Here is a new update! I like how this turned out; a bit unexpected but like it nonetheless.
Bit of a warning; some gore but that won't be too long.
And to the angsty side, Vasilisa's backstory is shown! And Clockwork stars in this chapter!
Enjoy and R&R!
Credit for TOG for allowing me to make this sequel.
The Dark Prince II
Chapter 13: The Resolution
Danny groans as a charged ectobeam shoots him in the abdomen and sends him flying into an empty warehouse. He wheezes in pain as he pulls himself off the rubble and clutches his bleeding chest. He looks up at a puddle forming from a damaged pipe and notices his reflection. He winces at his appearance.
His hair was a disheveled mess that was flaring wildly in panic and anxiety, just as he was feeling at the moment. His face was covered with bruises and stains of ectoplasm from the fight. The rest of his body did not look any better, as his attire was torn across the chest and had many holes in parts of his leggings. He had to abandon his cape due to Plasmius taking a liking to grabbing it and throwing him around. Besides, it was irreparably damaged to where even Dorathea couldn't fix it. He suffered many burns and cuts, but the worst pain came from the ectobeam hitting the spot where two bullets previously impaled him at the beginning of the fight. These were not going to heal overnight, even with speed healing…
Wiping his ectoplasmic hair out of his face, Danny stands up and brushes rubble off himself. Looking up, he frowns when he sees no one coming. "This is ridiculous…" He mutters. "I need to get out of-"
He yelps when the ceiling explodes. He went intangible to avoid being buried by the rubble and runs out of the building. Making himself tangible, he pauses when he sees many ghost hunters with various weapons aimed directly at him. He turns around but stops when Vlad emerges from the destroyed warehouse with Vasilisa beside him. While Vlad had glowing red fists and a maniac grin on his face, Vasilisa's masked expression couldn't be determined as she aimed her gun at him. Danny looks around warily. He was surrounded.
"Surrender, boy," Vlad sneers at him, his fists ceasing their glow once he sees that the prince is outnumbered. "You have nowhere else to go."
Danny narrows his eyes at Vlad while a voice calls out from behind him. "This is GIY; you have no place to run, or fly, or even phase through. Give in, Prince Phantom."
Danny turns his head and sees who he assumes is the head of the Guys in White. His lips form a thin line as he contemplates his options. He cannot hurt these humans, but he has to get out of here some other way...
It looks like his only option left is to summon a portal. His ability to create ghost portals has increased throughout the years, but it always took a bit of energy out of him from the effort. Wulf had to personally train him on the few occasions that they had free time together; he said to only use it as a last resort to escape. But seeing that the portal can be open for a brief amount of time, the humans can react quickly enough to follow him inside it. He can't risk letting the humans getting into the Ghost World either…
"Hmph." The prince grumbles to himself. Suddenly he lets out a hand high in the air and a flurry of snow swivels around him before it dissipates into an icy wind. Everyone within range recoils from the cold as the wind speed accelerates and blinds them. Soon the force of the wind creates a snowstorm that forced many humans to back away. Seeing the humans distracted, Danny puts his full concentration in creating a ghost portal. He sighs in relief as soon as a small one appears right beside him.
Vlad had a bit of difficulty shielding himself and Vasilisa from the storm. By using his newfound fire affinity, he manifested a somewhat warm layered shield around them as he tried to keep focus on the prince. His eyes widen upon seeing the prince create a portal in the calm of the storm. Furious, he stomps through the force.
"Wait! What are you doing?!" Vasilisa cries out, following after Vlad to remain in the sanctuary of his shield.
"What does it look like I'm doing?" Vlad hisses, not turning to look back at her. "The brat is getting away! I will NOT be beaten by him again!"
"But-"
Vasilisa's protest was interrupted as an ice blast shoots at the shield. Vlad and Vasilisa look up to see Danny shooting ice at them as he got closer to the portal. He hesitated getting in for some reason…
Instantly knowing why, Vlad growls as he retracts his shield and bolts at full speed towards the prince. Danny tries to block the portal but yells as Vlad collides with him, sending them tumbling straight into the portal. Without thinking of the consequences, Vasilisa jumps into the portal after them. She pauses and looks around while the men wrestle.
It was… empty. Literally nothing but colors of black and green oozing around the atmosphere and what she assumed was the ground. She vaguely wondered if she was floating, or if this was a realm where reality twists and turns at every corner. It was nothing like the Ghost World when she first explored it. It felt… evil. Evil and alive.
She jumps when she notices it got darker and turns around. To her horror, the portal shrinks before it disappeared completely. It was then she realized that she had forgotten her board! "Oh, sh-!"
"AUGH!"
Vasilisa turns her attention to the men that were still struggling in their wrestling match. She watches as Danny's expression turns angry before he reaches for the amulet around Vlad's neck. He immediately freezes it before snapping it off of the ghost. Almost immediately Vlad's scar glowed a bloody color and a searing pain seizes through his entire body. He recoils from Danny and curls into a ball, looking to have a seizure. Danny sits up and glares at Plasmius, holding the amulet tightly before putting it in his pocket. Ignoring the screams of pain and agony, Danny turns his attention to Vasilisa.
Lisa steps back, a little afraid of the grim expression on the prince's face. She had no weapons nor her board; Vlad was suffering from a great pain beyond her capability of fixing; she has only her suit to protect her.
"It's over." Danny says firmly, his expression hard. "Dorathea is safe, and you have a lot to answer for."
