Well, I promised I'd try to get out the next chapter before I left, and here I am delivering on it! I'm a little surprised, actually, but I'm glad I managed to do it. I hope you guys enjoy it, though if you don't approve I understand, and wouldn't mind constructive criticism, though that's certainly not discouraging positive reviews either. I'm slightly apprehensive as far as how I did on the battles go, but if it's a horrible failure then I can only get better...right?

8/29/2015 Update: I think that I managed to get out all of the stupid coding errors that caused it to screw up last time I tried to upload this. Anyways, here's the fixed version of the chapter five update, and now it's back to work on chapter seven for me. Enjoy!

Painful Revelations

As it turned out, it only took Teddie a few minutes to lead the boys to where he sensed the last victim before they disappeared. Traveling in the TV World, as Danny was quickly coming to call it, seemed to follow somewhat odd patterns. If you started in a familiar place and had at least a vague idea of where it was you wanted to go, it seemed as if you could get there within minutes, rather than however long the true distance would require, at least that's how it seemed to him. Regardless, whether it was truly a mechanic of the world they were in or a trick of his senses, the important thing was that they found themselves standing in a depopulated replica of Inaba's shopping district.

'Got to say, the swirling red skies and lack of light do wonders for it's atmosphere.' Danny reflected sarcastically as he cast his gaze around their surroundings, slowly tuning back into the conversation between Yosuke and Teddie.

"Why does this place look so much like our shopping district?"

Teddie shrugged, slowing down slightly as they neared the T-intersection, "Some weird places have showed up here recently. Things are getting so tangled, I dunno what to do..."

Danny nodded in understanding, even as Yosuke cast a slightly worried glance at the bear, "Uh...by the way, why are you standing so far from us?" He asked suspiciously, "You better not be planning to high-tail it if something does come up."

"Of course not! I mean...uh, I can't stand too close you know. I'd get in your way..." The bear shot back defensively, though he sounded somewhat embarrassed as he trailed off.

The half-ghost rolled his eyes behind his goggles, while Yosuke let out a frustrated sigh, "Man, they really went all out on this." He muttered, glancing at the shopping district warily, "But of all the places in town, why'd they replicate this one?"

"How am I supposed to know? This is reality for the one who's here." Teddie answered, shrugging his shoulders again.

"Oh...good to know things didn't decide to start making sense while we weren't looking. That'd be boring..." Danny drawled sarcastically, though he noticed Yosuke was fidgeting nervously, "You alright, Yosuke? You're not still worried about the 'shadows' he was talking about are you?"

Danny didn't miss the annoyed huff the brunette let out at the mention of shadows, though the boy quickly seemed to get over the comment, "No, it's just...if this is our shopping district, we're not far from Saki-senpai's..." He replied, trailing off as his eyes widened in recognition and he ran ahead of their guide, forcing his companions to chase after him.

When the two of them caught up with him they found him standing in front of a liquor store, one that Danny had only passed by a couple of times since moving to Inaba, "I knew it! This is the liquor store that Senpai's parents run. Does this mean...Senpai disappeared here? What could have happened...?" Yosuke asked quietly, though it seemed to Danny as if he was talking to himself, he was about to reach out a hand towards the brunette's shoulder when Teddie's voice rang out.

"W-wait! They're here!"

The half-ghost glanced at the mascot skeptically, "Wha-" He started to ask, but gasped as he felt his ghost sense trigger, shivering as he sensed a much more sinister presence than Teddie appear.

He swiveled towards the entrance of the building and took an unconscious step back, joined by Yosuke and the bear, as Teddie answered their unasked question, "Shadows...I had a feeling they were going to attack!" He cried, panic tinging his voice as the three of them stared in horror at the dark masses slowly oozing through the portal-esque entrance to the store.

Danny gripped the handle of the golf club Yosuke had shoved into his hands at Junes as he watched the four shadows twist into different shapes. The first three shadows floated off the ground as they shifted into a trio of zebra striped pink orbs complete with disturbingly oversized mouths, their tongues lashing about wildly, while their companion solidified itself as a monstrous replica of a vaguely human form, its clawed fingers flexing as it turned its mask-like face to stare at him.

