Elf Blood

by Transformersfan123

"What do you mean he's moving back to England!" Ferb was sick, or so Phineas thought, and he is leaving. Ferb doesn't complain, fearing that his brother wouldn't understand what he's going through. But when the red-haired boy comes after him, he realizes that he is underestimating his brother, his sister, and their friends. But his biological mother won't give him up so easily...

A little random Phineas and Ferb story that explores their brotherly bond. :)

---

"What do you mean he's moving back to England?!" Isabella shrieked.

Phineas shrugged listlessly. The boy was no longer very short, but he had only just started getting tall and thin and lanky. Puberty had hit him, and his voice was beginning to crack. But there was no joy in his face anymore. He had just heard from his father that his best friend, who happened to be his brother, was moving back to England to live with his grandparents.

"He cannot do this! Certainly he has no choice! Certainly your father is making him!" Baljeet exclaimed desperately.

"He won't talk to me about it," Phineas said numbly.

"Is it because he's still sick?" Buford asked.

"I don't know. He won't talk to me about it. I haven't really seen him in a week. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he's been avoiding me. I don't know what to do."

"What does he have?" Isabella asked gently, touching his shoulder.

"Dad seems to know, but Mom and Candace and I don't," Phineas sighed. "Mom and Dad have been screaming at each other, and Dad's hellbent on Ferb moving in with our grandparents for a while. I-I guess Dad won."

There was silence. Not even Isabella asked what they were doing today. Later that evening, Phineas walked into his room to see Ferb putting his things in a suitcase.

"Hey, Ferb." No response at all. "Y-you're not really leaving…are you?" Absolutely nothing. "Is something wrong?" Ferb's hands faltered for a brief second. Phineas latched on. "Did I do something wrong?" Nothing. "Please talk to me, Ferb!"

Ferb simply closed the suitcase and walked past him, head down. Phineas heard his father as he walked toward the living room.

You know it's for the best, son. They won't understand."

"Understand what?" Phineas asked as he came around the corner, anger and pain in his voice.

"Nothing, Phineas," Lawrence said. "I'll be back in an hour."

"But Ferb won't!"

Lawrence and Ferb turned toward the door, and Phineas lunged forward, snagging his brother's arm. Ferb spun and met his eyes. They both froze, and Phineas found himself mesmerized by the green orbs he saw. They were…different. They were still Ferb's eyes, to be sure, but there was something there that hadn't been there before.

'No. It's always been there. It just hasn't been as strong. But what is it?'

'Don't think about it, brother. Just let me go. It's better this way. I love you, Phineas.'

Phineas' hands slipped off of the pale arm, and Ferb turned to go with their father, leaving the red-headed boy feeling empty and confused.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The plane ride was the longest, loneliest trip of his life. But he held in his tears until he was at his new home, alone in his bedroom. He sobbed softly at his lost life until he was as empty as possible. Then his grandmother came in.

"Ferb? Are you hungry?" Winifred asked softly.

"No."

"You need to eat something."

"No."

"Ferb, please."

"Ferbion. Call me Ferbion."

"Whatever for? You despise the name your mother gave you," Reginald said, coming to stand beside his wife.

"I stopped being Ferb the moment I left my brother and my friends."

"Ferb, please," Winifred said.

"Ferbion."

"Ferb, you don't actually mean that. You know the reason you don't use your name," his grandfather said softly.

"Ferbion."

His grandparents heard the blankness, the emotional exhaustion, the cut so deep that it severed every nerve in him. The only one who could heal him was over four thousand miles away, probably just as wounded. Winifred silently sat beside him as Reginald went to prepare a plate. Ferb didn't taste anything. He just knew the sooner he ate, the sooner he would be alone. All alone. Without his mother. Or Candace. Or Baljeet. Or Buford. Or Isabella. Or…Or Phineas. As soon as he was alone, he slipped outside. He knew that they would be here. No. They were here already.

"Ferb…" Reginald said slowly, standing in the doorway. "Do you know what you're doing, lad?"

"I am no longer Ferb. I am no longer…human. I'll visit if she lets me."

"Don't do it, Ferb."

Ferb turned to face the shadows in the forest and began to walk toward them. "The name's Ferbion."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Phineas was experience growing pains. But the biggest pain was the giant hole in his very being. He still didn't understand why his brother would leave. The schoolyear ended tomorrow, and Phineas resolved to find out. His friends came out the next morning to find Phineas building.