He takes a step forward and immediately the girl steps back. Vasilisa blinks when she steps on something squishy and looks down. She raises her foot and quirks a brow when she notices black goo on her boot. She grimaces and tries to swipe it away. Danny raises an eyebrow at the strange gooey substance, not recognizing it from any part of the Ghost World. Then he notices the environment and looks around, puzzled. He has never seen this part of the Ghost World before…
Suddenly Vlad stops screaming and slumps over, unconscious. Vasilisa and Danny look over and, to their horror, see his body being enveloped by the same strange goo. The substance completely devours him before his body seemingly disappears altogether.
"VLAD!" They both cry out, horrified. They try to rush towards the spot but find themselves unable to even budge. They look down and see their own feet being engulfed by the goo as well. Now panicking, they struggle against the goo enveloping their legs. Vasilisa tries to wipe it off but it continues to envelop around her before she also disappears. Danny tries to use his ice powers, but was shocked to realize that he couldn't even use his own basic ghost powers. Phasing, levitation, shooting ectoplasm- nothing was happening! Suddenly Danny sees darkness as the goo surrounds him…
…
…
…
…
…
… And then he opens is eyes, finding himself in what looks like a small wooden room. He blinks several times to make sure he is seeing his surroundings correctly. To his astonishment and relief, Vasilisa and Vlad are both sprawled across the room, unconscious. Although they may be his enemies, at least he wasn't alone…
He pauses when he hears Vlad and Vasilisa groan as they wake up. Vasilisa removes her mask and wipes her eyes. Immediately she stops moving when she sees Danny's dumbfounded look. But once Vlad sets his sight on Danny, he growls and stands up.
"What are you up to, boy?" He demands, looking thoroughly pissed. "What sort of trick did you pull off this time?"
Danny stares at Vlad, confused. "What are you talking about?" Suddenly he notices something different about the older ghost and his eyes widen in disbelief. "What-?"
"Don't play dumb with me!" Vlad hisses, storming up to Danny and grabbing him by the throat. He slams the younger man against the wall, making the prince wince from a sharp pain emitting from his already aching body. "This is obviously some realm you summoned to trick me!"
"Vlad…" Vasilisa also noticed something different about Vlad but was uncertain if she was seeing right. "Your-"
"Not now."
"But your-"
"I will not ask you again, Daniel," Vlad hisses, bring his face dangerously close to Danny's shocked expression. The prince's unresponsive strange behavior made Vlad's patience snap. He slams Danny against the wall again, ignoring the prince's cry of pain. He roars while Vasilisa yells at him.
"WHAT DID YOU DO?"
"LET ME GO!"
"WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR MARK?"
Silence immediately falls afterward. Danny wheezes in pain before he looks at Vlad's frozen expression. The older ghost turns to the girl, unsure if he heard her right. "What?"
"Your mark!" Vasilisa explains, making a gesture of pointing at her own forehead as an example. "It's gone!"
Dumbfounded, Vlad stares at the girl for a moment before reaching a hand up to his forehead, expecting to feel the scar that he was forced to behold. To his astonishment, the skin was as smooth as if nothing were there. Dropping the prince and completely ignoring everything else, Vlad summons a shield to look at his reflection. Danny grimaces as he stands up. He warily observes Vlad while Vasilisa looks around the room suspiciously.
"How…" Vlad whispers, speechless. "How can this be…?"
"Where ARE we?" Vasilisa suddenly asks, glancing at Danny. "One of your realms?"
Danny didn't say anything as he shakes his head. There was something off about this place…
Vlad's sudden laughter makes both Danny and Lisa jump. His expression was not psychotic or hysterical, but one of joy and sheer relief. Danny just stares at Vlad rejoicing while Vasilisa notices a simple door on the other side of the room. Curious, she walks towards it.
"I'm free! Free from this blasted curse!" Vlad exclaims, his eyes bright and joyful. He suddenly turns to look at Danny with a smirk. "Not that it was stopping me from beating you before, but this makes things SO much easier!"
Although surprised by the circumstances, Danny was not surprised by Vlad's arrogant statement. He crosses his arms. "Please; like you had the chance to beat me with an army behind you. Have you told the humans about our history as well?"
Vlad's smile falters at the statement. "I don't need an army to beat you; the humans have been after you for so many years for their own reasons. I went along with them to progress my own plans faster!"
Danny laughs mockingly. "Oh, silly me. I forgot. They aren't your army; they're your captors."
"NO ONE CAN TELL ME WHAT TO DO!" Vlad snaps, his eyes burning wildly.
"Right, and I'm assuming that contraption around your chest isn't a ghost-electrocuting torture device?"
"You little-"
"Um, guys…" Vasilisa's voice was strained as she looks back at the men. Her face was pale and afraid as she finally saw what was beyond the door.
"You're a real piece of work, Plasmius," Danny spat, shaking his head. He winces a bit from the pain in his abdomen. "You take innocent people and use them for your own profit. You threaten them if they refuse to help you. And even if they are willing to help you, you treat them as if they were your own slaves."
"You have slaves too, boy!"
"No. They work for me under their own accord, and they are under the protection of Pariah and myself. And I at least treat my people like I would treat my own family and friends."
"Protection? Bah! You couldn't even protect your pathetic castle when the girl and I broke in!"
"Guys?"
"That reminds me; how could you take Dorathea, especially considering her condition?"
"Guys?"
"I knew you would never leave her behind, and the fact that the humans have never seen a pregnant ghost before just gave them a reason to keep her under their watch! We were EXPECTING you to come, because the great Danny Phantom always has to save the day, doesn't he?"
