Summary: AU. Caught in the middle of Vladimir Master's evil plot to take over the Kingdom of Amity, Prince Daniel is turned into a half-ghost. Now he must flee for his life, hide in the company of two new allies, and fight his way back to the throne. DxS
Disclaimer: Butch and Nick own Danny and Co.
Chapter 1: Missing
"Ghosts! GHOSTS! Who let them in here! Get them out of my castle immediately!" King Jonathan roared as four ghosts were presented before him on the grand floor. All had bleak white-greenish faces and blue lips and were chained together by the wrists. There were two women and two men. One of the women had blonde braided hair and bore a bleak periwinkle dress and the other was clothed in scarlet clothes that resembled a pirate's and had what appeared a blue shade of hair. The men both had green hair and glowing eyes. One was rather well suited up, which meant that he had been a great warrior before he died, while the other wore spectacles and a trench robe, which meant that he had either been a medic or an alchemist.
"Your Majesty, I believe that it was you who wanted to question these ghosts on the whereabouts of your son," spoke Sir Lancer calmly. He admired his king, but he did seem rather too perturbed for his own good. He hoped that one day his heart would not take the best of him.
"Er, of course I did!" said the King. "Only a ghost would kidnap the only heir left to the throne. Now tell me where you're keeping him or I'll have your heads!"
"Jonathan, darling," the queen spoke calmly, placing a comforting hand on his arm. She was robed in a grand turquoise gown and her silver crown rested upon her brown hair. "These ghosts were brought in here because they might have seen our son, not because they're keeping him hostage."
"And if I may say so, your majesty, I doubt that having their heads would do you any good," came a snide voice as the doors to the grand hall burst open and a middle-aged man walked in wearing dark lavender robes. His gray hair was brought together in a ponytail and he smiled mischievously at the queen.
"Quite right," said Queen Madison.
"Vladie, my main advisor!" exclaimed the king in naive jubilation. His expression then sank. "I must find my son. Please, what would you suggest I do with these miscreants to make them talk?"
"I believe you may simply ask them calmly, dear king," said the advisor. He then turned to the queen. "You look as lovely as ever, your majesty."
"Why thank you, Vladimir."
"Please," he said with intrigue, "do call me Vlad."
The queen said nothing but nodded and smiled.
The tall dark man's attention once again returned to the king and the grin that he had offered the queen had now vanished and was replaced by a tortured expression at the king.
"Might I suggest you ask them what he looks like? He may be in disguise if he has run away and is in cognito," said the advisor.
"And excellent idea! Yes, most certainly," said the king excitedly. "You, ghost!" he demanded, pointing to the pathetic looking old man in the trench robe. "What did my son look like the last time you saw him?"
The ghost trembled at the question and said, stuttering, "H-He had s-some what of a white mop of hair, with glowing, poison green eye-- "
"Insolence!" yelled the king, red with rage. Vlad smirked. "Are you describing my son as some kind of despicable ghost! Take them away! The filth my ears are forced to listen to!" The queen once again attempted to calm him as Sir Lancer escorted the ghosts out of the hall.
"There, there, dear, perhaps they had simply misunderstood. They are ghosts after all, perhaps they had thought our son had passed on. A simple misunderstanding," she said soothingly.
"Impossible!" the King roared. "I refuse to even take such a fact into consideration! My boy is not dead!"
"Of course he isn't, your majesty," said Vladimir, slightly bowing. "I assure you that had he been dead our council of Observants would have certainly informed me of his death, and I assure you, they have done no such thing."
"Then could you not ask them of his whereabouts?" the queen asked.
"I'm afraid not," Vlad sighed. "They simply consider the dead ghosts and separate them from the living; they have no concern for the whereabouts of humans, which is why I am certain that Daniel is alive and well."
"Wondrous," said the queen, bringing her hands together in joy and smiling. "Then we shall await further information on our son. His life rests in your hands, now, Vladimir. Please do everything in your power to bring him back."
"Anything for you, your majesty," said the advisor and bowed down the floor.
"Bring back my son, Vladie," said the King somberly. "I never realized how much I missed him."
The queen smiled at him and Vlad glared at the exchange between the two. "Rest assured, my king. He will be found."
He flung back his lavender cape and exited the hall.
"Jack," whispered the queen quietly, "I have this...idea. I know you won't like it but, what if we sent one of those ghosts to look for Daniel? I somehow feel as if they really have seen him. Perhaps Vladimir was right. Perhaps he is wearing a disguise?"
The King's lip twitched and he took the queen's hand into her own. "You know how I feel about ghosts, Maddie. And Vlad's on the case. He'll bring him back, I promise."
"I don't know, Jack. I don't entirely trust him," she said sadly. "Maybe just in case -- "
"No," said the King sternly and got up from his throne. "I will not involve ghosts in this! They should be where they belong, in the Ghost Abode, where they're sent, but damn them if they ever escape as I know they do! Leave this to Vlad, Maddie."