"Help me."

"What are you building?" Baljeet asked.

Blueprints were handed over. Then they silently built. They could feel Ferb with them. But he wasn't. Candace walked out, staring at them. She didn't feel like busting them. It wasn't the same without Ferb. She didn't have to, it turned out. Their father came out with their mother, the latter of whom gaped at the jet.

"Don't do it, Phineas. There's a reason he's in England," Lawrence said resignedly.

"I don't care. He won't even talk to me on the phone. Every time I call Grandma and Grandpa, he's not home."

"He's…visiting his mother. She doesn't like hu—"

"Mother!" Linda gasped, suddenly much less interested in what her son had built with his friends. "What do you mean he's visiting his mother?! Aren't…Aren't I his mother?" She sounded unsure.

"Of course, dear. But…" Lawrence blushed, thinking of his ex in ways he shouldn't. He shoved the thoughts away violently. "Sometimes Ferb just needs his biological mother. She understands some things that you don't about Ferb."

Linda frowned, looking away as tears stung her eyes. Candace wrapped an arm around her and looked at her dad.

"What is she like?"

Lawrence blushed hotter than before, turning away. "Phineas, you and your friends are not to go to see Ferb. That is final."

The others stood still as they went inside. His friends were soon gone. But, to Phineas' complete surprise, Candace walked out and climbed in. He took his seat beside Candace.

"Phineas?" the orange-haired female said hoarsely.

"Yeah?" Phineas asked, looking over with blank eyes.

"Let's get our brother back."

They launched, going supersonic in seconds. The trip was silent and long. They landed in Winifred and Reginald's back field. The two elderly people were shocked, and quite upset.

"You shouldn't have come here!" Reginald growled.

"Where's Ferb?" Phineas asked.

They were about to snap at him when they saw the empty pain that was in his eyes. The same pain that was in Ferb's.

"Come in and have tea," Winifred said.

That night, Phineas was walking out in the forest. Ferb had once shown him his special spot, and Phineas was going to find it. He eventually found the creek, which was sparkling in the moonlight. He settled on what looked to be a bed. It smelled of his brother, and he cried himself to sleep. He woke to feel eyes on him. Sitting up rapidly, he saw a shadow in the dawn's dim light.

"Ferb?"

"Phineas, what are you doing here?"

"Ferb!" Phineas was over in his brother's arms in a second, crying again. Ferb held him gently, but prevented his brother from pulling back to look at him. Phineas suddenly noticed that he was much shorter than Ferb, his face pressed against a bare chest.

"Did you grow?"

"Um…a little."

"Let me see!"

"No."

"Why not?" Silence. "Is this because your eyes talk to me?"

"I…Yes."

"Why does that matter?"

"Because my people scare humans. Or ensnare them."

"Ensnare?"

"I…My mother ensnared Dad. I came out of her seven months later, and Dad was stuck with my people."

"I don't understand."

"Define ensnare."

"To capture in a snare," Phineas said immediately. He paused for a moment. "What kind of snare?"

"A sexual one."

Phineas pulled against him, and Ferb released his brother, backing into the shadows of the trees. Phineas tugged on his hand.

"Come here, Ferb."

"No."

Phineas growled, jerking him forward. He got a proper look at his brother, eyes roving over the thin, pale, muscled frame. His hair had grown down to his shoulders, and he was at least a foot taller than Phineas, who frowned when he realized that Ferb was avoiding looking directly at him.

"You haven't done that since we were kids, Ferb. Why are you doing it now?"

"Same reason I did it then."

"Why did you do it then?"

"I didn't want to make you do things you didn't want to do."

"You won't."

"Phineas…"

"Look at me, brother."

That one word had him looking up. There was no barrier from the strangeness, like there had been all of their lives together…except…Phineas tumbled into those eyes and saw Ferb standing in the corner of his room.

Yes, his room, for he didn't have a brother. Just an eight-year-old sister. His mother had been dating a man who had a funny accent. He wasn't happy about it. She was his mother, and the man had a son. Yes, he would share with Candace, but she was there first and had the right above him to their mother. But a stranger with a funny accent? No. That boy didn't deserve the wonderfulness that was his mother. Phineas frowned as Linda smiled at him with Lawrence standing beside him.