"Guys?"
"See, this a reason why you will NEVER be a prince!" Danny hisses, his eyes flashing brightly as he points a finger at Vlad. "You don't care about the people, about the Ghost World, or even about those who knew you! You will never get the respect from the people as long as you continue being an egotistical jackass!"
"What would you know about being a good prince, Daniel?" Vlad taunts. "You went against your own husband by coming here in the first place. Think of this this as a test to see if you are as loyal to your husband as you claim to be. But alas, this proved that you aren't even a good match for your own king!"
"Guys!"
"HOW DARE YOU-"
"I dare perfectly fine, my boy. You never even wanted to be married in the first place. I'll bet that the king threatened you into the marriage, including the consummation…" Vlad smirks devilishly.
"SHUT UP!"
"GUYS!"
"You said that I changed Daniel, but so have you. You fail to see the flaws in your marriage, and you still stick to it like a desperate wife clinging on to an abusive husband who promises to change. In reality though, he will never change."
"YOU'RE WRONG! HE HAS CHANGED!"
"Face it, you are nothing but a king's whore…"
"SHUT-"
"GUYS!"
Vasilisa's shriek echoes, effectively silencing the two men. They both look at her with cross looks, and the girl heaves from her outburst. "We've got BIGGER problems to worry about…"
Vlad scoffs while Danny glares at her. Then he stomps up to the door. "What the hell is so goddamn important that it can't-"
Immediately the sentence cuts off as Danny looks out the door. His face turns white as he stares with wide eyes and a slacked jaw. Vlad raises an eyebrow at the reaction and decides to look outside himself. He gasps before his own expression mirrors one of disbelief and awe.
Outside of the room was Amity Park. It looked like it has been through war, but the most horrifying realization is that the city looks like it was fused with parts of the Ghost World. They could see humans and ghosts alike being hunted down by strange black creatures. Corpses, ectoplasm, and fire were everywhere; it looked like the human world and the Ghost World were going through hell simultaneously.
"…Wait…" Danny breathes as he steps out of the room and looks around his surroundings. None of the survivors seem to notice him or the other two and simply ran past them as the demonic creatures followed. On closer inspection, Danny could see that they looked like shadowy zombies but they have empty eye sockets, bleeding mouths with sharp teeth, and large holes at where their hearts should be.
Another group followed the terrifying demons, but these demons hold deadly auras and were more ghostlike in appearance. They also have holes where their cores would be at and black eyes with glowing red or green pupils. Danny shuddered as one demon stares at him squarely in the eye for a moment. Then it smirks and takes chase after the survivors.
Immediately a demon catches an unfortunate survivor who tripped during the chase. Ignoring the cries for help, the demon devours his leg. The man screams as he tries to kick the demon away, but this only catches the attention of the approaching demons. Soon he was surrounded by fangs and growls of the monstrous creatures. Not one survivor turned to his wails or even stopped to look back.
"Oh my God!" Vasilisa screamed, rushing forward. Danny immediately grabs her arm and pulls her back. Vlad just stared on emotionlessly, enthralled with everything that was happening. "What are you doing?! He's dying over there!"
"There's nothing you can do! You don't even have your weapons!" Danny argues, refusing to loosen his grasp. "Unless you want to end up like him, then stop!"
Suddenly a low growl comes from behind the trio. They hastily turn to see two humanoid demons approaching them from behind the small cottage. Upon closer inspection, Vasilisa screams and throws her hands to her mouth, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. "MOM! ANGIE!"
The men pause and look at the women more closely. One woman was a bit older but her head was shaved clean and her eyes were still intact, although they looked completely lifeless and were filled with hatred and ravenous hunger. The other woman was much younger in comparison but she had chunks of her hair missing, and she lost her upper clothing and was in nothing but a long skirt and metallic braces that cut into her skin. She had one missing eye and had a limp to her movement. Both women were equally covered in blood, had sharp fangs, and looked ready to kill.
"MOM!" Vasilisa was trembling as she takes in the ghastly sight of her family. "NO! OH MY GOD, NO! MAMA! ANGIE!"
Danny pulls Lisa to him when the demons try to strike her. Vlad stares at the demons incredulously before shooting a beam of ectoplasm at them. Both women shriek as they are sent flying into the cottage. Immediately the building crumbles onto the unconscious bodies.
"NO!" Vasilisa wailed. Danny had to wrap both of his arms around her to keep her from running towards the collapsed rubble. "LET ME GO! LET ME FUCKING GO! THEY NEED ME!"
"Kid-"
"PLEASE! PLEASE GOD, NO! NOT THEM! NOT MY FAMILY!"
"LISTEN TO ME!" Danny bellows, placing his hands on the hyperventilating girl's face to make her look at him. "That isn't your family! This isn't real!"
"YOU SHOT THEM!" Vasilisa shrieks, glaring at Vlad with all the hatred she suddenly felt. She could feel her blood boil as she struggles even harder against the prince's embrace. "I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU FOR THIS! YOU BASTARD!"
"Vasilisa, that's not your family," Vlad responds calmly, unaffected by the girl's distraught. "You need to calm down and think rationally; how can your family be dead if we were just in the human world moments ago? Amity Park was perfectly fine before we jumped through that portal."
Vasilisa continues to struggle against the prince, refusing to listen. Vlad continues on regardless. "In addition, how could my Mark of Exile simply just disappear? No natural force in the human world nor the Ghost World would be able to remove it. I tried. It's impossible to make it disappear, even if pardoned by the king."
