was so funny when he thought about it. In life it felt like he spent every waking moment studying the creatures that killed the first. Every second not spent with the kingdom or his family was spent in scrolls, books, speaking to wizards and others of the magical talents. Even trying to reach out to the gods above to answer his pleas so he could rest easily, knowing all the fox-shaped beings were capable of.

They must have heard him, in some way. They thought his care made him a better suit for the tower of flame then any deity they could make on their own. And with the access to the tower's knowledge, as well as the new instant of the flame, he got his wish. He knew how they worked. How they were designed.

And it terrified him.

But he had a job, a job that prevented him from interfering with the outside world. From trying to warn those there. If he could, he would have spoken to the icey queen long along, made her steer clear of her path.

The parts from the slaughtered Eversteads weren't garbed to stabilize their unnatural existence. Or to make sure they could do the job they were made for. If that was the case, they would have been the first thing added, not a last minute decision with barely any time to waste on the day of Moonjumper's death.

No. Ezra must have realized no matter what, he would have been found, defeated, and sentenced to death. No doubt his soul sent to suffer for eternity.

So he planned a way to return. And the fire tower's keeper could do nothing but wait.

Even if he was asleep when it would happen, he would know...

And he could only pray the Moonjumper would be able to fight back.

Against both fire, and ice.

The guardian sat in the window of the tower, looking down at the forest and the little he could see beyond, knowing full well what would break out soon...

He opened a book and began to write.

#a hat in time #the henry stickmin collection #a hat in time fanfic #henry stickmin fanfic #shadow kid #shadow puppet #ahit oc #reginald copperbottom #henry stickmin mr. macbeth #randy radman #ahit moonjumper

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