"Why don't you two play for a while?" Linda asked, looking with disgustingly lovey-dovey eyes at the man.

"Come now, Ferb," Lawrence said. "Don't be too shy. You have to speak sometime, but…be careful when you do, yes?"

Ferb nodded silently, keeping his eyes on the floor. Phineas sat down with his blocks and began to construct. Ferb watched curiously, but every time Phineas looked at him, his eyes would hit the floor. Phineas stood and strained to reach the top of the tower to put the final block on, but he slipped and tumbled into his project. Pain lanced up his leg as he hit the corner of one of the blocks. Tears welled in his eyes. Ferb shyly inched closer, pulling a leaf out of his pocket. He poked the hands covering the wound that was leaking red through the fingers. Phineas shook his head, and when he blinked the tears away, he saw those eyes.

"You have…nice eyes," Phineas whispered.

"I like yours, too. Pretty blue, like the ocean. Or Cavansite."

"What are you going to do with the leaf?"

"It's a hornbeam leaf. It makes cuts go away."

"Really?" Phineas removed his hands to show a bloody mess. Ferb closed his eyes and focused, and the leaf flashed in a rainbow of light. As the leaf was pulsating between colors, Ferb pushed it onto the wound. Phineas cried out in shock as the blood disappeared, and the cut healed rapidly. Ferb met his eyes and smiled.

"All better."

"You aren't human, are you?" Phineas asked, caressing his face.

"No."

"What are you?"

"I can't…"

"You can trust me."

"You don't even like me."

"I…You want my mother."

"Mothers are evil."

Phineas was indignant. "My mother isn't!"

"Mine is." There was a pause. "Would you like to have my father?"

"I…I don't remember my father. He died when I was littler."

"Mine's good. He got me away from Mother. If your mother isn't evil, I would like to share her. But she's all yours if you want."

Phineas relaxed and smiled. "Okay. Only if you share your dad."

"Sounds good to me."

Ferb raised a block without touching it. "Play?"

"I want to build!"

"Okay."

They built the Eiffel Tower and had baguettes. They built Big Ben and sipped on tea. They built the pyramids and played with a mummified dog. Phineas laughed loudly when they had cleared away the sand. Ferb smiled, pleased that the red-headed human had liked it. And he hadn't fallen into his eyes. Phineas met them, feeling calm.

"So what are you?"

Ferb lifted all the blocks with a wave of his hand. "I'm an—"

"Ferbion!" Lawrence gasped. The blocks dropped, and he looked frightened.

"Dad! I was just…"

"You know you cannot tell anybody that! And you can't use your powers!"

"I cannot help it…" Ferb looked upset.

"You cannot be so obvious. Wipe him! Now!"

Ferb grabbed the frightened-looking Phineas' shoulders.

"I'm sorry, Phineas. Do you really like my eyes?"

There was a numbness that spread through Phineas' mind as he stared in those eyes, and the floating blocks were removed, as was the healing with the hornbeam leaf, but the buildings stayed as imagination…

Phineas found himself on the ground, cradled against his brother. Ferb held out a drink, but snatched it back before he could grab it.

"How much do you love me, Phineas?"

"So much that it hurts to be away from you. I only got a C average this semester. I don't want to be around Isabella. Or anybody."

"Did you build anything?"

"…No. No, I didn't. Until I came to see you."

"If you drink this…you will slowly become what I am."

"Has Dad done it?"

"He used Mother instead of me, but yes."

"And what are you?"

Ferb's cheeks tinted red as he leaned close to his brother's ear and whispered in a low voice. Phineas considered what had been said then held his hand out for the cup. He took it to find a thick, silver drink.

"Is there hornbeam in here?"

"No. Some silver-tipped leaves, though."

"What is it?"

"Drink it first and I'll tell you."

Phineas did so without hesitation. After one swallow, his throat was on fire, and he felt like he was going to heave out everything in his stomach. His head was forcibly tilted back as Ferb grabbed the cup, and he found his throat muscles contracting again and again to get the painful substance down.

When the cup was empty, not one drop left, another cup was brought forward. It immediately soothed his stomach, and he sucked it down eagerly. When it, too, was empty, Phineas yawned and shivered. He was exhausted and cold. He heard wind rushing through the trees, rustling the leaves. A warm blanket of pure softness was pulled around him after he was stripped naked. Phineas was asleep in under a minute. Ferb watched him until a soft, female voice spoke to him.

