Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Danny Phantom, I'm a big fan and was feeling nostalgic.

Note (8/23/2017): For the most part I've been removing the pre-chapter notes to conserve space and the one in this chapter was super long and directed towards a guest reviewer named "Matt." I was kind of confused by what they meant in their review and tried to explain where I was going with the previous chapter with Vlad. I can always put it back in if anyone's curious about my response but I'm sure you guys would much rather just read the story right? XD

~Chapter 24~

When Silence Speaks

When Owen woke up the next morning he quietly went through the motions of gathering his meager belongings to set by the front door, absentmindedly noting the fact that the damage from the recent attack was already fixed. Vlad really knew how to cover his tracks that's for sure. After that he opened the Grimoire again and started reading while ignoring the pair of concerned blue eyes watching him.

Owen wasn't planning on eating breakfast since he still felt nauseous and was just going to read until it was time to leave but then Vlad touched his shoulder and insisted that he eat something to get his strength back. And he wasn't taking no for an answer. Not that Vlad was very likely to hear a 'no' from him since Owen hadn't said a word all morning.

Hearing the underlying urgency in Vlad's voice, Owen finally looked up from reading and opened his mouth to tell him he wasn't hungry before thinking better of it and closed it again along with the book. He was too tired to argue with him so with a heavy sigh Owen begrudgingly followed Vlad into the kitchen where the man made them both some hot rice oatmeal to stave off the uncomfortable chill in the air; a chill that had very little to do with the ghosts Vlad set to work repairing the damage from that demon attack still floating around. This chill was either because of the tension in the air between them or perhaps it was a lingering chill left over from Danny's ice powers, admittedly it might be both or it was just an unusually cold autumn here in Wisconsin.

Somewhat reluctantly, Owen put a spoonful of the food Vlad gave him to his lips and chewed, unable to really taste it. That was such a shame too since it would have tasted amazing otherwise.

It often surprised people that Vlad knew how to cook since they would often mistakenly assume he had a personal chef on hand to do that mundane task for him. But cooking his own meals brought him a simple joy and was at least one hobby left over from his college days. Though due to time constraints between his work and scheming, Vlad found himself ordering out more than he used to.

Honestly, the real reason Vlad probably enjoyed cooking so much was because while learning how to that was the only time he and his mother spent much time 'bonding.' Bonding being a loose term since she was basically drilling it into his head the whole time to always be self-reliant even with the simple things in life. It was one of those life lessons that survived the bitter-sweet memories he had of growing up with his parents. During their first cooking lesson she told him, 'Vladimir, if you cannot stand on your own with confidence, no one will respect you! The more you accomplish on your own terms, the more you'll get out of life because there won't always be someone there to help you and there will be plenty of others who won't be bothered to. Never forget that…'

Vlad was relieved to see Owen eating without making a fuss, but the poor kid's face still looked disturbingly pale, his skin gaunt enough to pronounce his cheekbones. It was practically a mirror imagine of when Owen first arrived. When he looked about ready to crumble into a pile of dust at the slightest touch. Vlad didn't like this at all, how a single out-of-body experience could affect Owen so much in such a short amount of time.

After giving Owen his share of breakfast, Vlad carefully brushed back his bangs to check his temperature for signs of a fever. Of course, Vlad frowned at how cold his skin still was and could feel Owen trembling slightly beneath the back of his hand, like he was resisting the urge to flinch. It was no secret that Owen didn't really understand what was happening to him and to some degree still feared his ghost half even now. The contents of The Grimoire answered a few of their questions yet only ended up bringing up new ones that not even its pages could answer. So it was no wonder Owen was getting anxious about going to the place where it all began, where other Necromancers from his bloodline used to live and learn about these things in person…

As expected, the first thing Owen did when Vlad stepped just outside the bedroom and made the call to have his private jet prepared for them, was reach over to start where he left off reading only to find most of the pages blank again! Owen was baffled by this at first and tried to reopen the bite-wound on his left hand, thinking that maybe the blood offering he made before was starting to wear off or something. But sadly, that didn't work and he grit his teeth in frustration, slamming the book shut.

When Vlad came back in he immediately noticed that Owen was bleeding again and scolded him for being stupid and reckless and angrily confiscated The Grimoire for his own good. Of course, once Vlad realized Owen was only behaving rashly because he was scared and desperate for answers after the incident last night he gave it back to him. Owen was thankful for that but could still only read what was written on a few pages now. It was as if The Grimoire was consciously withholding its secrets from him that it felt Owen wasn't ready for yet. And that only made him feel more miserable.

The rational part of Vlad's mind kept screaming to have Owen readmitted to the hospital and forget about this trip altogether even though they both knew his current ailments were far from normal and were a result of his powers manifesting in new and abrupt ways. However, the other part of Vlad knew better than to risk stay here doing nothing to learn more about all of this after a demoness blatantly attacked them in his own home.

