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glottia-arts · 5 years ago

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Through the eyes of a frozen Rough Patch

You guys remember how in the cover image post I said this was a little thing? Well, this is actually longer than my last fic. So take of that what you will-

This fic started from writing out little snippets of background information for Neo on his character page and went out of control. I could have written about his adventures with the Dweller children, but nah trapped in Vanessa’s home was where my thoughts went to. Sorry if the story is a little vague with certain parts, I wanted to make Neo suffer more mentally by including his favorite child. The vagueness stems from the alternate AU’s of what happens to Aura.

For those that don’t know; Helios is Neo before being unfrozen and renamed. Then Aura is the name Giant Subcon Dweller chose to go by in life.

Warning: There is mention of blood and death.

Word Count: 7,959

EDIT - 3/23/2021: This version of the story is no longer accurate to the canon of the story, and I’ve edited an updated version that can be read here now. Keeping the OG posted for the memories! _____

It was cold. Very cold. Everything was tinted blue and somewhat obscure. Odd given his vision was fine prior. What happened to the world?

Helios attempted to look at his surroundings, but couldn’t. His head remained stuck in place. Attempting to shift his body gave the same results. Frustrated with his body refusing to cooperate with him, the cat grumbled as he glanced around with his eyes.

Everything was somewhat hard to see, due to his vision shifting oddly. From what the Rough Patch could make out, he appeared to be inside someone’s home. On his left, a tall side stand loomed over him. Beyond the wooden furniture, he noticed a door. Changing his perspective in the opposite direction, the corridor extended further. The hall was decorated with torn wallpaper and had another door placed at the end. He could hardly make out what was further beyond the door, but taking a guess, it was a window. These surroundings weren’t giving the cat any sign on his location or why it was so frigid.

Though he had no inkling to what was going on, Helios convinced himself that he’d done something to his eyes. While looking around, a yellow color followed along with his vision. He’d have to try to communicate with the children over this issue. At least if he ever worked out how to move.

Hating to go on with this, but being the Bush Cat’s next best option; he began whining for help. Waiting a few minutes between each call, nothing happened. No one came. Where was the person who lived here? Helios hoped nothing bad happened or that he was abandoned again.

Ten minutes had passed before he started whining anew, this time meowing loudly. He stopped as he heard the noise. It sounded odd. Meowing once more, Helios noticed besides the sound, there was fog in front of his face. That wasn’t there a minute ago. Meowing again, the mist obscured his vision further. The only time he’s seen something similar this was-

A loud break could be heard from down the hall, practically making the Rough Patch bolt out of his skin and overgrowth. His eyes shot to the right, observing the corridor to see if someone was coming.

What appeared to be another door had slammed open, crimson light shining out of the opening. Black smoke began wafting in the room as a figure emerged from the other side, diamond-shaped red eyes searching the hallway.

Tensing and borderline hyperventilating, a memory triggered in his mind.

__________

A massive shadow had cast over him, bringing him to halt his actions. Turning to face the door the shadow protruded from, Helios nearly shrieked seeing the large imposing figure. They were taller than any adult he had seen, but the odd thing was that they were dark as night yet glowed a haunting red with matching eyes to boot.

Every instinct in him screamed to run. His feet wouldn’t move. Fear and the desire to help whoever was trapped clashing with each other.

“Oh, another guest?” The woman paused at seeing the alarmed cat take a step back at her words “Please don’t tell me you’re leaving me too…”

She sounded very miserable, had someone left her already? Now Helios felt bad that he feared the stranger. But his senses never let him down. Perhaps it was because she was an adult. That has to be why he’s primarily scared of her. Struggling to calm himself, the brightly tinted Bush Cat pawed his way to the large woman.

Observing his struggle, the mystery woman calmly knelt down. Now above eye level, she gave out soft words of encouragement. Her words easing his tense body.

“It’s all right, I won’t harm you. That’s it you can do it. By the end of this, I’m certain we’ll be very good friends. I can even make you any treat you like~” She calmly waited, sending more reassuring words as he approached.

By the time he reached her, she had her hand out, a gesture he recognised instantly. He was still shuddering in fear, so smelling her hand wasn’t an option. Moving along with the process, he leaned his left cheek into her waiting palm. She cooed at him and began rubbing and scratching along his cheek.

Helios’s shaking form started settling as she tended to the cat. The woman’s hand was cold, but probably because she just arrived from the snow bedded forest. Helios didn’t even realize there someone else had survived the massacre; everyone he encountered on his way to this place had been frozen solid. The calm that started taking over his body turned to sorrow, thinking of all the individuals he knew, now gone.

A twinge of pain pulled him out of his miserable feelings. The woman’s cool touch seemed intense. He normally loved when in winter the children would pet him with their freezing hands, but this felt outright unbearably frigid.

Pulling aside to avoid the uncomfortable feeling, the cat noticed the once black and red hand was now coated with white frost. Immediately his mind registered that she was the cause of the snow, as well as the now frozen kingdom.

Panic and adrenaline flooded his body, putting him in flight mode. Helios hardly turned away before she roughly grasped him by the throat, yanking him back to face her.

