Rippen briefly recalled the first time he had zapped on his first mission. He was young, still in school, when he decided to follow in the family business. He had been extremely disorientated when he had been placed in his new body for that mission. Then again, zapping was always disorientating to first-timers. It was a common side effect. It felt as if they have lived in the body their whole life, yet paradoxically they've only just been born. One knew the motions already, as if they were born like that, but at the same time it felt alien and new. The sensation never truly went away, no matter how experienced the person was, but it faded slightly over time.
It was that sensation Rippen experienced as he was zapped into his next mission. He took a deep breath through his nose, taking in the smell of chemicals, mold, and rot. Before he did anything though, he had to go through his normal post-zap routine. He looked down at himself, flexing and experimenting with his limbs. He was dressed in silk robes that were all different hues of green. He looked human enough, from what he could see he had two legs and arms - oh wait. A motion under his robes caught him off guard. He pushed aside the cloth to see he had yet another set of arms positioned right underneath his normal pair. It was a bit jarring, but Rippen quickly adjusted himself to compensate. He decided to take in his surroundings as he experimentally moved his new set of arms to get used to the motions.
He was in what appeared to be some sort of Medieval laboratory. The walls were lined with shelves of potions and ingredients. Books and equipment laid strewn about the room on large wooden tables. Somehow Rippen knew exactly which potion did what, which ingredients would come together perfectly, what books to find what spell. Ah yes, knowledge that was not his own. Yet another side effect of zapping. What would take years of learning and research only took mere moments for him to know. It was like taking another person's memories and copy & pasting it into his head.
A small cough to his left alerted Rippen that he was not alone. He turned to see what was quite obviously Larry, easy to identify by the bright green Spectacles on his face. He too was dressed in green robes, yet lacked the extra set of arms Rippen had gained. Instead he had small horns poking out from his head, skin such a deep blue it almost looked completely black, and eyes devoid of any iris or pupil.
"Okay! Let's see what we have here…" Larry said with a smile as he pressed the small button on the side of the Spectacles. A bright holographic orb appeared in front of him, displaying the mission as Larry explained.
"We're Necromancers. You're Lord Disasteric and I am your apprentice Pinnbly. We have to go to the Cathedral of Souls, get the Book of Forbidden Names, and use it to call a powerful demon to this realm under your service."
"Sounds simple enough." Rippen stated as he grabbed a staff that had been leaning on the wall next to him.
"Wait, there's more." Larry said as he scrolled through the mission details "The Cathedral is extremely dangerous because it's guarded by ghost warriors who are lead by Lady Pheonix. We need to get past her if we want the book."
Rippen groaned, it was like the multi-verse hated him. All the events with Penn back home had him sick and tired of ghosts, and yet the mission that day just had to have more of them. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.
"Alright..." He stated "Let's get started." Rippen turned to the hoard of stuffed shelves and drawers and got to work. From what it sounded like, Lady Pheonix was undoubtedly the girl Sashi. However in this business, it was never safe to assume. Rippen worked extremely fast as he brewed several potions, probably because of the extra set of arms. Four arms were surprisingly better than two. Occasionally he would turn to Larry and ask him to hand him a jar or an ingredient. It wasn't too long before they were ready to raid the Cathedral.
However, while they were doing their final checks for supplies, Rippen spied something. A book. It was small, bound together by leather and string. The pages were yellowed and torn in a few places, as if it had seen a lot of use. Curious, Rippen decided to leaf through it.
"A Beginner's Guide to Ghosts and Specters." The title read in faded ink.
Rippen raised his eyebrows and began digging deeper into the tome. Perhaps this could give him better insight to his little "problem" back in Middleburg. Not to help the boy, but simply to gain more knowledge on the subject. Before he could really start to focus though Larry called him away, telling him it was time to get going. Rippen hesitated before slipping the small book into his robe, perhaps he'd have time to read it at some point during the mission. A small pause in the combat long enough for him to find what he was looking for? Of course that was just wishful thinking.
Unfortunately for Rippen, there was no proper time to read the book. He was correct in thinking that Lady Pheonix was Sashi, while Boone was Captain of the Phantom Guard that protected the Cathedral. The battle was fierce, but no matter how hard he tried Rippen's thoughts kept wandering back to the small book hidden in his robes. The Book of Forbidden Names wasn't the book he was putting into priority during this mission. Rippen had to read it, call it intuition, but he just knew something important was written in the small guide. Something that would help him better understand what was going on back in Middleburg. However, there was no way he could read it. Not with the mission. If he didn't read the book before this mission was done, then there would be no way for him to find it again. Unless… Unless he smuggled it back to Middleburg.