It would be much safer for them to be on the move and stay alert, as well as productive in their search for answers. And if the place Owen showed him still stood, they might stand a better chance there gaining the upper hand on their new enemy. Not to mention that they'd be able to take advantage of that place as the next battleground in case another demon showed up since it was protected against all supernatural forces, not just ghosts.

Though that reassurance didn't make Vlad hate this situation any less.

Having a bigger threat out there than himself or any of the ghosts Danny has ever faced was a huge blow to not only Vlad's pride, but his reputation. If his enemies, or even his allies, learned that he'd gone soft and was nearly defeated by a single adversary, then very soon Danny wouldn't be the only half-ghost they came after looking for a fight. Many of the ghosts that called the Ghost Zone their home already had a tendency for violence and an instinctive desire to dominate their sector of the Ghost Zone. And if possible the other side of it as well, meaning the Earth. Which made sense since their own world was essentially leaderless and ruled only by chaos ever since the Ghost King's fall from power both the first and second time.

If Owen truly was the last survivor of a powerful clan of humans who were once able to control the souls of people whether they were living or dead, this might eventually make him a target of several other ghost's ambitions as well. At least, until they discovered his immunity to overshadowing and lack of anyone to threaten to manipulate him. There was also, of course, the matter of what happened during the attack when Owen's personality was eclipsed by someone in his past, or as stated in The Grimoire, most likely a past life. Someone who unlike Owen at his current skill level, could hold his own in a fight.

Now the whole Necromancer's-can't-become-ghosts was starting to make sense. Vlad didn't understand exactly how it worked just yet but his theory was that whenever a Necromancer died, a ritual was performed to imprint their memories magically into the minds and souls of everyone who shared their bloodline. And they did this before their soul either went to a special realm outside of the Ghost Zone, like heaven for instance, or it was relocated purposefully to be reborn as someone else in the future…as was the case with Owen.

Still, it was clear that these demons were VERY interested in Owen's past lives and his bloodline in particular. And so far, all they knew for certain was that it dated back to the 1600's, perhaps even further back. The Ravenwood's must have been a very powerful and influential family that were highly respected by other clans, feared by wicked ghosts, and their powers coveted by demons who wanted their souls above all others to form new human-based demons that could trap souls for them. Given what Vlad knew about Owen's parents before their untimely deaths, neither of them knew anything about the significance of their son's bloodline on his mother's side or it having to do with the occult practice of manipulating spirits many centuries ago.

From what Vlad learned from the files his now-dead private investigator dug up about them was that for whatever reason Owen's mother decided to keep her last name the same rather than change it to her husband's. As one would expect to after marriage. According to the testimony of the person who legally changed the husband's last name to match hers, when he asked her why she didn't want to change her last name she said something to the effect of 'needing to keep the family name alive.' Hence resulting in their first-born son being named Owen Ravenwood a few years later instead. This was important information since Owen was someone that Vlad was hoping to call his 'son' very soon, regardless of what other trials awaited them from here on out.

"Owen, for pity's sake please say something," Vlad urged him in order to break the silence about an hour into their flight to Massachusetts.

He noticed how Owen had pretty much been on auto-pilot ever since they left the castle, coming only when he was called, but not speaking at all and answering any questions with a curt nod or shake of his head. Vlad imagined Owen was probably a lot like this shortly after his parent's murders until it dawned on him that people wouldn't leave him alone until he pretended everything was alright. When it came to Vlad though, Owen couldn't hide it anymore, how weak and despondent he felt. Leaving his body behind like that without realizing it came as a huge shock to Owen. And try as he might to make light of it at the time, the tremendous fear he felt of it happening again weighed heavily on his mind along with the rest of the uncertainty he felt. That's when Owen finally began to wilt and close in on himself, little by little, despite his efforts not to completely shut himself off when he knew Vlad was genuinely concerned about him.

At one point, Vlad's voice started to sound distant and muted as if Owen was being pulled deep underwater. Everything else started to melt away into blissful silence and darkness. It wasn't until Vlad forcefully grabbed Owen's shoulders to try and snap him out of his now dangerously catatonic stupor that a familiar sensation took hold of him. Then another voice began speaking softly directly into his mind that was as clear as crystal, drowned out Vlad's voice completely.

It's alright Owen, just let go for a little while and I'll take care of the rest. I know what's happening to you. There's no reason to be afraid. Not of this. It happens to all of us when we get closer to our coming of age, Azrael said in the same silky tone he used when putting Owen into a trance at the hospital. This is perfectly normal for Necromancers like us. I went through this too you know, so I understand your pain better than Vladimir ever could.

Mentally shrinking back for a moment, Owen muttered aloud, "Azrael…why didn't you answer me before when I called out to you? Why did you come back into my life now? Why is this happening to me…? Please…I… I don't understand what you want from me anymore. I thought you were only trying to help me, but now…"

"Azrael," Vlad snarled, his eyes flashing as he looked around the cockpit. "If you're here show yourself this instant! And so help me if you try anything funny with Owen again I will-"

Snatching Vlad's wrists with surprising strength, almost exactly the way he did when Vlad first met him, Owen spoke to him with that same calm knowing tone again and he knew right away that his consciousness had been taken over again by this 'Ancestral Memory' power. Before Vlad could react and pull away from his grip, Owen chanted some sort of spell that unexpectedly shot a wave of white hot pain through him and he staggered, collapsing into his seat again.