"Listen, Lisa-"
"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Vasilisa snaps, still struggling against the prince but not nearly as hard as she was before. She glares at the prince as he continues to hold her. "And get your hands off me! What kind of fucking trick is this? If this isn't real, then what the fuck is this?"
"I don't know…" Danny answers before he lets her go, looking around uneasily. "These creatures… The survivors… Amity Park… This is like a nightmare…" he could feel slight tears forming in his eyes as he witnesses several ghosts' screaming in pain, anguish, and fear. "The Ghost World is shattered… and my people are being butchered left and right…"
"So are the humans," Vasilisa spat, wiping her eyes as she takes a brief glance at the destroyed cabin with a mixture of anguish and uncertainty. She turns to see the prince wiping his eyes and blinks in surprise. Was he… crying?
She then takes note of the haunted look in his eyes and how they darkened with despair. It was like he was relieving a horrible past experience that had no silver lining in the end. It was as if he came to terms of his worst fears happening and that they would never end. She detects a small tear flowing down the prince's cheek, but he made no move to wipe it.
Never, in her entire career dealing with ghosts, has she ever seen a ghost have a genuine emotional outburst for both human and ghost kind.
Lisa's expression softens a bit as she regards the prince. He may be a ghost, but he has proven that he cares for his people… more than she could ever expect.
"You really don't know, do you?" She murmurs after a moment of tense silence.
"…"
Danny says nothing as he continues to stare off into the apocalypse. Vlad said nothing but stares at Danny with a strange expression on his face. He looked somewhat empathetic as well as discouraged, if not legitimately afraid, about their situation. No one says anything for a long time, and the sound of the distant wind howling and dying screams echo throughout the twilight atmosphere.
Suddenly Danny turns to the other two with an unreadable look on his face. "This is not real. We need to get out of here and get back home."
The duo blink at the abrupt statement and glance at each other, confused. "But how can we get out of here if we don't even know where HERE is? I thought it was Amity Park." Vasilisa says, perplexed.
"It's not." Danny responds, sounding a bit more confident with himself. "I'm not sure what any of this is about, but I know that this… ALL of it…" He spreads his arms out to display the chaos. "… Is not real. I would NEVER allow this to happen."
"Yes, you will."
A deep voices echoes in the wind and startles the trio. While Vasilisa and Vlad look around, Danny grew still.
That voice…
"How remarkable. You really became quite the prince, didn't you…?"
No…
It… It isn't possible…
That voice…
"Despite all the odds, I told you that it was bound to happen at some point."
"Who are you?" Vasilisa demands, bracing herself. "Show yourself!"
Suddenly a ball of black energy zooms down and hits Vlad and Vasilisa's heads. The impact stuns both of them before it knocks them both out unconscious. The same black energy floats into the shadows before it takes a tall muscular form within the darkness. Danny could feel his entire body get below freezing temperature as blood red eyes stare fiercely at gentle blue orbs.
"After all, who would know you better…"
Suddenly the figure phases through him and disappears completely. Danny hastily turns around and sees a large shattered mirror leaning against a wall. He slowly walks towards it and looks at himself.
And to his horror, he doesn't see his own reflection.
He sees his alternate persona leering back at him, copying his every movement.
"… Than yourself?"
Danny feels his legs give away as darkness clouds his vision. As he falls into the depths of unconsciousness, he could hear a familiar voice call out.
"TIME OUT!"
:)(:
Feeling something tickling his nose, Danny sleepily blinks his eyes open. He sees a small butterfly hovering above his face before it rests casually on his nose. Bemused, the prince gently blows at it, making it flutter away. Then he attempts to sit up and grimaces as a sharp stabbing pain throbs through his entire body.
Danny tries to ignore it as he looks at the surroundings of clinking gears and whirring machinery in a small bedroom. He notices a large clock towering over him and it clicks.
Clockwork's tower.
Danny fondly remembers this room as the place he would stay at when he sleeps over at Clockwork's tower. While it was not as luxurious as his or his husband's private rooms, it was comfortable enough and the prince needed someplace to sleep in during his long visits. Clockwork's advice is valued by both monarchs, but Danny has made it a habit to visit the Time Ghost to check up on how their monarchy was progressing. As a Halfa, Danny used the same room for when he needed to get away from the troubles of his human and ghost lives. Clockwork had been more than generous enough to give him a room at where he would always be welcome.
Danny blinks before he stares inquisitively at the butterfly. He tilts his head, puzzled, before watching it fly away and disappear amongst the gear. Where in the world did that butterfly…?
"Forget it…" Danny grumbles, already used to Clockwork's strange tactics. He hisses as the pain intensifies and looks down at himself. It didn't dawn onto him that he had blankets covering him and many bandages wrapped around his upper torso until now. He notices that the bandages around his waist were still bleeding and frowns. What happened?
Kicking the sheets away, Danny forces himself into levitation before he looks down at himself. He is in nothing but clean leggings and bandages wrapped around various parts of his body. Grateful for the new clothes and feeling somewhat refreshed, Danny sets out to look for the Time Ghost.
He opens the door and was met with the most unusual sight.
Clockwork was casually drinking tea on an armchair, chatting with a human girl who looked completely uncomfortable being there. And to the prince's further surprise, Vlad was lying on a spare bed casually levitating above them. He appears to be in a deep sleep and also had many bandages around his body. To Danny's relief, the Mark of Exile was still on his forehead. For some reason it wasn't reacting to the Ghost World. Perhaps Clockwork's realm was unaffected by Pariah's influence…?