"You know the law, Ferbion."

"The law says immediate family and proven friends. He is my brother."

"Not according to our traditions. He is simply a boy you lived with."

"You don't have to deal with my mother, Trenella. I will. She doesn't scare me. Never has. Not even when she split my skull."

"Cousin, please."

"You can't stop it now anyway."

Trenella had long, long purple hair that went down past her lower back. Her eyes were purple, too, possessing the strange quality of their kind. Her skin was slightly darker than Ferb's, and she was a few inches shorter. And all of her body language communicated that she was unsure of what to do. She finally sighed.

"I will not tell…yet. But if she does find out, keep me out of it."

"Of course."

"And you must teach him of our laws and traditions."

"I will teach them everything."

"Good." She paused and thought about it then shook her head. "I do not want to know, do I?"

"No. You don't."

She nodded. "I will bring you cloth to make his clothing. He will grow rapidly." There was a pause and a giggle as she looked over the exposed upper half of the human, yes, for he was still human. "He looks so…awkward."

"He's my age."

"Thirteen?"

"Yes."

"But you look good. Very handsome. He looks…gaunt."

"You know as well as I that humans develop much more slowly than we do."

"Yes, well you fixed that, did you not?" She took a step toward Phineas, her eyes going down past the edge of the blanket.

"No. Go and get the cloth."

"Why? Because humans have compunctions about nudity?"

"Yes."

Trenella looked extremely irritated then turned and practically glided away. Once her light footsteps had faded, Ferb pulled the blanket off to take a long last look at his brother's humanity. He soon would complete his growing and be just as graceful as him. The blanket was put back in place and Ferb snuggled close. Phineas turned and his his face in his chest, whimpering as the first real growing pains hit him. The green-haired boy began to sing softly, using his real voice, which Phineas loved hearing.

Oh, how his brother loved his real voice! Ferb didn't normally dare to speak too much to other people, besides his father, because it made them feel strange, and they wanted to know why. That wasn't good, so he rarely spoke, even to his friends. But it had always been different with Phineas. Phineas didn't ask why his voice was the way it was. He just thought it was…cool.

Ferb smiled to himself as Phineas relaxed, humming in delight, and he pulled him in tight. His smile faded at a thought. Phineas would eventually have to meet his mother. And that one thought scared him into the Blacklands. Ferb shivered and his voice cut out, which made Phineas moan as he pawed at him.

"I'm so sorry, Phineas," Ferb whispered then began to cry. He had just sealed his brother's fate.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Phineas woke up with a long, loud groan. A hand smoothed over his forehead.

"Easy, Phineas. Easy. I know it hurts."

"No. I'm just sore, Ferb. Tomorrow we can't do rodeo."

The burst of laughter cause Phineas to sit up with a gasp. He stared at his brother. Ferb never laughed. Ever. Not even with him. He rubbed his eyes when he saw the tall, thin, pale boy who…didn't look like a boy anymore. Memory hit him after a few seconds and he spasmed in remembrance of the fiercest pain he had ever felt.

"Ooh, Ferb, that was awful."

"I know. I went through it a few months ago. That's one of the reasons I left you."

"What are the other ones?"

Ferb stood, stripping his pants off. Phineas wasn't bothered by that at all. They had shared a room for years, though…he looked a little different.

"Come. We're going to bathe. You're very sweaty."

Phineas stood, or he tried to at least, and nearly collapsed. Ferb grabbed him and helped into the creek, which soothed his aching muscles. Ferb handed him some strange form of soap, and he struggled to bathe. He finally noticed something.

"I look different."

"Yes."

"How?"

"You grew up."

"I…What?"

"Physically, you're an adult now. Mentally, not so much, but physically…We're both grown-ups now. You just skipped years worth of puberty. Or, well, you didn't skip them, per se. You just went through them in the space of three days."

"Which would explain why I'm so sore."

"Yes."

"Huh. Is it typical of your kind?"

"Our kind. And yes."

"So…I'm like you now?"

"Yes."

There was a rustle, and Ferb stood angrily. "Trenella, I told you to stay away from here!"

"I'm curious, Ferbion."

Phineas made a face. "Don't call him that. His name is Ferb."

The female walked out, eyes on Phineas, who drew his legs up automatically. Ferb…didn't seem to care that he was naked. And that she was female. She approached and his brother stood between them.