The King walked away and Madison hesitated. That snide smirk, that horrible tone of voice that told her that there was some dark and evil aura about the court's main advisor. She knew Jonathan trusted him with his life, but Jack could sometimes be...well...not the best judgement.
She exited the hall and went to seek out Sir Lancer.
She made her way down into the castle dungeons where he knew he had temporarily taken the ghosts.
"Ah! Sir Lancer," she said when she'd found him spreading sulfur around the prison that they were kept in so that they couldn't get out. "May I speak to you in private?"
"Your highness, I do not wish to question your judgement, but the dungeons are no place for a fair ruler," he said, bowing at her presence.
"I'm not here to question my status, kind Sir," she said, brushing off his comment, "I am here because I still believe that one of these ghosts does in fact know the whereabouts of Prince Daniel. Please, would you mind if I interrogated them personally?"
"Your bidding is law, my queen, but I must warn you that these are ghosts. Which means that they are vicious, heartless, and have no emotions, so they may lie about your son without hesitation."
"They have no reason to lie, they are in prison," reasoned the queen. "I will make deal with them. Please do excuse me."
"Do not say I did not warn you, my queen," Sir Lancer bowed.
"Mark me warned," said the queen and he left her alone to face the ghosts.
She walked up to them, examining them as they floated there, looking most definitely lifeless and hopeless. Their souls seemed tortured and cold.
"What is your name?" the queen spoke slowly. She picked up her dress as she walked around the cage, observing the characteristics of each ghosts. She really felt as if there was no way of knowing them; they seemed so distant.
"My name is Dorothy," the blonde girl spoke miserably. "This is Emberlie, Skulker, and Technus. Please, if you still listen to your beating heart, let us free. We never meant harm to your kingdom. We simply wish to finish that which we never accomplished in life. Being bound in a cage is tearing our souls apart. It is more difficult than coping with the loss of your son."
"I wish I could," said the queen. "But my husband's wishes are otherwise. He despises ghosts, thought to some extent I believe he misunderstands you. I don't know how I can trust you seeing as I've never really made personal contact with a ghost, but I think you know about my son. Please tell me, is he really alive?"
The ghost woman frowned at her, hope lost. "It is difficult to say. He is not a ghost, neither is he fully human. Something happened to him, that is as far as we had read from his aura. In hopes of being freed from the Ghost Abode, we hoped to tell the king of him so that he would not force us into captivity. Instead, we were betrayed by our beliefs."
"I'm sorry," said the queen, and she meant it. If only Jonathan took the time to know these ghosts, perhaps he would see them in a new light. But then again, perhaps this ghost was tricking her into feeling sympathy for her while all she really wanted to do was steal her soul and posses her body. That was what her husband was trying to stop all along, of course: ghostly possessions that had been going on in the kingdom before he became king and ordered exorcisms throughout the land.
"I will strike a deal with you," said the queen. All four ghosts looked up in hope. "If you find my son and bring him back to me, whole and alive, I will make certain you are never forced to reside within the Ghost Abode. You will be able to accomplish your tasks and move on to the afterlife peacefully as soon as you promise not to possess anyone. That much I can do for you. The king will never know and will be too overjoyed at the return of his son to banish you. You have my word. Do have I have yours?"
Something entirely surprising happened. The four ghosts smiled, and it was such a chilling sight that Madison almost considered going back on her offer until she realized that it didn't make them look all the more frightening, but alive, if that were possible.
"We will retain your son," said the ghost named Skulker. "You have our word as you chose to keep yours. We promise no harm shall come to him and will fight for his life as for our own if necessary."
The woman called Emberlie finally spoke. "I think I know just where to find him. I last felt his aura in a peasant village. He must be hiding. We will go there first but if he is not there we shall follow the trail of his aura until he is found."
Tears appeared in Madison's eyes at the sound of this. She put her hands on the bars and whispered a "Thank you." Taking a cloth, she removed the circle of sulfur around their cage and they phased through.
"Good day, my queen," said Skulker and the four bowed, fading through the walls.
She didn't know what made her trust them, but they had seemed so sincere that she dared not misjudge them. Maybe Jonathan had been wrong all along. Maybe ghosts did have some feeling in them. They couldn't be all that dead if their spirit roamed free.
She picked up her gown and walked up from the dungeon. She met Sir Lancer who was guarding the door.
"Well, my queen?" he asked her respectfully.
"Well," she said. "All is well. I have set them free to return my son. If they fail, our deal is broken and they immediately go into the Ghost Abode. I doubt they will fail."
Sir Lancer nodded and let the queen have her way.
She signed and looked out the windows of the castle.
"Be safe, my son. My Daniel."
I think this was definitely inspired by "Beauty Marked," but you can never be sure. I also love Maddie, so her character is going to be essential in a couple of scenes, but don't you worry, Danneh's the hero in this story. I think. Is he? Or is he the evil little scoundrel that breaks hearts and murders innocent people? Eh. I can never remember. snicker