“YOU THINK YOU CAN ENTER MY HOME AND ATTEMPT TO FREE THAT TRAITOR!? HE NEEDS TO THINK ABOUT WHAT HE’S DONE! YOU’RE JUST A PATHETIC NUISANCE WHO WAS BETTER OFF LEFT DEAD WITH ALL YOUR OTHER LITTLE FRIENDS! YOU AND ALL THOSE OTHER HORRIBLE PEOPLE DESERVE IT! CONSTANTLY GETTING IN THE WAY OF MY HAPPINESS!”

Tears began spilling from the frightened cat's eyes as she yelled at him. Helios knew she planned to freeze him, just like the other villagers. He could still hear the screams reverberating off the town walls.

In a last-ditch effort to at least go down fighting, and an act of attempted revenge for all those that she hurt, the Bush Cat extended his claws and scratched as strong as he could against the cruel woman’s fist.

She wailed as the Rough Patch’s claws pierced her flesh, blood dripping onto the once fine carpet. Realizing she was about to release the annoying animal because of the injury, she managed to retain her grasp by slamming the pest against the wall. Hard.

Helios ceased to move, beginning to black out. The last thing he remembers is feeling a chill spread through his body.

__________

Helios felt even colder now. And it wasn’t from the ice. He remembered where he was and who he was with. The destroyer of the forest.

He observed as she made her approach down the hallway, searching for something. Once she arrived at the front door, it seemed her brief search ended. Turning around, she strolled back down the hall, but not before pausing to glance his way.

Feeling like an animal caught by a hunter, Helios whimpered behind his frozen prison.

“I thought I overheard something, but I suppose it was just the wind. Or... was it you?” The monster tilted her head in question at the cat. He refused to answer her and tried to keep his sounds silenced.

After a pause, she began laughing uncontrollably. “Oh Vanessa, you always know how to tell a wonderful joke.” Humming in amusement, she continued on “You’re no longer with us, so it can’t be you. Ah, such a well-behaved cat, wherever did you come from?” She placed a hand over his frozen head, stroking it mindlessly. “No matter, you’re better off now. So good, so calm. Never wanting to abandon your princess. Oh, what a faithful subject you are.”

She confused Helios. Was she unaware that he was in fact alive behind the icy barrier? Given her mannerism, he assumed perhaps not.

“I suppose you deserve a treat for your good behavior, you have been quiet for three whole days. I prepared cookies, would you like to share?” She paused, seemingly waiting for the statue to reply. “Of course you do, I’ll get right on it~”

Shifting to return to the room she entered from, she yet again halted. The woman’s head quickly snapped back, glancing to the secret door. “Someone else has entered my home uninvited. Perhaps they would enjoy cookies as well.”

The remark of offering a treat meant nothing as she headed to the door, unlocking it. Raising the latch up, she stepped down the secret staircase, quietly closing the door behind her.

Helios had his eyes glued to the door, feeling dread over someone else falling victim to the dangerous woman. He hoped that whoever had entered the home would escape safely, along with the person trapped below.

It wasn’t long before he could hear the murderer, shrieking out unintelligible comments. She sounded even angrier than when she had captured him. The new person yelling was angry, but not blinded by hatred to where their words blurred together.

“HOW COULD YOU DO THIS!? HE DIDN’T DESERVE IT! THEY DIDN’T DESERVE IT!”

No… oh no… please, anyone but her.

He recognized that voice.

“SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!!! HE BETRAYED ME! IF IT WASN’T FOR YOU AND YOUR HARLOT FRIEND WANTING HIM SO BADLY, HE AND I WOULD BE JUST FINE! WE WOULD HAVE BEEN HAPPILY MARRIED BY NOW! BUT YOU HAD TO GO AND TAINT HIM! YOU SHOULD HAVE JUST SAT BACK LIKE THE WORTHLESS OBEDIENT DOLL YOU ALWAYS HAVE BEEN!”

The further the monster went, the angrier and louder she got. Helios was unaware one could be this loud. Even screams he’s heard echo from the confines of the forest couldn’t be compared to this.

“WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!? HE LOVED YOU, SO MUCH SO IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SICKENINGLY SWEET HAD I NOT KNOWN HOW YOU ARE VANESSA! WHO YOU TRULY WERE! A SELFISH CONTROLLING BRAT WHO WAS DESTROYING THIS KINGDOM SLOWLY FROM THE INSIDE OUT!”

A brief pause made the Rough Patch believe his friend was struck down, but she continued on with a tone that made him believe she was crying “N-NOW HIM AND EVERYONE ELSE ARE DEAD, ALL BECAUSE OF YOUR SELFISHNESS!!! YOU WEREN’T EVER HAPPY IF YOU WEREN’T CONTROLLING SOMEBODY! YOU WEREN’T GETTING YOUR WAY WITH ME, SO YOU MOVED ON FROM TRYING TO CONTROL ME TO YOUR BOYFRIEND! HE LOVED YOU SO MUCH HE NEVER EVEN RECOGNIZED IT! WHEN HE FINALLY STARTED SEEING WHO YOU REALLY WERE, YOU FELT THREATENED AND TRIED TO KILL ME. WHEN THAT WASN’T WORKING, YOU BANISHED ME TO THE MOUNTAINS!”