The half-ghost barely registered Yosuke stumbling backwards and falling down as he scrambled to get away from the other-worldly beings, Teddie merely stood watching in horror as the orbs took off in opposite directions while the humanoid shadow took a few slow steps towards him, clicking its fingers together in anticipation. Danny raised his golf club threateningly, even as he felt his head begin to pound like his brain was throwing itself against his skull. There a small, muffled, voice shouting from within his head, however he couldn't understand what it was saying, and even if he had he was too busy staring down the monster in front of him to pay attention.

Danny felt a bead of sweat roll down his forehead as he glanced at his companions nervously, 'God damn it...of all the times for something like this to happen. I knew I should have made Yosuke go back! How the hell am I going to fight these things off without my powers?' He thought desperately as the shadow stepped closer, but there were no sudden inspirations to be had, and then the monstrous creature was upon him. He swung the club in his hands at the shadow's head, hoping it might be enough to at least make it back off, however before the improvised weapon could even connect one of the forgotten orbs soared back into the battle, slamming into the half-ghost and sending his weapon clattering across the intersection.

The orb's mouth snapped viciously at him, its prehensile tongue dripping a viscous saliva onto his face, while he struggled to push it away before finally letting out a frustrated roar as he channeled an ectoblast into both hands and released them. The monster launched into the air as the violet bolts of energy shredded its body, allowing him to push himself back to his feet.

The half-ghost glared malevolently at the shadows, his eyes burning brightly behind his goggles while a flash erupted from his middle as the familiar blue rings transformed him into Phantom. There was a moment of silence, broken only by the shadow's body dissolving as it hit the ground, as all eyes turned to stare at him in astonishment before the remaining two orbs soared towards him, screeching loudly. Danny quickly hurled two more ecto-bolts at the monsters, the first orb managed to swerve out of the path of the bolt, however the other wasn't so lucky and screeched as the energy tore through it, sending it crashing to the ground.

Danny glanced quickly at the orb as it skid to a stop near him, though he was forced to ignore its writhing form as he ducked away from the last flying monster. He thrust a glowing hand towards the closest orb, managing to snatch it from the air by its tongue, and spun around quickly as the humanoid monster launched itself towards him, "Catch this!" He shouted angrily, catapulting it into the other shadow, sending them both flying through the air until they slammed into the liquor store's barred windows, shattering the glass. The two monsters both struggled to rise from the ground, however before either of them managed to do so a pair of ecto-bolts slammed into each of them, dissolving them on the spot.

"Sensei, watch out!" Teddie shouted, prompting Phantom to swivel his head back to the shadow he'd left writhing on the ground, only to feel it slam into his side, sending the two of them tumbling along the ground. He quickly managed to untangle himself from the wounded monster, slamming it back down onto the ground as he charged his foot with ecto-energy and curb-stomped the orb.

The half-ghost grimaced in disgust as a stinking black substance splattered across his pants, "Ugh...gross." He muttered, trying to scrape the pasty substance off the bottom of his boot while the last monster disintegrated in the background, though he quickly spun around, charging another ecto-bolt in his hand as he heard footsteps running up behind him.

Both Yosuke and Teddie screeched to a halt, the bear almost tumbling over again, their eyes widening fearfully as they saw Danny turn his glowing hand on them, though he quickly dropped it, backing up in surprise. 'Oh shit...I forgot about them! And...oh man...now they know! I mean, with Teddie I guess it's no big deal, who's he gonna tell, but Yosuke? Damn it! What the hell am I supposed to-'

"Woah...w-what the hell was that?!" Yosuke asked in amazement, tearing Danny away from his thoughts, "I mean, what did you do?! Do you think I can do it too?!" He continued on, excitement clear in his voice, apparently having already forgotten the terrifying experience that had forced his classmate to out himself.

"Calm down, Yosuke. You're troubling Sensei!" Teddie chided, drawing a confused glance from Phantom and wide eyes from the brunette.

"S-sensei?"

"Gosh almighty! You're amazing, Sensei! I am one impressed bear! I can't believe you were hiding such amazing power...no wonder the shadows were scared of you!" He raved, clearly just as impressed as Yosuke.

