Hoo-wee, got one up quicker this time. And it's the longest chapter yet, too!
This is a chapter I've been waiting to write for a very long time, and one I know a lot of you have been eager for. Well buckle up, because this one's a doozy!
Danny stared. He couldn't help it. He didn't know why, but he found whatever his friend was doing quite amusing.
Wes hadn't looked away from his phone for several minutes. Both he and Danny had gotten to their last class early, and the moment they'd sat down, Wes had had his phone in his hand, eyes glued to the screen. Danny wasn't even sure he'd blinked since he pulled it out.
"...Reading something interesting?" Danny joked after another minute of silence.
"Not reading," Wes replied with a promptness Danny hadn't expected, considering how absorbed he was. "Some lady posted a picture of herself with a creature that looks like it might be some kind of elf, and I'm trying to figure out if that's what it is, or if it's just me again."
Curious, Danny leaned over the desk so he could see the tiny screen. To him, it looked more like a vampire, with elongated ears and an indistinct expression. All that could be seen of its face in the semi-darkness of the image was a pair of beady amber eyes.
Although, Danny supposed, you couldn't photograph a vampire.
"I dunno," he said, shrugging. "Considering it's been you every single time you get excited about a cryptid sighting, it probably is just you again. But last I checked, your ghost form doesn't have ears like those."
Wes thought about that for a moment. He certainly didn't remember having pointed ears. But really, when was the last time he checked?
He quickly scanned the room. They were still alone. He didn't waste another second, changing with a flash of light. The moment it dimmed, he reached up, pinching the ends of his ears.
Pointed. Very softly, but definitely pointed.
Slowly, a grin broke out over Wes's face, his entire form glittering a peppy shade of yellow. He bounced up and down on the balls of his feet, elbows doing excited little flaps as he wiggled his new ears.
"Pointy!" he cried, the only word he could use to verbally express his glee.
They sure were. Danny refused to admit they were charmingly adorable.
"Yes, they are," he said, waving his hands down, "now change back before someone walks in and sees you."
"Aww," Wes whined, but he did as he was told. He flashed once before slumping in his seat, where he continued to play with his now rounded ears.
"Didn't Clockwork say this kind of thing usually had to do with an obsession?" he asked, alternating between rubbing and pinching.
"Among other things," Danny replied. "Why, did your little vigilante trip give you any hints?"
Wes groaned. "No. But this has to be happening for some reason, right? How am I supposed to know?"
"Well, for me, I can feel it in my core," Danny said, speaking slowly as he looked for his words. "I don't really know how to explain it, except that it sort of feels full? But not like it's actually full, it doesn't feel like core energy. Or, maybe a little. I guess it's sort of like scratching a really good itch, but you're scratching something you can't actually touch." He looked up, meeting Wes's eyes. "Haven't you felt that?"
Wes whimpered, cradling his forehead in his hands. "I don't know."
"Which means you haven't found it yet," Danny told him. "When you do, you'll know."
"I guess so..." Wes muttered. But they had to end the conversation there, because the class bell rang, all the students that had been loitering in the hallway finally filtering in. The teacher squeezed past the miniature sea, then began his drone at the front of the room.
But Danny paid him no mind. He frowned as his friend busied himself with taking notes, cheek in hand.
Clearly this whole obsession thing was bothering him. Danny didn't have to feel the way his core twanged forlornly to know that. He could barely go three days without feeding into his own at least a little; to go four months without indulging it at all, or to do it so little that his core didn't even register it, was unthinkable. He could only imagine how stressed Wes must be.
Frankly, Danny was surprised he wasn't doing worse. But if Wes had gone this long without even stumbling upon it, then Danny needed to act before things had a chance to get worse.
And he knew he couldn't do it alone.
({O})
"Okay, so why are we here again?"
Danny, Sam, and Tucker sat on the floor in the Weston living room, Walter taking residence on the couch with a sandwich in his hand. But it wasn't just the four of them present. Jazz sat on the other cushion, while Valerie hovered by the threshold to the kitchen. It was her who had spoken, eyeing her surroundings with mild suspicion.
"Good question," Jazz said. "This is about Wes, right? So he should be here too, shouldn't he?"
"He has practice," Danny replied. "Besides, if he were here, then this whole meeting would be pointless." He looked up at Walter. "Thanks for hosting us last-minute, by the way."
"It's no trouble," Walter waved him off. "I still have twenty minutes of my lunch left, so you aren't imposing. Besides, if a meeting is going to do my son some good, then what kind of father would I be to not be a part of it?" He cleared his throat. "So if I might ask, what was it we needed to discuss?"