“REALLY NOW!? HE HAD BEEN SPENDING SO MUCH TIME WITH YOU, LEAVING ME ALL ALONE! YOU COULD HAVE FOOLED ME WITH WANTING TO KEEP HIM FOR YOURSELF! I THOUGHT HE WOULD BE LEAVING ME FOR YOU, BUT IT SEEMS I WAS PROVEN WRONG! YOUR LITTLE FLOWER FRIEND HAD CAPTURED HIS ATTENTION, I SAW HIM HOLDING HANDS WITH HER IN THE MARKETPLACE. I BET THAT STINGS FOR YOU AS WELL, YOU BACKSTABBER! YOU’RE MY BEST FRIEND AURA, WHY’D YOU HAVE TO GO AND BETRAY ME SO? WAS IT BECAUSE YOU COULDN’T STAND BEING NUMBER ONE IN EVERYONE’S HEARTS!? OR WERE YOU JEALOUS I HAD SOMETHING YOU COULDN’T HAVE!?”

“FOR THE LAST TIME, I DIDN’T WANT HIM! HE WAS MY FRIEND! AND I DON’T BELIEVE YOUR STORY WITH THE FLORIST, SHE’S NEVER BEEN ROMANTICALLY INTERESTED IN HIM!” Another pause, but as Aura continued, her own voice grew dark as well “AND DON’T YOU DARE CALL ME YOUR BEST FRIEND, YOU’VE NEVER TRULY BEEN A FRIEND TO ME. IF WE EVER DID HAVE A FRIENDSHIP, IT DIED THE DAY YOU KILLED YOUR MOTHER QUEEN VANESSA!!!”

It was dead silent after that. Helios feared for his friend's life. The ice interfered with his hearing, thus he had no clue if both women were still interacting.

Moments afterward a loud crash could be heard, along with the Queen’s angered cries. Soon the noise faded.

Quiet once again, the tired Bush Cat closed his eyes. He hoped this was some sort of nightmare and that Aura was still on her vacation.

Later when the monster Queen returned through the front door, he had to accept that this was not in fact a dream, but a living nightmare. She had returned with blood lingering on her hands, and the Rough Patch knew it wasn’t her own.

__________

The years passed slowly for Helios. Dealing with a psychopath and witnessing murders while confined to one spot took its toll on his mind. It wasn’t long into his imprisonment before nightmares developed.

Sometimes they involved the unfortunate who previously wandered through these blood-stained walls, others revolving around the original kingdom’s denizens fallen to the embrace of death.

Often his thoughts would turn to Aura, the events of what had transpired still tormenting his mind. That day often repeated in his dreams. Usually, it was a carbon copy of the day. On days his mentality was questionable, the nightmare changed for the worst.

The developed version of the nightmare replaying the most began with loud screams and crashes emerging from below the house floors. Soon, Queen Vanessa would enter from the cellar, dragging Aura’s lifeless body behind her. A trail of crimson following the pair as the Queen hummed a happy tune. Catching view of his friend, her Dweller mask fell to reveal a black emotionless face with blood trailing from her mouth. Her clothing torn and bloodied from sharp black claws. Helios could do nothing other than watch as her body was pulled further down the hall, before the Queen repositioned her and froze her in place. Aura’s body would face him, frozen eyes staring straight through him. He would hear her weep, or even lash out at her killer or even himself.

Those dreams were the worst for him; he couldn’t take the sight or sound of her so broken.

Not so frequently, the dreams would shift to moderately good ones. Ones where Aura had escaped or even prevailed over his captor. Ones where she returned and released him from his confinement.

Then there were the rare ones, memories and dreams where he would play with the Dweller children in the forest. Before the hunters became more problematic. Before the Queen eradicated her kingdom. Just pure contentment in the dense green forest.

Those were his favorite dreams. But that’s all those were now. Just dreams and memories…

Queen Vanessa had done no better in bettering his mood. From the day he was frozen solid til currently, the Queen only left her manor once. That was to pursue Aura. Otherwise, the senile woman stayed in her home of solitude.

With no one around, she conversed or laughed to herself or one of the dozens of frozen figures that now littered her home. Often she enjoyed talking to another figure that lingered upstairs or himself. Perhaps due to them being the most troublesome for her before she froze them, but were now dubbed as ‘obedient followers’. Helios wondered if the other captive is in a suspended state as himself or if they died like the rest.

The rag-doll creature was the worst of them both on defying the Queen. They tried to talk their way out of the mess, sounding similar to her when luring in unsuspecting beings. It was a total failure and in a last-ditch effort; The creature pulled out a knife, plunging it into the Queen’s chest. That was their last mistake; the attack failed and made the already mad woman angrier. Unexpectedly, as she reached for them, their form changed to that of a serpent. The creature easily outmaneuvered the surprised woman, slithering to the upper floor before she caught up and finally captured them.

