Masked (A Hat In Time)

Hatred

I saw a challenge on Tumblr that was like "Draw your AHiT OC with Vanessa's curse", and I thought about it.

Jaide with the curse would be terrifying, by the way. And full of so, SO many angst opportunities.

Don't worry, that's not going to happen in this fic. I've been writing this for too long to make a sudden plot change.

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Bow Kid watched with fear as Vanessa snarled and shot a round of spear-like icicles at Jaide. Calmly, emotionlessly, Jaide brought her glowing hands together and spread them out, creating a solid yellow-green wall- a shield. The icicles crashed into the shield, shattering into a million splinters of ice.

Yellow-green spears shot up from the ground around Vanessa, stabbing through her and pinning her in place. She screamed, a terrible high-pitched sound of outrage and agony.

Jaide brought her hands above her head, building a powerful ball of energy between her fingertips. Yellow and green sparks danced down her arms.

"Get back!" Snatcher suddenly hissed. Bow suddenly felt his claws lifting her by the back of her shirt. He moved her back and dropped her again once she was a safer distance away, not a moment too late.

Jaide unleashed the now enormous ball of magic. It shot forward like a wolf lunging for its prey and caught the mad queen in a bright yellow-green blast. For a moment, the snow was painted with the colors of Jaide's magic; the white was streaked with the ethereal warm and cold shades of yellow and green.

The explosion cleared, but Jaide continued the assault. A green scythe formed in her hand, and she lunged toward Vanessa, going in for the kill.

Jaide's explosion had destroyed her spears in the blast, but Vanessa still didn't see it coming. Jaide reared back and slashed, her scythe leaving trails of bright yellow in the air. Vanessa gasped and raised her arm. A wall of ice rose out of the ground, but Jaide broke through it. Her swing was slowed, though, so Vanessa had enough time to roll out of the way and shoot daggers of ice at Jaide.

Jaide reacted quickly, breaking the ice with a swipe of the scythe. Vanessa grinned and shot one more as Jaide was still turning. The ice struck Jaide in the shoulder.

She paused, staring down at the ice in her shoulder. Vanessa took the opportunity to fire a barrage of ice shards at her. The scythe disappeared, and Jaide crossed her arms in front of her, protecting her mask and chest. Some of the shards merely sliced her clothing, leaving jagged tears in Jaide's cloak, but others found their mark. From the wounds an icy blue color began to creep up Jaide's body.

With the lift of a gnarled claw, Vanessa sent a massive spear of ice shooting from the ground, straight at Jaide. Jaide briefly lowered her arms, then vanished.

The ice spear impaled nothing, stopping abruptly in its growth. Vanessa snarled and lowered her hands, glaring at the space around her. "Come out and fight me, you coward!" she screeched.

"As you wish." With a majestic swirl of her cloak, Jaide reappeared behind Vanessa, the scythe once again in her hands. Vanessa whirled around, but it was too late. Jaide's eyes burned with loathing.

Now that Bow Kid could see Jaide's face again, she realized what a horrifying sight it was. The black streaks streaming from her eyes made it look like her eyes were melting, rolling down her face and staining the snow beneath her.

She swung, and the scythe clipped Vanessa in the side, sending the insane queen tumbling from the blow. Vanessa screamed. Bow Kid had to cover her ears at the ragged sound. Jaide watched her blankly and took the moment to pull the icicles out of her body.