Different Effects of the Past
Chapter 26: Genealogy
The Ghost Zone really was a beautiful place, Danny admitted to himself in an otherworldly, eerie sort of way even if most of its inhabitants wanted to destroy him.
"Y'know...this place used to scare me...a lot," he admitted aloud.
"I'm not surprised," Vlad replied dryly.
"I'm trying to make a map," Danny said, conversationally.
"And how is that working out?" the older hybrid asked, seemingly amused.
"...Erm...not very well. There's...too much in here and things move around. I, err...I guess you figured a way round that, right?"
"Of course."
"Wanna tell me how?"
"You saw how," Vlad replied. "I have a digital map and it scans for whatever I want to find. Conventional mapping techniques aren't exactly effective here."
"Yeah...I'm kinda getting that."
"There is...supposedly...a map that can track the portals and each of the realms in here. I've spent years searching for it without success."
"Why'd you need a map when you have a computer that does the same thing?" Jazz asked.
"Because the Infi-map would be far more accurate then my scanners. I only know the destination of portals that I've already chartered but the map knows them all. It knows where they are, where they will be, where they lead to and when they'll close. I have no way of knowing everything that it does, or that it supposedly does."
"Infi-map, huh?" Danny pursed his lip, "Nope...never heard of it."
"Well, now you have."
"I..." Danny began before an excited cry cut him off.
"Phantom, dude!" the voice came from a floating rock just below them. Young Blood was dressed as an astronaut and was walking backwards in a ridiculously oversized slingshot. "You're just in time!" the young ghost smiled. "Wanna watch me launch myself into the hearts of millions?" he asked.
Danny shared a confused glance with his sister and Vlad before he saw the older hybrid give a small smirk. "Erm...sure, why not?" Danny shrugged.
"Ah, might I offer a suggestion?" Vlad said in a very diplomatic tone.
"Huh?" Young Blood frowned. "Hey, cool costume," he added on seeing just how the older hybrid was dressed.
Vlad had discarded the red frock coat but still wore the remainder of his pirate regalia including the one sword which he hadn't given to Danny, his boots and his elaborate white poets' shirt.
"My suggestion," the hybrid stated, ignoring his compliment.
"Oh, yeah, sure."
"Aim...well, yourself...in that direction," Vlad pointed to the right.
"Why?"
"You'll have a soft landing," he answered smoothly.
"In what?"
"About 50 feet of snow. Klemper's islands are that way."
"Sweet," the boy grinned. "One small step for..." the excited ghost started to say but before he could finish, the slingshot suddenly snapped and flung him high into the air and out of sight. "Whoa..." he cried, his voice vanishing as he did.
"What happened?" Danny furrowed his brow. He looked around and he quickly alighted on the fact that Vlad's left hand was glowing with ectoplasm. "You didn't?" he asked in shock.
"Clumsy me," Vlad shrugged almost sheepishly and Danny snorted in disbelief.
"So...What's really over there?" the younger hybrid asked.
"You think I lied?"
"I totally know you lied," the boy frowned.
"In that case," Vlad shrugged, "It's the Ghost Writer's home. I can't be sure just how far the boy will manage to 'fly' but at a guess I'd say it..."
"The Ghost Writer?!" Danny swallowed. "He's gonna land straight through the roof? He'll go nuts! It'll mess up his stupid books and...wait..." he broke off, suddenly laughing. "Hah! That's...that's genius!" he chortled.
"One does one's best," the man replied.
"You don't like him either, then?"
"Not particularly, no. He tried to make a story out me once and I've still not forgiven him for it."
"Hey, me too...wasn't a Christmas one, was it?" Danny asked.
"No, but I did permanently 'borrow' one of his books so I was expecting some kind of retaliation."
"You stole off him?"
"Borrowed, Daniel, I borrowed it...without permission."
"I hope it was a good book," the boy sighed.
"It's a very good book about every legend and myth ever told about the Ghost Zone...and every powerful object in it. It's how I first learned about the Infi-map."
"...I guess that was worth it then," Danny agreed.
"I thought so," Vlad nodded, "It's also why you won't be able to surprise me no matter where you decide to lead me."
"Well...erm...what about...the SplitZone?"
"Boring," Vlad shook his head.
"The...storage room...place..."
"Tedious," he reiterated.
"Walker's jail?"