Not one for violence, he couldn’t really blame the creature for doing what they did. The insane woman deserved some form of retribution. Even if it did little good slowing her down.

The mysterious rag-doll was more than likely the weirdest creature he had seen enter the home. Second going to small child-like figures. Starting out they appeared regularly, but over time they petered out.

They were similar to Queen Vanessa, but ultimately different. Their bodies were black as the Queen’s, but outlined in what appeared to be purple. The only glowing aspect to them being what he suspected was their face, a bright yellow light. If it weren’t for the odd coloring and spectral likeness, the Bush Cat would believe these creatures were a part of the Dweller children group.

The child-like figures were the most common individuals to enter the manor. Some met a frozen fate, others getting lucky and escaping. Unlike foreigners who entered the mansion, practically every one of the spooky figures took notice to Helios. A few recognized what he assumed was his ‘species’, a Bush Cat. Often those that recognized the name would gently pet his head before going about their business. Others would stare as if thinking they somehow knew the breed.

Helios became numb to most visitors. All the horror and death was becoming routine in his life.

One thing was obvious; He was angry. Angry at both the Queen and himself. She didn’t deserve to do this to innocent souls. The Bush Cat wished he could do something, instead of sitting here like a caged animal. Frustrated to no end, unable to move nor try to save those who entered their unknowing grave.

Though he hated this situation, two good points developed from it. Better senses and knowledge.

Helios didn’t know at what time it had happened, but the yellow following his eyesight had faded. At least for his left eye. His right still held the yellow vision, but that wasn’t a point of interest for him anymore.

Around the same time is when he noticed his senses had heightened. Every once in a while he’d be able to hear the Queen speaking to her other captive from the upper floor. Oddly enough, he now picked up her quiet footsteps as she traveled through the rooms. Even if someone came through the cellar door or a window, he could hear it and even get a general sense of their position.

To his reluctance, Queen Vanessa had been teaching him many things. Useful and mundane things that could bore him to sleep. In talking to herself, she revealed bits and pieces of information regarding her home, foods or even certain activities. They weren’t the most relevant or interesting to learn, but learning was helping him understand the human language further. He knew several things most birds wouldn’t pick up.

He hoped one day he could learn something new, but from an outside source.

__________

The passage of time now eluded the frozen Bush Cat, days blending together. He knew not how long he was trapped or his overall fate, but he knew he was tired. Tired of everything.

All the death, the insane monologuing and the cookies. Helios wished he would be put out of his misery already.

How long had he been stuck here, suffering through this? It seemed like forever. He couldn’t tell day from night, the light leaking through the windows never changed. He couldn’t even learn through the chattering Queen. Her sleep schedule was near non-existent and she appeared to be mentally living in the past, repeating words and thoughts like a broken record.

His nightmares were still frequent, but everyone he once knew faded. Nameless faces replacing them.

Recently, new dreams had come to him. At first, they started with seeing some creature appear in the manor. His first thought was it being the Queen, but the more the figure explored around he noticed the differences.

Though the new person shared a black and red theme with the Queen, they had their own distinctions. What appeared to be a lighter-toned mask covered their face, and though their eyes did not glow crimson, red X marks were shown. Similarly, where the mouth would be, the same tint of red visibly shown. Helios couldn’t make out what the creature wore, but it resembled a long billowing cloak.

The Bush Cat believed in ghost stories as many Dweller children had, but he never thought he might see one. Even if this was a dream. He might be jumping to conclusions on believing they were a ghost, but he knew nothing else that floated without some form of assistance! They weren’t flapping their arms like birds or having someone hold them above floor level. Given their height, even if they didn’t float, they’d easily tower over Queen Vanessa.

The dreams meant nothing to him the first few times the ghost appeared, but when the shadow finally took notice to the Rough Patch is where Helios freaked out.

“So it seems trying to observe her has led me to you.”

Even in this dream, the cat was still frozen, so he just stared in confusion behind his icy mirror.

The dark figure moved closer, causing the cat to shake in reaction. Even if they weren’t Vanessa and felt no immediate anger toward them, he was nevertheless frightened.

“Another individual that did not originally belong. I wonder, how did you reach this world? I seem to recall you, just... different.” The ghost observed the cat a moment longer before peering around the corridor again. “Though in spying, it appears I am bound to your general line of sight. Unfortunately, you are the only other conscious residing in this house.”

Glancing back to the Rough Patch, the figure stated one last detail before departing the dream. “I’ll try to keep my next few visits brief.”

True to his word, the ghosts next few visits were short. Helios couldn’t tell if he was getting the information he sought about the Queen or not, but didn’t mind the company.

Maybe he’s finally going insane. Dreaming of some ghostly entity who slightly resembles his captor, but a lot nicer. Was he becoming desperate for some form of normal interaction? Probably. Helios was just glad that when they spoke to him, it wasn’t insane chatter or one of the hot or cold moments he’d often have with Vanessa. The praise followed by belittling messed with his head.

The ghost even showed up once in a while during a nightmare, quelling the unwanted night terror. If Helios could thank him, he gladly would.