It was possible. There was a significant glitch in the QPC when it came to possessions being carried by the person. Which was why they always had to empty their pockets before they zapped. One couldn't accidentally leave a cellphone in a world that was still in its Medieval Era. This glitch was often exploited by Penn when he had been alive, with his MUHU. However the MUHU was specially made to traverse universes; the small guide was made of leather, string, and paper. There was no way of knowing if it would fall apart or downright disintegrate by traveling through the portal. He would have to take the risk and hope Phil didn't notice.
Unfortunately due to Rippen's mind being occupied on smuggling the small book back to his own world; the mission ended in failure.
Rippen laid on the ground, surrounded by the broken remains of his undead army that had been brutally ripped apart by Sashi. He felt a prickling sensation running up his spine and his eyes shot open. He only had a split second to act before he and Larry were zapped back.
Acting fast, Rippen took something out of his pocket. It was one of his business cards that he always brought with him. He took the card and slipped it into the inside cover of the book. Just as he did this there was a flash of light and the feeling of him being pulled out of his own body. Next thing he knew he was being pulled out of the portal in Fish Stick on a Stick. The first thing he did was look down at his hands, he had to fight the urge to smile when he saw the book was still there. A little burnt but still there. He quickly hid it behind his back as Larry turned to him.
"Are you okay Rippen?" Larry asked with a concerned look in his eyes "That was your first loss in a long time."
"I'm fine Larry." Rippen assured with a small roll of his eyes.
"Really? I thought for sure you'd be furious! After all, it's your first lose since Penn…" Larry trailed off, falling silent for a moment before starting up again "Anyway, it's not like you to be so calm about losing a mission."
"I said I was fine, Larry" The taller man stated as he started walking towards the door "Besides, I must admit I was feeling a little off my game today. I'll win tomorrow, you'll see. Now do you need a ride home?" He paused at the door, and turned to Larry when he asked the question.
"Uh no I'll be-"
"Good, see you tomorrow" He cut Larry off and hurried out the door. He couldn't afford to waste time on anybody, he had to get home. Rippen quickly strode to his car, but a hand prevented him from opening the door.
"Hey Rippen." Sashi said with a smug look on her face "How's it feel? Finally tasting defeat after such a long time? Bet you missed it, seeing how often you used to lose before."
Rippen groaned. Of course the young girl would want to rub her victory in his face "I don't have time for this." He muttered and going to grab for the door handle, only for Sashi to grab his wrist and twist it in a painful direction.
"Listen up you spiky-haired green-skinned heartless freak" Sashi hissed as she pulled him closer so they were eye to eye "Today was only a little preview of what's to come. You might think we're weaker after what happened to Penn, but we're gonna show you that we don't need Penn in order to kick your sorry little-!"
"Sashi." Boone placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, tearing her attention to the larger boy who seemed tense "Just… Drop it, okay? Let's just go."
Sashi hesitated a moment before letting go of Rippen's wrist, now extremely sore. There was no doubt in Rippen's mind that it was going to bruise. The two teenagers walked away, but not before Sashi gave Rippen a threatening glare.
Rippen waited till they were out of sight until he got into his car.
The ride home was uneventful; bordering on completely and utterly normal. It was until he got into his apartment that he was brutally reminded how abnormal his life had become. When Rippen walked through the door of his apartment, he heard the television blasting in the other room. He followed the loud noises to his small living room to find the source of all his problems.
Penn was casually lounging on Rippen's couch, taking up the whole thing as he watched the loud action movie that was playing on the television. Next to him sat a large bowl of popcorn. Penn's attention turned from the TV to Rippen who was simply staring at him from the doorway.
"Heyyy welcome back Rippen." Penn greeted in a relaxed tone with a small wave of his transparent hand "How was the mission?"
Rippen blinked but then sighed, he really should have expected something like this "Penn, what are you doing in my apartment?"
"Watching a movie." The boy simply stated.
"I mean WHY are you watching a movie in my house?"
"Well I figured it would be alright since ya know, you're the only person who can see me. Plus if I pulled this at my own house, Uncle Chuck and Aunt Rose would probably flip out and have the place exorcised." Penn explained as he popped a piece of popcorn into his mouth.