Tucker stood. "First things first, let's address the elephant in the room. Yes, everyone knows Wes is a Halfa, and yes, everyone knows Danny is a Halfa. No need to tiptoe around it."
The party collectively relaxed. That was one topic nobody would have to awkwardly try to skirt around.
"If you felt the need to bring that up," said Valerie, "then does this have to do with some weird Halfa junk?"
"Exactly." This time Sam took the lead. "He's having trouble finding his obsession, and we need to make sure he finds it."
"...But why?" Walter asked. "Being obsessed isn't a good thing, is it? I don't mean to be so blunt, but Wesley is a little, erm... well..."
"Nosy?" Tucker offered. Naturally, Walter didn't readily agree, but he didn't have to. "We know. But this is a ghostly obsession we're talking about."
"Every ghost has one," Jazz piped up, "Halfas included. It's what drives a ghost and helps them hold their form. Or, in the case of half-ghosts, it can bolster their strength and help them de-stress. I know it sounds counterintuitive, but this kind of obsession is good for both Wesley's physical and psychological well-being."
"...And if he doesn't find it?" Walter dared.
"It might stunt his core, and that won't do him any favors," Danny answered. "And the longer he goes without feeding his obsession, the more irritable and unpredictable he could become. Trust me when I say I've seen what that does to people."
Walter gulped.
"So you're saying if we don't figure this out quick, Wes is gonna become a total wacko?" Valerie gasped.
"Exactly!" said Tucker. Danny and Walter both glared. "Or, uh, I mean, he could. Probably won't, but could. It'll most likely stress him out though."
"If it isn't already stressing him out," Danny pointed out. "But the problem is, I don't know what his obsession could be, and he doesn't either."
"But we shouldn't have to search blindly," Sam spoke up. "An obsession almost always has to do with something significant to the ghost. We figure out what's important to Wes deep down, and we find his obsession."
"The Box Ghost has his boxes because he used to work the warehouse," said Jazz. "Skulker was probably an exotic game hunter if he was ever alive, and Danny is a hero because he wants to keep his loved ones safe." Danny scowled and flushed. Jazz ignored him and pulled out a notebook. "Let's start broad. What do we know about Wes's activities? His best classes? His relationships? His psyche?"
"I mean, he followed Danny around for pretty much all of freshman year," Tucker pointed out. "Are we sure it isn't him?"
"It isn't me," Danny pouted, crossing his arms.
Sam pursed her lips. "You're probably right. If it was you, his behavior would have gotten worse, not better."
The group fell silent, mulling over what they actually knew about their friend. But the longer they thought, the more they realized they knew very little about him at all. Aside from being a headstrong basketball player with a bit of an old stalking streak, what did they actually know about his interests, his values?
Jazz hummed at her notebook, displeased. "Doesn't anyone know what Wes likes?"
Walter half-raised his hand. Jazz was quick to point her eraser at him, granting him permission to speak.
"Well," he ventured, "I know he goes on his forums with his internet friends. Usually they're looking for Bigfoot, or bog monsters. He was looking into the undead when we first moved here, and lately he seems to have taken an interest in elemental spirits. Does that help?"
"Wes has internet friends?" Tucker blurted.
Danny ignored him, his face lighting up. "Of course! He doesn't show up right in pictures in his ghost form, and he's always mistaking himself for all sorts of supernatural things! Maybe that's it!"
"It's a good start," Jazz said as she jotted the idea down. "But it's probably better that we keep brainstorming. Wes is a complex kid, so his obsession could be any number of things. We aren't likely to get it right on the first guess."
"Fair point," Valerie agreed. "What about basketball? He's been playing since middle school, so that's gotta be important, right?"
"He does like jogging a little too much," said Tucker. "Might be exercise in general."
"Maybe he has a hero obsession, like mine," suggested Danny. "He wouldn't stop bugging me about helping out once his powers grew in."
"Same ghost power origins, same obsession," Jazz hummed. "It's possible." She scribbled furiously at her notebook, crossing her Ts with an extra flourish. "Keep them coming, guys. I think we've got ourselves a pretty good lead."
({O})
After the gang's brainstorming session, there was nothing for it but to test out their theories. Jazz had a checklist ready to go, and she was prepared to check or cross off every possibility as they went down the list. They would start broad, and based on how Wes behaved, they would narrow down the list until they found what they were looking for.
Then, and only then, would they tell Wes their findings. If he knew what they were trying to do, there was no way they would get a legitimate reaction out of him. His obsession would be next to impossible to figure out if that happened.