That became their routine. It continued for some time, up until the ghost’s final visit.

With this new dream, the Bush Cat and shadowy figure were still in the manor hallway and much to Helios’s delight, he could move. Walking over to his acquaintance, the mobile Bush Cat wondered what he was doing as he stared down the cellar door’s staircase. Peering over himself, he saw nothing interesting.

“The trigger that will set events into motion soon approaches.”

Confused, Helios glanced up toward the man seeing that him staring back.

“Soon the events that were written long ago shall take place, while those like us are forced to observe. But who knows, with many similar to us present, circumstances could change. Let’s hope if so, you can make it out of this my friend.”

The dark figure slowly extended a hand out from their cloak, moving the appendage near the Bush Cat’s head. He promptly stopped as the Bush Cat flinched away. Hand retreating, he nodded towards the cat.

“I understand. You have plenty of time to heal and if you ever accept my touch, I look forward to the day.”

Helios felt remorseful at his own reaction, but that’s what turned him into a frozen bushsicle. It would be easier if the figure wasn’t imposing in looks like the Queen. He felt some relief that the man didn’t think negatively of him for it.

Turning to face the cat, the man bowed his head “I’m afraid this will be the last time you see me. As the one who started the world’s events approaches, I shall step back once more to watch where fate will take this reality. And observe if the makers plan to change times course as before.”

The ghost certainly knew how to get Helios’s head spinning, whatever he was speaking about didn’t register to the cat’s brain. Events? Fate? A time course? The cat couldn’t process it and wanted to understand what the spirit meant, and as luck had it, his companion began to disappear.

Helios barked out to the mystery man to no avail, scene fading black.

Waking up, the Bush Cat had more questions than ever. His dreams were weird to develop that far. Unless the ghost man was as real as he stated, but the tired cat would think it over later.

Brought back into reality, the dazed cat discovered the source of what caused him to wake. Loud thumping echoing from the awning. If it was someone who planned on coming inside the manor, they certainly took a unique approach. He knew the front entrance had been frozen shut, but most entered through the basement. Never through the second floor of all places.

At least it was something new, he thought.

They made it inside the home nevertheless. He picked up that the Queen was also upstairs talking with a sculpture and was surprised she hadn’t taken notice of the intruder. Even if they stopped moving for whatever reason, it was evident the woman was unaware of their presence. Luck sided with them once more as the Queen left the upper floor, traveling downstairs. Moments after she set foot into the other room, he could hear scurrying from upstairs. It didn’t take long for the sound to cease.

Helios focused as he listened for further actions. No noticeable sign of movement led the Rough Patch to give up. The trespasser would be caught eventually.

Not that long after, a set of quiet footsteps began ascending the basement steps. The Rough Patch felt bad; Scarcely more than one being entered the home, now he had to deal with hearing double the cries of fear.

A purple colored hat with a yellow band broke into view, rousing his interest on the mystery intruder. He’s never seen a hat like that around the village or in the possession of wanderers. When the person’s head entered into sight, Helios felt his heart plummet. A child had infiltrated the lion’s den. Tears began forming in his eyes, sick at the thought of another child victim.

Observing her further, he noticed the girl’s blue eyes glancing around the dim halls, filled with curiosity of the new area. Brown hair shown tied in a ponytail followed the child’s movements as she peered from the stairwell. Deeming it safe she began climbing further, still cautious. The curious cat could see the kid wore a long shirt that matched her hat in color. In contrast to that, a yellow cape with a giant zipper attached to the front flowed from her shoulders. Once she was fully in the hall, white pants and brown boots were revealed. The child struggled to shake off whatever moisture had clung to her lower clothing items, before setting her sights on him.

Had Helios not been in a state of panic over the kid, he’d be delighted to see her. She was absolutely adorable and her observing him with childlike innocence added to it.

The young girl looked worried she began approaching the frozen statue. Her curiosity still stood, but she was wary of him as well. Close and within almost touching range, the child’s bothered expression turned sad. She knew what had happened to him.

Upon close inspection, there was a sense of familiarity with her. He couldn’t place his paw on whatever it was.

Reaching out to touch the unfortunate cat, a resounding voice echoed through the dwelling, startling the child off her feet.

“WHO’S THERE? WHO DARES ENTER MY HOME!?”

No no no no no!!! The Queen took notice of the kid; Her footsteps approaching from the right-sided door.

Fear painted the young lady's features, but she managed standing on shaking limbs. Looking back and forth between the ice statue and the door, she reached for him again but stopped. Instead, opting to pull something out of her pocket.

Helios didn’t have enough time to figure out what she planned before she slapped whatever was pulled out onto herself, instantaneously altering her image then dove through the exit to his right.

As quickly as the kid had closed the door, the alternative one at the opposite end opened. Stepping out into the hallway, the Queen began chuckling to herself. “Another guest for my home? How fortunate.”

He didn’t know what praying was exactly, but given how he’s heard the word used prior, he felt like he should do it for the child.

The Queen made her rounds of the corridor, toying with the child in the opposing room. Attempting to draw her out. Thankfully, the girl was wise enough to remain unseen.