"Trenella, go away."

"I want to meet him."

"I told you no."

"I said yes."

"You know how this will go."

Purple power rushed up to ripple around her. Ferb didn't move until it shot toward him. He slammed his foot down, there was a huge flash of green, and Trenella was on the ground, completely unconscious. Ferb snorted then walked over to sit beside his brother.

"Sorry about her. She's seen the difference between you as a human and you now."

"Um…" Phineas blushed hotly. "All the differences?"

"No. I'm the only one who's seen you naked. I wouldn't let her. And she really tried, too. Several times."

"Why don't you mind?"

"My people don't tend to mind that sort of thing. Come on. You're clean. Let's get you dressed. She should wake up any minute. I didn't hit her with too much."

Phineas struggled into his pair of pants, which were soft and very form-fitting. He felt much less exposed when he was done. Ferb made sure he was comfortable as Trenella sat up, looking groggy.

"No fair, gransta. Nobody can match you."

"I told you no, Trenella."

"Because of his human compunctions with nudity," she muttered crossly, standing up.

"Yes. Now go away. He is still disoriented and sore from his growth period. You didn't want to be disturbed, now did you?"

She frowned. "No. My apologies, brother of Ferbion. I was only curious and—"

"Ferb."

Her eyes moved to Phineas. "What?"

"His name is Ferb."

She snorted. "That is not what Frantenna called him when he was born. But have your little fantasy. Good day, young brothers."

"Who's Frantenna?" Phineas asked as he was handed a meat dish. He quickly began eating.

"She is…my mother."

"Oh. Can I meet her?" he asked between huge bites.

"I don't want you to. Ever."

Phineas licked his wooden fork, setting aside his empty plate. "Why not?"

Ferb's movements became jerky as he stoked the fire higher. Phineas crawled over. He touched his brother's hand, and was shocked to see tears in the green depths he knew so well.

"Ferb?"

"She beat me as a child, Phineas. Once, she actually split my skull. It is only because of my people's power that I'm alive today. And now I have broken the law and made an outsider one of us without the high council's permission. She will try to kill you, Phineas. If I wasn't so powerful, she'd try to kill me."

Phineas blinked. "She…abused you?"

Ferb whimpered, covering his face as he nodded. There was a huge pulse of red, which made the fire turn angry. Phineas took his brother in his arms, allowing him to cry out his pain and fear. Ferb relaxed after a few minutes.

"Thank you, brother."

Phineas smiled and nodded. "Of course. Now when can I meet this bitch?"

"Don't go looking for her, Phineas. She'll make your life miserable."

"Nobody gets away with abusing my brother. Not even his mother," Phineas said firmly. "But…I will leave her alone for now. Just like you want."

Ferb held out a hand, a green bubble around it. Phineas touched it curiously, getting a shock. He'd gotten those before when he had touched his brother, but only when Ferb was extremely agitated. Ferb blinked at him as he met his eyes.

'Do it.'

Phineas held out his hand as Ferb was and felt a buzz as a red bubble surrounded his hand. The energies arched toward each other, tangling together to form a warm gold. Ferb sighed in delight. Phineas was glad he was happy, as the sensation bothered him quiet a bit. They allowed the energy to play for a little while then Ferb slowly expanded his. Phineas spasmed again as the unpleasant sensation moved across his body as the red light mirrored the green.

"F-Ferb, s-stop."

"You must learn it, Phineas."

"I don't want to…" The boy's face pinched in pain, or whatever the sensation was causing in him.

"You have no choice. If you don't learn it, you will hurt somebody. Probably me." Ferb took his hand, making tears slide down his cheeks at the upswing in intensity. "Relax. The unpleasantness goes away swiftly. Come, lean against me. Yes, it will be bad, but it will calm you down faster."

After half an hour of wriggling, the sensation just suddenly disappeared, causing the red-headed teen to gasp in shock, relaxing back. He was exhausted. Ferb surrounded them in green light, and Phineas could feel the suppression of his own power, but he didn't mind as the energy began to give him a full body massage, easing his muscles, which had been fully tensed for the entirety of the half hour. Ferb picked him up when he was falling asleep, placing him in the bed of clover, pulling the blanket of moss over him.

"When you get up, we must practice your powers. Red is a very volatile color to have, like lava and fire."

"Sing to me?"