First things first: cryptids.
"I've always wanted an excuse to wear this," Tucker gushed, wringing his hands from behind a bush. "But this? This might be a bit much."
"No, you look great," said Danny, fighting back mirthful tears as he pulled up his phone to take a picture. "Just keep posing, we need this to look authentic."
Tucker wore a slapped together suit, the entire thing a fuzzy, glossy dark brown, nearly black. His gloves were fingerless, his nails adorned with long, pointed fake nails, painted silver. His wolflike mask snapped its jaws whenever his mouth moved, the straps on the back of the mask hidden by a wild black wig. Tattered cargo shorts were worn over the entire ensemble.
Sam quirked a brow. "So you had this suit raring to go, just in case we needed to fake a wolfman sighting?"
"You don't know my life!" Tucker barked.
"Shush, Tucker, I don't think werewolves can talk," Danny ordered, snapping a few more photos before shooting Wes a quick text. "Now act natural, he could be here any minute–"
"WHERE'S THE WOLFMAN?!"
Everyone jumped.
"That was quick," Sam hummed.
Danny gawked at Wes, the newcomer already armed with his iconic camera. "...We're halfway across town!"
Wes wasn't paying him any mind, though. His focus was entirely on the humanoid wolf growling in the brush before him. Even in human form, his eyes glittered an excitable yellow.
"I can't believe it," he breathed, camera flashing obnoxiously as he took picture after picture. "I get to see a real wolfman with my own eyes! And they said they couldn't exist! But what's with the posture? They're usually more upright than this!"
Tucker straightened his spine. "Grrr."
Wes frowned. Something was off, and it wasn't just the fact that this strange being seemingly responded to his offhand comment. "...Why is it so well-groomed? A real lycanthrope would be more gray and matted than this. Why are the claws such a pristine color? And... are those seams?"
He glared.
"I think the jig's up," Danny whispered.
"Oh, hardy har, very funny," Wes huffed. He dropped his camera so it dangled from his neck. "Play a trick on Wes, get him excited for nothing. Hilarious! And you couldn't even make the costume convincing!"
"Hey, I worked hard on this!" Tucker huffed.
Wes growled. "Tell me when there's a real creature around." He stomped off, sullen.
The trio looked amongst each other. "...So that's a maybe?"
({O})
So Wes had been excited to get the chance to see a real cryptid, and he'd been particularly disgruntled upon discovering it was just an amateur fursuit. It was possible that an underlying obsession lent itself to his eagerness, but it wouldn't do to assume that was the case. Wes was an open book, and a loud one at that; he always reacted to things plainly and with gusto.
No, they needed to find something that made him really light up. And what better place to start than the second item on the list?
Wes had been ecstatic when the group showed up for his Monday game, and it showed in the way he moved. Danny would say he'd never seen Wes play so energetically, but, well, that wouldn't be entirely true. Out of the handful of games he was able to stick around for, not once had Wes ever succumbed to fatigue. He never seemed to slow down.
Even after the final buzzer, Wes had still been moving, jogging in place as he gave his friends a summarized play-by-play of the entire game like they hadn't been there themselves. He didn't stop until a phone call beckoned him home for dinner, and he bid the gang farewell as he took off at a full sprint.
"...Was that the one, you think?" asked Sam.
"This might be it," Danny said, grinning. "The first time he had a core overload was after a game, which means playing was generating core energy."
"I know exercise was my theory," said Tucker, "but that isn't really how this works, right? Strengthening a core and powering it up aren't the same thing."
"I guess, but did you see how he was moving around?" Danny argued. "He was in his element. Val, he wasn't always like that when he played, was he?"
Valerie shrugged. "Nah, as far as I can tell he's always been like that. Kid has a lot of energy."
"No change means probably no obsession," Sam sighed. She put her hands on her hips. "So, what was next on the list?"
Danny smiled. "Heroics. And I think I know just who I can get to help us out."
({O})
"Help! Oh, somebody help!"
Wes sat bolt upright, dropping his textbook on the library table. Jazz had been tutoring him in social studies, and had left moments before for a bathroom break. It was her voice that rang out through the hallway, loud and shrill.
Determining that the library was clear, Wes transformed, pulling a thermos out of his schoolbag before booking it towards the source of the cry. Finding himself by the main entrance, he brandished his capture device, teeth bared. "Don't worry, I'm here to... help?"
Wes lowered the thermos in awe. Before him was an enormous blue dragon, taking up most of the empty space available to it. In its massive claws was Jazz, hands on cheeks and screaming her lungs out. The dragon bellowed in kind, drowning her out.