"What do you mean scared of me?" Danny cut in, shaking his head in confusion, "They sure as hell didn't seem scared to me, at least not until I started fighting them."

The bear shook his head passionately, "No way, Sensei! I could sense it from the beginning that they were scared, I just didn't realize it was you! I can't blame them, you handled them like a pro!" He reasoned, before gasping, "Wait, are you the one that's able to bring people to this world?"

The half-ghost nodded hesitantly, 'I could let them believe my powers only extend to this world but...ugh, they already know. I hate to do this, but I just feel like keeping secrets like that would only cause more issues later.' He let out a tired sigh, shaking his head at his thoughts, 'I just know I'm going to end up regretting this...'

"Yeah, but...well, aside from being able to bring people in here my powers aren't tied to this place at all. I've had them for a couple years now...I'd explain it to you, but somehow I don't think this is the time or place. Just...for now let's just leave it at I have a lot of experience using them to fight inter-dimensional beings." He admitted reluctantly, drawing further looks of amazement from his companions.

"Hah! This is amazing, don't you think, Yosuke?" Teddie asked reverently.

The brunette nodded his head in similar amazement to the bear before narrowing his eyes, "Wait! Dude, you call him Sensei and then don't show me any respect? What the hell's up with that?!"

"Sorry..." The bear replied, flinching away from Yosuke slightly, causing the brunette's face to soften slightly.

"W-well...your support wasn't bad, though." He offered.

Teddie's eyes watered lightly as he smiled up at Yosuke in surprise, "Huh? R-really?" He asked, before giggling happily at the compliment.

"Alright, you two keep it up, and I think we'll be fine from here on out. Now, let's get back to the investigation!" Yosuke all but ordered, ignoring the fact that he had spent the entire fight cowering on the ground, not that Danny blamed him. Even with his experience fighting ghosts, the shadows seemed to have an overwhelmingly sinister presence to them.

Phantom shook his head, ignoring the brunette's attempts to take control of the situation as he took the lead, cautiously stepping through the swirling doorway, unable to make out the muffled whispers that had started when they got closer to the building. As soon as they entered the store the voices became much clearer, causing Yosuke to wince as they heard a man yelling.

"Saki, how many times do I have to tell you?"

Yosuke blinked in surprise, apparently recognizing the voice, "This...this is Senpai's dad..."

"You know what the neighbors say about you, right?! Aren't you ashamed of yourself? You're the eldest daughter of a family who's owned this store for generations! Is it the money? Or did you meet some guy there? Just tell me why you have to work THERE, of all places?!"

"I-I can't believe this..." Yosuke muttered as they slowly wandered towards the counter, "She seemed like she had fun at work...she never said anything like this to me, are you telling me this is how she really saw things?" He asked timidly.

Danny let out a small sigh as they reached the counter, glancing at the photos that littered it, most of them various images of Saki and Yosuke laughing together in Junes, though the vast majority of them were cut into pieces. The half-ghost looked at them with a building sense of apprehension. He'd only seen photos cut up like this once, and that was when Sam had thrown their various scrapbook pictures back at him after breaking up with him.

Just as he picked one of the pictures up he felt a small breeze shift through the store, prompting him to spin around and raise a glowing fist, though he was puzzled to see nothing, until a familiar voice began to echo around the store.

"I...I never had a chance to say it..."

Yosuke's eyes widened in shock as he spun around quickly, searching desperately, "That's Senpai's voice!"

"I always wanted to tell Hana-chan..."

"H-huh? Me...?"

"That he was a real pain in the ass."

Phantom winced at the words as he glanced back at Yosuke, unsurprised to see him in denial. "I was nice to him just because he was the store manager's son, that's all…but he takes it completely the wrong way and gets all enthusiastic…what a loser."

"P-pain in the ass...?" The brunette muttered, hurt clear in his eyes.

"Who cares about Junes, anyway? Because of that store, our business is ruined, my parents hate me, the neighbors talk behind my back…I wish everything would just disappear…"

Yosuke shook his head angrily, "I-It's a lie…This can't be…Senpai's not like that…!" He cried indignantly, only to jump almost a foot in the air, while both Phantom and Teddie spun around quickly as they heard mocking laughter.