"Of course. How about the songs of our summers?"

"Yeah…" Phineas sighed, snuggling close, which caused Ferb to smile.

"We consider every day a plus,

To spend it with a platypus…"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

She was the most beautiful woman that Phineas had ever seen. She made him want to do things he was still mentally too young to handle. But a single look into those black eyes made the lust go away. There was danger. There was death promised, and those eyes were locked on Ferb. Phineas pulled his brother close. Those eyes turned to him.

"Who are you, boy?"

"Phineas Flynn."

"You are not natural blooded.

"No. No, I'm not."

"Which means you used to be human."

"Yes."

"Which means Ferbion has broken the law."

"I…That's what he keeps saying."

"Go home, boy. You do not belong with us."

"Mother, please," Ferb said desperately.

"I do not know why you did this, Ferbion, but you are in trouble. Send him home. You have an hour."

Ferb nodded silently then grabbed his brother's arm, guiding him back to their grandparents' house. Reginald, Winifred, and Candace came out. They all looked surprised.

"You've grown, Ferbion," Reginald whispered.

"So has Phineas," Candace said.

"I know." Ferb's hands twitched in green light and two large containers appeared in his hands. "Phineas, I know you can't leave well enough alone with it comes to me, so here. Only once they are like us, and have passed the test, should you come back. And one more thing. You leave Mom and Dad out of this. Frantenna will turn Mom into a slave, and when she's one, that means Dad will do whatever the hell she wants. Including making more of…me…with her. Do you understand?"

"How much of each?"

"Eight ounces. Use the silver then follow up with the green. You will have to help them finish the first. They will willingly finish the second. I must go. Mother will be looking for me."

"Somebody's over there," Candace said, sounding scared.

"No, Trenella," Ferb said as the purple creature came out, eyes locked on Candace.

"Your mother wants you back now."

"Goodbye, Phineas. If you do as I say…A week and a half, tops. Get home."

He set the containers down then turned and blurred into the forest, Trenella beside him. Phineas heaved the containers into the jet.

"Come on, sis. We've got work to do."

"You better not come back, Phineas. Your time with Ferb is over," Winifred said sternly.

"He's my brother. You can't stop me."

"Or me," Candace growled.

They jumped into the jet, and went supersonic rapidly.

"Do you want yours now or later?" Phineas asked over the ocean.

"What?"

Phineas poured a glass of silver, going to stand beside her.

"What will it do?"

"Make you like Ferb. And me."

"Do we have enough for Jeremy?"

"Yes. And Baljeet, Isabella, and Buford. Possibly Stacy."

"Is this the only way to get our brother back?"

"I think so."

"Then bottoms up," she said.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ferb was sitting in his clearing, hidden in shadow. He was sore all over, and missed his brother dearly. He heard footsteps

"I knew I'd find it!" Phineas exclaimed happily, dashing into the clearing. He wore a pair of jeans and no shirt. Isabella was much curvier than she'd been, and she wore a long version of her purple dress. Baljeet and Buford's wardrobe matched Phineas'. To Ferb's immense surprise, Jeremy, Coltrane, and Stacy came out of the boughs. Stacy wore a long skirt of blue with her customary shirt and, but her bow was a now a ribbon. Jeremy and Coltrane also matched Phineas.

"They have passed the test?" Ferb asked, staying in the shadows.

Their energies meshed across them. Pink for Isabella, orange for Candace, golden for Jeremy, Buford was black, Baljeet was white, Stacy's was blue, and Coltrane's was a nice, rich brown. When they didn't implode, Ferb nodded with a smile. Phineas' red stood out as more powerful. Ferb, settled back, strumming his guitar thoughtfully.

"I wish you hadn't come back today."

"Why not?" Phineas demanded. A gleam of sunlight against his brother's skin had him bursting into flames. He stormed over and tore Ferb out of the shadows. They all withdrew in horror. Bruises decorated his skin, and an ugly black eye shone from the left side of his face. He shrank back into the shadows, sniffling.

"Where is that bitch?" Phineas snarled.

"Torturing Dad and Mom."

"What?"

"They went after you. Dad went to confront Mother, Mom followed. Mother found out that Dad picked a mere human to replace her. She is threatening every day to entrance her. I've generally been avoiding them."

"We have to get them back!"

"Your powers aren't strong enough."

"There must be something we can do."

