Endgame

by pearl84

It's said that every hero needs a final, epic battle. Danny is about to discover his 'perfect ending' was only the 'calm before the storm'. But in chess, the endgame is what matters. And playing against your worst enemy, means relying on your arch-enemy to win. Sequel to Checkmate. One yr. after PP.

28. Chapter 27:Test of Time and Order Part 2

Okay! As promised! Here we go!

Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom; but this plot and OC characters are my muses [or so he thinks]

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Chapter 27: Test of Time and Order Part 2

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The moment Danny arrived in the Ghost Zone, he looked around and was relieved when he vaguely recognized the general area. Fortunately, he was not that far from the Forbidden Region of the Ghost Zone.

Feeling his sense of panic renew at the thought of what Serenity could be doing to Vlad, Danny took off through the green atmosphere at his top speed. He only would slow down whenever he needed to get his bearings but he kept going.

"You're such an idiot, Vlad!" Danny muttered, though he took in several shaky breathes the more he thought of the older hybrid. Why would Serenity come for him unless the man had made some kind of deal with her? And what deal had he made?

But it only took Danny another moment of thinking about it to remember something Serenity had said to him…When he had made his own deal with Serenity to save his friends and family, she made a comment… something about him being 'lucky' that his 'debt was paid'….

Did she mean…? No… Did… Did Vlad make a deal with her to save him from Serenity's condemnation after they used the crystal?

She had been after them both for that. Her scroll's warning had been clear!

"How could I have thought she would just let us get away so easily?!" Danny berated himself.

But if Vlad had made a deal with her to save him… No, he couldn't accept it! He couldn't lose the guy—not like this! Not because the man felt the need to sacrifice himself for him!

Danny finally got to the Forbidden Region; and as he pulled his cell phone and turned on the timer, he searched for the opening to the Realm Beyond Time. He didn't understand why it was taking him so long to find the portal! He had come here so many times before. Why couldn't he find it?! Maybe his phone's clock application wasn't working! If he had known he would be seeking out Clockwork, he would have brought that old pocket watch he had… It was easier to tell when time stopped with it…

"Come on!" he shouted; but then he hitched his next breath when he finally saw the timer freeze on his cell's screen. Without hesitation, he dove through the invisible portal. He didn't even slow down as he came out on the other side and continued towards Clockwork's home.

But wait! Clockwork's tower had been destroyed! What if he wasn't there anymore?! What if he couldn't find Clockwork?!

But to his surprise and immense relief, he eventually saw the spirit's tower loom in the distance. Right now, he didn't care how it got rebuilt again. He just needed to see the spirit!

He shot right into the abode, and as he landed in the main area, he shouted, "Clockwork! Clockwork, I need to talk to you! Serenity—"

But Danny was cut off when the Time Master suddenly materialized in front of him.

"Danny… Why are you here?" the spirit asked with a frown.

"Why am I here?!" Danny repeated back in disbelief. "You know why! Your ex-wife took Vlad! And she…Well, who knows what she's planning with him! You have to stop her! You have to help me stop her! I won't let her hurt him!"

"I have no control over Serenity's choices… Or Vlad Plasmius' own," Clockwork answered.

"She tricked him!" Danny exclaimed back. "No, she forced him to make a deal with her! It's not right! She can't get away with this, Clockwork!"

"Again, there is nothing I can do," Clockwork replied sternly. "Spirits do not interfere with other spirit's affairs. And I especially try to stay away from the former Spirit of Order. If Vlad Plasmius made a deal with her, then I am afraid it is too late for him."

Danny just stared at Clockwork before he shook his head. "No. I won't accept that!" He glared back at the Time Master as he snapped back, "I'm sick of spirits interfering in our lives! Clockwork, it isn't fair and you know it!"

This time, the spirit briefly lowered his gaze. "There is more to this than you know…"

"Clockwork, I don't care!" Danny cut him off anxiously. "Please, right now, all I care about is getting to Vlad before it's too late. At least tell me where to find Serenity's isle. Please!"

"I cannot," Clockwork replied soberly.

The boy turned away and fisted his hands as he felt his throat tighten with emotion. He ran a hand through his hair before looking back at the spirit. Suddenly, the anger was gone. And what he had been feeling this whole week was suddenly left raw and exposed.

"Please…" Danny begged again with desperation. "He's giving up his life for me. I know it. He made a deal with her to save me. I can't… I can't live with that kind of guilt. I'll never forgive myself. And… I need him. He's my guardian, Clockwork…"

Danny sighed before he whispered, "He's the only one like me. This past year when I thought he was gone… Even when we were enemies, I felt like I lost a part of me. And now that I know how important we are to each other…I-I can't imagine my life without him. Please, help me save him."

Clockwork regarded the troubled teen before turning away and going to his time viewing orb. He brought up an image of Vlad when he had been at the GiW facility.

Danny's breath stilled as he moved closer. The man looked so unwell.

"I went there…" Danny whispered, confused. "But he was already gone. And… for some reason no one even remembers he was there…At least the Guys-in-White didn't."

Clockwork continued to view the image, and as he expected, he soon saw a glitch, like a moving picture jumping for a split second. But in that next instant, the man had just vanished. He knew that while he could not see Serenity—or rather any spirit within Time—he recognized her presence by the brief interruption of Time.

"She is no longer in command of Order… But her powers still allow her to remove someone from Time…" Clockwork said soberly. "And when that happens, Order automatically readjusts the timeline as needed to close… the gap. Usually the adjustments are subtle; but even the slightest change, is enough to… make an entire timeline disappear from Time's memory."

"They think he died in the Disasteroid event," Danny muttered. "But if Order can just change events like that, how come I remember? How come I wasn't affected by the shift? And wouldn't it have a deeper impact to Time if Vlad was removed from the events that just happened?!"

Clockwork lowered his staff and the image on the viewing orb vanished. He sighed before he said, "It does not work that way, Danny… As I said, when needed, Order can influence Time to keep it stable, especially when a spirit interrupts it. But Time will always end up in the same place it originally was in one way or another."

He paused, but then added, "And the reason the alternation did not affect you is for the same reason I have tried to stay away from you… Why I had hoped Serenity would stay away from you and Vlad Plasmius. Spirits are not meant to interact directly with those in the timeline; and when we do, there are consequences. Some less troublesome than others. But when it comes to Serenity and I, to Time and Order's effect on those we directly interact with, those consequences are compromised and essentially become ineffectual. In other words, you remember any changes done to timeline… hence why you always have memory of the times I have adjusted the timeline in the past, and why you have memory of it now. It's very likely your friends and family also remember... But, ultimately, it does not matter. Everyone else within Time only remembers what is—not what was."

"It can't be right for anyone to mess with the timeline like that," Danny said. "And I think you know it, too. Please, Clockwork. We can set things right together. Help me find Vlad. Help me stop her."

Clockwork looked back at the boy; and this time, his eyebrows creased, "As I said, there are things you do not know… Serenity's isle moves constantly, it is near impossible to locate it—"

"But you share some kind of bond with her! If anyone can find her, it's you!" Danny insisted.

"Danny, it's not just that," Clockwork insisted. "Even if I could locate her, I cannot interfere… Serenity and I… we went our own ways centuries ago with the unspoken agreement that we would not get in the way of each other's duties. She is also an Ancient… I cannot go above them. Believe me when I say, I am sorry for your loss."

Danny lowered his gaze as he fell quiet.

"If it's any consolation, he will be at peace," Clockwork continued. "I have never approved of Serenity's… methods. But her captives, like Pariah and others before him, just… They eventually fade away. Like being asleep, I suppose. They know no more; and eventually others that once knew them will forget, too. It's part of spell. She doesn't need to be in control of Order to do that. As I said, Time and Order have a way of rearranging themselves whenever someone is pulled out of the timeline. You have seen that firsthand by now."

Danny stared back fearfully at the Time Master. "But I don't want him to be forgotten like he never mattered!"

"Would you rather him be hunted down forever? Or locked up for what remains of his life?" Clockwork challenged. "You do not need to have the power to look into the future to know what Vlad Masters' end would have been in the hands of those hunters."

"No, I don't want that either…I just want…" Danny eyes suddenly glistened with tears as he stared back at the spirit and asked, "What happened to second chances, Clockwork?"

Clockwork smiled sadly at the boy. "Child, sometimes in life, there isn't a second chance. Sometimes you just get one try."

The boy's tears finally fell.

"I am sorry, Danny," Clockwork said with a sigh.

But the boy shook his head. "No… you're just scared."

Clockwork stared at the boy, but by his silence he was clearly taken aback by the accusation.

Danny glared weakly as he said, "At least admit you won't help not because you can't but because you don't want to. You don't want to face her. You're scared to."

"Danny—"

"Forget it. I'll find them myself," he cut him off bitterly before he turned to fly off.

But before he could leave, Clockwork quickly said, "You should know you're not the only one who wishes for things to be different."

The boy halted but didn't turn around.

"And you are not the only one who has lost someone in all this…" the male spirit added soberly. "Just as you have lost your guardian, I have lost my protégé… Niane is gone."

"What?" Danny whispered, turning back around.

Clockwork sighed again. "She was finally able to complete her purpose… To help her brother move on… Yet, it's strange…. Even when I knew her time here was temporary, I still felt unprepared for her departure… But it is not just with her. But with everything else. I feel unprepared because this was the one outcome I never saw as a possibility. But the worst of it is that I should have. And I did not because I didn't want to. Because it was easier not to think about her."

Danny stared at him. The way the spirit said 'her' just now. He was sure he didn't mean Niane. But then, he went with his hunch and he replied, "Her? … Serenity? I… don't… What are you really trying to tell me?"

Clockwork answered soberly, "That you have every right to be angry at me. That I made a mistake—one that both you and the other half-ghost are now paying dearly for it. I was wrong, because I was ready to sacrifice your life by having you take my place—and all because I wouldn't admit to myself the real reason why that time rift existed. And now… my counterpart is doing the same to your guardian because she thinks it is the only way to fix the disaster we both made. It is like you said… It isn't fair to you or Vlad Masters."

"Then, come with me," Danny insisted, somewhat hopeful. "I forgive you for whatever it is you did or think you did wrong. Just help me stop her from making the same mistake!"

But Clockwork just shook his head. "It is not so simple, Danny. Existence requires certain supernatural forces to keep it intact. And even now, those forces are weakened. That is why Serenity has taken Vlad Plasmius. She needs his sacrifice."

Danny's eyes widened as he finally understood. "Are you saying stopping my evil self wasn't enough? That Serenity is going to somehow use Vlad to…?"

"That is why I cannot interfere," Clockwork confirmed seriously.

But the boy shook his head. "There has to be another way!"

"You cannot change her mind," Clockwork answered.

"And you won't even try!" Danny accused him suddenly. "Why?"

But when the spirit didn't answer, the teen's frown deepened as he realized the truth. "It's not Serenity you're afraid of… You're afraid of failing with her again. That's was your real mistake, wasn't it? Time and Order have been unstable even before all that happened with Vlad and me… And now you… and Serenity want to sacrifice us to fix it."

"Not on purpose, Danny," Clockwork answered sadly.

Danny lowered his eyes. "I…I don't want to be mad at you, but… How could you do this? Worse, you're letting Serenity do the same thing! Well, I won't let her. I'm not giving up!"

"I know," Clockwork answered. "So, at least let me give you some advice: your bond with the other half-ghost. Keep it close."

Danny tensed. "My bond…" But then his eyes widened with realization.

Clockwork smiled sadly at the boy. "Good luck. You'll need it."

Danny sighed, but then said soberly, "You know, of all the spirits I've met so far, you've been the only one I've trusted. You're the only one who isn't blind and just plain heartless. I guess that's why I was so surprised when I first learned you were a spirit like the Observants and Ancients. Because you're not like them. You can see more than what's there… You care. And right now, I'm hoping you're still that same spirit I believe in. Because that Clockwork never wished me luck, because he was sure of his decisions. And even if by some chance he didn't make the right one, he would have the courage to fix it."

Clockwork only briefly regarded him before he turned away to look at his viewing orb. But he then muttered, "You don't have a lot of time."

Danny's gaze shrouded with disappointment, but without another word, he finally left.

Now alone, Clockwork sighed unable to deny the teen's words had struck a chord. But he also couldn't help but to remember what Niane had made him promise her before she left.

"Please don't hide in here forever..."

