This chapter is shorter than has become usual for the purposes of my sanity. I'm trying to get a buffer back up, and there has been a lot going on for me IRL... I just don't want to have to take a hiatus.

Just a note, apparently I didn't make this as clear as I thought I did, but in the last couple of chapters, Spectra appeared significantly younger than she usually does, so that she could fool Valerie and co. I apologize for any confusion I caused.

I hope that all of you are having a happy holiday season!

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Chapter 99: Backtrace

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A couple days before the events of the prior chapter...

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Ellie was thoroughly enjoying her newly acquired retinue of will-o-the-wisps. They were just so enthusiastic. So eager to please, so easy to please. They were cute, fuzzy, and cuddly, and lit up her room like soft, friendly nightlights.

True, she didn't have a solid grasp on their language, she had spent most of her travels focusing on living, human languages, so there was a barrier there, but she was getting better. That psychic link with Danny really came in handy. Meanwhile, she was fascinated by the Ghost Zone's legal process. Yes, many parts of it were tedious, but she whenever she became bored, she could leave it to her advocate and peruse Libra's vast collection of artworks. It was a little odd, how many paintings they had when almost all of them were blind, but Ellie didn't judge. That was their job.

She was also studiously avoiding the Fentons.

She would likely leave Libra in the next few days, and make her way down to Elysium. Danny would be there soon, might already be there, actually. She could have gone with the humans, gotten a free ride and met up with Danny earlier, but she wanted, no, needed, a break from Valerie's suspicious stares.

Ellie hummed, and the wisps crowded closer. So nice.

"Danielle."

She turned away from the painting she was viewing. "Clockwork?"

The old ghost smiled. "How are you?" he asked.

"I'm okay. I thought that court was still in session."

"It's in recess," said Clockwork. "This is more important." He came up alongside her, and scanned the painting. "You have good taste," he observed. "I need to ask you a favor."

"Um, sure. Anything." She drifted closer to Clockwork, basking a little in his ectosignature.

"I owe you an explanation, first. Daniel has told you how my powers work. My limitations."

It hadn't been a question, but Ellie felt compelled to answer. "A little bit," she said. "I asked, but he didn't want to get into details."

Clockwork nodded. "My sight can be blocked. Obscured. Confused. It is not an easy thing to accomplish, but there are a number of methods by which one might do it." He raised his hand to touch the scar that crossed his eye, and morphed into his young adult form. "Beginning late tomorrow, there is a blur stretching from Elysium to Missing Theory, very near the Digressed Tower, and not ending for several hours. You know of the Digressed Tower."

"Yeah," said Ellie, although, again, it wasn't a question. "If we're talking about the same thing. Vlad called it the Bends, usually. But I heard other people called it other stuff. The place of all the things that might have been remembered. The Philosopher's Mistake. Sojourn's Gravestone." Ellie wasn't entirely sure at first why she was listing all the names like that, but then blushed as she realized that she was trying to impress Clockwork.

"The Bends is as good a name as any." Clockwork then frowned. "There are too many possibilities stemming from whatever happens in that blur. Too many different versions of myself, all clamoring for attention. But I cannot go. I have responsibilities here, at the court. Too many of them. My absence would be taken advantage of. Even this short absence will cause problems. Pandora can take care of anything happening near Elysium."

"But you want me to go to Missing Theory," said Ellie. "Okay. Yeah, I can do that. Does it have... Do you think this has anything to with Danny?"

"That's likely," admitted Clockwork. "Almost certain, really. He might even be causing it. He does tend to complicate things, doesn't he?" He smiled fondly. But then the smile faltered. "Be careful, Danielle. Missing Theory can be dangerous."

"I know."

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Azalea heaved a giant box up onto the table, then smiled broadly. "Your mail!" she said, splaying her bandaged hands out on the top of the box. "W-We screened it, of course. You wouldn't believe how many people tried to sell you lethal stuff. Or maybe you would. I don't know. Um. So," she took the lid off of the box, "I sorted these into three categories. Personal." There were only three letters in the stack. "Offers for legal alliances." This stack was larger, the thump on the table meatier. "Hate mail!" This stack was the largest yet, and it collapsed, individual letters sliding across the table, when Azalea took her hands away. "What do you think?"