"Clockwork…?" Danny rasps, his voice hoarse for some reason.
Both the time master and the girl look up to see the prince entering the watching room. While the girl looks nervous, Clockwork was smiling. "Ah, sleeping beauty has returned to the land of the living."
"Cute." Danny deadpans at the terrible pun before he glances at Vasilisa. She had her head low and was avoiding eye contact, fidgeting with her teacup anxiously. It looked steaming hot and fresh…
"Tea, Daniel?"
Danny was startled to see the smiling Time Ghost float towards him with a fresh cup of tea. Danny nods his thanks as he takes the cup, wordlessly looking at the girl as he sips the beverage. Immediately tasting mint and ginger, the prince could feel himself relaxing a bit.
Vasilisa looks up and sees the prince starting at her critically. She turns her eyes back to Clockwork, who seemed amused now. "I see that you three had a bit of a trip in the Realm of Fears, haven't you?" he asked lightly.
"…The what?" Danny asks, looking at the Time Ghost.
"That portal you summoned, Daniel. It sent you to the Realm of Fears," Clockwork continues as he seats himself back on the armchair. He laces his fingers together and continues smiling. "You were in a dimension that Fright Knight himself created. It was where your inner fears would come before you. Considering that all three of you arrived there at the same time, the realm merely manifested a combination of all your fears. I decided to intervene before things could get worse. I believe it is about time for all of us to have a sit-down and a serious talk."
He smiles again. "So, here we are."
Danny just stares at the ghost as if he had lost his damn mind. He glances warily at the human girl before looking at the third armchair, which was placed in front of her and Clockwork to form a triangle around a small coffee table.
"She won't try to hurt you, Daniel," Clockwork says, startling the prince from his confused thoughts. "She and I have been acquainted for some time now, much like you and I have been."
Danny nearly spluttered out his drink and stares in disbelief. "You two? But… She's a ghost hunter!"
"So she is."
"He's my first sponsor."
Vasilisa's voice was quiet. Both men fall silent and look at her, one with confusion and one with compassion. Lisa sighs as she lowers her eyes and stares intently at her cup. She was silent for a long time before she continues with her story.
"I knew that my Mom didn't get along with my grandparents, but I didn't know that it went as far as trying to making sure that my sister and I wouldn't see her."
Danny blinks, confused. Valerie hadn't gotten involved with her family? How did this tie to Vasilisa's career in ghost hunting then?
"It started when I was in elementary school- fourth grade if I remember right. I had gotten a package from someone named Valerie Gray. I heard about her, so I asked my Mom why a renowned celebrity would send me something through mail. She just said it was junk mail and took it back to the post office." Her eyes narrowed. "I wasn't stupid; I knew from the look on her face that it meant it was from someone she didn't want to deal with. So while she went to work, my sister and I went to the post office to get the package back. We found it odd how they couldn't return it to its sender because there was no return address."
Vasilisa took a deep breath to let that information sink in. "We opened the package and found a dairy with her name on it. I decided to read through it, and I was so fascinated by her stories that I immediately knew that she was THE Valerie Gray- one of the top ghost hunters in the world."
She stops to look pointedly at Danny. "That diary said that you and she fought almost all the time, but at the same time she was interested in a guy named Danny Fenton." She pointed at a still slumbering Vlad. "Plasmius told me about you being a Halfa, and that Fenton and Phantom are one and the same person." She puts her cup down and leans back against her seat, crossing her arms. "You dated Grandma Val."
Uncomfortable with being put at the spot, Danny glances at Clockwork for help. Clockwork just shrugs and continues sipping his tea. Danny sighs and slumps his shoulders. "I did."
"Yet you knew she was a ghost hunter."
"Yea…"
"Why?"
"I do believe that we are getting off the topic here," Clockwork interjected softly. "You can discuss your relations after we clear some things up." He gestures to Vasilisa. "Now, you were saying dear?"
Giving the ghost prince a look that showed that the conversation was far from over, Vasilisa complied with the Time Ghost's request. "Fine. Anyways, the diary was later discovered by my Mom. She was furious that I disobeyed her, but I demanded to know why she didn't want us to meet Grandma Val. It was bad enough our Dad left us the way he did, but she kept saying that Grandma didn't want us in our lives for our own good. I got so angry that I ran away that night. All I took was the journal and myself. I didn't stop to think if I was going to go back."
Vasilisa breathes, and she looks like she was struggling with herself. "Eventually I calmed down a bit and did go back home. Mom also calmed down and agreed to get back into contact with her."
"The day we met Grandma Val was the happiest day of my life. She was so sweet and loving as any grandmother was, but she wouldn't stop asking us how we managed to find her. I brought up the topic about her diary… but she said she never sent anything to us, least of all her diary. She then asked me what I thought about it and I told her that I wanted to grow up to be just like her."
The huntress frowns at the turn of the story. "She didn't like that response. She said that the path was not some adventure anyone should take for the sheer joy of it and that it wasn't a joke. I got upset, thinking that she thought I was making fun of her. When we left, all Grandma Val said was to never show her diary to anyone else, or to tell anyone of our relations to her. She said we could jeopardize our lives and her career if we did."
She shakes her head. "We haven't heard from our grandmother since then."
There was silence in the room for a long moment. Danny opened his mouth to say something but Vasilisa continues. "Then high school came up. It was the time when you had to make decisions on what to do with your life, how to be successful, yada yada yada. But after all these years, I didn't want to forget Grandma Val or her legacy. She did it because she thought it was important. I kept that journal and read it over and over until I remembered every word by heart."