The thermos slipped from Wes's grasp.
"Oh. My. God. That's an actual dragon! A dragon, here at the school?! No seams or stitches, this is the real deal, I can't believe it! Four limbs, two wings, striking colorization, regal crest?! No doubt about it, it's a rare western dragon, and a powerful one at that! To think I could ever glimpse one in my lifetime, oh, where's my camera when I need it?!"
"Hello, damsel in distress over here?!" Jazz cried. "You can analyze her later!"
Wes perked up. "It's a her?!"
"WESLEY!"
He shook himself off. "Right, I know. Cover your eyes!"
Jazz did as she was told, and Wes flashed. The dragon screeched, staggering as she tried to rub her eyes and hang onto her hostage at the same time. Wes darted forwards, grabbing her by the ankle and pulling with as much force as he could muster. The dragon fell on her rear, but she was far from incapacitated. She breathed in, and exhaled a stream of fire that made a flamethrower look like a candle in comparison, lighting up the makeshift arena like it was doused in gasoline.
Wes's eyes went wide. He wasn't the one with the ice powers.
"Hey, watch the fire!" Jazz cried. "You could burn the whole school down!"
"Oh, goodness, sorry," the dragon whispered. She inhaled, sucking the blaze back in before it had a chance to spread.
Wes stopped.
"AND you can talk?!"
The dragon pursed her nonexistent lips, crossing her arms. She was careful not to crush Jazz in the process. "You aren't very skilled at this whole rescuing thing, are you? I kidnapped a girl, and here you are, talking almost nonstop. If I wanted to destroy her, I could have done so a dozen times over by now."
Wes paused again, this time for a different reason. "...Do you not want to do that? Then why are you here? What do you want with her?"
The dragon sighed. She and Jazz glanced at one another, and it was the teen who spoke. "Well... The thing is, I'm not in any actual danger."
Wes blinked. He pointed between her, and the dragon. "Then why is she grabbing you like that? She isn't gonna whisk you to her castle or something?"
Once again, the dragon glanced at her captive, this time setting her down. She touched the golden amulet around her neck, and in an instant, she had gone from a towering reptile, to a stunning young woman.
A very green one.
"I am Princess Dorathea of Aragon," she said, hand still resting on her bosom. "Lady Jasmine asked me to come to your world to assist her."
We gaped. "So you're... a princess and a dragon? And a ghost? I didn't know someone could be all three at once." He shook his head; there were more pressing questions at hand. "But why did she need your help? And how does she know a ghost dragon princess?"
Jazz didn't seem to have an answer. "Uhhhhhhhhh–"
Luckily Dora came to her rescue. "Theater," she blurted. "Oh, yes, she was considering doing theater, and she needed someone who could be rather, ah, terrifying, to see if she suited an upcoming role. And, she supposed, a dragon might be just the thing. Her screams were almost so convincing, were they not?"
Wes turned a perplexed orange. "Um... I guess so. I did think she was in trouble."
Jazz hissed through her teeth, hands on her hips. "I dunno, I think I could have followed through more on the delivery. Oh well, maybe acting isn't my calling, but I could always try again next year, right?"
Wes was pretty sure she was going to college next year. Maybe university had theater classes, what did he know?
But he didn't really care either way. He was far more interested in the ghost before him. "So how exactly does a ghost become a dragon princess? Were you always a princess, or always a dragon? You touched your necklace, so is that how you transform? Would it work on me if I wore it? How old are you? Are ghost years the same as earth years? What does a ghost dragon princess do? Do you have a kingdom? What's it like?"
Dora took a startled step back. She wasn't even remotely prepared for such an onslaught of questions, but she composed herself quickly. "I'm afraid I must be returning to my kingdom, and yes, I do have one. It's grown quite lovely recently, but I do have my duties to attend to. Perhaps we could schedule a get-together some time, and I could answer your questions over tea. Sir Phantom can make the arrangements if you speak with him."
Wes gasped. "Sir? Holy crap, is he a knight?! Why did he never tell me?!"
"Another time, dear," Dora insisted, politely waving him off. "I'm very sorry if I caused any trouble, I do hope I didn't singe anything too much. Farewell, and may we meet again."
"Let me walk with you for a bit," Jazz piped up. "I, uh, haven't properly thanked you for helping with my method acting."
Dora nodded. "Very well."
Jazz jogged so she was by the princess's side, then shot an apologetic look over her shoulder. "Sorry Wes, I'll be right back to finish your lesson, promise."