Danny's eyes widened in disbelief as he saw an almost perfect copy of Yosuke approaching them from the corner of the store, the only differences being the pulsing aura of darkness and a pair of golden eyes replacing Yosuke's normal brown ones.

"It's soo sad...I feel so sorry for myself...boohoo." The doppelganger began, sniffing mockingly, before letting out another laugh, "Actually...I'm the one that thinks everything's a pain in the ass."

"H-huh? Two Yosukes?" Teddie's eyes darted back and forth between the two brunettes, confusion clearly ruling the bear's mind, something Danny felt he could understand at the moment.

Yosuke shook his head violently in denial, "Who are you?! I...I wouldn't think anything like that!"

The clone rolled its eyes at the argument, laughing as it made its way towards them, "Hah, yeah right. How long are you going to keep deluding yourself? Screw the shopping district, and Junes too! You're sick of everything, especially living out in the sticks!" It shot back as it leaned against a stack of kegs, crossing his arms leisurely.

"W-what are you saying?! That's not true, I-"

"You put on a good show of being carefree and happy-go-lucky 'cause you're so terrified of being alone. The more the merrier, right? You've gotta be surrounded by people to block out the pain of isolation. And what's this about checking out this world for Saki-senpai's sake? Hah! I know the real reason you came snooping..."

"S-stop it!" Yosuke shouted desperately, shaking his head in denial, "Just shut up!"

Danny's eyes widened as he saw the doppelganger's aura pulse, swirling erratically, as if it was feeding off of the brunette's denials, though before he could point this out the clone was cackling hysterically, "Hahaha! Why so panicked? I thought I was just spouting bullshit! Or maybe… I DO know everything you're thinking! Why's that…? Because I AM you! You just came because it sounded like a good idea at the time! What the hell else is there to do in this shit hole? A world inside the TV though...now that's exciting! You didn't have a single other reason for coming here did you?"

"That's not true...stop. Stop it!" The brunette shouted back, stumbling backwards, unaware of the effect his denials seemed to be having on the other brunette.

Danny quickly caught his classmate before he fell down, "Yosuke, you have to stop! This thing's playing you!" He warned as he steadied him, though it seemed his words were ignored.

"You're just trying to act like a big shot… If all went well, hey, maybe you could even be a hero! And that Senpai you were so sweet on? Her death was the perfect excuse!" The copy shouted exuberantly.

"That's not true, damn it! What are you?! Who are you?!"

The clone chuckled darkly, a satisfied grin spreading across his face, "I already told ya. I'm you...your shadow. There's nothing I don't know about you."

The half-ghost's eyes widened drastically as he realized exactly what the doppelganger was saying, he turned back to Yosuke again, though his warning came too late. "Screw that! I don't know you! You can't be me you son of a bitch!" The teenager screamed back, much to Danny's disappointment and the shadow's apparent glee as it cackled, its eyes widening in triumph as its aura pulsed one more time before a blindingly bright light erupted, shattering the store around them.

When the light had faded the store had been replaced by another studio, TV's lined the catwalks at regular intervals, some showing only static while others showcased moments in Yosuke's life. However the most important change had came in the form of Yosuke's shadow. Where it had once been an almost perfect copy of the brunette, there was now an enormous Shadow sitting on the back of a giant frog-like creature. The frog's mouth opened hungrily, revealing rows upon rows of razor-sharp teeth.

"I am a Shadow...the true self. I'll crush anything that bores me...starting with you!" The shadow shouted, lunging forward, intent on crushing the group, though Phantom managed to push them forward, diving away from the monster's reach.

Danny shook his head in frustration as Teddie ran towards them, panic clear in his eyes, "Damn it! Teddie, you help him, I'll keep this thing distracted!" He ordered, waiting for the bear's nod before pushing off into the air, building energy within his body before rocketing towards the Shadow's chest before it could attempt to deliver another crushing blow to his allies.

The Shadow roared in anger as it was sent crashing to the ground, though it quickly picked itself back up, swiping its arms through the air in an attempt to slap its antagonist out of the air. The half-ghost managed to evade it for a few minutes, even landing several hits with ecto-blasts, before the monster channeled its anger into magic and let out an angry bellow while it slashed its hands towards him.