Serenity's actions of bringing him back and surrendering control of Order was the one outcome he never had even considered because it was impossible in his mind. He had lost hope so long ago…

But here he was. Back within Existence thanks to his soulmate. But because of it, the Time Master was now faced with one of the hardest decisions he needed to make.

But did he dare hope again? Was it even possible?

He realized the teenager was right. He was afraid. And it was why all the current Master of Time and Order could do was grip his glowing gold staff harder with indecision.

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"My bond!" Danny exclaimed as he looked out at his surroundings before landing on a small spectral island. "Why didn't I think of that before? If Vlad could use it to find me before then… I should be able to do the same, too! But… I've never done that…Uh, how do I do that?"

Danny closed his eyes as he searched his core, though he continued to talk out loud, "Vlad said it was easiest to activate our bond whenever I was in trouble. So, maybe if he is in trouble, I could—No, Clockwork said Serenity's spell puts its victims at peace. He wouldn't know he's in trouble!"

He squeezed his eyes harder as he whispered, "Where are you?"

But no matter how much he pushed his core, he couldn't feel the man. He wasn't even sure he felt their bond right now.

"No…," he whimpered before he backed up and slumped down against a green boulder.

He pulled up his knees and buried his face in his hands. It wasn't fair. How could he accept losing the only other person like him? How was he supposed to move on with losing his guardian after learning that he had one? After everything? And what about Danielle? She would be lost without Vlad, too!

Danny thought back to his time with the man in Wisconsin. Before all this mess. Before the Disasteroid. At that time, his life had been far from perfect. Most people hated him, his parents had not known his secret, his powers had been a mess, he had had enemies left and right, including an archenemy! Back then, he had thought the man to be the evilest person on Earth for having taken him from his family and for threatening his sister's life and trying to destroy his father…

But that had changed. Vlad had changed. No, not just Vlad. He had, too. They had changed. They had developed a bond that they had no clue what it even was except that they knew it was somehow there. They had helped each other… learned so much from each other.

But then, Danny had thought that had all been lost after he left Vlad's castle… After all the suffering they put each other through…. After the Disasteroid…

But… it had never been lost. Their bond had still been there. And now they had used it to overcome impossible odds… to defeat spirits… to learn just how deep that bond between each other ran… Deep enough to save all of Existence together.

But as he thought about it, he knew his intuition of their bond was not as developed as it was for Vlad. Perhaps because the teen had tried to not think about it too much. He had fought so hard to deny he was anything like the man; or that he belonged anywhere near him.

But the few times Danny had lowered his guard and reached out for that bond had been the times he had felt it, too. It had surrounded him. It was those few times he felt fearless. Protected. He had not wanted to lose that feeling. He had not wanted to lose him…

He could not stop himself from finally searching his heart and mind for those memories, for the times he had let himself feel that unique bond… And there was one in specific that came to him; and this one was one of the most painful moments in his life…

Danny just tensed some more with the man's touch; but also, with a strange sensation inside him, as if he could feel the older hybrid's worry for him. That hadn't happened to him before, and he knew that it didn't happen often with Vlad, even though there was that time Vlad said he could feel when he was in trouble. The teen now realized that the connection he had with the older hybrid must only be noticeable when either of them was in extreme distress, which made the boy further understand how worried Vlad now was for him…

"V-Vlad?" Danny quietly said, finally turning to face the billionaire. "I-I'm sorry… I-I…"

"Daniel, what is it?" Plasmius pressed, now feeling slightly alarmed.

"I changed my mind."

The older hybrid's worried look melded into something else. But Danny didn't see the utter disappointment and hurt, since the man looked away, not replying to him.

This time, Danny chanced moving a bit closer, and when the man didn't tense this time, the teen felt a bit hopeful as he whispered, "Trust me, Vlad. Nothing will change. I just… can't stay. But that doesn't change anything between us… I don't know if you realize it, but I need you more than I let on sometimes—especially now that you've become so important to me. You've become my advisor, my teacher, my friend… because you're… family to me now…"

Vlad finally looked at him, but the teen could finally see that all the man's anger was gone and had been replaced with utter sadness. And it was with that emotion that Vlad suddenly pleaded, "Don't do this to me, Danny… Not you…," he added more quietly and desperately.

The young hybrid had only heard Vlad sound this weak and broken one other time and each time it nearly broke his heart, especially now when he knew he was responsible for it.

Danny kept his eyes lowered as he continued to think of that memory. He had also felt how heartbroken the man had been. He had never felt their bond as strongly as he had at that moment even when the man did everything possible to destroy it that day. And all because he realized at that same moment how much he had not wanted to lose his guardian…

"I just… want to fix the wrong ones… my mistakes," Danny answered sorrowfully. "I never meant to… hurt you." He looked pleadingly at the man as he added, "Let me fix my mistake. Please, Vlad. We can still fix things…"

"Fix what?" Vlad asked with an amused scoff. "Our ruse? Both of us trying to pretend to be something we are not? Or, is it that you want me to let you play the hero, and let you save me, little badger?"

Danny frowned and seriously answered, "It wasn't a ruse. And it's more than 'playing hero'. You can't pretend now that you don't feel this… bond between us! It was real, then, and it's real now!"

"…You can't save me, Daniel," Vlad told him seriously.

"I can still try," Danny whispered out loud, his voice suddenly laced with realization and hope.

That's right. He vowed he would try. And he would not stop trying…

Danny quickly stood up and glanced out into the distance. The Ghost Zone was endless, especially with all the portals and dimensions within it. Finding anything without a clue to where it was, was utterly impossible.

But what Danny was looking for wasn't lost. Not yet. He wouldn't lose him this time. He had made a vow to himself long ago that he would save Vlad Masters; and he wasn't about to give up now.

Danny closed his eyes again and fisted his hands as he searched deep inside himself once more. It was there. It had always been there. Even with all the resentment and anger, even with the millions of things that separated them, his bond with his guardian was there.

And they used it to save the world; hadn't they connected so strongly that it was palpable? Why couldn't they connect again, then? How could it be impossible when he could still feel it, even now? It burned as strongly in him as his love for his friends and family, which now included this man. Because this man was a part of him, like his loved ones were. He was a very important part of him. A powerful part of him.

Danny didn't see that his entire body began to glow gold, nor was he aware that his pupils were also golden.

But he felt it. He felt it because he needed to. He needed his guardian, and the older hybrid needed him, too.

Danny, this power. I only feel it when you need me," Vlad confessed, staring wistfully at the boy. "I have always felt it," he continued. "It was a spark at first. When I first met you… But then when you were with me for those months, it started to ignite. To grow… With every situation between us… Saving you from Pariah…Back when Walker tried to harm you… And Dazzler. Those times it would burn strongest. Those times when you needed me most. I just… I never gave into the feeling out of fear for what it meant. And I never thought it meant this… But I realized the moment Niane told us the truth, I didn't need her spell to wield gold energy. I just needed you to unlock it for me… And for me to accept it…"

"No, Vlad…" Danny whispered to himself as he slowly opened his eyes. "It's not just when I need you; but when you need me. A door opens both ways…I'm not afraid of our bond anymore. I've accepted it, too. And I'm going to find you."

Danny took off in what seemed a random direction; but his flight was quick and steady. He knew exactly where he was going because he could feel it. It wasn't like his ghost sense. It ran deeper into his very soul. And the closer he got to what was pulling him forward, the stronger it felt.

In fact, he realized as he let his bond with the man fully surround him, he began to perceive more… What was he seeing? A vision? A memory?

Whatever it was, it was being projected to him from the man's subconscious. It seemed so real….

A boy with dark blue eyes and no older than his mid-teens walked up a hillside. He looked lost. Confused. Alone.

"Vlad?" a voice called in the darkening surroundings.

The boy quickly paused and began to search for the voice. But he soon found it, and he smiled at the girl at the top of the hill sitting there and waving at him.

Vlad quickly ran forward, looking immensely relieved.

"Annie!" he exclaimed and tackled the girl in a hug.

But she laughed as she shoved him off playfully. "What? Scared of the dark now?"

"Am not!" he denied, shoving her lightly.

His sister just giggled before she pointed behind them. "Hey, Stephanie's here!"

Vlad turned his head and grinned at the other girl. "You made it!" he exclaimed excitedly.

"Yeah, if my parents find out I am out here this late…" the black-haired girl began.

"And If our parents find out…," Annie added with a sheepish smile.

"… If being the key word here," Vlad finished with a smirk.

The three just snickered before Stephanie also took a seat next to Vlad and his sibling.

"It's a nice night though, isn't it?" Annie said with a content sigh.

"Do you think we'll see this comet? It's supposed to come by like two hours just before the sun comes up," Stephanie said.

"Good thing I brought snacks!" Annie answered pulling a large picnic basket closer to them.

"You want anything, Vlad?" his siblings suddenly asked.

But the boy had fallen quiet.

"Vlad?" Stephanie called curiously. "Are you okay?"

Their surroundings blurred but no one seemed to notice…

Danny gasp softly as he was brought back to reality. What was happening? He blinked back the weird vision; but as he pressed forward, his mind began to drift again… And he realized while his connection with the man was as strong as ever, something outside of his control was causing it to flicker, like a dying flame…

"Vlad" Stephanie called again.

"I… I am not sure," he said slowly and began to look around himself. "How did I get here?"

"You didn't want to come here?" Annie asked, confused.

"You do not want to be here with us?" Stephanie added.

Vlad shook his head. "No, I… I do want to be here with you both. Everything is perfect… But…"

"But?" Stephanie asked patiently.

Vlad fell quiet again before he glanced up at the stars slowly appearing in the sky. "I feel like I have forgotten something… This feels like a dream."

The two girls quickly laughed.

"Maybe you are dreaming. It's past your bedtime, isn't it?" Stephanie teased.

"Yup, sure is! He'd be snoring by now!" Annie jabbed with a grin.

As if forgetting his concerns, Vlad quickly reached over his girlfriend to get to his sibling and jabbed his fingers in Annie's side. "Oh, it's on!" he exclaimed.

Annie yelped at being tickled.

"Hey, keep me out of it!" Stephanie laughed as she fell back so that the two siblings could duke it out.

But Vlad quickly switched his focus to his girlfriend and attacked her with his fingers instead. "You started it! You also get punished!"

Stephanie cried out; but then laughing she said, "Okay! Okay! I'm sorry! I was just making sure you were awake!"

But then, she quickly fought back.

And seeing this, Annie grinned and also tackled the boy. "Let's make sure he's super awake!"

"Hey, no!" Vlad exclaimed with a loud laugh. "You two are cheaters! Stop! Okay, I give! Stop, for crying out loud! You win!"

The two female friends high-fived in victory. As they settled down, Annie pulled a bag of chips from the picnic basket and opened it.

She offered some to Stephanie but she shook her head, and answered, "Later."

She instead leaned over to Vlad and grabbed his hand. "Forgive me?" she asked with a small smile.

Vlad rolled his eyes at her but then smiled. "Always."

"Hey, you two better not start," Annie warned. "Oh, look! I think I saw a shooting star!"

Vlad quickly looked back at the sky; but also seeing a shooting star, he frowned.

"Vlad it's a dream!"

The teenage boy suddenly tensed and looked around. "Did you guys hear that?"

But his friend and sibling were too busy pointing up at the sky as stars continued to shoot through the dark sky.

Danny suddenly felt his connection sever so abruptly, he halted his flight and gripped at his chest.

"Vlad?" he whispered as panic started to set in. Something was trying to sever their bond. He could feel it.

Danny thought back when Serenity had made him believe he was dreaming. She had also presented something wonderful at first; something she knew he would believe and it would keep him from fighting back.

"No, you don't!" Danny growled, and fisted his hands. Searching his core, he gripped harder at his connection with Vlad and tugged. He yanked back at whatever force was trying to tear it apart.

And feeling his connection return almost instantly, the teen took off again, but the visions returned…

"Seriously, Vlad, what's up with you? You need to relax," Stephanie said before leaning against him. She kissed his cheek, and said, "You're strung-up. Chill."

Vlad smiled at his girlfriend before relaxing. He watched the sky for another moment before he decided, "This is a nice night… It's perfect."

"The best," Annie agreed. "Too bad we can't do this forever, right?"

"We could… We'll just not go back home. Live off your snacks," Stephanie suggested before the two girls laughed.

"I used to dream about this night all the time when I was younger," Vlad said soberly, not realizing fully what he as saying.

"A dream?" Stephanie asked. "What do you dream about now?"