"Prison, Daniel, really?"
"Right, right..." Danny sighed, "What about...erm...Dora's place? Y'ever been there?"
"Yes."
"Okay...you really have seen everywhere," the boy threw up his arms. "Hey, speaking of Dora...I wonder what they did with the crazy dragon prince," he muttered.
"They imprisoned him," Vlad answered quickly, without thinking. "In a tower designed by yours truly," he explained, "It's inescapable."
"Huh? You...helped...them?"
"They paid me," he explained, as though that alone was his justification.
"With what?" Danny asked reluctantly.
"Maybe one day, I'll show you," Vlad replied enigmatically. "I did tell them that it would have been easier to simply destroy Aragon but for some reason they were against that idea. I don't know why; they all hated him and it would have been much easier than designing an inescapable tower. Dorathea always was too soft."
"Huh," Danny mused. "Hey...what's that place, down there?" he asked suddenly, looking down at a realm of ice and snow, "That's not Kelmper's Realm..is it?"
"No, it isn't," Vlad answered. "I'm not sure who or what, lives there, I've never bothered to look. What good is a frozen wasteland to me?"
"Hey, at least it's something you don't know," the young hybrid grinned. "I say we check it out," he said, soaring down to the frozen tunnel.
Vlad gave a long suffering sigh before he took off after Danny and flew through the floating tunnel of ice. It lead to an open field of snow with hills made of ice and nothing else in sight.
"...Its freezing..." Danny shivered as he landed on the ground.
"What did you expect?" Vlad scoffed, trying to keep his own shivering under control. "There's nothing here, just ice and snow and...nothingness," he sneered.
"I disagree," a deep voice spoke and they spun around to see who it was that had spoken.
It was a large, almost yeti like creature covered in thick white fur save for one arm which appeared to be bone encased in pure ice. He had sharp claws on both hands and feet and s royal blue cape was slung over his broad back. "I am Frostbite, leader of the Far Frozen and you, Vlad Plasmius...we have heard of your exploits and you are no friend to my people."
"That's a pity," Vlad sneered, looking around at the hills of ice and snow in disdain. "And I did so want to be made welcome here in your...home," he said.
"Vlad," Danny sighed.
"You however," Frostbite turned to Danny, "You are most welcome here, oh saviour of the Ghost Zone."
"Saviour?" Danny repeated, incredulously.
"Of the Ghost Zone?" Jazz furrowed her brow.
"Erm...Mr. Frostbite, sir...I'm not sure...I think you've got the wrong ghost kid..." the boy stammered.
"I assure you, I do not," Frostbite smile, "You and your allies are most welcome in my village."
"Well...Vlad's an ally," Danny frowned.
"Very well," Frostbite sighed, leading them to his village, whilst keeping a close eye on Vlad.
"So this is why you think I'm 'the great one'," Danny said, looking up at the cave etchings of himself and of the ghost King, Pariah Dark. "Because I stopped the ghost King," he muttered.
"Honestly," Vlad scoffed.
"Well, if you hadn't freed him in the first place, I wouldn't be getting called the 'saviour' of anything," the boy whispered quietly and saw the older hybrid scowl at him.
"We know that it was you who freed him," Frostbite said to Vlad.
"It was an accident," Vlad hissed. He didn't purposely go around making enemies, but this ghost was testing his patience. It had watched him from the moment they had met and it made Vlad feel like a misbehaving child to be so scrutinised.
"It was foolish," the ghost corrected him.
"How dare you..."
"Guys," Danny sighed, "Really, you're acting like kids!"
"Apologies, oh great one," Frostbite said in a calmer tone and Vlad simply scoffed at him.
"Can you stop with the 'great one' stuff...please...my name's 'Danny'," the boy said kindly.
"As you wish, oh great Danny."
"...Its a start," Danny smiled.
"Now, we shall have a great feast to celebrate your arrival!" Frostbite declared, leading Danny and his sister out of the cave.
"Not too shabby," the boy declared on seeing the food ladened tables at the cave's entrance.
They saw one of the yeti like creatures making an ice sculpture using his powers and it looked exactly like Danny. "I...erm...I really don't think...hey, wait a minute...you used ice powers!" he exclaimed, his embarrassment quickly forgotten.
"Of course," Frostbite said, "I sense that you too have this ability...And you do not," he added, looking at Vlad.