Danny's eyes widened in shock as the Shadow hurled a blade-like wind spell towards him, turning intangible only to feel the spell cut into his chest deeply and send him plummeting to the ground anyways, landing roughly next to Yosuke and the bear. He let out a pained gasp, unsurprised to see a mixture of red and green slowly soaking through his shirt and now tattered vest and jacket. "I know everything!" The monster suddenly shouted while TV's crackled to life and showed a pair of girls trash-talking the 'Prince of Junes'. "I know just how pathetic you really are!"

Phantom groaned as he pushed himself back to his feet, looking warily around at the quickly growing pools of black in the studio, while Yosuke continued denying the shadow's claims. "Oh no! He's beginning to attract the other shadows!" Teddie cried, looking desperately towards the only one of them that was having any affect whatsoever on the monster, "Sensei, you have to do something quick or things are going to get really grisly!"

The half-ghost glanced towards the bear, nodding quickly, before launching back into the air, slamming into Yosuke's shadow again, though this time the effect was significantly less noticeable, and he was forced to go back onto the defensive again. "You see that everybody just barely tolerates you! And then you still try to pretend that they're your friends!" It mocked as Danny barely managed to dodge another attack, the wind spell cutting deeply into the wall behind him, while the ecto-bolts he shot back in retaliation only made the monster stumble backwards a couple of steps, even as another scene played on the TV the shadow mocked Yosuke at Saki's rejection of him.

"You were bored out here in the boonies so you decided to ask her out! All you wanted was some cheap friends, but she saw right through you!"

"You're wrong! Stop it you're wrong!" Yosuke shouted back desperately as Phantom weaved through the shadow's attacks, desperately reaching for his ice powers to fling several cryo-plasm shards at the monster, only for them to shatter on impact while the monster's retaliatory attack hit him with full force. He let out a pained shout as he hurtled back to the ground again, slamming against it hard enough to bounce back into the air, before rolling back to his feet and running away from the Shadow back towards Yosuke.

"Damn it, Yosuke, you're giving it more power! Stop talking!" He shouted desperately, barely managing to dodge another attack before spinning around and building up a mixture of cryo and ecto-plasm. He held it for several seconds before finally releasing it in a heavy beam, fueling it with his desperate need to destroy the monster before it grew any more powerful, though he was unwilling to unleash his wail, doubtful that either he, his companions, or the studio they were in would be able to take it.

The shadow desperately tried to evade the attack but failed miserably, getting caught center-mass with the purple and blue beam. It let out a pained and angry roar, struggling for several seconds before bursting into another bright flash. When the light faded again the half-ghost was both relieved and dismayed to see that while the monster was gone, Yosuke's Shadow was still there in it's doppelganger form. He stared at it for a few moments, before shaking his head and stumbling his way over to the real Yosuke, who had adopted a fetal position next to Teddie.

"I...I..." Yosuke shook slightly, as he realized the battle was, at least temporarily, over, slowly pushing himself back to his feet as the Liquor store slowly returned.

"Teddie gazed at the brunette in concern, "Yosuke, are you okay?"

The brunette nodded hesitantly, "Y-yeah..." He muttered, before his eyes widened in shock as he took in Danny's state, "Holy shit...what happened to you...?" He asked, fear clear on his face as he looked at his classmate's tattered and bloodstained clothes, as well as the already forming bruise blooming across his cheek.

Phantom stared at him for a few seconds, glad his goggles were hiding the annoyance in his eyes, before motioning over at the Shadow standing silently in the corner of the room, "You kept denying it...it was giving it more power." He explained tiredly, "It's fine though. I...understand what it's like to see the worst parts of yourself brought to light." He finished hesitantly, a quick image of Dan flashing through his mind, forcing him to suppress a shudder that had absolutely nothing to do with the TV world.

Danny was ripped violently from his thoughts as he heard Yosuke start to argue against his Shadow again, the half-ghost winced as he heard the doppelganger begin to murmur insidiously, though the brunette was thankfully interrupted by Teddie.