Vlad fell quiet but continued to stare at the stars. "About a boy… He's younger, or maybe our age? I cannot recall…But he's special. Unique. He's… kind. Good. Too good, like a cliché hero…But that's what makes him so special."

"That's a weird dream. Is he you?" Annie questioned curiously.

Danny's eyes began to glaze with tears when he realized what Serenity was doing. She was trying to make him forget… That's what her spell did before it took hold… Before it took its victim forever.

Vlad paused; but then he shook his head. "No… But I feel he needs me. He keeps calling to me…He's important, but I… I cannot remember why… Or who he is."

Vlad frowned deeply and looked around himself again.

"Hey, it's not real. It was just a dream," Stephanie assured him warmly.

Vlad looked at her with a small smile before glancing back at the stars. "I suppose you're right… He seemed real, though."

The boy suddenly yawned before he said, "Maybe I am more tired than I thought…"

"Take a nap," Annie suggested. "We'll wake you when it's the right time. Then, tomorrow, we can go horseback riding… We'll stay out there forever."

Vlad nodded before he laid back on the green grass and crossed his hands behind his head with a peaceful smile.

His eyes began to drift close though he seemed to continue to appreciate the dimming stars.

"He liked the stars," Vlad muttered with a fond smile. "They are nice, aren't they…?"

"No!" Danny gasped out as the dream-like vision faded from his mind like a dissipating fog. "Vlad, no! Don't go! I'm real! Your life wasn't a dream!"

But regardless of his attempt to push through the man's mind, this time, he could not. The man's consciousness was fading away quick.

Panicked, the teen quickly halted, and reached out to his actual ghost sense. Luckily, he was close enough to physically feel the man's presence some distance away. And disregarding how dangerous it was to teleport without an idea of where he would be teleporting to, he concentrated.

And holding onto the man's ghost signature, he used only that feeling to teleport the remaining distance.

In a flash of gold, Danny appeared in a darkened room, lit up by flaming red torches. It had rows of green coffins lined up in a circle around the room.

And while they all looked the same, Danny instantly went to one in specific, ripped it open, and gasped when an unconscious Vlad Masters all but fell against him.

"Vlad? Wake up! Come on!" Danny urged, shaking him. "Wake up! Wake up!"

"You cannot wake him, crossbreed," a familiar voice suddenly said.

Danny's head snapped towards the voice just as Serenity materialized in the room. The boy's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Stay away from us. I won't let you take him!" the teen growled as he held unto the man protectively.

"Young light, he chose this…," she answered patiently.

"I don't care!" Danny snapped back. "You tricked him! You forced him!"

Serenity shook her head. "Have you learned nothing yet, Danny Phantom? I am not what you call 'the bad guy'."

"But you're not 'the good guy', either!" Danny answered back. "You might have brought back Clockwork; but that doesn't mean I trust you anymore than I did! You can't just destroy someone's entire life because you think you're helping him or helping stabilize Existence or whatever! I know what you want to do, and I won't let you!"

But then Danny quickly shook Vlad again. "Wake up!" he pleaded the unresponsive man.

"What is one life in the grand scheme of things?" she countered. "Yes, I do plan to use his core and power to further stabilize Existence, but more than that, I am helping him."

Her eyebrows creased slightly as she further said, "Look at him. He is at peace. What could he want from his past life? Do not be selfish, young light. It's your turn to let your shadow go. Let him die."

Danny's eyes filled with tears; but he shook his head. "No. Never."

Serenity looked at him for a long moment. She then glanced at the unconscious man before focusing back on the boy.

"Do you remember when you and your shadow came to my isle for the first time in search of my Order's Crystal?"

"That relic was never the Order's Crystal!" Danny growled back. "You tricked us into thinking it was! You tricked us into finding that relic just to have the excuse of coming after us!"

But at seeing the spirit step closer, Danny's aura flared gold around him and Vlad as he shouted threateningly, "Stay away!"

Serenity paused but otherwise did not react to the teen's flaring powers or threat. "As I told your shadow, the Order's Crystal is whatever you want it to be," she said calmly. "And you mortals are so quick to conjure up objects in your mind. You never seem to grasp that true power is not tangible."

Danny's glare didn't falter but he now also looked confused. "The crystal…?"

"You expected to find something tangible when you came to my isle; so, I let you find something you could see and grasp…" Serenity continued. "But you said it yourself, that crystal was never the Order's Crystal. But it was a means to an end… A way to make something intangible, like a bond between two half-ghosts, tangible. Do you understand? Your Order's Crystal—yours and your shadow's relic— was the supernatural bond between you both. And you both misused your bond. I warned you both not to bring about chaos, or you would be facing my justice."

Danny looked down at the unconscious older hybrid. "We misused our bond…?" the teen muttered.

All this… All this started from the day they took that relic. That supposed Order's Crystal had been harnessing his and Vlad's bond all that time? It's why it had broken in half when they parted. It was how Vlad had been able to control him. Why it called to both of them… Serenity had used their own unstable bond against them.

The Order's Crystal is whatever the user envisions it to be…

Danny shook his head. "But we used that crystal to cast the Spell of Forever Sleep on…?"

"Did you? Are you sure that's what you both did?" Serenity cut him off amused. "Only an Ancient can cast such a spell, crossbreed…"

Danny's eyes widened in disbelief. That meant… Whatever they had done to keep his friends and family safe… had come from using their own powers… from their own bond…

Serenity sighed. "It's a shame… a supernatural bond like yours and your shadow's own has not been seen since the dawn of time—since spirits were created… My kind believe you both a threat. I had hoped differently… But now I wonder if that is all you both really are… A threat that has to be wiped out of Existence. Luckily for you, your shadow has sacrificed himself for you…"

Danny just stared at her. Why tell him all this now? What was she looking for? What was she trying to tell him…?

Danny had to admit she was right about one thing: She wasn't 'the bad guy'. Everything she did was a with higher purpose, cruel or not.

So, if she was trying to reveal some truth, there was something she was wanting him to remember or understand about it…. If all this was really about their bond, then… her scrolls had not really been about the true Order's Crystal either…

There must be balance in one before there can be balance in two.
But if you are certain of both, then I will guide you to that you wish to keep.

"Your scroll…," Danny realized. "You let Vlad find it. You led us to the relic that would enhance our bond. A bond you knew we were not ready for. You used your powers, the real Order's Crystal, to push us… to… test us? That's it, isn't it?"

But although she didn't react, the teen confidently continued, "You used everything since then and up until what happened with my evil-self to…bring us here…You knew Vlad would try to protect me from you; and… that I would come after Vlad now…"

Danny paused as he remembered what Clockwork told him about the spirit's intention to use Vlad to stabilize Existence. But he realized it wasn't all there was to this, because she knew Danny would come, too. She was after something more…

The teen frowned back at her and then repeated softly, "You were waiting for me to come here. This is still all part of your test …But what are you testing? Our bond? Why? What do you really want?"

"For you to answer one simple question," she answered calmly. "Tell me, Danny Phantom…What would you do to save him?"

Danny swallowed as he stared down at his unconscious former archenemy. She had asked him this before. He remembered he had been too afraid to answer her then because he didn't know the answer.

But he knew the answer now.

Danny looked back at the female spirit and answered without hesitation, "Anything. Spare him and you can have me instead."

Serenity almost smirked. "That is what he said to me, too. It would be… disorderly of me to break my arrangement with your shadow."

"Make a new arrangement. With me," Danny replied seriously. "We both know out of the two of us, I'm the bigger threat to Existence. I will always be a liability to the Ancients and Observants. Not Vlad. You've seen other timelines. He's never a threat without me. With me out of the picture, Vlad will give everything up. Let me take his place; and let him live out his life."

"What life?" she questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Order has a way of rearranging Time when someone is removed from it…," Danny answered knowingly, silently thanking Clockwork for the knowledge he provided him not too long ago.

"You can remove me from the timeline, instead of Vlad. Without me, Vlad would have never revealed himself during the Disasteroid event," the teen continued. "Without me, he gets his life back. Let him go, Serenity. Let me take his place. You can use my core for whatever purpose you need."

"Your life for his…? A light for a shadow…Let's see what he thinks…," she answered before she reached out and a glow overtook the man.

With a sudden gasp, the man's eyes snapped open.

"Vlad?" Danny called with hope.

The teen let the man go when he sat up on his own.

Vlad gripped his head a moment before he focused on the boy. But he looked confused at first as he whispered, "Daniel?"

Danny smiled sadly at him. "I thought I lost you, cheesehead."

Vlad stared at him for another moment before looking over at Serenity. But his confusion quickly melded into understanding and then horror.

"No…," Vlad whispered; but he quickly glared at Serenity, and demanded, "What is this? Why is he here? You assured me he wouldn't find us! You said he would forget! We had a deal, Serenity!"

"You wanted her to make me forget?" Danny questioned with disbelief.

"His bond with you is stronger than I thought" Serenity answered calmly. "But it is of no importance now. You now have the choice of leaving, of reclaiming your life. Your light has offered his in exchange for yours… And since you creatures can never seem to agree on anything, I am swayed to just accept his offer… After all, he is right. What threat could a shadow be without its light?"

Vlad's eyes widened in fear as Serenity smirked at him. But the man quickly looked back at the teen.

"No… Danny, no," he breathed out. He quickly sat up even more and grabbed the teen's shoulders. "Listen to me, Daniel. You cannot make a deal with her. Go live your life. Go home, Danny. Go home with your family and friends. Where you belong."

But Danny's eyes just swelled with tears as he answered, "No. I'm not letting you do this. You don't deserve this."

"Yes, I do!" Vlad exclaimed, letting the teen go. He passed a hand through his hair before saying more calmly, "Daniel, it is you who does not deserve having your life end…. No, do not shake your head at me! Look at me! I need you to listen!"

When the boy stared sadly back at him, he sighed deeply. "Danny, I've lived my life. I didn't make the best choices and it is not something I can take back. Worse, I brought you into this. My mistakes are why we are here now. I won't let the things I've done destroy your life as they did mine…. Your life is just starting, my boy. You have so much to give this world. I want you to… continue being who you are…."

The man briefly lowered his gaze. But when he looked back at the teen, they were glowing with unshed tears as he continued, "I want you to reach those stars you've always dream about. I want you to continue being that cliché but endearing hero. I want you to have a future, Daniel. If you can do that, I will be alright. I promise."

Danny stared at him with sorrow before he reached forward and hugged him. "I can't lose you. Not again. I promised I would save you."

Vlad hugged him back as his own tears fell. "And you did. You have, little badger. My life was meaningless until you gave it meaning. You saved me from my own darkness that I thought had consumed me… And I'm sorry. Do you hear me? I'm sorry for everything. For all I did to you. To those you care about. I'm sorry for not being there for you. But I can be now…It's my turn to save you."

He pulled away and placed a hand on the teen's wet cheek. "I'm your guardian, remember? Let me be that. Give me that. Please. Please, my little badger."

Danny whimpered before he buried his head back in the man's chest and sobbed. "It's not fair! Why do things always have to end like this? Why does one of us always have to lose?!"

"I don't know… But it's alright," Vlad whispered petting the teen's head. He gently pushed him away, and sadly asked, "Go. Last lesson from me, little badger. Let go."

Danny stared back at the man with teary eyes. "Let go…?" He briefly looked over at Serenity who calmly watched him and Vlad…She was waiting… waiting for him to let go, too.

That was it.

The teen looked back at the man, and whispered, "Do you remember the deal we made before we faced our evil-self? We promised each other we would let the other do what needed to be done. I trust you… Do you trust me, too?"

Vlad stared at him fearful and confused. But then the man smiled sadly. "I trust you, my boy."

Danny looked at the man for another second before he suddenly got up; and wiping away his tears, he turned to face the female spirit.

"Have you decided, young light?" Serenity asked with a small smile. "Will you lose your shadow? Or will he lose his light? Speak your choice."

But Danny shook his head in response. "No. He's not my shadow…He's my guardian. But you don't understand the difference because you view everything as black and white, including people. But the truth is Vlad and I are both equally able to reflect light and dark with our choices. And my guardian once told me there isn't always one clear choice, because the world isn't always black and white!"

Danny paused before he muttered, "It took me a while to understand what that meant… Since I became Danny Phantom, I've been asked to choose. Choose between being human and ghost. Choose to be good or evil. Choose between a future and the fate of everyone else… To choose between saving my shadow… or letting him save me…. But I realized… I learned, sometimes there isn't a wrong and right choice; you just have to make a choice and trust things will work out. Sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith."