All Wes could do was stand there and stare at the two, all of his questions remaining unanswered. "Um, okay. Sure."
Jazz and Dora walked, rounding a corner. Once they were both certain Wes was out of earshot, Dora spoke. "I don't believe he shares Sir Phantom's obsession."
Jazz shook her head. "I don't, either. He was way too distracted by the whole dragon thing for that to be it. It does add credibility to the supernatural obsession theory, though."
Dora hummed thoughtfully, frowning back the way they'd come. "I'm not quite so sure about that."
Jazz glanced her way, one brow raised. "What do you mean? He wouldn't shut up about you being a dragon."
"I won't deny his interest," Dora said. "Although, what intrigues me is that it wasn't the only thing he asked about. He cared about my status, and about Sir Phantom's. Some of his questions weren't even about me. If it was simply otherworldly species that had his attention, then I doubt he would have bothered with the rest."
"Hmm..." She did have a point. Jazz curled a finger around her chin. "If you don't think that was it, then do you know what it might be? None of our ideas have worked out."
Dora smiled. "After sixteen-hundred years under my brother's rule, I have learned a thing or two about the concept of obsession. And based off what I've seen of your student, I think I might know just what his calling may be."
({O})
Tucker was going to have so much fun with this.
First period was due to start in two minutes, but he paid that fact no mind as he spied Danny and Wes conversing in the hallway. He couldn't hear what was being said, but he made no attempt to get closer. He didn't need to.
It wasn't long before Wes caught onto the fact that they were being watched. He looked up, and Tucker ducked behind a corner, letting his ankle tantalizingly hang out before he withdrew it.
Wes squinted. "...Hey, did you see that? I'm pretty sure Tucker was staring at us."
Danny shrugged. "I didn't see anything. It was probably nothing, so let's get to class."
"Hmm..." Wes wasn't convinced, but he didn't argue, following Danny to first period.
Though he swore he saw Tucker run by at least twice during.
It happened again after second period. Wes saw Tucker glance this way and that, his bag in his arms. His posture was hunched in seemingly a poor attempt to hide it, but then he was heading to class, looking over his shoulder the whole way.
Something had to be up.
He was nowhere to be seen at lunch, which left Wes free to rant at Sam and Danny. "Alright, Tucker is definitely up to something."
Danny idly munched on a fry. "What do you mean? He seems fine to me."
"Then where is he?" Wes challenged. "He always eats with us. Why isn't he here now?"
"He doesn't have to eat with us every day," said Sam.
"But he still does it! And why has he been sneaking around all day, huh?!"
Danny and Sam glanced at one another. "...But he hasn't been," said Danny.
"He has though!" Wes wanted to pull his hair out. "He's planning something, and I'm gonna get to the bottom of it, even if you two don't believe me!"
"But we do believe you," Sam told him.
Wes paused. "...You do? But–"
"Obviously you're gonna try to find a pattern that isn't there," Sam finished.
Wes was going to scream.
But he didn't. He forced himself to remain calm, sucking in a huge breath through his nose. "Have you guys really not noticed anything weird? Anything at all?"
Sam and Danny both shrugged.
"Dunno," said Sam. "Haven't seen him all day."
At this rate, Wes really would start screaming.
Well, fine then. If they didn't think anything was wrong, then either they were plain clueless, or they were in on it. And Wes was going to prove that something was going down.
He saw Tucker again after fifth period, and just like before, he eyed each end of the hallway with a shifty gaze. Wes watched him through the crowd, waiting for any suspicious moves.
Suddenly, Tucker booked it.
Wes took off, shoving himself past wave after wave of students. But Tucker was quick, and much smaller, moving through the crowd nearly unimpeded. Just when Wes was certain he was going to get away, Tucker dipped into a supply closet.
"Ha!" Wes barked triumphantly. Whatever Tucker was planning, he clearly didn't want to be seen. But unfortunately for him, he'd just trapped himself. There was no way he was escaping now.
When Wes finally reached the closet, he grasped the handle, flinging it open, ready to find Tucker doing something really incriminating.
But he wasn't there.
"Huh?"
Wes entered, head on a swivel as he rummaged through mildewy mops and half-empty cleaners. Still, none of his searching revealed the target of his pursuit. "No, I don't understand, he was right here! He's not a ghost, so how did he–? When did–? I–"
He really did scream this time.
({O})
This went on for two more days. During those two days, Wes had run himself ragged following Tucker around. But no matter what he did, he never seemed to catch him in the act of... well, anything outside of his normal routine. It was like the guy was always one step ahead. Wes was no closer to learning the truth than when he started.