"No, why? Are you afraid that I'll burn down your little village?" Vlad hissed, his hands glowing with ectoplasm.
"Vlad, calm d..." Danny gently nudged the man's shoulder.
"Don't even think about telling me to 'calm down'," he snapped quickly. "I don't appreciate being sneered at by snow monsters I've never even met," he said.
"It would not be wise to attack us, Plasmius," Frostbite advised, his eyes glowing blue, "You are outnumbered."
"Not for the first time."
"Oh, come on," Danny sighed, "Guys, can't you just...play nice, just for five minutes?"
"I've done nothing to warrant this animosity!" Vlad cried.
"You are an enemy of the Ghost Zone...however...because the great one asks it...we will be...civil," Frostbite said, the deadly gleam fading from his eyes.
"Don't bother," Vlad scoffed. "I'm leaving. Have fun with your new friends...oh great one," he said to Danny before he vanished.
"Wait, Vlad!" the boy cried, but it was too late, "...Oh...nuts..." he muttered.
"It's my understanding that you and Plasmius were bitter rivals...might I ask how this changed?" Frostbite asked curiously.
"...I'm not really sure it has," the hybrid rubbed his tried eyes. "But...its kind of a long story," he added.
"If it will help the great one, I am told that I am a solver of many problems," the ghost gave a proud smile. "And that I can be a great listener when called for," he said.
"...Okay..." Danny smiled back sheepishly, "Well...it all started..."
Victoria was sitting alone in the huge castle library with an open book resting on her legs before the fire. Vlad marched in, expecting, as usual to find the place devoid of life so he was more than a little surprised to find the child there.
"What are you doing?" Vlad demanded, as he closed the door behind him. He wasn't used to seeing others reading his books and after what had happened only minutes ago, he was still angry and confused about what he was so fuming.
He was used to being hated by most ghosts and humans but he want used to seeing ghosts 'worshiping' Danny, who was much weaker than him, whilst actively being disapproving of him. Perhaps it was his fault that Pariah had been set free but he had fixed that mistake and his life had been at risk. He could have simply fled but he hadn't. Granted, he'd given the most difficult task to Danny but it wasn't as though he'd been idle.
"Reading history of Russia," Viktoira answered without looking up from the book. "Is what I was learning about in school before we left home," she added.
"Hmm," he hummed, walking gracefully to stand over her, "And what have you learned so far?"
"That mummy was wrong. She said we are important family but we are not mentioned in this book," Vikki set aside the book.
"She wasn't wrong," he told her, sitting down in a red leather arm chair only a metre or so away from the girl. "We are an important family...now, anyway, though perhaps not at the time of Catherine the Great," he smiled, looking at the open page which had a large portrait of the ruler.
"Why not?" she asked childishly.
"No family starts of powerful, we all have to start somewhere," Vlad shrugged. "Your grandfather would tell you that we've always been great. As a child he told me all sorts of stories; we're descendants of Vlad Tepes, Ivan the Terrible and...well, it was just ridiculous. But my own research has shown that we started of as little more than cattle thieves in the mid seventeenth century," he chuckled. *1
What child didn't want to learn that they were descended from famous figures in history? It wasn't always the wisest course of action though, to tell them that they were when they really weren't. Vlad had learned this the hard way after a lifetime of being told of their 'great' family history, he discovered the truth. It wasn't a great truth but it was the truth nonetheless. He had no intention of telling the same lies to Viktoria lest she end up like his father, who was still too stubborn to believe the truth. The old man still thought he was a descendent of every monarch to ever rule over Russia and more besides.
"How is this?" the girl asked, "Our family were cattle thieves?"
"It was quite a common way for family's to gain influence and power," he assured her. "In fact..." Vlad trailed off as he stood up and wandered across to his desk and unlocked one of the drawers. He took out a wooden box and brushed off a thick layer of dust before he opened it and unrolled a long piece of paper on the surface of the desk. "Here," Vlad said, "We might not be mentioned in conventional history books but this is what I've been able to find about our family." The scroll like paper was over a metre in length and listed the names of dozens of people.
"Who is that?" Vikki asked, pointing to the names at the top.
"Your distant ancestor, well, our distant ancestor. Yacob Gospodin, he started his life as a penniless farmer and ended it as a somewhat wealthy man of means. He was a cattle thief," Vlad smirked at her. "Ingenious, daring but the basis of his wealth was running off with other people's cows."