The teen glanced back at Vlad who stared worriedly at him but said nothing. He could see it in the man's eyes that while he was terrified, Vlad was trusting him with his next decision even if it was one he might not like. And that gave Danny all the confidence he needed.

"This is my leap of faith. I'm not choosing this time... " Danny said with sudden conviction, "You already know he would do anything to save me, just like I would do anything to save him. But what you forget is that you cannot separate us. Our bond is indestructible. And I won't let it go, this time."

"Neither will I," Vlad suddenly said as he stood to his feet and glared at the female spirit with the same conviction as the younger hybrid.

Danny glanced at the man and smiled before looking back at the quiet Serenity.

"If you say we misused your crystal or our bond or whatever you want to blame us for, then we are equally responsible," Danny said soberly. "So, here's your choice: You want him? You take me, too. Or you let him go, and you let me go, too. But you're not separating us. No one is!"

Serenity just stared for a long moment at the determined teen before glancing over at the older half-ghost, and asking, "You two are willing to share each other's fate, even if it means your end? ... even if it means you will both lose?"

Danny took a step back to stand next to Vlad, and answered, "Yes."

"Yes," Vlad echoed beside him as he placed a hand on the teen's shoulder.

In that instant, the two hybrid's ghostly glow illuminated with gold energy.

"At last, a true supernatural bond," Serenity answered in awe before she suddenly transformed into her phoenix form and expelled a wave of red power forward.

Danny and Vlad gasped as they were engulfed by the red energy. It immobilized them and raised them up to the large bird's eye level all at once.

"Clever, crossbreeds, you actually passed my test…," Serenity said, yet her mouth did not move.

If it wasn't for their being restrained, her soft voice would have been a relief. But it wasn't. And they could only stare at the spirit in dread as she continued.

"I am amazed that such a bond truly exists. Your willingness to trust each other, and remain together in spite of the risks, has proven your bond truly is indestructible... Such true power in the hands of two mortal beings...It should not be possible…And yet here it is... Beautiful creatures, if only the circumstances were different I would reward you both by returning your freedom…"

If Serenity had felt any form of remorse or sympathy, it was gone in the next instant as her eyes brightened with her power. "Unfortunately for you both, my duty to order does not allow me to do that. Existence is still unstable. And your supernatural bond is exactly what is needed to permanently heal the Natural Order….All I have to do is remove it from your mortal shells."

"Is that what things have come to?" another voice suddenly spoke. "Sacrificing the lives of innocent mortals?"

Vlad and Danny would have jolted in surprise with the unexpected but familiar voice if they could move.

And if Serenity had not been in her phoenix form, her own surprise would have shown; but instead, she turned to the other spirit that had suddenly appeared in the room.

"Clockwork…," Serenity's voice echoed around them as the time spirit floated up to her eye level. "As usual, you are too late. You know what must happen now."

"Yes, I know what must happen," he agreed, "But it is not the same thing you believe. Or, rather, what you have forced yourself to believe."

Serenity's head tilted slightly with confusion at his comment.

But before she could question it, the young hybrid shouted, "Clockwork! I knew it! I knew you would come! She wants to—!"

"Silence!" Serenity commanded darkly.

"Clockwork…" Danny grunted out, feeling the female spirit's power swell around him.

And by the way Vlad gritted his teeth, he felt it too. It was like an unseen fire was being ignited around them.

"Why are you here?" Serenity demanded coldly.

Clockwork didn't react to her tone of voice. He knew speaking to his counterpart in this current form was near impossible. She was completely devoid of anything but cold thinking and the desire for destruction in this form.

Still, he knew he had to try. Danny and Niane had been right. He was the only one who could put an end to this chaos.

"I am here because I have stayed away long enough," Clockwork answered soberly. "Because you need me... And I need you."

But the firebird's gaze only darkened. "There is those weak emotions of yours, Time Master. I have no concept of this 'need' you speak of! But I do know what needs to be done."

"All you are doing is creating chaos, Serenity," Clockwork answered seriously. "Do you not see that you will only make matters worse with what you are about to do? it's time we both accept the true reason why Existence is still unstable."

"I know the real reason why Existence is unstable," Serenity scolded. "But the reason does not matter anymore, but rather, how it can be fixed. So, again, I do not understand why you are here."

"Yes, you do," Clockwork assured her. "You understand because deep down you wanted me to come and find you. I can feel it, just like you can, too… You want this to end as much as I do... You are not the only one who has become unstable."

The male spirit glanced Danny and Vlad as he added, "And we both know you don't really want to sacrifice them, because all it will do at the most is temporarily fix a larger problem... and at the worst destroy Existence once and for all."

"No! Their bond is powerful enough to do more than just temporarily fix things!" she argued back. "And it's not a matter of what I want, but rather, what is necessary! And I am not unstable!"

Clockwork sighed but then reminded her, "They have passed the test of Order. They have proven to you they are worthy of their unique bond. Does that mean nothing, Serenity?"

Serenity hesitated this time as she glanced over at the half-ghosts who were staring back at her with fear.

"Of course, it does" she was forced to admit. "No one has ever passed my test before…"

"Because you have never allowed it before," he answered.

But believing the time spirit was reproaching her, she muttered back with displeasure, "As usual, you do not understand."

And feeling more than seeing his counterpart's growing anger, Clockwork frowned deeply, yet answered, "You are right. I have never understood. I always thought your way of doing things was cruel. And at some point, I even believed you were incapable of knowing anything else… So, I gave up."

Serenity just stared at him, confused again. What was he trying to tell her? But realizing she was letting herself be distracted by her counterpart, she shook her head.

"Now is not the time to discuss our differences," she answered, focusing back on Vlad and Danny. "Leave, Clockwork. The crossbreeds have chosen their fate, and I will finish what I started."

"Their fate? No, you are choosing their fate," Clockwork answered. "What they have chosen is to remain together. And you helped them get to this point; because while your methods might be cruel at times, your original intent had been to help them. Isn't that right? You could have destroyed them at any time, and you did not. Instead, you pushed them, hoping they would finally come together for the good of all Existence."

Serenity was silent for a moment before she admitted, "Indeed. I desired to help them after I learned their unique bond was something worth protecting."

"Then, why are you trying to destroy it now?" he asked, troubled. "If you truly want to finish what you started, then help them like you first set out to do."

"As I told the Ancient before I renounced to their ways.. all I have done has been for the sake of Existence. It is my duty; even if I am no longer the Guardian of Order, I will still protect it. And if sacrificing these mortals is the only way to fix it, then so be it!"

Clockwork's eyes widened, unable to believe Serenity had renounced her Ancient position. But it suddenly gave him further hope in getting to her. He just had to find a way to push her out of her current form.

"So, this is truly what you believe needs to happen so that Existence does not fall apart again?" he whispered soberly "Use the half-ghosts' bond as some… cosmic battery?"

"Do not try to stop me, Clockwork!" she warned, the air growing hotter.

But the time spirit shook his head. "I am not here to stop you, Serenity…," Clockwork answered, surprising the female spirit. "As I said, you need me... I am here to help you restore balance again…And if you believe sacrificing the half-ghosts is the only way to do that… then so be it."

Danny and Vlad's eyes widened. They had stayed silent the entire time, hoping the time spirit could fix things; but they realized it was the complete opposite.

"Blasted spirits!" Vlad exclaimed furiously.

"No! Clockwork, you can't…!" Danny began with disbelief.

But the time spirit suddenly commanded, "Time out."

The two half-ghosts were frozen in time, but the Time Master stayed focused on his female counterpart.

Serenity glanced at Vlad and Danny before looking back at the time spirit. She tilted her head slightly. "Do you speak truthfully? You would help me destroy them?"

"Yes," Clockwork answered soberly. "I said I was not here to stop you from doing what you think is necessary… You know why? Because I am choosing to trust you instead… the same way you trusted me when you brought me back."

Serenity's red aura softened, and the heated air around her vanished "You see the truth now," she muttered.

Clockwork nodded. "I understand now why you brought me back even when it went against all your logic… You did it because you care. Not just about me, but also about what truly is best for Existence. It is why you gave up your guardianship and who you are… And why you renounced to the Ancients' ways."

Serenity stared back before saying quietly, "Even I had not understood what I had done until recently… I realized how important our bond is to me…But more than that… I knew Existence needed you. Time and Order will be safer in your hands, because you see what other spirits do not... what I do not."

Clockwork smiled sadly, "I am honored you think so highly of me, Serenity… But there is just one problem with that: I cannot and do not want to do it alone. Serenity, all that has happened… It wasn't just these half-ghosts' bond that needed to be tested, but our own, as well… I know we failed before, but perhaps this time, it can be different…"

He glanced at Danny, silently thanking him for finally pushing him to do what needed to be done.

"I do not understand...," Serenity answered; but in spite of still being in her phoenix form, she now seemed to want to understand what her counterpart was saying.

"I should have returned sooner to you," Clockwork replied seriously. "I should have never broken our bond as I did so long ago… Do you not see? We now have the chance to fix it, because there is another way…"

Serenity's eyes widened as she finally understood what he was saying; but she quickly shook her head. "That 'other way' is not possible." Her gaze hardened again as she echoed, "Time and Order will always move parallel from each other. They will never come together!"

Clockwork frowned, knowing he had said that too many times before.

"Then, it will take an eternity of sacrificing other supernatural bonds and innocent lives to keep Existence intact," Clockwork answered sadly. "As long as Time and Order move parallel from each other, Existence will always be unstable…and so will we."

Serenity glanced away towards the frozen half-ghosts. She knew her counterpart was right, but what he was proposing wasn't possible! He had told her himself so many times before!

"You were the one who cast me away! Who chose to break our bond!" she suddenly accused him angrily; and while her energy flared, it was not as strong as before.

"And you drove me away by your unwavering focus to your duties," he countered, but there was no accusation in his voice. "But I was wrong, Serenity. We were wrong. Time and Order are meant to work together. They are meant to have two masters—but two masters working as one…."

He extended his hand at her, and added softly, "Please...Help me do the right thing. We both know the half-ghosts are only a part of what is truly needed to fix Existence. Yes, their bond is needed more than any of us truly know. But our bond is needed, too. Help me, Serenity. I cannot do this alone, and neither can you. Help me restore balance once and for all. The right way. Time and Order intertwined again. Connected and balanced, as it should be. Directed as one, by both of us. But to do that, we must be connected again."

Serenity's phoenix form finally melded away. But now in her humanoid form, she stared hesitantly at Clockwork's hand. She didn't understand the gesture; but his words... They meant something else to her.

"What you really mean is I would be bound to you... Tied down again by your power...," she muttered

Serenity stepped back from the male spirit when her fiery energy began to flare around her. Nevertheless, she fought to keep her phoenix form from returning.

And seeing it, Clockwork quickly whispered, "No, I would never tie you down. Serenity, I never did. As for being bound to me… Yes, that is true; but I would be bound to you, too. We would belong to each other, but as equals….as it should be…."

"I cannot see how such a thing could be possible…," she muttered, internally conflicted.

"We do not have to see it or understand it. All you have to do is trust me. And I vow to trust you in return…" Clockwork assured her.

Serenity's expression softened, but she still looked unsure. She glanced over at the half-ghosts as she added quietly, "How did they do it? How did they accomplish something we never did?"

Clockwork sighed. "I wondered the same until recently…. And while their relationship is different than our own, and they may be human, I think we can learn from them…. You know how they did it? …They never stopped trying… We can do the same now… We can try."

Serenity looked back at him and his still extended hand with confusion. "Try?"

"It means that even if we fail at times, we stay together," Clockwork answered with a small smile. "It means we never give up on each other again."

Serenity's eyes widened in awe. "That sounds… beautiful…"

"It is," he answered, still holding his hand out. "Will you try with me then?"

Serenity finally smiled and nodded, "I will..." She took a step towards him and extended her own hand. "It will be as you say, my dear Clockwork."

Clockwork smiled back when the female spirit took his hand. In an instant, the gold glow around Clockwork's staff extended around them both before it exploded out in a wave of intangible power.

It was over in a fraction of a second; but both spirits instantly felt and saw the change in each other.

Serenity let go of her counterpart's hand, and noticed her hue was now glowing gold again. She could feel her powers restored; but now she could also feel her counterpart's powers coursing through her, too.

Clockwork was also relieved when his body began to shift forms again. He finally felt like himself again—but he also felt complete now that his bond with his counterpart was restored and stronger than it ever had been.