By the time Friday's last class rolled around, Wes looked liable to implode. It was at this point Danny and his friends seemed to take pity on him. All three approached after the bell, Danny beckoning for Wes to follow. "Come on, we're going to the training ground."
Wes shut his locker, looking mildly frazzled. "What? Why? And what are you doing here instead of skulking around?" He pointed an accusing finger at Tucker.
He was met with a grin in response. "Oh, you'll see."
Wes frowned.
"Seriously, we wanna show you something," Danny insisted. "Are you coming or not?"
Wes groaned, but he nodded, hoisting his bag over his shoulder. Maybe he would finally learn what Tucker's deal was. And if not, he was sure that heading to the training ground meant he had a ghost technique to learn. Those always promised a good time.
The walk seemed to drag on forever, but once they got past the treeline, Wes whirled around, facing the trio with crossed arms. "So is anyone gonna tell me what's going on? Or are you gonna let me stew some more? Clearly you two know what's up." He shot Danny and Sam a glare.
"We'll confess, promise," said Danny. "But first, we each have a question for you."
Wes moaned. "What is this, twenty questions?"
"It could be," Tucker replied. He grinned, fingers ominously tapping. "First things first. What do you think I've been doing the past few days?"
Wes threw his arms in Tucker's direction. "See?! I knew he was up to something! And you two both denied it!"
"Just answer the question," Danny ordered.
Wes huffed. "That's just it, I don't know! Nothing he did made any sense! Any time he got cornered he disappeared, so I didn't learn anything from following him, except that he definitely isn't a ghost because I never sensed him. He kept tiptoeing around, but then he would just be in class or something! He didn't have anything new in his bag or his locker, so he wasn't like, building something!"
"You went through my stuff?!" Tucker shrilled.
"You're asking Wes if he went through your things?" Sam deadpanned.
"Hey!" Wes tried not to be offended by that, he really did. But the implication was plain rude, even if sort of correct. "Still, nothing added up! Every suspicious thing turned out to be something stupid and mundane! It was like he wasn't actually doing anything!"
Tucker smiled wide. "You're right!"
Wes faltered. "I'm... Huh?"
"That's exactly what I was doing. Nothing! You figured it out!"
Wes had to stare. There was no way he was hearing that right. "...No, you were definitely doing something. Explain yourself!"
"I was acting, dummy," Tucker laughed. "I pretended to be sneaky whenever I went to class just to get your attention, and pretended to cover things up so you thought I had something to hide. But you caught me. I wasn't actually up to anything."
"...So you were just pranking me." Or making fun of him. It was hard to tell.
"Yep."
"But the disappearing!" Wes pleaded. "There was no way you could hide that fast!"
"Oh, that one's easy." Tucker lifted his wrist and pushed a button on something resembling a watch. Before their eyes, he disappeared from view, fading into the backdrop.
Wes gaped. He tilted his head this way and that, marveling at the way the trees seemed to ripple behind the space Tucker had to be occupying. "No way, is that a cloaking device?! How did you do that?!"
Tucker reappeared, the wristwatch hissing as it powered down. "I'll be honest, I might have kinda nicked some Fenton tech and modified it. I think it was designed to keep people safe by making it harder for ghosts to find them? It only lasts a few seconds, but it'll do in a pinch."
"...You have to tell me how that works!" Wes demanded, enchanted.
"You can geek out later," Sam said, stepping forward. "First, I want you to tell me what kind of flower this is." She whipped out a small book, and inside the front cover was a dried and pressed flower, laminated to the stiff paper.
Now Wes was just confused. "Why? I'm not a botanist."
"So? Figure it out."
Wes readily rose to the challenge, leaning closer to inspect the strange flower. He had never seen one quite like it. "...I mean, it sort of looks like a tulip. Maybe a rose? I think it was red once, but I've never seen anything with a stem that dark. Maybe I can look this up?"
"Just look closer," Sam instructed.
So he did. He got even closer to the book, eyes narrowed as he took in the flower's odd features. But then he was struck by utter revulsion, a horrible dread felt so deep in his bones that he reared away on sheer instinct. His lip peeled back to expose his gums, feeling for all the world like this plant was plotting his murder, and he simply couldn't fathom why.
"...What the heck is that?" he hissed.
"I'm asking you," Sam replied. "What happened, and why?"
Wes forced back his disgust, pursing his lips so he wasn't snarling at a dead plant. "What, am I just supposed to know?"