Hearing the sound of her instrument, the Queen stepped in through the furthest door on his side of the hallway. Seeing this the cat began wailing, trying his hardest to move. As with past attempts, he failed. His body still refused to respond to him. Desperate, he bit at his enclosure, earning no result.

The killer Queen exited the room and began pacing through the hall again, indicating that she had not captured the kid.

“Come out little one, don’t be shy.”

Still the child ignored the woman, much to her irritation.

Piano resounding once more, the Queen re-entered the end door.

As soon as that door opened, the one beside him followed suit. The young girl quietly tiptoed out of the room, closing her door in sync with the Queen’s.

Visible to him once more, he could take in her appearance change. She opted for a bleaker tone to better hide within the darkened home. Different shades of red, purple and blue had taken place of her previous color scheme.

He didn’t get to examine her very close because after a few seconds of making certain the Queen wasn’t coming out the other door; The girl sprinted down the hallway, a large key in hand.

Hearing her flee upward put the cat at ease until he heard the angered Queen comment on her instrument.

“My lovely piano! Oh, when I find you, you’ll be receiving the same treatment!”

Eyes blazing brighter than ever, the Queen re-entered the hall seeking vengeance. Running down the hall with unnatural speed, the Queen made it up to the second floor in no time.

Panicking the Rough Patch tried once more gnawing his way at impenetrable ice, failing yet again. Frustrated for what felt like the millionth time, he yelled.

Tears that he believed dried long ago poured down his face, disappointed he couldn’t help save a poor soul. Another child at that.

What good was he!? Was all that time spent saving children from other deadly situations just worthless? He let all the kingdom’s children down by not stopping the icy menace, now he’d be letting this young girl down.

The odd tears kept falling, Helios struggling to still them to concentrate on the situation at hand. He didn’t completely settle down, but relaxed enough where he felt minor pain against his chest. In turn, he felt colder than before. Wails reduced to sniffles, he could faintly hear upstairs.

“Found you!” Thump.

Fear shot through him. No… not another child. Please, not another! He hadn’t experienced pure terror in forever, but with it rose fury. Hissing, the Bush Cat sensed something unusual happen. He was unclear what it was, but felt a strange chilling sensation.

“You’re close by, aren’t you?”

Helios’s anger derailed. Wait. That’s right, someone else was here. Did she freeze the first intruder?

Movement from one room to the next, the cat wondered what the Queen was doing. Typically down here, she would pace in the hall, waiting for her victim to appear. Why was it different upstairs?

Her footfalls faded to whatever area she entered, barely audible footsteps following in toe.

Helios sighed in relief. The child still lived.

With the kid’s exit, both parties were now out of his hearing range, leaving him in the dark. Silence lingered through the home, thoughts rising to the Bush Cat's mind. He contemplated why a child was here. The girl wasn’t even attempting to escape, but seeking further access to the manor. Did the Queen have a family keepsake of the child’s? Was it a part of some childish dare? Or did the girl just like exploring places she shouldn’t, regardless the danger?

Whatever the reason, she was lucky to survive this long.

Recalling his dream, maybe the phantom had been talking about the kid? No, he was just a figment of Helios’s imagination. The kid was a kid! A brave and possibly foolish one, but still a kid.

With all the diverse characters he’s seen while in confinement, the Rough Patch supposed he wouldn’t be shocked if the young lady was special.

Something still bugged him about her; Why was she familiar? He kept repeating the question in his head numerous times. He’s certain he’s never laid eyes on her prior. The Bush Cat may not know how long ago Queen Vanessa froze him, but he imagined it happened long before the girl was brought into the world.

Maybe she descended from a child he previously knew. Issue was, no one really immigrated outside the domain. This kingdom tended to stay within their own little circle, but accepted trades and people from other lands with restrictions.

A vague image of someone came to his thoughts. One had traveled beyond the border several times. Helios knew them, but couldn’t quite recall their identity. His head began hurting from overthinking, perhaps he would consider this another day when his emotions weren’t running rampant.

The Queen soon graced his presence and she was not in a favorable mood.

“I can’t believe that little brat got away! She even made off with that thing. It’s not like she could use it to its fullest, not unless she was apart of that family. Even so, the secrets are lost to the ages of time. Especially with the loss of the last family member.”

She began cackling madly at her own inside knowledge, but paused seeing the Rough Patch.

“However did you wind up like this? Did that brat touch you? I can’t have my precious little pet leave me so soon.”

Leaning down, Queen Vanessa ran her hand over his chest scrutinizing him. The cat was astonished because he could feel her touch. It wasn’t just her touching a layer of ice; It was skin to bush contact. He winced slightly at feeling her pull some shards of ice out of his body. Soon after, a familiar chill traveled through his chest. The air that he felt disappeared, cool ice replacing the feeling.

“There you go, good as new! I won’t let you be reduced to a mischievous mongrel again, you still need to learn your place. I’ll just have to watch you closer.”