"You! What did you do to me?!" Vlad demanded, unafraid of shouting at him since this person wasn't Owen.

Straightening himself up and glancing down at Vlad coldly, he replied, "Calm down, all I did was suppress your ghost half so you wouldn't do anything foolish. You're the only person alive with enough power to protect Owen, aside from Azrael who is not, and I can't have you two fighting each other at a time like this…" taking the seat directly across from Vlad and interlocking his fingers beneath his chin, the stranger controlling Owen peered up at him with his glowing red eyes. "I took you for a rational-thinking man but it would seem I was mistaken. Am I? Or are you only acting this way out of concern for Owen…? I certainly hope so…"

Adjusting himself more comfortably in his seat and smoothing out his trademark black suit and red neck tie, Vlad recomposed himself and swung one leg over his knee. Clasping his hands together in his lap, Vlad then took a few deep breathes to calm himself much like how he taught Owen how to. The stranger seemed pleased by this reaction and nodded in approval. Leaning back in his seat and lowering his hands, he looked at Vlad appraisingly as if truly only seeing him now for the first time even though they've met before, however briefly it was. This 'visit' would have to be cut short too though so he got straight to the point of explain himself to Vlad before the man lost his temper again.

"Vladimir, I need you to listen carefully to what I'm about to tell you while Owen's consciousness is out of Azrael's reach. That, and giving him a chance to have a few hours of dreamless sleep should help him recover from the stain of his last ordeal," waiting to see if Vlad wanted to respond or not, he took his silence as an invitation and continued. "It is common for a Necromancer who is coming of age to begin displaying many of their powers rather abruptly before the actual moment of 'awakening' arrives. Especially the powers that are commonly shared either because of the imprinted memories of our ancestors or the person in question has a natural affinity to them. In fact, the only reason I can manifest in place of Owen's consciousness without his consent is because he can't control his powers right now. It has less to do with needing more training and more to do with the rest of his powers revealing themselves more…aggressively than usual. I've sealed the pages of The Grimoire that are unrelated to this for now, but you will have to perform the necessary rites for Owen to help concentrate his powers to a reasonable level before they spiral out of control and put more needless strain on his mind and body. Just as the two of you read in there before, this power of Ancestral Memory only works in times of great need or when its consciously called upon by someone. Once the ceremony is complete, I will no longer be able to contact you like this unless Owen himself wills it. It's quite possible that this will be the last time you and I meet like this regardless."

"I see," Vlad replied coolly, remaining composed this time even though he was still raging on the inside. "Then what do you propose I do? And more importantly, what does Azrael plan to do? Who is he? And what does he want with you? Or rather, Owen?"

Closing his eyes and smiling sadly, he explained, "Azrael is-was-a very dear friend to me when I had so few. I once saved his life and ever since that day he has been devoted to my family to the point of obsession. Nevertheless, I trusted him with my life. And to this day he's still devoted to me, even now that my life is over and my soul belongs to someone else. In fact, in the folly of our youth the two of us made a blood-pact which bound us together in a rather…unexpected way. Long story short, even though we tried to become true brothers in all but blood by exchanging or families imprinted memories and knowledge, something went horribly wrong and the ritual backfired. Instead of exchanging memories, our minds merged together and a link was formed between our souls so that we could influence one another to a degree even though it's usually impossible to do that to another necromancer. That's part of the reason why he became a ghost too. It was my fault. You see, when I died many years later, since his soul was bound to mine in such a way the shock of my death ended his life too and he became a ghost instead of moving on properly. Our connection was that powerful and could not be so easily broken. Even now, I hear the longing in his voice calling out to me, the person he's waited so long to meet again while Owen isn't here. That is why lastly, I must warn you-both for your sake and Owen's-to be wary of Azrael. As much as trusted the man in life, too much about him has changed since he became a ghost. If anything, his obsession to serve the person I've become in this life has grown immensely. Azrael may try to steal Owen away from you if he feels you are unworthy of his presence. You can't let that happen, no matter what. I chose YOU for a reason, Vladimir. You must be the one that ends the cycle once and for all. Give Owen a life of his own, away from all this, and away from Azrael. And most importantly, away from HER, The Mother of Demons…"

"Mother of Demons? You mean, the one who sent those two other demons to-" Vlad wondered aloud and the stranger nodded.

"Yes, it all began with her and it must end in her demise. Oh, and one more thing…" his eyes flickering as the memory began slipping away, he said, "I fully intended to tell you my name, as promised, but it's been so long that I no longer remember it. I'm sorry. Still, I believe it's better this way because the only person that should matter to you now…is Owen. I am nothing but an echo of the past. Now you must give him a future."