Ember cursed. Whoever this hunter was they were good. Ember never liked going through buildings, this revealed her as a ghost rather than appearing mostly like a hunter. Hunters were seen as eccentric and liked ridiculous themes. She still remembered the time one of the halfa's friends had attacked her with the Fenton Anti-creep stick (Normal base ball bat fortunately) and appearing in this sort of 'make up' worked well. And she even flew like a hunter usually. She'd actually made a good 'living' blasting ghosts, until she got caught out. And for that she had paid. The family she had made in this world no longer remembered her, except as half-vague flashes, and what they had learnt.

Ember kicked her guitar into evasive manoeuvres that no hunter should have been able to follow. However the hunter not only kept up they performed the counter-manoeuvre. This was bad. Buildings were looking like the best solution. Why did the dipstick have to be away now? She flew through the building. She didn't think the hunter would follow her through, not this building anyway. Ember was wrong as two blasts followed. Then ember noticed the suit. This was important - Getting blasted with those would hurt, but it was necessary. Who was that hunter and why could she?

"Time Out." Ember hears

"You know the rules. Why did you interfere?" Ember growled.

"Because this situation is interesting to me. It's a possibility I did not foresee. And you know how rare those are I wonder just how much the armour she wears affected her. Assuming that they are overshadowed is no longer an option. We have to decide one way or another."

Ember remembered. The ghosts had told her of the hunter, and to stay out of her way unless Phantom was there but one thing they had never mention to her was the hunter's name. This seemed odd. "Who is she? And who taught her to fly like that"

"Who is she? You know. Who taught her? You did. Her name is..."

Ember answered in anger, sadness and joy before Clockwork finished speaking. "My daughter, Valerie Gray. This does explain why the dipstick wiped everyone's memories. You told him what happened to me?"

"Not by name. That's your story to tell. And I'd advise telling it to her soon."

Ember sighed. "Okay, Clockwork, but control her. Unlike me, she tends to overdo things." Somehow Ember felt Clockwork was smirking at that statement, but she couldn't be sure.

After Clockwork demonstrated his power several times to Val., she finally decided to sit down and talk. Honestly even Vlad hadn't been so headstrong. Though he had tried to use more subtle attempts afterwards, since he wasn't one to give up. "Ember MacLean's a ghost?"

"Yeah, I am. There's a lot I have to tell you. And I'm worried, because I'm going to lose no matter what. Why do I choose to stage my take over the world in Amity Park? In theory I can avoid that and Wisconsin and gain a lot of power. Well I need the power to be used here so I can alter the rules."

"Rules? Ghosts have rules?" Val stated in complete shock.

"Too many in some cases. However there are three basic rules which punishment will come down for."

"Oh?"

"Being overly destructive. I know it seems odd to you, but notice the word overly. Keep the Christmas Truce or whatever Festival of Light your country uses. The third is one of the most broken rules in history. Never get involved with those not of your world. That cost is higher than you can imagine..."

"Worse than I can imagine?"

"You get cut off and the living people you spent time with have their memory of you erased, where it's possible. Certain gaps where they should remember, and where they need to vague recollections."

Valerie shivers at that. How cruel to all the people involved. The ghost still remembers the people she spent time with, but the living no longer remember them, except as a vague memory when they were needed to explain actions or events.

"The next thing you have to understand is ghost is a mistranslation. The person who first formalised the rules about ghosts and the ghost zone and its inhabitants was a German."

"And while Geist is often translated as ghost, its true meaning is spirit. While ghosts are spirits, spirits aren't always ghosts. But ghost is a useful catchall for those of a similar construction."

"Good. So what allows me and Spectra to pose as humans?"

"You are both part of this world if only barely. If all things have an opposite, and she is the spirit of misery... And your power comes from music. You're the " Val's eyes go wide.

"Spirit of Joy and comfort. It's why Klemper doesn't give me any power. He's the spirit of loneliness. He grabs out of desperation, not because he has any real joy. Occasionally I can form positive feedback loops. I enchant the crowd, the crowd feels joyful..."

"It means you're even more dangerous than any other ghost though. And you will try to take over the world continually."

"True but imagine a human enjoys spending time with me."

"You'll enjoy time with them, which means..." Val shook her head. "I'm not going to do this, though some people find it fun."

"Exactly. You're getting the idea. When there is plenty of Joy I appear as a person between teenager and woman. Little joy and I appear like and old woman whose tried to find comfort in food."

"I'm a ghost hunter, and you're telling me this why?"

"Your father said you mother died hunting ghosts, right? That isn't exactly true. Though it's the only explanation he can see that makes sense. At one time I pretended to be a ghost hunter. That was fine and legal. But then I mad a mistake, a bad one. I spent time with a guy, and we fell for each other."

"Don't you dare go where I think you are!"

"You took to the board almost instantly, but there is only one other person in both worlds who possesses a similar board. You can't just be that good or just taught it has to be..."

"Both. Okay I'll accept you a sister I forgot or drove away but not my mother. You're far too young"

"I get reborn at this age fairly regularly. Yeah - I was apparently older by human standards when I had you. Also-While rare, it is possible for ectoplasm to fill in genetic gaps. It can only work well in utero so to speak. Usually the being leans towards the world they were born in but they tend to be marked..."

"Ghosts and humans can have children?"

"Incredibly rare, but yes. It is possible. Unfortunately that's what the third law is supposed to stop. Sons of gods, genies and.."

"And those people tend to end up with... Are you saying that...?"

"I'm your mother. Yes. But we now have a problem with you. Until recently you were considered human. Then we thought overshadowed, but recently you've hit a pretty nasty area."

"What do you mean?"

"We now believe you may be dead..."

"I'm a spirit still pretending to be human..."

"Personally I'd sooner you were alive despite the other decision giving you the ability to spend time with me."

"I'll forget this if it is decided I'm alive won't I..." Val shivered. "So either I end up dead with you or alive with my father. No chance at both. And even if that was possible I couldn't let him know about you. I hate this."

Ember shook her head sadly. "Me too. I'm sorry. It's one or the other, always has been."