They were now one and the same. Two beings working as one. Both the embodiment of the Master of Time and Order.

Clockwork and Serenity looked at each other, and all of the tension that had swirled around their cores for what seemed like eternity sloughed off. They suddenly felt like no time had come between them—as if they had always been together.

"So, what are we going to do with the half-ghosts?" Clockwork asked calmly, looking back at the two frozen hybrids.

Serenity looked back over at them, too, and frowned slightly, "It seems we have made a mess of their timeline. And I would not put it past the Ancients and Observants to come after them again because they still believe them a threat."

"Didn't they pass your test? Wouldn't that mean their bond is fully evolved?" Clockwork asked.

Serenity raised an eyebrow, knowing her counterpart knew the answer to those questions. But sensing his internal amusement, she finally understood what he was thinking… and planning.

But playing along, she calmly answered, "You know, you are right. And that means there might just be a way to assure their survival and also fix the Natural Balance. Do you think they would agree to… help?"

"Only one way to find out…." Clockwork answered, this time outwardly smirking.

Serenity smiled back before she surprisingly commanded, "Time in."

The half-ghosts gasped as a wave of power unfroze them completely; but in that same instant, the dungeon they had been in vanished. And they were suddenly outside.

But what shocked them even more was that while they could tell they were still on Serenity's isle, the place had changed. The volcano had become a lush green mountain with a flowing stream down its center, and the ruins turned into a beautiful temple.

But more importantly... They were not restrained by the female spirit's power anymore.

Vlad and Danny stared wide-eyed at the spirits who just calmly gazed back at them.

"I… What happened?" Danny whispered, unsure of what to make of all the sudden changes.

Vlad was as equally confused. Wasn't Serenity about to destroy them?

But Vlad suddenly noticed the soft gold hue around the two spirits, and his eyes widened. "You two are… working together now?"

Clockwork lightly shrugged. "I suppose you can say it took the existence of two half-mortals for us to finally understand each other…"

"Does that mean your, uh, w-wife's letting us go?" Danny asked, just as nervous, though now hopeful.

Clockwork raised an eyebrow at Danny calling Serenity 'his wife'. He knew what the mortal term meant; but it was foreign to him as a spirit.

But surprisingly, Serenity suddenly asked, "Who said I was keeping you here?"

"Uhhh… you kidnapped Vlad, remember?" Danny said, now a bit annoyed. "And just a moment ago, you were telling us about some fate you must carry out or something, all the while making it feel like you were getting ready to burn us at the stake!"

"oh, yes… about that…" Serenity answered, "You passed my test. Your fate is your own again. You are free from my judgment."

"Really?" Vlad asked suspiciously. "What about that whole nonsense of using our bond to repair Existence?"

"Well, I wouldn't call it nonsense…" Clockwork spoke up with a hint of a smirk. "While Serenity and I can restore the balance between Time and Order, we are still in need of your and Danny's help... willingly, this time."

"You must be joking," Vlad answered, annoyed.

But Danny suddenly jabbed the older half-ghost with his elbow; and not wanting to risk Serenity having a second change of heart, he answered for them, "What he means is what exactly do you want us to do?"

"Supernatural bonds, like yours, do not occur for no reason," the time spirit replied. "You see, Danny. Everything is connected. From the moment you were both created you were meant to walk this path..."

Danny shook his head. "You mean you knew all this would happen?"

"Mortals…," Serenity said with a smirk. "You all understand so little. We are not all-knowing beings."

Clockwork patiently added, "Serenity and I, we might be known as the Masters of Time and Order; but in actuality, we do not control Time and Order… They do as they want. Move and rearrange Existence as needed…As commanded by a Higher Power beyond all our understanding. We are simply servants that guard and protect the Natural Balance. What we know is only what is revealed to us. And the importance of your bond was revealed to us, the Ancients and Observants from the moment you, Vlad Masters, came into existence... "

Vlad's eyes widened but before he could say anything Serenity spoke up.

"Past our own understanding," Serenity continued, "Two imperfect mortals in the timeline have been given unimaginable power with the potential of either destroying Existence…. Or strengthening and reshaping it. A bond that can create or destroy. Save or Condemn.. That is why you are here now. Why Clockwork said you were meant to walk this path, and why I had to test you both..."

She smiled calmly at them as she further revealed, "This world needs your bond. And now that you have proven to everyone—and more importantly, to Existence itself—that nothing will break it and that you will be each other's light in your moments of darkness, you both are finally ready."

"Ready for what?" Danny asked, still unsure.

"To take your place as guardians of Existence if you choose to," Serenity answered.

"Do you understand?" Clockwork asked. "Only those chosen to be guardians can develop supernatural bonds, because they arise with the purposes of sustaining and balancing Existence."

"But I thought only spirits could…?" Vlad began.

Clockwork smiled. "So did we. But it seems a Higher Power has decided otherwise. Then again, you two are the first half-ghosts to ever exist. Your Existence alone has rewritten the rules of what is and is not possible."

"Indeed," Serenity agreed. "As I said before, true power is intangible. It exists inside the hearts and cores of beings like you... And your unique power, crossbreed, has the potential to affect everything."

Vlad and Danny looked at each other again, and they noticed the warm gold energy around them.

"Now I understand why synchronized energy was thought to be merely a fantasy," Vlad muttered. "It only exists in perfect balance…"

"A balance that affects all Existence…," Danny added as he finally understood why his and Vlad's decisions were powerful enough to reshape the future. And it was how they had changed it, how they had marked out a different future for themselves than that dark one with Evil Phantom.

The time spirit then said, "You now both have a choice, and you must be in agreement with that choice... You can leave this place to continue on your own separate paths as they are... Or, you can help us restore balance to all Existence once and for all."

"Your fate is now in your hands, crossbreeds," Serenity added. "How it should have been from the start."

"If we help you…?" Vlad began hesitantly.

"We cannot predict what will happen," Serenity cut him off, already knowing what he wanted to ask. "Time and Order are one of many supernatural forces that work to hold Existence intact. Light and Dark… Life and Death. Everything exists in a balance. And that balance is created from supernatural bonds. But how your own bond will fit into Existence is yet to be revealed..."

"What we can say is how Time and Order work together," Clockwork added "You see, Order does not rearrange the timeline only when a spirit interferes in it… But when a supernatural bond fully comes to life… Time and Order will do what is needed to assure Existence continues to move as intended…And to assure the supernatural bonds which fuel it stay protected… If you choose to restore and protect Existence, it will extend the same courtesy back. No Ancient or Observant will dare interfere in your lives again."

Danny and Vlad looked at each other, understanding that if they did this there was no telling what would happen to them. Existence could just as easily choose to erase them permanently after it used their bond, or keep them in the Ghost Zone forever, or… something else entirely.

But the other option was to continue on the path they were on now. And that path meant they would be separated. Separated by those in the human world… Or by spirits like Ancients or Observants who continued to believe them a threat.

They either had to truly embrace their bond or separate from it forever.

"Danny… I can't ask you to sacrifice your current life for…," Vlad began quietly.

"You're not," the teen cut him off without hesitation. "I already chose to stay with you no matter what, remember? And this time, I'm not changing my mind," Danny assured him with a small smile.

Vlad's eyes widened as he remembered the boy's departure after his time with him. But now, the boy really did want to stay by his side! This time, nothing would separate them.

"Then, it seems we're in agreement after all," Vlad said with a warm smile back at the boy, and he placed a hand on the teen's shoulder.

Clockwork and Serenity shared a look before Serenity said, "Then, it is time for you both to see just how powerful your bond can be…"

Clockwork's staff began to glow brightly; but then Serenity placed her hand on top of the one holding the staff, and their surroundings began to blur.

Vlad and Danny gasped in surprise as they started to feel strange.

"Danny Phantom. Vlad Plasmius…" Clockwork began, "You have chosen to embrace your bond, regardless what may come…and what may not. Whatever the outcome, things will be as they should…"

"Vlad?" Danny gasped, and grabbed onto the man's arm as he felt he would buckle from the unexpected swell of energy growing inside his core.

Vlad gripped back the teen's own arm and squeezed his eyes close at feeling the same overwhelming feeling.

But remembering the two spirits in the room, and especially what Clockwork last said to them, Vlad glanced over at him and Serenity.

"What…? What are you doing to us?"

"It is not us…The Natural Order is repairing itself… through you both… And through us," Serenity answered.

Vlad and Danny barely noticed the spirits were also glowing brightly and there were waves of energy expelling out of them.

"Your fates are intertwined. They always have been… You both just needed to accept it…. And now you have," Clockwork continued.

"Daniel, I can't control it," Vlad whispered, feeling his grip on their bond slipping out of his control. It was like an outside force was using it. Wait, it was!

Danny gasped feeling the same; but to his horror, he noticed his own and Vlad's bodies were fading!

"What's going to happen?" Danny whispered, closing his eyes shut with sudden fear.

"What needs to happen to assure everything is as it should be…," Clockwork repeated.

Serenity smiled. "It's alright, crossbreeds. All will be well… Let your old-selves die…So, you may be reborn from the ashes, and take your place within the powers that balance Existence. Trust each other... Turn the key…. Together."

Danny looked at Vlad before the man suddenly pulled him into his arms. They could both feel it, their bond was waiting for them to open the door… to turn the key… and free it, and accept their fate.

"No matter what happens, I'll protect you," Vlad whispered to the teen.

Danny nodded, and gripped the man back just as tightly. "We stay together this time."

Clockwork and Serenity looked at each other, but then the Time Master extended his staff to her. The female placed her hand on top of his and their bodies lit up with gold energy, too.

"It's time to be reborn, crossbreeds," Serenity whispered in their minds. "Free yourselves… Let go."

And they did.

A flash of bright gold light exploded out of the two half-ghost, engulfing everything, like a tsunami that moved through every corner of Existence.

But then, Serenity and Clockwork squeezed the Time Master's staff harder and a second flash of light expanded outward. And it soon combined with the half-ghosts own expelled power.

The two half-ghosts had felt the burst of power from within their cores; and although they had no idea what would happen to them, they embraced it.

The last thing Danny heard before everything vanished was Clockwork's warm voice, saying, "All is as it should be…Good-bye, Danny… and thank you."

---

"RING!"

Vlad jolted at the sharp and intruding sound.

"RING! RING"

It took him another moment to realize the sound was the phone on… his desk?

"What…?" he breathed out as he stared around and realized he was sitting at his desk…

His desk at Amity Park's City Hall.

His desk… when he used to be the mayor.

"RING! RING!"

"It… It can't be…," he said before the ringing of the phone finally grated on his nerves enough to pick it up. "H-Hello?"

"Mayor Masters?"

"Mayor Masters?!" he screamed in his mind, but replied out loud, "Yes…uh, Mrs… Van-Cleave?"

His secretary paused in slight confusion. "Yes… Mayor Masters… Umm, I know you said no interruptions today, but I have a Mrs. Hui calling. She's called about ten times in the past hour, sir. Do you—?"

"Send her through!" he exclaimed, gripping his phone harder as if it was suddenly his lifeline.

"C-Certainly, sir. One moment…"

Vlad never knew it could take so long to transfer a call.

"Hello, Mr. Masters?"

"Stephanie!" he exclaimed with relief at the sound of her voice. "Oh, thank goodness! You are not going to believe what—Wait a moment… Did you just call me Mr. Masters?"

"… I tried calling your private line, but you weren't answering. So, I looked up Amity Park's City Hall's phone number. I… am not sure if these calls get recorded so…."

Vlad's eyebrows just creased inward with confusion. "What do you last remember?"

"What?" she asked, now also confused.

Vlad stood from his desk, and quickly switched to his wireless earphone. Now with his hands free, he began to look through his drawers, but still urgently answered, "I asked, what do you last remember? When was the last time we talked?"

Stephanie fell quiet. But then she sighed. "I know where you're going with this… I know the last time we spoke at your castle you told me you needed to distance yourself from Annie and I… But I had to call you because—"

"I said that?" he interrupted her as he briefly paused with what he was searching for. "When?"

This time, Stephanie sounded slightly annoyed, "Look, Vlad. I called because I saw on the news what was happening in Amity Park. I wanted to make sure you were okay…. It seems like you are. So, I'll just let you…"

"No! Don't hang up!" Vlad suddenly exclaimed before he continued to search his drawers. "I need you to—Confound it!"

He suddenly slammed one of his desk drawers shut. He felt both frustrated by his growing confusion and by the fact he couldn't find what he was looking for!