Then she smiles. "So I chose ghost hunting as my career regardless of what Grandma Val said."
"We had to make a project about what kind of job we wanted; something to show your classmates on what you want to be when you grow up. Using Grandma's diary and other research, I made a presentation about how ghost-hunting was an important career and showed my diary as evidence that I was related to a well-renowned ghost hunter. I thought that this was a great opportunity to prove myself to others- to prove that I can be somebody just like my grandmother was."
Danny could relate to her on how that. Just how many times had he tried to make himself look cooler, just to be accepted by the bigger crowd?
Vasilisa grimaces. "Boy, was I wrong."
"The entire class thought that I was a joke and called me a freak. I was harassed and bullied for being in a family who couldn't have a 'substantial' job. By the time school was over, my sister and mom found out about it and tried to help. I didn't listen. I just felt guilty… I had broken my only promise to my grandmother and made myself a fool out of it… And that was the least of my problems."
A wave of sympathy took over Danny as he watches the girl. He could still relate to her. Having ghost-hunting parents was not something he was proud to admit as a high school kid; it was even harder when he became a Halfa…
She breathes. "We had gotten a phone call from the Guys in White, the same business that my grandmother worked in. I knew I was in trouble when mom told me to go with a man that had come to take me to see the CEO."
Danny winces. He could see where this was going. In the human world, violating confidentiality had serious consequences.
"I got so scared; I didn't know what to say when I got there. The guy who took me the headquarters in Los Angeles was the only reason I managed to calm down. He told me that everything was going to be fine… and that it would turn out exactly as it should turn out."
Danny looked intrigued by this. He glances at Clockwork's broad smile. Where had he heard that line before?
"As it turns out, the CEO was actually offering me a job. Although I blew my grandmother's secret identity and put myself and my family in danger, he said there was a way to remedy it by becoming a ghost hunter myself."
Danny just stares, not believing what he was hearing.
"And as further motivation to work for the GIY, they would provide payment to help with the debts that my father left my family. It was worth twice as much as what most people would be working for. For the sake of redeeming my family and myself, I decided to work for their cause despite my family's disapproval of the whole idea."
"Isn't child labor illegal though?" Danny cuts in, raising an eyebrow. Surely the laws of the human world couldn't have changed that much?
Vasilisa smirks. "Minimum age to work is 14, and technically my hours are flexible per day. I get paid for what I catch or hunt."
Danny didn't know what to say to that.
"Overall, things got better or worse. Mom wasn't too thrilled about the job choice, but my job is a law-binding contract even she couldn't object to. I still get teased in school about my career choice, but nobody but my family knows about my secret job. I gotten the name the Dark Huntress because of my suit, so I stuck to it. I trained throughout the next few years, get a paycheck out of it…"
"… And then they hire you to catch me." Danny finishes for her, sighing. "Let me guess; they offered you a huge payday in turn for catching me or my husband?"
"That's right."
"How does your grandmother feel about this?"
Vasilisa shrugs. "I wouldn't know; haven't spoken to her since I was ten. If she knew I was involved with ghost-hunting, then I doubt she would come to me about it now …"
Danny mumbles to himself and shakes his head. "OK, it's nice to hear about your backstory and all. But I'm still lost." He points at Clockwork. "How do you know about HIM? And what do you mean that he was your first sponsor?"
Vasilisa scoffs, jabbing her thumb at the Time Ghost. "That guy who calmed me down the first day I went into GIY turned out to be my personal trainer for the first year. His name was Horatius and HE was my first sponsor."
Danny blinks before he gapes at them both. "You mean…" He looks at Clockwork critically. "YOU set her up with the Guys in White?"
"Certainly." Clockwork observes his gloved nails, unaffected by the sudden hostility aimed towards him.
"Why?" Danny demanded.
"Why indeed…" Was Vasilisa's snide response. She glares at Clockwork. "The irony of it all… A ghost sets me up with my ghost-hunting career though a human-like disguise. I always wondered why your skin felt so cold and how you seemed to just disappear into thin air."
"Don't be so hostile, Vasilisa," Clockwork reprimands coolly. "After all, Plasmius set your grandmother up with her career when she was your age. Didn't he tell you about his Halfa lineage as well?"
Vasilisa's face was a mixture of disbelief and confusion. She glances between Plasmius and Clockwork several times before it dawned onto her. She smacks her forehead. "Of COURSE Plasmius and Masters would be the same person… I wondered how he got involved with Grandma Val when her dairy mentioned that Vlad Masters was sponsoring her… I'm gonna kick his ass later…" She rubs her temples, clearly agitated.
Danny didn't say anything. He turns to Clockwork expectantly. "Clockwork, WHY are you doing this?" He demands, standing up and nearly jolting the coffee table. "You're admitting to setting up this kid's life… You KNEW this was all going to happen?"
"I know all."
"We already established that." His eyes glow an eerie blue almost warningly. "But WHY? Why are you doing this?"
"I figured that it would be a good idea for you two to get better acquainted with each other." Clockwork doesn't even blink. "Considering that your fates are entwined together."
"What do you mean 'entwined together'?" Vasilisa asks, and then her face blanches. "You don't mean-"
"Not through marriage, my dear. I said entwined, not joined." Clockwork assures her, amused. "Besides, Daniel is already married."
"You knew this was going to happen. You set this all up to where we would HAVE to meet and talk…" Danny narrows his eyes, slowly putting the information together. "… I'm even willing to bet that you were the one who mailed the diary to the kid…"
"… I did."