"Very funny," she laughed.
"Isn't it?" he grinned. "Now...skipping forward a few centuries, we had more means than most in the time of the Napoleonic wars and we lived thought it in a stoke of very good luck. You've heard of the Napoleonic wars?"
"A little...but why good luck?"
"For a while, it looked as though the French would defeat Russia, the Gospodin's turned traitor and sold secrets to them."
"That is terrible!"
"Yes...but somehow, when Napoleon's army was forced to leave Moscow they were able to convince people that they'd acted in Russia's interests all along. They'd gathered intelligence on the 'enemy' and preceded to sell it back to the Tsar. They were shunned but still wealthy enough and very much alive."
"Very lucky," she repeated his words.
"Yes, indeed. Let it not be said that we lack resourcefulness," he remarked dryly. "Moving on...the Russian revolution. Your grandfather used to tell me that we acted nobly; to defend the rights of the common people but I don't believe that at all. At the start of the 1900's, the Gospodin's had successfully worked their way into the royal court but like most nobles, they had little power because..."
"The Tsar had all the power!" Vikki exclaimed, "I read about that."
"Correct. The Tsar's had almost total control over the nobles and they in turn had power over the people but that wasn't enough for our family. They actively encouraged the first strike of 1917, it spread and the army responded but eventually, most of the garrisons defected and joined the strike. The government was forced to resign but, of course, because they 'sympathised' with the masses, our family was safe and powerful. Then, in short, we helped to overthrow the new state and became a leading power of the..." he trailed off, letting her finish the sentence.
"Oh, I know...the Soviet Union, yes?!" she said.
"Yes. Then, when its leader died in the 1950's some of the more oppressive policies were removed and because our family had suggested many of them...my grandfather fled the country."
"To America."
"To America," he nodded. "The 'Gospodin's' became the 'Masters' and here we are," he finished.
"So...we were...not so great," she inferred correctly.
"Well, that depends on your point of view," Vlad said, sitting back down in his desk chair. "We aren't renowned for being brave warriors or heroes, but no one's perfect. We survived, despite everything. We started with nothing and centuries later we ended up in the court of the Tsar's. That's got to count for something regardless of how it was achieved. We certainly weren't the first family to scheme their way to the top and we won't be last, Viktoria."
Vikki glanced down and unrolled the last of the family tree; it ended with Vlad on one side and her mother, Valya on the other. "I am not on this family history," she said quietly after a moment.
"No," Vlad confirmed. He hadn't looked at the paper for over five years and five years ago he hadn't been aware of her existence, so naturally she wasn't listed. "Would you like to be?" he asked her suddenly.
"I...think so," she nodded.
"Easily done," he said, standing up and taking a fountain pen from his desk. He drew a line from his cousins' name to signify that she had married and then stopped. "Your father's name is Mikhail?" he questioned, remembering that his mother had briefly mentioned the man.
"Mikhail Novikoff," she answered, watching him write her father's name and then hers, in elegant calligraphy then rolled up the paper again.
"Can I borrow this...to show mummy?" she asked.
"If you want," he shrugged lightly and handed her the large scroll. "Take this as well," he said, taking out a dusty, leather bound book from the same drawer as the scroll. It had an elaborate coat of arms on the front and the pages were worn. "We may not be in the history books but this is our history book, in all its...glory. Just make sure to bring it back," he said.
"I will," she said. "Erm...Uncle Vlad?" she asked timidly.
"Yes?"
"Before...why was grandfather so...bad to you? Why did he shout at you?"
"We...don't get on," Vlad answered evasively.
"Why?"
"Some...people just don't," he said.
"Like my mummy and daddy?"
"I couldn't say," he replied, honestly, "I've never met your father."
"Oh," she sighed again.
"Trying to make peace with your enemy," Frostbite said, thoughtfully. "It is a noble undertaking to be sure...but a dangerous one. Plasmius is not a ghost to be underestimated."
"I know," Danny rolled his eyes.
"We have heard of his dealings for the past ten years and his search for the Infi-map has long since reached our ears."
"Whoa, wait, go back...the Infi-map...Vlad mentioned that...said he was looking for it," the boy replied.
"And he must never find it," the ghost emphasised. "The map is an artefact of untold power. We have guarded it for centuries but were it to fall in it the wrong hands..." he trailed off.