Petting the Rough Patch like a delicate porcelain doll, the mad woman hummed. In an instant, she changed her tune, slashing at the wall behind him. Helios whimpered at the familiar yet drastic change.

She left him alone after that, surprising him immensely. She didn’t berate the child nor him for the rest of the day. Nor one more slash mark against the walls. Heck, not even flipping him over in dissatisfaction. The Queen just continued on her day.

Helios had learned two things that day. One: If the child ever returned, she wouldn’t leave the manor alive. Two: Helios unknowingly had a temporary respite from his icy cage.

New discovery in hand, Helios would try for days figuring out how the ice dissipated.

After mulling it over and watching if the ice would evaporate on its own, but didn’t, Helios concluded that he had somehow melted the ice.

It shouldn’t even be possible; He was just an ordinary, magicless Rough Patch. Queen Vanessa was the sole magic user that he knew of, and she didn’t unfreeze him. The Queen was quite surprised over it herself, and from her musings, it shouldn’t have happened. Whereas she believed the child held responsibility, Helios knew better as his only lead was himself.

Recreating the action was easier said than done. The Bush Cat had accomplished little that day, only biting at the ice and becoming emotionally exhausted. Biting was instantly off the table; That would have altered the ice near his face, not his chest area. Emotions? He didn’t believe he could recreate the variety of emotions he experienced, nor could he cry on demand.

He wasn’t sure if he wanted to recreate the tears though, as when they fell prior that day, ice shards formed and dug into and pierced his skin. Maybe that’s how the ice disappeared from around his chest. It moved someplace else.

Well, if he couldn’t force himself to cry, he’d do the next best thing. Helios stuck his tongue out, placing it against the frozen wall. He waited for several minutes, but all he felt was the cool surface his tongue touched. The ice had not spread to stab muscle.

Disappointed, the Rough Patch went to withdraw his tongue, but noticed there was one teensy problem; His tongue was stuck.

… in hindsight, he should of just spat at the ice.

If possible, Helios would have flailed. Instead, he settled for verbally complaining and sought to separate his tongue from the ice. The more he tried to pry his tongue away, the more painful it got, so he reluctantly stopped.

Grumbling over his misfortunes, the Rough Patch needed to cope with the appendage bound to one position.

He took a small break between plans, not wanting anything else to go awry.

After his brief recess, he figured he’d take a shot at the emotions matter. His tongue was glued to ice; The situation couldn’t get any worse. At the very least, nothing would happen.

Thinking back to the time, he attempted to recreate the fear he felt for the young girl. Focusing on that, he shook in distress, but noticed no tingling sensation or outside air. Not wanting to lose momentum, he tested anger. He felt odd once the negative emotion stirred up, but overall that’s the only thing he felt.

Releasing his hold on the emotion, the peculiar feeling passed. He now had his answer; Anger was the key emotion he needed to concentrate on. It made sense given it was the ice wielders primary mood. Determined, Helios began his ice melting training.

Several days went before he was rewarded for his efforts. He noticed a slight breeze of air against his foliage. Helios mentally patted himself on the head, proud over the progress made. He didn’t celebrate for long as he knew the battle was just beginning, so he continued on his mission.

Over time, the Bush Cat succeeded with dissolving the ice little by little, much to his delight. Meanwhile, Queen Vanessa grew on edge from the thawing cat, often needing to re-freeze him. Her own paranoia increased, compelling her to check up on him more than usual.

Helios realized this simple issue could develop into a significant problem. The Queen would soon notice his thawing wasn’t a result of the child, but him breaking free on his own. Wondering if this was a two-way street, Helios began investigating if he could refreeze himself. This took several attempts, but it confirmed he could both freeze and unfreeze.

To his displeasure, he learned that it was simpler to freeze than to defrost. With Queen Vanessa’s diligent eyes watching him, he had even less time to practice the latter.

But his crowning achievement went to him finally freeing his tongue. Though it took a while, his tongue was finally back where it belonged.

The Bush Cat may not be far along with his training, but if he properly figured this out, he might just be able to leave yet.

__________

It had been many weeks before the hatted child returned to the remote dwelling, company in tow. Helios had made limited headway in unfreezing himself, the most being part of a limb, but if he could he would rush right out to the girls.

One minute the girls are racing away from the deranged Queen. The next the Queen had blasted the front wall off the manor.

Helios did not expect Queen Vanessa to go to such extreme lengths to kill them; She was angrier than the Rough Patch initially assumed. The hatted child’s added company certainly added to her fury.

In creating a wider entrance, light seeped into the darkened home, in turn inviting a flurry of snowflakes. The Queen paid no mind to the damages nor the snow littering the carpet, following the guests that she must have failed to kill.

With her leave, the Bush Cat began working at unfreezing himself. This instance had proved to be challenging. Usually melting the ice took time, but now it seemed impossible.

Biting at his confines, Helios noticed the snow-filled home. It was just dusted lightly a moment ago, now the floor was submerged under inches of white. He couldn’t see much through the gaping hole, other than the ongoing blizzard that kept shifting from strong to weak states.