"But WHY?" Now Vasilisa was on her feet, exasperated by the all the discoveries related to her past. "Am I your puppet now? Is everyone else your puppets in your schemes?"
"What I want to happen vastly differs from what I see that will happen, Vasilisa," Clockwork responds firmly. He puts down his teacup before standing up, summoning his staff with a wave of his hand. "I cannot control every little fault that happens, but I can help influence on what could happen."
"Right; you see all, know all, and feel all." Vasilisa rolls her eyes. "I got that about you from our conversation earlier." She glares at the older male again, flinching as he shifts into a baby form. "For the last time, why are we here and why are you telling us this?"
Clockwork smirks before raising his staff toward his observation portal. There is a glow before they see fractions of their previous nightmare. Danny and Vasilisa wince at the sight of the destroyed Amity Park.
"I have brought you here because I am warning you both that something similar to THIS may happen…" Clockwork murmurs, his eyes firmly set on the two. "Unless both humans and ghosts work together to prevent it."
"Humans and ghosts?" Danny blinks.
"Working together?" Vasilisa adds, her tone disbelieving. "Is that a joke?"
"Is this?" The Time Ghost gestures to the portal again. The girl says nothing in response.
"But…" Danny suddenly turns his attention back to Vlad, who was still unconscious throughout their conversation. Just how badly has he been harmed? "How is he involved in this?"
"That is something you will figure out eventually. Just know that he will be aiding you with preventing this future as well." Clockwork responds. Danny opens his mouth to protest, but the Time Ghost holds a hand up. "You both have had your grudges, Daniel. But believe me when I say that Plasmius holds as much of an important role as you and Vasilisa do to ensure the protection of our future. He will be a reluctant ally, but do not encourage him to become your worst enemy. Do you understand?"
Danny swallows before he nods. Satisfied, Clockwork turns to Vasilisa. "And as for you, keep up with your training as it may save your life on numerous occasions. But keep this in mind; ghosts are not be the only monsters that you may encounter… Reconsider your ethics when it comes to humans and ghosts."
Vasilisa said nothing and just stares at the ghost.
Clockwork turns away from them to summon the viewing portal away. He pauses when he hears a groan. All three turn to see Vlad shifting in his bed, his eyebrows twisting from discomfort. "It seems that Plasmius will be awake soon. He will not take kindly to seeing Daniel, so it is best that we part for now."
He turns to Vasilisa again. "Do not tell anyone, not even Plasmius, of what we have discussed. Otherwise there may be severe consequences in the time stream…"
"So then what? We just pretend that this has never happened?" Vasilisa demanded, looking defiant.
"Not pretend; just keep it to yourself for the time being."
"Then what CAN I tell the others? They won't be happy seeing me come back with just Plasmius."
"That is something you can figure out yourself." Clockwork smirks, patting her shoulder comfortingly. "Just take Plasmius and yourself home; your mother and sister are worried enough as it is about what happened to you, and you don't want to keep them in the dark do you?"
Vasilisa wanted to argue; she has more questions than she has answers. She was so tired and irritable with everything that's been going on and she doesn't even know how to react to any of it.
But as the Time Ghost just stares back at her with an unwavering stern expression, she sighs and nods in defeat. Satisfied, Clockwork summons another portal that would sent her home. On the other side, it appears to be where the ghost portal in the main headquarters of the GIY was. It was empty for some reason…
Clockwork hoists Plasmius up before letting Vasilisa carry him on her back. She glances at the portal before looking at Clockwork's reassuring smile. Then she turns her look back to the prince, looking uncertain and curious. The prince and the huntress continue to stare at each other before she turns to jump into the portal, unaware that Plasmius took that opportunity to wake up. He could just barely process the portal closing behind them, and only saw Daniel and a purple-cloaked being disappear with it.
Clockwork then turns his attention to the prince. "And as for you, Daniel. I will need to replace your bandages. Then you too can go home."
"Clockwork-" Danny started.
"As I told Vasilisa, don't tell anyone about our discussion- not even your husband."
"Are you sure that this is-"
"TRUST me, Daniel." The older ghost cups the prince's chin to look at him squarely in the eyes. "Do not worry so much about it now. Just know that everything is the way it's supposed to be, and that everything will turn out all right."
Danny stares at the older male, uncertain if he should trust the ghost's logic anymore. Then he sighs; he's exhausted and he really wanted to go home. "Fine…" Then he winces as another wave of pain from his abdomen. He had almost forgotten about his wounds during the talk.
"Besides, we cannot let you go home looking all bloody and torn up." Clockwork smiles brightly. "Your husband has figured out that you were gone a while ago, and he has been worried sick since."
He leads Daniel back to Vlad's previous bed and began to tend to his wounds. "He will not show it, but he is immensely frightened for your well-being."
Somehow, Danny got the distinct feeling that Clockwork was exaggerating a bit.
:)(:
"Fright? Skulker? Hello?"
During the flight home, Danny took the opportunity to turn on his earpiece to reach out for the team. He had to make sure that they made it back to the Ghost World safely. But to his further concern, no one seemed to be picking up.
Clockwork made sure that he was as cleaned up as possible. He coincidentally had a new outfit for the prince (the same one he usually wears, including a cape) to put on before heading home. His wounds were stitched and cleaned and had several layers of bandages wrapped around them to be sure that they would not seep. His face, however, could not hide some cuts or bruises. His hair was washed away of all the ectoplasm and rubble it went through, but it looked a little frazzled. He looked a little paler and tired, but he still held an aura of confidence as he approached the villa.