Ferb shuffled out. "Hey, Phineas, what are we going to do today?"

"What?"

"My people are more nature oriented than machine. If we can scare them, I mean really scare them, we can get Mom out of there without her getting entranced."

"What's the big idea about entrancing?" Stacy asked.

"Candace, you and Jeremy love each other, right?"

"Yeah, of course," Jeremy said with a warm smile. Candace blushed and tittered.

"Jeremy, come here."

He obeyed. "What's up, dude?"

"Do you like my eyes?"

Green met gold, and Jeremy's face suddenly went blank. Ferb stepped back. Jeremy didn't move. At all. Candace, Stacy, and Coltrane hurried over. They shook him, shouted at him, and pushed him over. He didn't even blink.

"What did you do to my boyfriend, Ferb?!" Candace demanded frantically.

"Entrancing is usually done to ensnare sexually to attempt to produce powerful children, such as myself, but children from those unions are very, very rare. It works slightly different between those of the same sex. It removes all will to do anything but what the ensnarer wants. My people can do it to each other, but it is extremely difficult when you learn how to deflect it. The more powerful you are, the harder it is to be ensnared or to break the snare. It is easy to do it on all of you for two reasons. You used to be human, and you are still so new to being as I am that you still have human genes. They have not all changed yet. And two, you haven't learned to defend yourselves."

"How do I get him back?!" Candace demanded.

"Ensnare him yourself."

"What?! How?"

"Jeremy, stand up and come and face Candace."

He obeyed. Candace found that his eyes were blank. No personality was in them. She wanted her Jeremy back.

"What do I do?"

"You must figure it out yourself. There are literally no words for it."

"B-but…"

"How much do you love him, sister?"

She met his eyes. There was something there…She slammed her will into it. It held fast. She hit it harder. And harder. It shattered at the tenth blow, and Jeremy came flooding back to her. They fell into each other's eyes…

"Whoa," Jeremy whispered.

"Yeah. Whoa," Candace said as they stood shakily.

"Congratulations, soulmates," Ferb said as the others stared at them. "In accordance to the traditions of my people, you are now married. But you might still want the huge wedding for Mom's sake."

"Cool! Can we try?" Coltrane asked eagerly.

"You must. If my mother entrances you, you must be able to get out. She can't entrance both of a set. It's physically impossible for all but the top of the elite. And she isn't good enough. I might be, but she isn't."

"So, me with Coltrane?" Stacy asked.

"And Buford is obviously with me?" Baljeet asked, flinching away from the upraised fist.

"Yes, but you two won't be married. You will be best friends, of sorts."

"Well, I'm with you, Ferb, so that leaves—"

"You are the biggest moron in the universe. I doubt even Dad would be as oblivious to a girl's affections as you. If it were any more obvious, she would be kissing you senseless every time she saw you. I'm impressed she's held on for this long, but love is a strange thing. Do you get it yet?" Ferb asked dryly, crossing his arms irritably.

Silence. Isabella was bright red. Phineas was staring at his brother. "What?"

Ferb looked angry. "Oh, for crying out loud, Phineas! That girl has come over to our house every single day for five years straight! Now, you are going to tell her how you feel about her, or I will project your thoughts about her. All of them."

Phineas frowned. "But Isabella knows I how I feel about her."

"No, she doesn't."

"Of course she does!"

"How is she supposed to know how you feel when you spend almost every free moment with me? When you practically ignore her when you're building? When, even when she invites you places, you invite me and are upset when I don't come? Females need to hear that they're loved, that they're appreciated, and you have given none of that besides a simple 'thanks' every once in a while. Now, tell her how you feel, Phineas. Because she is your partner, not me. I am adequate by myself."

Phineas stared at his brother, his cheeks warming at the lecture. He hesitantly turned to Isabella, who was still blushing. She fidgeted as he approached.

"You…I mean…I…" He swallowed, taking her hands. "Isabella…you know I…" He couldn't bring himself to say it. So he kissed her instead. They pulled back and fell into each other's eyes. Isabella came to herself again and snuggled close.

"Don't think you won't have to talk about anything," Ferb said quietly when the others had done it as well. "Relationships still require work. Even if you are soulmates."

They nodded, and Phineas frowned. "What about you, Ferb? You said you were adequate. Is that good enough?"

"I don't know. But you cannot help me. She is my mother. I can beat anybody else."