"...How are you even eating that?" Rippen asked, completely confused.
"I have no idea, but the good news is I can still taste things."
Could ghosts even eat? If so, where would the food go? Ghosts didn't have stomachs. How could Penn be doing any of this if he was supposed to be a non-corporeal being with no need for nourishment? These questions reminded Rippen of the book he had smuggled into Middleburg.
Rippen hurried over to his desk, ignored Penn curiously calling his name, and got out "A Beginner's Guide to Ghosts and Specters." Opening the singed leather cover to read the contents inside. Rippen wasn't even done with the first paragraph when he felt the hair on the back of his neck rise, indicating Penn was hovering close to him.
"What's that?" He heard Penn's voice uncomfortably close to his ear, making him jump.
"It's a book." He stated simply before turning back to the old tome.
"Where'd it come from?"
"None of your business."
Penn was silent for a few minutes before he decided to play Rippen's least favorite game: The Guessing Game
"Did you find it in a dumpster?"
"No."
"Did you… Steal it from an old lady?"
"No."
"Did yooooou… Take it from a creepy guy in an alley?"
"No."
"Did you find it after you-"
"If you simply must know Penn," Rippen snapped as he turned in his chair "I smuggled it out of the dimension we visited today for the mission! Happy? Good, now if you would please be quiet."
"You took it from the other dimension?! Isn't that against the rules?"
Rippen took a deep breath before answering "Yes. And I am fully aware of the consequences if anyone were to find out. Now please leave me alone until I'm finished reading it."
For once, Penn actually listened to him. The boy fell silent and watched him for a few minutes before he floated back over to the couch. Lazily slumping against the cushions and continuing to watch his movie.
The two sat like that for hours, in near complete silence. The only sounds were the shuffling of pages from Rippen's book, and the loud explosions coming from the TV.
It was late at night when Rippen finally finished reading the last page in the book. Since it was such a small book, it was an extremely easy read, especially for one who was as intelligent as himself. He closed the book with a small-thump-and got up from his chair. He seemed confused and deep in thought as he wandered over to his refrigerator and got himself a glass of water. With glass in hand he walked over to the couch and took a seat when Penn made him some room.
Rippen didn't focus on the TV or his glass though, instead all he did was stare at Penn with the most confused look on his face. It took the teenage boy a few moments before realizing this.
"Uh, what's that look for?" Penn asked, a little weirded out that Rippen was staring at him.
Rippen looked down at his glass, eyes calculating. One could practically see the gears turning in his head.
"What are you?" He muttered quietly.
"I'm a ghost Rippen, we've been over this." Penn said with a huff.
"No, you're not."
"Huh? What do you mean I'm not, what else could I be? I'm transparent, I can float, I can go through walls for pete sake!"
"Yes, but" Rippen's gaze shifted from the glass to Penn "You can also eat, you can feel, you can taste, you leave frost behind when you phase through objects, you can interact with the physical plain, and you still have a sense of self." Rippen paused a moment to let that sink in before continuing "The book I just read informed me of the many things ghosts can and cannot do. Ghosts are beings who fail to fully maintain their sense of self, losing themselves to an obsession. This obsession ties them to a place or person. However, they are unable to interact with the physical plain as you have been. You're making indents in the couch cushions as if you actually hold weight. You leave physical evidence of your presence via frost, which ghosts also cannot do-"
"But Rippen-" Penn tried to interject, but Rippen put a hand up.
"Let me finish."
Penn was silent for a moment before nodding to have Rippen continue.
"Ghosts are not supposed to be able to feel, taste, or smell. They lose three out of the five senses. However you have been displaying that you still, in fact, have all five of your senses. To put it into basic terms, Ghosts are supposed to be beings of instinct and raw emotion driven forward only by a single obsessive desire. You are showing none of these traits. Therefore, there is no possible way you could be a ghost, Penn."
The boy waited until Rippen was finished before he spoke "But you got that book from the other dimension. How do you know that what applied there applies here too?"
"There are certain universal constants. Things that, no matter what universe you're in, will always be the same. Ghosts are one of these universal constants, or rather, what ghosts can or cannot do are universal constants." Rippen explained before taking a sip of his water.
Silence fell between the two for a full ten minutes. Both of them were ignoring the television and instead had lost themselves to their own thoughts. After a while Penn finally asked "If I'm not a ghost… Then what am I?"
Rippen remained silent before responding in a voice barely above a whisper "I don't know."