He was surprised, however, that the villa was completely empty at this time of night. What happened to those that were here while evacuating the castle? And more importantly, why were the guards not at their posts?
Danny decided to call Fright once more. "Fright? Are you there? Answer me!"
All he got was static on the other side. Frustrated, the price approached the main door and looked around cautiously. Not one person was in here… was the castle deserted?
"Fright? Anyone? Answer me, god-damn it-"
"They are fine, Daniel… As I am assuming you are as well." A familiar voice says coldly on the other line. Danny froze, immediately realizing that it was coming from both the line and outside. He turns to the shadows of the gate and finds his husband glaring at him, holding an earpiece up to his ear. He crushes it with his fingers effortlessly, cutting the communication line effectively.
"P-Pariah?" Danny asks, suddenly now aware of the furious aura surrounding the king. The torches around the area blared at the mention of the name, and the king takes a step forward.
"Do you take me for a fool?" The king growls, but whether it was more of a question to the prince or to himself, Danny couldn't say.
"Pariah-"
"Look at yourself." The king gives the prince a look over, and looks both appalled and displeased. "No doubt Clockwork had to help you out of that fight by yourself; you look as if you were sent through hell and back."
"How did you-"
"That technology ghost was not subtle in showing off what he calls 'videos' of your success to our subjects." The king holds up a PDA and shows the prince a human live footage of his battle against Plasmius and Vasilisa. Danny just stares, horrified and helpless, as he watches the video of him almost getting his assed handed to him in front of the world. And the fact that Technus decided to show this to the other ghosts…
"Wait, that's Tucker's PDA." Danny realized. He then glares at Pariah accusingly. "What did you do to him?"
"Don't take that tone with me, Daniel!" The king hisses, tossing aside the PDA and hunches over the prince threateningly. Danny stood his ground, defiant. "You deliberately disobeyed me."
"Dorathea was pregnant!" Danny defended, deciding that defending his reasons were out of his hands by this point. "The ghost hunters would have-"
"I am very aware of the situation, Daniel." The king interrupts him, his voice dangerously angry. "Saigremor was more than obliged to tell me everything."
"Where is-"
"He and everyone else are dealing with their punishments accordingly; by conspiring with you to go against me, they must pay for their consequences."
Danny's eyes suddenly grew angry. "I SWEAR to God, Pariah… If you so much as TOUCHED them-"
Danny's threat was cut off when he finds himself roughly slammed onto a wall of the gate. Instinctively, he pulls at the hand that was holding him up by the throat. "You are in no position to make any threats to me, Daniel." The king leans in dangerously close, and Danny had to admit that this was more terrifying to deal with than when Vlad choked him. "You went against me, and by doing so you nearly put yourself in danger. And what's worse; you could have given the humans a reason to harm Dorathea and her little one… You could have put us all in grave danger if they captured you!"
Danny continued to claw at the hand as he protests. "And what? Let Dorathea die?"
"That's not what I-"
"Pariah," Danny cut him off this time, feeling his head go lightheaded by the sudden pressure on his neck. "… Did you really think I wouldn't go after her… Even after you said not to?"
The king says nothing and continues to glare at Danny.
"If… You really expected me not to… Then…" The prince wheezes when he feels his abdomen throbbing in pain. "Then… You don't really know me… As much as you think you do…"
There was silence for the longest time. Danny could feel the choke grip grow stiff and he glares at the king. He stops struggling as soon as he sees the look on the king's face. It looks contemplative… And almost sad.
"No…" The king sighs, releasing his grip on Danny. He turns away, not bothering to look at the dumbfounded prince. "Perhaps I don't…"
With that, Pariah Dark walks away without another word. Danny just stares, confused by what just happened. He stands up and looks at the direction where the king disappeared to. What in the hell…?
"Prince Danny!"
Danny blinks before turning his eyes to see the main door opening. His eyes brighten in relief and happiness as Dorathea floats towards him with open arms and happy tears. He embraces the princess tightly as she sobs hysterically onto his chest, apologizing over and over for her selfish intentions.
"Dora, that is ridiculous," He makes her look up at him. "None of this was your fault; I would be happy to go through hell and back just to make sure that you and your baby are safe."
Dora just sobs again and holds him tightly. As she continues to weep, Danny glances back at the shadows, recalling the sadness that lingered in the king's eyes.
Was he really that worried, just like Clockwork said… Or did Daniel say something that made him back off?
"You don't really know me… As much as you think you do…"
Danny grimaces at the words ringing through his memory. That was rather harsh, even to him.
"Prince Danny?" Dorathea managed to stop crying and wiped her eyes before she got a good look at him. "I was so worried! When Nicholai showed us that video, I… I was so scared for you! The king ordered us to stay in our rooms and forbade us to get out until you returned. He even sent the guards to their barracks; he wouldn't let us help you!" She looks at him worriedly. "Everyone was scared for you! We thought that we had lost you forever!"
When he didn't say anything, Dora tries catching his attention again by grabbing his hand with both of hers. "My Prince… Is everything OK?" She glances at the direction the prince was staring at and recalled how the king was walking towards that direction. Realization and guilt consumed her as she squeezes the prince's hand comfortingly.
From the darkness, Danny could see glowing green eyes stare back at him emotionlessly before they disappear. Danny didn't waver his gaze from the direction, narrowing his eyes bitterly. "… Everything is… fine."
Hope everyone loves it. Please leave a comment; criticism is appreciated.
Again, thanks to TOG for permission to expand her story!