They looked unsure. "We're here for ya, man," Buford said. "You know that, right?"

Ferb smiled, but his good eye didn't hold the light it should. It held fear. And it was uglier than the bruises all over his body. They all hated that look on Ferb. It didn't belong there.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So you made that pathetic woman's son one of us?" Frantenna asked coldly.

Ferb neither confirmed nor denied it, just stood there staring blankly. His bruises had just healed. He was about to get more.

"Touch him and die!" Phineas barked, struggling in the arms of a large male.

"You will be the one to die. I refuse to pollute my family with the likes of you."

Lawrence was there holding Linda, whose gaze was blank. Ferb met her eyes. There was nothing there. He was too late. He was cracked across the face.

"I am your mother, Ferbion, not her."

A large bruise was forming right under his left eye. Phineas screamed as loudly as he could, and he burst the power restraints that the male had around him. That caused Isabella to burst her restraints. The chain reaction soon had everybody free, and there was a huge fight going on. Frantenna watched disdainfully. She knelt down next to her son.

"You're a failure, you know that? That piss poor father of yours ruined you. You're too human. You struggle to fit into our culture. I'll just have to brain wash you. Then you'll forget everybody. Everybody here. Then I'll do the same for everybody else. Isn't that fun?"

Ferb squeezed his eyes shut, and a single tear slipped down his bruised cheek. There was suddenly a loud scream from his mother, who was on the ground, bleeding. Everybody froze, staring in shock at the human woman, who suddenly had a personality again. Lawrence gestured frantically for Ferb to get over to him, and he skittered over, hiding behind him.

"How did you get out?"

"Nobody gets to make my son cry," Linda said, her voice deadly.

"He is my son, bitch!" There was a burst of black and Linda slammed back, blood staining her cheek. Frantenna pulled a knife, and Ferb held out his hand, preventing it from going down. He ran over and tore the knife away, slamming the blade all the way into the ground.

"Don't you touch her!"

"Insolent brat!"

They grappled, both gaining cuts and bruises, until there was a bang as their powers rejected each other. Ferb was too dazed to move, but Frantenna stood, rage in her eyes. Phineas stood in front of his brother, holding out his hand.

"You aren't touching him again!"

"Move, boy."

Isabella stood beside him, holding out her hand, her pink eyes just as cold as her soulmate's. The others joined them. Frantenna looked over them then shook her head.

"You all belong together. Get out of my lands and don't come back."

An hour later, they were all having tea at Ferb's grandparents' house. Ferb sat numbly as his father treated his multiple cuts, two deep enough for stitches. He glanced at Linda.

"How did you break her grip on you?"

Linda shrugged. "Like I said, nobody makes my son cry."

Ferb gave a little smile and a chuckle. "Humans are odd."

"Are you going to make her one of us?" Candace asked.

"One of what?"

"One of the fair folk," Lawrence replied. "It won't be nearly as painful for you as it was for the children."

"Can I?"

"If you want," Ferb said with a nod. "I can do that for you."

"If you think it wise."

Ferb went to retrieve a glass full of silver liquid. "Here. Drink this."

"Ferb…" Linda started hesitantly, glancing at the glass. "I know I will probably never be what your mother is…"

"You are not mother," Ferb agreed. Her face fell, but he continued. "You are Mom. And you always will be. Now, drink up."

Linda smiled a teary smile and embraced him before taking the glass. "I love you, Ferbion."

"Ugh, don't call me that. Call me Ferb."

They all laughed then Linda tilted the glass up and drank. Ferb watched her choke it down then soothed it with the hornbeam drink.

"What was that, anyway? You never did tell me," Phineas said.

"The second glass was hornbeam potion."

"And the first?" Isabella asked.

Ferb snickered. "They call it Moon's Essence. It's Elf blood and silver-tipped rose leaves."

He and Lawrence burst into merry hysterics as everybody there paled and looked ill. Phineas shook his head and wrapped an arm around his brother.

"Gross."

Ferb smiled at him. "Yes. But it works better than the mud and bark mixture."

"Bro?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for giving us blood."

"You're my brother. I would die for you. Changing you into an Elf was easy."

Their eyes met, and Ferb was still happy that those blue orbs still was not entranced by his green ones.

"Love you, Phineas."

Phineas returned the sentiment and Ferb had never been more content with his life than he was at that moment.