"Personal?" asked Jack.

"Why bring hate mail?" said Maddie at the same time.

"Personal is..." Azalea picked up the letters. "Mr Phantom, your daughter, Jasmine, and... shoot. This should have been screened."

A letter from Danny. Maddie's breath caught in her throat. What would he say? Her jaw clenched. "Show me," she said, reaching across the table. "All of them."

Reluctantly, Azalea handed over the letters. One was from Danny, the other from Jazz, both on the same stationary. The third was from...

"Vladdie?" asked Jack, looking over Maddie's shoulder. "Why's he sending us mail?"

Maddie frowned. "I don't know," she said, "but I don't like it. Remember what Danny said, Jack. Vlad isn't what we thought."

Jack nodded. "I saw that girl, the one Danny told us about."

"You-?" Maddie shook her head. "We'll talk about that later."

"Sorry, I forgot."

"It's fine, sweetie," said Maddie. She looked back down at the letters. "There's really too much going on..." She made a face and opened Jazz's letter first. She just... She had to come at this slowly.

Mom and Dad, started the letter.

Danny and I are fine. Danny is getting proper medical attention. It will still be a long time before he is really better.

Maddie bit her lip at the veiled jab.

He does forgive you. I forgive you, too. It's just hard. It's really hard. We're both worried about you. There are just so many ways that this, that everything, could go wrong. Don't insult anyone. Don't try to escape. Our advocates are working on a way to make sure that you survive this. Please listen to yours. Mr Wolfsbane is top notch. His associates are, too. Don't turn your nose up at alliances. If you manage enough of them, with the right people, you can essentially settle out of court. It is a bit more complicated than that, but your advocate should explain. Our advocates will be sending letters for official legal reasons.

We're going to be going to Elysium soon. Our friend, Pandora, lives there. She's making room for all of Danny's classmates. Direct your letters there.

I love you,

Jazz

Maddie took a deep breath. That was about what she had expected from Jazz. Jazz had never been one to mince words when she thought that Maddie and Jack were doing something wrong.

She put Jazz's letter to the side, and picked up Danny's. Jack was staring at it, too, his lower lip held between his teeth.

It took her several tries to open the envelope. Her hands were shaking. She even gave herself a paper cut. But, eventually, the letter slid out.

Hi Mom, hi Dad, said the small piece of paper.

This isn't going to be a long letter. I'm not good at writing. His handwriting was shaky. Maddie knew that Danny's cursive was usually very neat. To see it like this... She knew that it wasn't just because he was upset. This was caused by being hurt.

I want you to know that I forgive you. That I've always forgiven you. I always will, no matter what. I love you. And I'm sorry for not being more honest, and getting us into this mess.

Please be careful. There are a lot of politics going on.

I love you,

Danny

That was shorter than she had hoped, but it was more than they deserved.

"He still forgives us," said Jack, softly. He touched the letter gently with one large finger. "He still loves us."

Maddie nodded. She didn't know what to think anymore, but she knew that she had been wrong. So, so wrong, and she must have hurt Danny so badly. Looking at the ghosts here, at Wolfsbane, Azalea, the courthouse staff, and all the 'advocates' who had been visiting, or trying to visit, Jack and Maddie, Maddie could not longer call them mindless monsters. They certainly weren't human, but they had their own rituals, and they could at least formulate an argument.

She read the letters again. Again. If she focused, she could almost imagine her children writing them. But reality closed back in, and she started focusing on what else was in the letters.

"What does he mean by politics?" she asked.

Azalea tilted her head. "I'm pretty sure we've explained that," she said. "That weapon, his fraidmates, his guardian, his liminality, the fact that he's a child." The ghost shrugged. "I'm sure that those things can cause a trial to get big on your side, right?"

"Yes," said Maddie. "But you wouldn't necessarily call that 'politics.' What makes this so political? What even is politics, here? Do you have some kind of district attorney that can be voted in and out?"

"Um," said Azalea, blinking. The sound of buzzing intensified. "I think it might be better to try and show you." She stood. "I'll be back in a second. Read those letters."