Though, he still did as he was asked, making at least a token effort to puzzle this bizarre flower out. "...Whatever it is, I don't like it. I can't really explain it, but it felt like it actually wanted to kill me. But that's stupid, because it's just a flower."
Sam quirked a brow. "Is it?"
Wes paused, pondering that. "I... guess it isn't. There's something weird about it. Is it a ghost plant?" Sam only stared, so he continued. "...Or maybe it's a ward. You're holding it no problem, but clearly it affects me when I get too close. Either it's a ghost flower, or it's meant to protect against ghosts. This flower's dead, so if I had to guess, the effect would be a lot worse if it was alive. Could be poisonous, could trigger an allergy. Maybe it's a shield. Whatever it is, it's no good to a ghost."
Sam nodded, apparently satisfied. "Good deduction. This is prunus alius impello, better known as a blood blossom. They grew these in the Dark Ages to fend off spirits, perform exorcisms, detect witches, and make sandwiches. A dead one isn't very potent compared to a live one, you were right about that, and it won't do much to a Halfa in human form. But trust me when I say you wouldn't want to be exposed to these for too long."
Wes pulled a face, horrified. "Why would you tell me to get close to it, then?! More than that, why do you even have it?! Where did you get it?!"
"I've been asking her that for months," Danny groaned. Clearly he didn't like being near the thing, either.
"I already told you, a few cropped up after that whole Undergrowth ordeal," Sam huffed, holding the book close as if Danny would try to snatch it. "So what if I thought they were worth cultivating in case a really powerful ghost showed up? Better safe than sorry."
"I wouldn't call bringing one along now safe," Danny muttered.
Sam rolled her eyes. "Just ask Wes your question already. The sooner that's done, the sooner I can take this back home and away from you."
"Alright, alright." Danny crossed his arms, the glowing rings briefly passing over him as he transformed. "Go ghost for me."
Oh, finally, Wes thought, relieved. It looked like they were getting to whatever ghost lesson they brought him there for. He eagerly transformed, ears perked and ready for Danny's mentoring. "What do you need me to do?"
"I want you to shock me," Danny replied. "Remember when I was first teaching you to control your output? I need you to do exactly that."
"Uh, okay," Wes agreed slowly. He wasn't sure why they would be rehashing an old lesson, let alone here of all places, but he knew not to question it yet. "You two might wanna step back though, just in case the current jumps."
Sam and Tucker didn't need to be told twice.
Once they were a safer distance away, Wes held out his hand, which Danny readily took. Wes charged, then delivered a moderate shock, expecting it to pass right through Danny like it did before. But instead, he found himself momentarily reeling as the energy came and thrust itself right back into him.
Danny was kind enough to give Wes a second to recover before he finally posed his question. "How did I do that?"
Wes blinked, shaking his head. "...I mean, it has to do with your ghost powers, right? You kind of have a power for everything."
"While that's sort of true," Danny admitted, "there's actually a perfectly good reason for this one. Your core has to do with electricity, and mine doesn't. So how can I redirect your core energy when I don't have a compatible core? Think about it, I know you can figure it out."
Oh, so this had to be a ghost biology lesson of some sort. How cores function, maybe? "...Huh, I never really thought about that. You said you had an ice core, right?"
"Did I?"
"Or it might be water, you aren't sure," Wes amended. He found himself genuinely invested in this little puzzle. "...Well, I guess if my electricity kind of works like the real thing, then maybe your ice is the same way. And when I fought Klemper, my power jumped to his ice, because water conducts electricity. So... that means you can manipulate your core energy so mine just passes through, right?"
Danny smiled, expression threatening to become a grin. "I can. But where does the control come from?"
Wes found himself matching Danny's energy, his eyes practically alight. "You have experience. You can pick and choose where your energy travels, right? You move the water, you move the current. So you can direct my power by picking and choosing where yours builds up, can't you? Which would probably give you finer control over it than me, huh?"
There was the grin. "You've got it! I don't get all the science behind it, but that's the gist of it."
Wes pumped his fists. "Sweet! So what are we learning, then? Are you gonna teach me how to control my powers better? Do you think your technique would apply to me? I could always give it a shot. Or are you gonna explain more about how cores work? You and Jazz keep briefly bringing them up, but are they like souls? Are they made of ectoplasm, or do they produce it? Or are you gonna–"
"Alright, alright, slow down," Danny ordered. But despite the annoyance his words implied, his grin somehow got even wider. He, Sam, and Tucker shared a knowing look.
"You think this one's it?" asked Sam.
"Did you see the tangent he just went on? What else would it be?" Tucker proposed.
Wes cocked his head. "...What what would be? Are we not doing a core lesson?"