"It's just a map, isn't it? What'd be so bad about him finding it?" Jazz asked.
"The map can take you to any realm or any time, it can lead you to where you need to go but also where you want to go. It could be used to alter history through the portals that appear...or even to destroy it," Frostbite said solemnly.
"Well, he already knows about the portals," Danny told him. "He can predict when they'll close and he says he uses them all the time. It doesn't look like he's destroyed all of history yet."
"He can predict them to such accuracy? Most distressing news, indeed!"
"What I'm trying to say," the boy sighed, "And coming from me this is really saying something, but...Vlad's not all...bad. He's not all good either but...no one is, right?"
"That is correct," Frostbite nodded. "But I do not think it wise to test your theory. If the time ever arrives in which Vlad Plasmius holds the Infi-map...can you say what would happen, truly?"
"I'd...like to say, nothing bad...but..." Danny pursed his lip as he thought.
"But you cannot say it because no one, ghost or human, can predict such a being. Therefore, I must ask you to never reveal the map's location to Plasmius. Should you yourself ever have need of it, you are welcome to use it but under my supervision for the map is dangerous. Can you promise me this, great one?"
"I guess I don't really have much of a choice," the hybrid replied.
"There is always choice...but so are there consequences to our choices."
"...You sound like Clockwork," Danny remarked.
"That is a true compliment," Frostbite grinned. "So, great one, would you like us to train you in your powers?" he asked, his hand glowing a pale blue with ghostly ice.
"Really?"
"If you wish it."
A few hours later, Valya entered the library, carrying with her the rolled up family tree and the leather bound book. Vlad was still sat at his desk engrossed in a book and he had a glass of whiskey and at least half a dozen cigarette stubs scattered around him. If she noticed this, she didn't say anything as she set down both items before him.
"Viktoira gave me quite the history lesson," she remarked, "Apparently we are cattle thieves and traitors."
"Really?"
"Mmmm," his cousin smiled, "What ever happened to Vlad Tèpès?"
"I told you, it was just another of my father's lies."
"You didn't have to tell her all of that," she said as he placed the book back in his desk drawer.
"You'd rather I told her the same lies? Why bother when I know the truth? We don't have the most...heroic family history, but we have one. Most people can't trace their families back more than a few generations. We have a history. We have a coat of arms. That's impressive enough."
"That is true," she nodded. "And Viktoria is not a silly child, she is very clever. She does not need to be lied to."
"...Why did you divorce your husband?" Vlad asked her suddenly.
"We both thought it was best," she shrugged. Though she looked surprised at the question, she didn't ask why he'd asked. "Mikhail hardly knew his daughter and if you asked her, you'd know that she knows almost nothing about him. He was...distant."
"Better a distant father than a..." he stopped himself from saying more but Valya understood.
"He wasn't like that," she said. "But people can fall out of love. There was no reason for me to stay with him."
"And...how long will you stay here, in America, I mean?"
"I don't know. For how will you let us live here? I don't intend for this to be permanent, I just need to..."
"You can stay," he told her, "For as long as you want. Indefinitely. You and Viktoria."
"...What?" Valya whispered quietly, in shock.
"You're family," Vlad replied, "And it's not as though I'm lacking the space or the money, is it?"
"I do not expect you to pay..."
"Get yourself a job or don't, it's none of my business, but I'll cover whatever you need."
"You would do this...for me, for my daughter?"
"Why not?" he muttered. He and his cousin had been the best of friends at one point and he had to admit he had missed her. The thought of never seeing her or Viktoria again wasn't one he wanted to entertain but it would be difficult to keep his secrets with them around. He'd just have to be extremely careful; he could do that. "You don't want to go back to Russia, do you?" he asked her.
"Well...no," Valya answered.
"Then it's settled, you'll stay here," Vlad announced.
"But I cannot just..."
"You'd rather stay somewhere else?"
"No, but..."
"Valya," he sighed, "I'm offering you a place here and you are supposed to accept because you want to. You know I don't care for excuses."
"I know," she replied. "But I have no money and you need nothing, you certainly don't need to give me anything."
"It doesn't matter," Vlad said, "I'm not asking you for anything."
*1 Sneaky reference to the Holderness family in 'The Priory School', a Sherlock Holmes story.