"That thing came from you, Yosuke...you have to accept it or it'll go berserk again." The bear warned gently, though the teenager still seemed to be reluctant to do so.

"Look...Yosuke, like I said, I understand how this feels." Phantom said slowly, briefly resting a hand on his classmate's shoulder before wincing as he realized he was dripping blood and ectoplasm on his clothes and quickly withdrawing his hand, "But no matter what this thing says, you're still you. The things it's saying might be true, sure, but he's part of you, not all of you."

The brunette nodded hesitantly, "Myself...damn it...it hurts to face yourself...I knew it wasn't lying...but I was so ashamed that I didn't want to admit it." He muttered bitterly, glancing at the floor before looking pointedly back at his shadow, "You're me...and I'm you. When you get down to it, all of this is me..." He finished before trailing off.

The shadow stared at the boy for a few seconds, before small smile spread across its face while it nodded. There was another bright flash of light, causing Danny's heart to skip a beat, and when it faded a much more benevolent form of his shadow's form appeared in the air, wearing a white jumpsuit. "I am thou...and thou art I. You have displayed the strength of will to face your true self. I am the facade used to overcome life's hardship, the Persona Jiraiya."

The half-ghost stared at the Persona in amazement, 'Wait...those words. I've heard them before...when I first saw the midnight channel! But...what do they mean? Why do I feel like there's something I'm missing...like there's something wrong here?' He pondered, though he quickly dismissed the idea as he heard Yosuke start speaking again.

"A...Persona. This is my Persona. When we heard Senpai's voice...I wonder if that's something Senpai had been keeping deep down inside..." He muttered, trailing off into a sad laugh, "Heh...'He was a real pain in the ass.' huh? Geez...this is so embarrassing."

"You don't have to be embarrassed because of us...it hurts when you find out what the people you think are your friends really think about you sometimes." Danny replied, offering a sympathetic smile.

"If you weren't here, I don't know what woulda happened...thanks, Danny."

Phantom shook his head, "It's what I do, Yosuke."

The brunette looked at him somewhat skeptically before nodding slowly, his mind obviously wandering back to the liquor store, "Hey, Teddie...could Senpai have been attacked by her other self here? Like what just happened with me?" He asked quietly.

"I think so. The shadows here were originally born from humans. Sometimes the fog clears, then they all go berserk...and then you saw what happens next. A strong-willed Shadow draws others to it. And then the mass of shadows kills the host."

"So that's why people die when it gets foggy in our world..." Yosuke muttered, trailing off again tiredly before flinching back to full attention, glancing around the studio jerkily.

Danny let out an equally tired sigh, starting towards the exit of the store, "Alright...we need to get out of here, Teddie. Yosuke's wiped and I need to get back to our world so I can take him home and get myself patched up."

The bear nodded in understanding, hopping up to follow him along with Yosuke. "I think that's a good idea, Sensei. This world isn't made for humans, it's not comfortable for you here."

The half-ghost glanced back at Teddie skeptically, "What do you mean? Other than the fact that Yosuke's Shadow just beat the crap out of me, I feel fine." He asked curiously before his mind flashed back to how he had felt a delayed effect the night before, "Though...now that I think of it, I did start to feel sick after leaving last night."

Yosuke shook his head, "No...the bear's right. I feel like crap...I mean, facing my Shadow probably didn't help but I felt it yesterday too. Uh...sorry about my Shadow though."

Danny waved him off carelessly, "Don't worry about it. I've had a lot worse..." He muttered, wincing as a cut on his chest pulled tightly at the motion, 'Not in a long time though...that Shadow...really all of them, were a lot tougher than most of the ghosts I've fought.'

The brunette raised a skeptical eyebrow while Teddie stared at him with wonder in his eyes, "Amazing, Sensei! Humans usually can't stand being in here for very long at all. Hmm...I wonder if it's because of the power that you have?" The bear asked curiously, causing Phantom to flinch as Yosuke perked up slightly at the mention of his powers.

"That's right...you said you had them before we came here right? You said that you'd explain things when it wasn't so dangerous...so maybe you should do it now, since we're apparently sharing secrets." The brunette said jokingly, though from glancing at his face, Danny could tell that he clearly expected a serious answer.