All three turned to face him, with Tucker being the one to reply. "Okay, I know we said we only had one question each, but we've got a couple more coming your way." He waited for Wes to nod. "How did your core feel before you came here?"
So they were doing a core lesson?
Wes blinked. He hadn't really been paying attention, but he'd been on-edge all week, and not solely because of Tucker's antics. "Um... Tense, I guess? I dunno."
"And how does it feel now?" asked Sam.
This was a much easier question, though it was harder to put into words. "...Kind of like I just read a really good book," he decided. "Why? Does it mean something? Did you guys do something? What's going on?"
Danny's smile was all teeth. "I think we just figured out your obsession."
Wes was reeling. There was no way, was there? How would they find out before him? Were they pulling his leg?
"What?! You did? But how? When? Just now? What is it?"
The trio smiled at each other.
"...Tell me!" Wes cried. He clung to Danny's jumpsuit. "You can't just leave me hanging here! Aren't you gonna tell me?! Come on, please!"
Danny didn't resist the tug, but he made sure to wait another tantalizing few seconds before responding.
"It's knowledge."
Wes let him go.
"You run into a problem," Tucker added, "and you won't leave it alone until you solve it. Which is probably why it took so long to find it, actually. You were like that when you were human, too."
Wes was shocked at how much sense it made. How had he never realized it? It explained why he was so determined to figure out Tucker's supposed secret, and why he entertained Sam's flower question. It explained why he needed to identify every cryptid and mythical creature he came across photos of, even if they always turned out to be him in the end. It explained why Danny's words anchored him so well when he was having his overload, and even why he continued to have a hard time focusing in school. He already knew a lot of what his classes taught.
He was obsessed with the pursuit of knowledge. And with that revelation, his core felt more complete than it had ever felt before.
How had he survived so long without this?
Once again he took Danny in his arms. Wes felt light as a feather, and Danny was almost equally so as Wes spun him around. The two of them looked almost like a small star, with Wes at the center of it, his joy radiant enough to light up the clearing.
What harm would an enthusiastic kiss on the cheek be if Sam and Tucker couldn't see it?
Eventually Wes stopped, lowering Danny and himself back to the ground, hoping Sam and Tucker didn't notice just how green Danny's cheeks were. His own weren't like that too, were they?
"How do you feel now?" Tucker asked knowingly.
Wes grinned. "Like a million bucks."
"Good, so mission accomplished," said Danny. "You ready to head back?"
Wes most definitely was not. He didn't know how his obsession worked! Did he have to be genuinely curious for it to count, or did someone simply need to ask him a question? He didn't seem to need to draw his own conclusions; just being told the answer looked to be enough. But would it be better if he found the answers himself? Was it the question or the answer he found most fulfilling? Did it count if he was the one looking for problems in the first place?
Danny pulled a face. "Okay, I'm seeing too many questions you aren't asking."
"I'd say we've had enough questions for one day," said Sam.
"But I haven't!" whined Wes. "I just learned what my obsession was, and now you're gonna make me stew on it?!"
"Yep," said Tucker.
"I dunno, maybe go home and do research for the sake of research?" Danny suggested.
Wes's eyes lit up. That sure was one way to occupy his time. As excited as he was to head home, he neglected to say goodbye as he took to the skies.
The trio watched him go, shielding their eyes against the comet Wes had become. "Looks like someone was in a hurry," Sam hummed.
"I would be too," said Danny. "He went like four months without knowing what was anchoring his core. I know I'd want to do some serious catching up if I were him."
There was a blissful moment of silence.
"...So did you and Wes just kiss?" Tucker blurted.
"No!" Danny quickly replied.
"Because it looked like you–"
"No!" repeated Danny, scandalized. "Jeeze, can't two guys hug without it being weird?"
Tucker put his hands up, conceding. "Alright man, whatever you say."
Danny wiped his brow, relieved that the matter had been dropped. Nailed it.
Though the way Sam and Tucker gave each other a look indicated it had been anything but.
Alright, let's be real. How many of y'all guessed it? XD
The entire time I've been working on this fic, I've been thoroughly enjoying reading everyone's theories. And I've loved them! Y'all picked up the bread crumbs I left behind and came up with so many ideas, and that was exactly what I hoped for. Wes's obsession could have been nearly anything, and it was nearly impossible to pin down exactly what it was because Wes approaches everything with such gusto. I had a lot of fun addressing everything before revealing the final conclusion.
Next chapter is something else that's been simmering in my brain for a while. No massive reveals planned for it, but we'll just see what happens!