But realizing he probably startled his friend even more, he quickly said, "Sorry, my dear! That wasn't directed at you. Just… Don't hang up. Give me a few seconds."

Vlad quickly walked over to his door, and opened it, calling, "Mrs. Van-Cleave?"

A blond hair lady in her sixties quickly stood from her desk, and replied, "Sir?

"Newspaper. Do you have one?" he asked urgently.

She blinked in surprise, but then nodded. "Yes… It's… here!"

"Oh, you are heaven sent!" he breathed out when his secretary gave him the newspaper. "Take the week off. Paid. You work too hard."

"Really? Wait… Sir?"

But Vlad quickly closed the door behind him. He stared at the newspaper and instantly found the clue he had been searching for.

"It can't be…" he said again, gripping the newspaper tightly.

The newspaper had the correct time and day he last remembered, but on the cover page, the headline had a picture of him and Daniel in ghost form, and it read, 'World Hero and Wisconsin Ghost save Amity Park from a dangerous ghost attack one year after Disasteroid!'

"Vlad? Are you still there? What's going on? Are you alright?"

"I don't know…" he answered quietly before he moved back over to his desk and unlocked his computer.

Still, he focused on his friend again, and said, "Stephanie, I need you to answer my questions, and please don't ask why. Just answer them for me, alright?"

She hesitated but then answered, "Alright."

As the man pulled up his browser and typed up 'Disasteroid', he asked, "When was the last time I was in Wisconsin?"

Although she sounded unsure, she answered, "….Over a year ago. You fired me at your castle; said you were selling your companies except for Vladco, Axion, and DALV…You revealed to me everything you have done as… well, you know; and said it was best Annie and I stayed away. Then, you left for Amity Park…. And from what I know, you have not returned to Wisconsin since then."

Vlad frowned. She was describing the time when Daniel had betrayed him, and he had revealed all the evil he had done to Stephanie in order to push her away. Then soon after, he had moved to Amity Park…And eventually became mayor.

"Did I leave you two envelopes?" he questioned further.

"Vlad.. I don't understand why…?"

"Please. Just answer me."

She sighed. "Yes… I gave the letter to Annie. I haven't opened the one you gave me. Although I was tempted to when I saw what was happening in Amity Park."

"And what did you see happening in Amity?" he asked her quickly before he began to scroll through the old newspapers regarding the Disasteroid event.

"Wasn't there a ghost attack? A real bad one?" she questioned, sounding slightly annoyed. "It has been all over the news! Plus, there were all these weird earthquakes and random swirls of green opening up practically everywhere else. Next thing I see on the news was some ghost with Danny Phantom's emblem. It attacked your home and the Fenton's home; and then turned its destruction on the rest of Amity Park. There was even a video of Danny Phantom and… that ghost from Wisconsin fighting it."

"Wait…He attacked my home…? You mean in Wisconsin?" Vlad questioned back with a frown.

"No, Vlad. In Amity," she responded. "Like I said, you haven't come back here in over a year. And I was calling to make sure you and Daniel were not hurt; but frankly, I am now more than worried… Why are you acting like you have no idea what has been going on?"

Vlad leaned back against his chair as he stared in disbelief at his computer screen. He couldn't believe it. Not only was Stephanie's brief retelling of what had happened in the past year completely skewed, but he had further just found even more distorted facts on his internet search. According to an older newspaper, the Disasteroid event had turned out different than what he knew to be true…

It was then he remembered what Clockwork and Serenity had said to Daniel and him…

"...Order does not rearrange the timeline only when a spirit interferes in it… But when a supernatural bond fully comes to life… Time and Order will do what is needed to assure Existence continues to move as intended…And to assure the supernatural bonds which fuel it stays protected… If you choose to restore and protect Existence, it will extend the same courtesy back..."

"Vlad, are you sure you are alright?"

Stephanie's voice brought the man back to reality. He closed his eyes as he thought of all that had happened—and what probably now did not.

It left him utterly torn.

"You don't remember anything, do you?" he asked softly, almost sadly. "About what happened at the castle? About how we….?"

"What do you mean?"

Vlad looked down at the current newspaper on his desk. If he never went to Wisconsin, then it seemed Stephanie and Annie were never involved in this fight with Evil Phantom.

With a sigh, he shook his head, "Nothing, my friend. I just…"

"What is it, Vlad?"

"Is Annabelle alright?" he questioned instead.

"Yes… I mean, I did have a scare with her. See, she was on a school trip in Washington D.C. But with everything that happened, they cancelled it half-way into the trip; but on their way back, a ghost of all things attacked them. In the chaos, some of the students got dispersed, including Annabelle. The teachers could not find Annabelle for several hours; but, well, she's fine. She's back home now."

"Did she say what the ghost looked like... that attacked them?" Vlad asked, unsure.

"Uh… Annie said he wore… like a horse-riding outfit. She mentioned his eyes the most… They were a honey brown… almost glowed gold, I think. That's all I got. But as I said, she is safe now."

Vlad sighed deeply, and briefly closed his eyes. "Stephanie… I wanted to say that I… I'm sorry. For hurting you. And your daughter. I was so cruel to you… And I miss you. Both of you."

Stephanie was quiet for a brief moment, before she answered, "We miss you, too."

Vlad sighed again. As much as he wanted to tell her everything—to just say how much he loved her, and how he knew she loved him, too—he also knew right now wasn't the time.

"I miss you both so much," Vlad repeated again but then added, "And you don't need to worry. I am alright; so is Daniel. That creature is gone and so is its…chaos. I promise I'll explain everything soon. I just have to… you know, get things back in order after this last… ghost attack."

"I can imagine," she said quietly. "And I'm sorry, too."

Vlad frowned with confusion. "For what?"

"Your daughter… I mean, the one you told me about…. At least, I think it was her on the news. They said your daughter got hurt by the Guys-in-White… that she's not doing well."

"No… Danielle," Vlad gasped out with realization. But hearing his friend question him again, he cut her off, "I have to go, Stephanie. I'll call you as soon as I can."

If she said anything else, Vlad didn't know because he disconnected the call. He quickly checked the internet for the latest news, and soon found further information on what had happened. He only briefly read through the titles; and the more he did, the more surreal what was happening became.

'Mystery Evil-Ghost Attempts to Frame Hero-of-the-World Danny Phantom… True or False?'

'Speculations Arise on Why Amity Park's Latest Evil Ghost Has the Same Logo and Physical Similarities to Danny Phantom'

'Who Is the So-called Wisconsin Ghost? Enemy or Foe? Can He Be Trusted?'

'The U.S. Government's Guys-in-White Ghost Hunting Division under Investigation. Top Agent Accused of Attempted Murder after Carelessness Puts a Thirteen-year-old Girl in the Hospital and Endangers the Lives of Thousands of Amity Park's Residents. Read More-'

'Amity Park Mayor Scandal! In the Wake of the Latest Attack, Mayor Masters Reveals the Existence of a Daughter! Why Did He Hide It? Who is She? And What Is the Local Ghost Hunters Maddie and Jack Fenton's Involvement? Find Out Here!'

Unable to sit and read anymore, Vlad quickly stood from his desk, transformed and flew invisibly out of City Hall.

The more he learned, the more questions that came up in the man's mind. Where was Daniel? He was sure the teen remembered everything, too. But what had happened to everyone else? The boy's friends and family? Was Skulker and Fright Knight still gone? Had his ghost servants still been…harmed?

And how in the world was all this even possible?! When he and Daniel accepted to embrace their bond and help restore balance to Existence, he imagined so many outcomes... But being thrust back into a now altered timeline was not one of them!

But just as he thought that, Plasmius abruptly halted when he noticed the half-destroyed statue that once adorned the front of City Hall. But it wasn't the destruction that had him so shocked. What should have been a statue of Danny Phantom holding up the world was instead a half-destroyed statue of his human form—Vlad Masters—shaking hands with Danny Phantom.

Vlad floated down, and his eyebrows creased as he read the year-old plaque.

"In commemoration of Amity Park's bravest mayor, Vlad Masters, and world hero Danny Phantom. Proof that humans and ghosts can coexist and change the world for the better."

Vlad bit his bottom lip as several emotions threatened to overwhelm him. He had briefly read it on his computer from his quick search of the Disasteroid incident; but here was solid proof of what he read was real.

Apparently, Danny Phantom and the Mayor of Amity Park had saved the world from the Disasteroid. Everything happened in the past year as he remembered it, only… it didn't. His satellite had indeed exploded in space, causing that asteroid's trajectory to change to earth. But…Daniel and he had not worked against each other during the Disasteroid. They had worked with each other… in what he could only conclude as a temporary truce.

But that alone had changed everything.

"…Two imperfect mortals in the timeline have been given unimaginable power with the potential of either destroying Existence…. Or strengthening and reshaping it. A bond that can create or destroy. Save or Condemn…"

Vlad knew at that moment he never revealed himself. He never attempted to hold the world at ransom. And their secrets… were intact.

But it also meant he was never a fugitive.

"... your bond has the power to change everything."

Their single act of not letting go of their bond had truly changed the world... and their own paths.

Vlad stared at the plaque another minute before he finally turned away and flew straight to Amity General Hospital. He needed to find Danielle, and hopefully Daniel. But right now, he needed to see if his… daughter was still alive.

As he went, he tried to ignore the destruction caused by Evil Phantom. It amazed him how things happened as they remembered but tiny changes in the order of events had… changed so much at the same time...

Vlad soon arrived at the hospital; and making sure no one saw him, he turned back to his human-self and entered the hospital through the front.

"I need to see Danielle," he told the front staff.

The woman at the desk looked half-awake and didn't even look at the man as she replied, "… Danielle. What's her last name?"

Vlad paused. Wait. According to the brief news headline, the existence of Danielle was just discovered. So, where had she been all this time? Had she still been adopted by the Fentons? Or had she stayed in the Ghost Zone like before the Disasteroid incident?

Hesitating, he guessed, "Fenton. Danielle Fenton."

The woman frowned as she typed in her computer. "Um… No, no one by that name here. Could she be under a different name, perhaps?"

Vlad sighed in aggravation, but then shaking his head, he said, "Try Masters. Danielle Masters."

"Um…. Oh yes! Danielle Masters!" She jolted when she finally looked at the person standing in front of her. "Mayor Masters! Oh, sir; I'm sorry. I register so many people daily that… "

"What room?" he pressed, cutting her off.

"Oh, sorry. Room four-ten, sir. You can take the elevators on the left. I hope everything turns out well for your daughter."

Vlad opened his mouth, but then closed it. He just said, "… Thank you."

As he got into the elevator and pressed the floor number, he passed a hand anxiously through his hair. This was becoming too much. He didn't even want to ponder why Danielle was registered under his last name. Or, when and how he had revealed her as his daughter!

It took him another few minutes of walking through the halls when he found the room. But the moment he walked in, he froze at finding Danny already there.

The teen quickly turned to face him; and looking as confused and lost as Vlad felt, the teen exhaled in relief before he quickly walked over to him and hugged him.

Realizing he needed that about now, the older hybrid hugged him back.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Danny told him with a deep sigh.

"Are you alright?" Vlad asked before he gently pulled away and stared soberly at the teen.

"I… I don't know," he whispered, raking fingers through his messy hair. "It feels like I'm losing my mind. I feel like I've been thrown into some alternate reality again…"

The teen shook his head before staring at the man with uncertainty, and asked, "Did Clockwork…? No, not just Clockwork. Did Serenity and he change…? But I've never seen Clockwork do something like this? …What did they do, Vlad?"

The man stared back with the same emotion. "I'm not sure what they did… Or if it was even really them… What I mean is, what if it was us? Or a combination of their bond and our bond? Or… something more powerful? They said supernatural bonds have the power to affect all Existence… And that Order can rearrange Time to maintain balance…and to protect the supernatural bonds that fuel Existence… Blast! This all seems impossible!"

"As crazy as it sounds, considering we are standing here, I'd say it's possible," Danny answered with a sigh. "I've only seen Clockwork reset the timeline; or turn the clock forward or backwards. But this… This is different. Everything happened… But not how we remember it… and yet, the timeline is still in the same place it was before..."

Danny frowned with even more confusion. But he suddenly remembered Clockwork telling him that exactly. The order and events in the timeline could be altered, but time would always end up in the same place...

"Even when the Diasteroid still happened and then everything else with Evil Phantom...No one knows about us…" the teen muttered.

"How sure are you no one knows?" Vlad questioned. He believed the same thing, too, of course. But he wanted to know how the teen was so sure.