Perhaps other than the weather shifting accordingly with the Queen’s hatred, it also influenced the stability of the ice she had placed. If that was the case, the Rough Patch could only bide his time and wait.

Hoping for the girl's safety, the Rough Patch kept his eyes fastened to the entrance. The only thing visible was snow, but every so often flashes of light reflected on the frozen particles. Red and Yellow were the hues seen from whatever actions were taking place. Blue appeared to be a part of the equation as well, but Helios struggled to determine the tint given what covered his sight. Whenever that color flashed, the ground occasionally shook.

The worried Rough Patch believed he put two and two together after another tremor. Someone was fighting the monster and possibly standing their ground. He never thought he’d live to see the day.

He wished he could view the battle other than just the lights; The concept of someone opposing the Queen without dying fascinated him. Maybe they possessed a magical element as she did. Regardless of how they were doing it, they were tactful. If the Queen pursued someone and they stood a threat, she wouldn’t toy with them. She’d go at them full of rage and bloodlust, using her ice unwittingly. Overpowering others was simple for her, she never put strategy into cornering someone. The individuals in turn would be too frightened to rationalize nor knowing how to confront the hellish brute of a woman. So whoever was battling her went about this level-headedly.

The war continued on for another half hour before bright hues and raging winds halted, the largest shock wave that had taken place that day rippling through the ground. It was powerful enough to even shake the manor, knocking over many objects. With the blizzards hasty retreat, an enormous bundle of snow visibly rose then subsequently fell. To him, that indicated an explosion.

That was the last tremor he felt, calmness and dreaded anticipation filling the void. The Rough Patch searched the sky for further signs of struggle, but there were none. Just a normal, peaceful snowfall. Closing his eyes, the Rough Patch waited for the Queen’s potential return.

Silence accompanied him, the peacefulness of it nearly lulling him to sleep. Queen Vanessa didn’t come back as he expected, but a familiar tingling sensation was felt. The feeling wasn’t coming from just one spot; It was everywhere. Eyes snapping open, the cat focused on the barrier surrounding him. His vision swam, but merely because of the ice altering everything more than usual. The frozen layer began to vanish on its own.

Fascinated by the process, Helios watched as the layer of blue ice faded from his sight. Full-blown color now greeted his eyes after an eternity of imprisonment. He developed a minor headache from the overflow of rich color, but he didn’t mind.

Feeling the last of the ice fade away from his body, the cat didn’t want to move. He was nervous if he did, it would reveal that this was just some hopeful dream.

What sounded to be the falling of objects emerged from adjacent rooms, the other victims also thawing out. Lack of movement informed him they were not as fortunate as he was. Even so, their remains were now freed and he was at least thankful for that.

He took no notice to the dying white light that once radiated through the corridor, snow disappearing along with it.

Sniffling, the cat moved his long aching tail around, attempting to build up confidence.

Was this just a hopeless dream?

Taking his time, the cat gently shifted on his paws. The action an odd sensation.

Was the nightmare finally over?

Barely pressing up, the cat lightly bounced up and down. A broken yet happy smile eased its way onto his face, growing larger the higher he sprung.

Was he really free?

Jumping up to peak height several times, the tears freely fell as the smiling Bush Cat cried out in glee. In elation, Helios began running in small circles, rapidly expanding through the hall. He filled the halls that once echoed with screams of terror with jubilant laughter. A victim who had happiness and hope sucked from them now enjoyed the call of life and freedom.

Helios tripped over himself in his antics, but he didn’t have a care in the world as he stumbled to the floor, tears and giggles still emitting from him. Not wanting to rise back up, he just rolled back and forth, taking in the once forgotten movements. The clashing emotions began getting to him, inducing hiccups. Coughing, the overzealous cat rolled over onto his belly.

Coming down from his high, the Rough Patch’s hiccuping and coughs eased away, leaving the cat to himself. Or so he thought. A shadow protruded from the spacious entryway, startling the cat into an attack position. He was ready to fight the assailant if need be.

Now looking to the entryway, the silhouette struck him as familiar. The newcomer made his approach through the home.

Approaching a nearby candelabra, the flame light revealing them to the Rough Patch. He was frazzled at their presence. Blinking several times as he still did not believe it, the ghost floating before him was the same one from his dreams. Or one that looked strikingly identical. The ghost in his dreams had a slightly odder shape frame and face, but both undead shared the same height, regal demeanor and overall accommodating presence. Helios couldn’t compare clothes as the dream one was virtually bathed in black, while the one before him wore an orange jacket with a yellow undershirt.

The ghost stopped their approach several feet away from Helios, cautious himself of the cat’s posture. Before he could get a word out, the cat fled.

Overloaded with the past hours' affairs, Helios ran from his acquaintance. He preferred not to deal with the reality that they were real right now. Nor wanting to go through any further surprises. He traveled through the new unexplored territory of the ruined manor, evading the specter and his associates.

Little did the free Rough Patch know, he’d be in for many more surprises the next time he awakened.

#A Hat in Time #Rough Patch #Helios #Aura #A Hat in Time OC #original character #Queen Vanessa #Moonjumper #blood tw #death mention #glottia writes

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