"Well, before coming here, I was in my third-period class. That was where I just… popped into the timeline…And then Dash threw a spitball at me."

Vlad blinked.

And Danny laughed nervously. "I was convinced after that."

But seeing Vlad just staring soberly at him, the teen also sobered up, and continued, "Obviously, I was a bit freaked out. So, I got out of class and went to the bathroom. Then I turned invisible and found Sam and Tucker in their own classes. I asked them to meet me in the janitor's closet."

"Wait, do they… remember?" Vlad asked, confused.

"Yeah, they do. And they were as confused as I was," Danny answered.

"But… how?" Vlad questioned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Stephanie—and I assume Annabelle—do not remember anything. Daniel, we never went to Wisconsin! Apparently, we hid at my house in Amity."

Danny's eyes widened. "What? But wouldn't he have found us after he stole my ghost-half if we would have hidden out at your Amity Park home instead of Wisconsin?"

"I…I'm not sure how…," Vlad began, distressed. "Maybe we hid in my secret lab. You know it cannot be located unless you know where it is. And I also have an underground bunker of sorts on the property… I can only guess we evaded him long enough to get your ghost-half back. No matter how it happened, we stopped him in the same way, Daniel."

"Yeah, but I don't understand how no one knows about our secrets, and how… you are not being, well, hunted down!" Danny exclaimed.

"Because, apparently, we stopped the Disasteroid… together," Vlad answered seriously.

Danny stared at the man. "So, this past year… We were allies?"

"I think we just made a temporary alliance. Like during Pariah's incident," Vlad answered. "After all, I still did free that creature; which means, we must have still been rivals…"

Danny smiled weakly. "We actually worked together to save the world again… Are you sure you're not into the hero stuff?"

Vlad shook his head. "Daniel…"

"Sorry, I crack jokes when I'm nervous," the teen answered with a meek shrug.

But Vlad didn't answer; and instead finally looked over to Danielle. "Unfortunately, not all of us came out of this unscathed…"

The man moved over to the girl's bedside; and he only briefly noticed the boy also move closer to stand next to him.

"I was talking to the nurse before you got here," Danny said quietly. "Apparently, no one saw the Guys-in-White attack Dani Phantom. All they saw was Dani in her human form being pulled out of the rubble by the 'Red Huntress' while in the middle of a crossfire between the Guys-in-White and our evil-self… The nurse kept calling her the mayor's daughter…"

Vlad nodded. "The woman at the reception also called her my daughter. She is registered as such here in the hospital," Vlad muttered. "It seems no one knew she was my daughter until now with this incident… which means no one knows about Danielle Phantom, either."

"No one knows half-ghosts are even a possibility," Danny muttered.

But Vlad's eyes widened with the teen's comment. And he quickly looked at him. "Daniel, do you realize what that means?!" he exclaimed with sudden hope. "If no one knows about half-ghosts, then the Guys-in-White never developed an anti-half-ghost serum! Whatever they attacked Danielle with was probably just another general anti-ghost serum. And while I'm sure it is harmful, just maybe, it was not as potent as that other one. And that means…."

Vlad gasped, and quickly reached forward to touch the girl's chest enough to feel her dormant core. His hand briefly glowed with red energy; but as he lowered his hand, a small hopeful smile curled his face.

"Her core isn't fully destroyed. I can still feel it!"

Danny's eyes widened. "Really? So, you can fix her?"

Vlad's eyebrows creased in thought. "Perhaps. At least, if I still have my secret lab intact, I should have files on Danielle from the times I had Skulker—and then myself—go after her."

Danny nodded, remembering the incident when Vlad tried to melt Danielle; but Valerie helped him save her. At least, he could only assume that still happened.

"Have you spoken with your family? Do they remember, too?" Vlad suddenly asked soberly.

"Like I was telling you, I asked Sam and Tucker to meet me at the janitor's closet," Danny answered. "We didn't know what was going on; so, I asked them to head to my house and see if my parents and Jazz are alright. I got a text from Tuck just before you walked in…"

Vlad frowned when the teen pulled out his phone and showed him Tucker's text message.

"Dude, your parents and Jazz remember everything, too! We're on our way to the hospital…"

"Why do your friends and family remember when it seems no one else does?" Vlad questioned, confused.

"I was thinking about that, too." Danny replied. "I wasn't sure until you told me how Stephanie doesn't remember what really happened. And I realized, it made sense!"

"How does any of this make sense?" Vlad pressed.

"When I was trying to find you after Serenity took you, I went to Clockwork for help. He said a few things to me; but one of things he told me was that spirits are not really supposed to interact with those in the timeline; because it can cause issues. He said it's why he would avoid interacting with me; and would get annoyed with me when I came to see him. It disrupts the effects Time and Order has on a person when you directly interact with its guardians—meaning Clockwork and Serenity. When the timeline has gotten altered in the past, I remember it all because of my direct involvement with Clockwork. So, I'm guessing since my friends and family have now also had direct involvement with Serenity—and my friends with Clockwork—then…"

"Then they remember, too," Vlad finished thoughtfully for the boy. "Who else interacted directly with Clockwork or Serenity?"

But they both instantly knew.

"Annabelle," Vlad whispered, his eyes widening.

"She must remember, too." Danny muttered. "But what about Dani and Valerie?"

Vlad shook his head. "They were apart from us the instances Serenity was near us … I don't think either of them directly interacted with Serenity or Clockwork… Then again, there's only one way to be sure… Do you have Ms. Gray's number?"

"Yeah…" the teen answered. "But, Vlad, let's say Valerie doesn't remember… That means, she doesn't know about us. About our ghost-halves. How am I supposed to ask her without…?"

"We need to know, Danny," Vlad answered. "Just be careful what you say to her."

Danny nodded and brought his phone up again. He hesitated. If Valerie didn't know… It meant he would have to go through the whole 'revealing his secret' to her. And he feared her reaction would be the same. But, regardless, the teen was sure about one thing: he would tell her himself this time.

With a small sigh, Danny dialed his friend's number. It rang several times, and for a moment, the teen thought she wouldn't answer.

But at the last moment she did.

"Hello, Danny?" she spoke up quietly. "Is everything okay? How's Dani? Er, Danielle?"

The teen frowned as he glanced at his cousin. But he answered, "The same… Hasn't woken up… Umm… How much do you know about… uh, what happened?"

"Hold on…" she answered. "I had to get out of class to take your call. Let me go somewhere I can talk without getting spotted and being asked why I'm not in class."

Danny waited a couple minutes before the girl said, "Okay, in the janitor's closet. What did you ask me?"

Danny would have laughed at the girl being in the janitor's closet like he and his friends had been a moment ago; but there were more pressing matters.

"I said, how much do you know about what happened with Danielle…?"

"You mean how she got hurt after saving Vlad Plasmius from the Guys-in-White?" Valerie questioned with a sober tone of voice. But before then teen could reply, she said, "Those jerks hurt her and they didn't even care! I thought she was a goner when she fell from the sky… But then Plasmius caught her… I couldn't protect her. She got hurt. And all I could do was get her out of there before she changed in front of everyone."

"Wait… you saw her change?"

Danny looked over at Vlad, who frowned deeply. He had been using his ghostly hearing to listen to all the girl was saying. And what she just now said was not good.

"Yeah, but no one else did," Valerie answered a bit confused by the teen's surprise. "By the time the Guys-in-White caught up, Danielle was human and I blamed them for hurting 'a kid', which they did; but they think they hurt a 'human kid'—and so does everyone else."

"I'm going to ask her," Danny said to Vlad, as he pulled away the phone from his mouth.

But it wasn't enough for the girl to not overhear, and she said, "Ask me what? Who are you talking to, Danny?"

Vlad stared soberly at the teen before he silently nodded his agreement.

"Danny?"

The boy bit his lip, but then said, "So, you know about Danielle…? Do you know about… me? And… Vlad?"

Valerie was silent for a moment but then she blurted out, "Are you talking about you guys being half-ghosts?"

Danny's eyes widened. "So, you do know?"

"Danny, what are you talking about? I've known since the Disasteroid! Well, I knew about Masters way before that. But I found out about you because of Dani after the Disasteroid incident."

"Danielle told you?" Danny questioned.

"Ms. Gray knew about me before the Disasteroid?" Vlad further asked, surprised.

But the teen ignored the man, as Valerie answered, "Uh, yeah. You and Masters worked together to save the world from the Disasteroid. Because of that, you guys stayed on some weird truce—or more like just tried not to step on each other's toes. I mean, Plasmius and Phantom still fought from time-to-time when Masters started up some evil scheme. But at least it wasn't as bad as before. In fact, Danielle came to live with you and your family because you promised her she would be safe from Vlad. Not totally sure what happened, but long story short, Danielle told me the truth after I begged her to… I was mad and hurt at you for hiding you were Phantom all that time… And I avoided you for almost a year… "

She paused and said more softly, "But then everything happened with that evil Phantom…And like I said, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have held a grudge when I kinda made it hard for you to tell me the truth when I was still shooting at your ghost-half. I get you were afraid…And I should have never thought you'd hurt my dad… I should have trusted you were my friend."

Danny's eyebrows creased. "I can't believe you know everything, even about my evil-self…."

"Danny, are you okay? Why are you acting so surprised when you know I know everything…. Did your evil-self give you amnesia or something, ghost boy?"

"It's probably the 'or something'," Danny said with a chuckle before looking at Vlad and shrugging.

The man looked as bewildered and torn as he was.

It was amazing how everything happened with Valerie as Danny remembered except he hadn't revealed himself—and instead she found out the truth through Danielle. Yet she still had reacted the same way. And it wasn't until now, after everything with Evil Phantom that they had moved past the lies and resentment, and were real friends again.

"I… I'm glad you know, Valerie," Danny suddenly said warmly. "And I want you to know if I could do it again, I would have been the one to tell you. I should have told you sooner. And I'm sorry, too."

"Water under the bridge, Danny." Valerie answered. But then she sobered, and added, "Just… watch it with Masters. I know he helped save everyone again, but it's going to take some time before I can trust him, you know?"

Danny smiled. "He's not so bad once you get past his fruit-loop side. You'll see."

Vlad rolled his eyes when the boy shot him a smirk

Valerie laughed. "Hey, um… if you see Tucker can you tell him to call me? I was a jerk to him with all that happened with my dad."

Danny smiled sadly, realizing the two had not made up yet. "Yeah, I'll tell him. Later, Val."

"Later."

Danny hung up the phone, and sighed, "Okay, so she knows."

"Just not how things really happened," Vlad answered. "It seems your theory is correct. We just have one more person to ask…"

"You are going to call Stephanie back?" Danny asked.

Vlad hesitated but then shook his head. "No. She already thinks I've lost my mind. At this point, whether Annabelle remembers or not will make little difference. But I do need to check on something."

And seeing the boy ready to ask, Vlad answered, "George and the others. Maybe they…?"

"…were not involved either," Danny said hopeful.

"Yes, I need to go to my home here in Amity to see if they are there… or somewhere else. And I also need to grab a few things for Danielle."

Vlad looked back at the girl, and added, "I need a few samples to see if there's a way to save her."

"I'll stay here and wait for my parents. Just hurry, okay?" Danny said.

Vlad smiled a bit before he nodded, turned and walked out of the room.

---

Arriving to his location, Plasmius stared with slight shock at what used to be his mansion in Amity Park. It looked just like his castle did when evil Phantom had used his ghostly wail to demolish it. And that was exactly what happened, wasn't it? Everything he remembered happening at Wisconsin had happened here instead. Except…Stephanie didn't remember anything. But if that was so, and Annabelle did, wouldn't that mean the girl was involved; and by default, shouldn't Stephanie have been, too?

The man shook his head. One thing at a time.

He turned invisible and flew past the rubble, hoping his underground lab would still be intact.

To his relief, it was.

Immediately, he searched around with only one thought in mind.

"George?" he called, looking around. He walked over to the far side of the lab and quickly opened the panic room that went even further into the home's foundation.

"Carl? Is anyone here?" he called out once more.

He let his ghost sense expand; but it didn't take him long to realize… There was no one here.

Vlad's expression saddened but he simply sighed and looked around the lab. He walked over to the mainframe, and quickly logged in.

He brought up his communication program he kept specifically for his allies. But to his growing distress, the communication lines between Skulker and Fright Knight were deactivated. It meant, the communicators were either destroyed or non-functional at the moment.

He feared his allies' fate had not changed.

It seemed no one's fate but his own had changed. And that meant his ghost staff was probably… gone.

Still, the man reached out via his communication system to his castle in Wisconsin. He wanted them to be there so badly.

"Can anyone hear me?" Vlad asked quietly through the communicator. "Please… answer me."

But no one answered.

He briefly closed his eyes before he sighed again and shut down the communication system. Instead, he moved to search through his files. If events past the Disasteroid had not been altered, then he should still have his old research files.

He smiled slightly when he found a file titled, 'Danielle Phantom'.

Of course, his cloning research had been destroyed a while ago by Daniel when Danielle was first created; but since then, the man had been gathering new data. And he hoped it would help him now.

Opening it, he quickly found several notes and analysis on the girl. But deciding that it would be easier to search the file using the voice command on the system, he turned it on, and asked the lab, "Search for any energy samples taken from Danielle Phantom."

The lab lit up, and the man startled when a hologram suddenly appeared beside him.

Except it wasn't one of Maddie.

"Hello, Mr. Masters. How's my favorite boss doing today? Would you like a nice hot tea while I search the database for your request?"

Vlad just blinked at the hologram of Stephanie. But then he slapped a hand against his face.

"Maybe I am…a fruitloop…" he muttered to himself.

Shaking his head, he looked back at the image, and answered hesitantly, "No, thank you."

Stephanie grinned a bit too seductively at him, and the man blushed. Good heavens. What was wrong with him?

"Then it will only be a moment, my handsome clever man."

With that, the hologram vanished.

Vlad cleared his throat; but suddenly his screen blinked.

His eyes widened when he saw the message 'Samples found'.

"Thank goodness," he whispered.

He knew he could cross-analyze these old samples of the girl before she was injured with the new samples of her DNA he was planning to take at the hospital. And just maybe, he might be able to isolate the pieces in her genetic material that needed to be repaired and create a serum to do it. At least in theory.

He spent a bit more time in the lab gathering a few things he needed once he got back to the hospital. And he couldn't help but think again how glad he was to have a lab again.

And yet, he couldn't be completely relieved. While he was glad Daniel was alright, and fortunately, they had not gotten wiped from Existence... the fact that things had change for him for the better brought little victory.

Not when it still felt like he had lost everyone else around him to be where he was now. His sibiling was still gone because he no longer felt the physical presence of their bond. His allies and ghost appeared to also be gone. Stephanie remembered nothing, and he was still unsure of how involved Annabelle had been. And Danielle's future was still uncertain.

He was glad to at least have Daniel at his side; but with all these changes.. what would happen now?

No, he didn't want to think about it. For now, he would focused on what needed to be done.

By the time Vlad returned to the hospital, the Fentons, Sam, and Tucker were there.

The moment he walked in, everyone turned to face him.

Maddie and Jack stared soberly at him for a moment before Maddie spoke up, "Danny filled us in… You think you can help Danielle?"

Vlad nodded. "I hope so," he answered, pulling out the vial in his pocket.

Maddie and Jack just quietly moved to the side to allow the man to move closer to the unconscious girl.

But glancing at everyone, Vlad said, "I need someone to keep watch. I need a few minutes."

"I got it," Tucker volunteered. "I hate needles. Definitely don't want to see this."

Once the boy was keeping watch, Vlad turned his focus back on Danielle and placed his hand on her chest. He briefly felt her failing ghost core again before he used his energy to stir the other ghostly organ enough to do what he needed.

He then proceeded to take a sample of her core energy; and soon took a sample of her blood. Lastly, he pulled out a syringe with a glowing serum in it from the bag of medical supplies he had brought with him.

"What is that?" Maddie couldn't help but ask when she saw the man was going to inject it into the IV line already on the girl's arm.

"It is a mixture of a healing serum and vitamins I often use," Vlad answered truthfully, "I am not sure if it will help much, but it should at least boost her ghost-half's energy… Perhaps it will even give me enough time to find a permanent solution for her core."

"If there's anything we can do….?" Jack suddenly said.

Vlad paused and glanced uncertainly at his ex-friend. But then he just nodded, and replied, "If there is, I will let you know. In the meantime…"

He focused back on Danielle and proceeded to finish injecting the ghost remedies into her body.

"It's done," the older hybrid said. "It's best to keep her here. The medical staff can help sustain her human-side while I work on something for her ghost-side."

Placing a hand on the girl's forehead, Vlad stared at Danielle for just another moment; but he finally moved away and looked at everyone in the room.

"Well…It appears I am still mayor of this town…," Vlad muttered. "I should head back. I'm sure there's lots to do."

"Yeah, I bet!" Tucker spoke up. "And honestly, not gonna miss it. It's all yours, dude!"

Vlad looked at the dark-skinned teen, and the faintest hint of a smile curled his lip before he walked out. But as he did, the man silently placed a hand on Danny's shoulder as a parting gesture.

Danny looked after the older hybrid, having felt their bond spark for only a second. But it was enough to sense the man's uncertainty. But he couldn't blame the guy. This was a lot to take in; and Danny himself was still having a hard time believing it.

Jazz suddenly cleared her throat to break the awkward silence before she asked, "So… are we going to discuss the psychological damage on all of us at having our entire reality altered unexpectedly?"

"Nope," Sam answered with a shrug.

Tucker then added, "Jazz, psychological damage became the norm in my life the day I ended up with a half-ghost best friend."

Danny smiled a bit at that; and his doubts briefly vanished as he found comfort with his friends and sister's familiar banter.

"You think this caused mental scars, Jazz?" Danny challenged his sister with a smirk. "You should have seen our dad with ghost powers in some alternate timeline. Now, that's true trauma!"

And yet, while Danny and his friends continued to laugh and half-jokingly discuss all the weird things they have gone through, Maddie and Jack were not really paying attention to them.

"Jack?" Maddie asked quietly at seeing her husband staring at the empty doorway the older hybrid had exited moments ago. It wasn't like him to be so quiet.

Jack sighed before looking at his wife. "Sorry, Mads. This is just… It's hard to believe, you know?"

Maddie sighed. "Yes, this alteration to reality is completely bizarre to us; but it seems the kids are a little too use to it. Makes me wonder. Not sure if their lack of surprise is a good thing or not. But then again, I'm just happy to see Danny so relieved."

Jack nodded. "He was so worried about Danielle and… Vlad. And now… It looks like Vlad got that second chance after all…"

Maddie glanced at her son again, who was still laughing at his friends and sister before looking over at Danielle. "But haven't we all gotten a second chance in some way or another, Jack? Look at Danielle. Even with things being so uncertain, she might just have a chance at getting through this with Vlad's help. Jack…Maybe, somehow, Danny and Vlad… changed things for the better. And we should be thankful for it."

Jack lowered his gaze. "I'm not saying any different, Maddie. It's just that…" He looked at his wife and seriously asked, "Do you think Vlad will use this second change to make things right? Or… go back to his old ways?"

But then his wife placed a hand on his shoulder and said, "Jack, I think what you're really asking is, if you both should use this second change to make things right."

"But what if he doesn't want to…?" her husband asked, unsure.

"Only one way to find out, sweetie," Maddie said with an encouraging smile.

Jack finally smiled. "Thanks, Mads… I'll be back."

Danny didn't even notice his father's departure as he continued to talk with his friends and sister.

Jack, meanwhile, jogged down the hall in hopes of catching up with his former friend.

Luckily, it seemed Vlad had stopped to speak to the head nurse about Danielle because he saw the other man thank the nurse before heading towards the elevators at the end of the hall.

"Vlad, wait!" the man exclaimed when he saw the man about to walk into the elevator.

The billionaire frowned deeply as he turned and saw his ex-friend jolt to a stop in front of him, panting from exertion.

"Sorry, too many brownies!" Jack gasped as he raised a finger to ask for a moment.

Vlad resisted the urge to roll his eyes, and said impatiently, "Jack, I have to go. If you haven't noticed, our entire existence was altered; and I need to find out what else has changed. Oh, and not to mention, Amity is in disarray, and as mayor I have to now 'fix it'."

"Believe me, I know," Jack answered, standing up straight with a small smile. "I got enough of a headache from what Danny's told us so far. Plus, our house is half-destroyed!"

"Well, it seems we're both pressed for time so if you'll excuse me…" Vlad said and turned back to the elevator to press the button again.

"Wait, I just…" Jack sighed when Vlad stared soberly back at him. "Look, I wanted to say, uh… thank you for, you know, helping Danny. And pretty much saving the world. And, that includes us, too, of course! And you also came to help squirt now, so—"

"Jack—" Vlad cut him off, his eyebrows creasing.

"Wait, I know what you're going to say!" Jack quickly interrupted him. "You didn't do anything for me; but… I don't care why you did it! The fact of the matter is that you did do all that! You did help us all! And I was so busy blaming you for everything else that I didn't want to admit to myself that I messed up, too. No matter what you've done, truth is that I messed up first… You're right! I broke my promise to you when we were young. And you didn't deserve that…"

Jack paused before he lowered his gaze. He then added more soberly, "I should have been a better friend. You didn't deserve getting your life destroyed by my rash actions. Maybe you're right, and I am nothing but an idiot. But… I'm sorry, Vlad."

He looked back at his former friend and added sadly, "I should have told you that over twenty years ago. I'm sorry."

Vlad stared at him for a long moment before he looked away. "I… I appreciate your words. I do. But if anyone should be apologizing… It's me."

He stared at Jack and said earnestly, "I don't deserve all this… This chance to try again when I ruined my life."

His eyebrows creased and Vlad barely held back how conflicted her felt by all this. Yet he further admitted, "But I also ruined everyone else's life around me. I was bitter with my own choices, and I took it out on you."

He sighed and shook his head. "I cannot expect for things to ever be how they once were between us, Jack. We've hurt each other in so many ways. And yet, to be honest, none of it matters anymore to me, because I realized I never hated you... I hated myself."

The older half-ghost smiled sadly. "So, you're wrong, I was not going say 'I didn't do it for you.' I was going to say, thank you. I realized that if it wasn't for that lab accident… If it wasn't for everything else, I would not have met your son. I wouldn't have this chance now.… He saved me, Jack. He saved me when I thought I was unsavable."

"He's a good kid," Jack said with a warm smile.

Vlad nodded. "As I said, I do not deserve all this… This connection with your son. Being his guardian…. A chance at real purpose in my life… A chance to start over… I don't deserve it, and I don't think I ever will."

Vlad sighed but it helped to reign in his emotions before they overwhelmed him. He finally said soberly, "Even if things between us will unlikely ever be as they once were in college, I do hope one day you can forgive me…"

"And I hope one day you can forgive me," Jack answered seriously.

Vlad's eyebrows creased. "I already have, Jack." But before the man could say anything else, the older hybrid added, "Please watch over Danielle. If there's anyone I've hurt the most, it is her. I can only hope I can save her life now and pay back just a fraction of the wrong I've done to her."

"You can do more than that," Jack replied. "You can come visit her. And when she wakes up, you can be her father."

Vlad lowered his gaze before he turned and pressed the elevator button for the third time. But while he waited for the elevator to open, he turned to face Jack and said, "Tell Daniel not to worry. I'll take care of things in Amity Park… Good-bye, Jack. And… thank you."

"See you around, V-man," Jack said with a small smile.

As the elevator dinged open, Vlad rolled his eyes at the other man's pet name; but as he walked in, there was a smile on his face.

Right then, Jack heard his son's voice call, "Dad!"

Jack turned towards his son with a smile.

Danny came jogging up to his dad. And he noticed Vlad just in time to see the man smile at him before the elevator doors closed.

"Were you just talking to Vlad?" Danny asked, surprised.

Jack shrugged lightly. "Yeah, one of those long overdue talks… Over twenty years to be exact…"

Danny slowly smiled as he realized what his father meant. "Yeah? Did it go well?"

"I think so…"

"That's great!" Danny said. "All the more reason to go get some burgers!"

Jack grinned. "Count me in, Son! Suddenly, I'm super hunger!"

Danny laughed. It made him so happy to see his father so carefree again. He never told him, but his father had not been truly himself since he had learned about Vlad.

And the teen was right. Jack felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. And he realized at that moment how heavy 'resentment and unforgiveness' could be on the soul.

It felt good to let it go at last.

---

Yeah, so by now either you want to kiss me or lynch me. Either way, I stand by this story. And I am super excited to say... one last chapter left, and it is done!

For better or worse... It's time to let go! lol

Ta for now!