"I..." He started, almost wanting to tell him to mind his own business before thinking better of it and letting out a somewhat reluctant sigh, "Alright...I guess it's only fair." He admitted, pausing a few moments to collect his thoughts before he began explaining the basics of how he'd gotten his powers and some of the ghosts he'd fought, though the story was watered down quite a bit. Both for the sake of brevity and also due to his reluctance to divulge the information at all, though it seemed that both his companions were satisfied, Teddie seemed even more enamored with him than he had before.

The two of them asked questions several times throughout his explanations, some of them he answered honestly while giving half-truths to most of the others, though there were a few that he managed to skillfully dodge, unwilling to answer them but not wanting to let on that they made him uncomfortable. By the time they reached the studio again, the half-ghost was exceedingly grateful that traveling between locations didn't take long in this world and that Yosuke's attention had wandered back to the case in the short silence that cropped up when they stopped in front of the stack of TVs.

"Hey, Teddie. You said that this place is reality for the people who enter, right? So that shopping district, and that weird room we saw before...did they exist because the ones who died entered this world, and it became their reality?" He asked, stumbling over his words slightly at the end, "I guess what I'm trying to ask is…did those places form because of the people who entered this world?"

The mascot shrugged innocently, "I don't know...this has never happened before. But that was probably where they were when their shadows attacked them. I guess the fog does lift here sometimes, but not often. When it does the shadows get really violent...I always get really scared and I have to run and hide." He muttered ashamedly, "I did sense people here twice before. But...they disappeared after the fog lifted.

Yosuke glanced at the floor clearly in thought for a moment before glancing back up the bear, "So...Senpai and that Yamano lady got thrown in here, and since they couldn't get out, they wandered around. After a while, that shadow...thing... came out of them, and when the fog cleared it went nuts and killed them. So...if I'd been in here until the fog cleared, I woulda been in much deeper trouble?" He asked hesitantly.

Teddie nodded solemnly, "Yeah. I'm pretty sure. You were really lucky Sensei and me were here with you."

"Damn it!" The brunette cursed angrily, clearly realizing exactly how things must have been for the two women. "Saki and that announcer...they were stuck here all alone...they died because no one could save them."

Danny felt a sharp pang in his chest that had nothing to do with his injuries, 'You could have...you could have saved them, if you had just known about it.' A voice muttered in his head, prompting him to stare at the ground guiltily. 'Even if you couldn't have done anything about the announcer...there was still a whole day between when you found out you could get into the TV and when Saki died. If you had just known...you could have saved her...'

"Yosuke...they disappeared when the fog lifted. But they were safe before that. No shadows attacked them." Teddie explained gently, though his tone became curious as he continued, "They attacked us though...maybe they're keeping a close eye on us?"

The half-ghost nodded in understanding, "It kind of makes sense...they could have realized we were trying to figure out what happened and saw us as enemies. They might have attacked us, sure, but I was able to fight them off. If somebody else gets thrown in here, we should be able to find them and get them out of here before the fog clears again."

"Wait...you're saying you want to come back in here and save people if they get tossed in here? Like you did with me?" Yosuke asked incredulously.

Danny raised an eyebrow at the brunette's tone, "Yes. Look, Yosuke, I don't expect you to understand, but I have a responsibility to help people. I have powers that nobody else does...if I don't use them to save people, then who else will?"

Both of his companions stared at the him in amazement for a few moments before the brunette nodded in understanding, "I...yeah, I get it, Danny. And you're right...I can help you too. Jiraiya, my Persona...I can use him. I...it's hard to explain, but I just...I feel like I have power that I can use to fight those things now." He explained, glancing away in embarrassment at his inability to properly describe what he meant.

"I think I understand." Phantom said slowly, after a small silence, "If...if you're sure you want to do this, and that you can handle it, I'm not going to stop you. Between the fight with those shadows, and everything else that's going on, I get the feeling that I'm going to need all the help I can get to catch the bastard that's doing this."

Yosuke nodded gratefully, before Teddie jumped back into the conversation, "U-um...can I ask something? If shadows are born from humans, what was Teddie born from?" The bear asked tentatively, prompting a confused glance between the two teenagers.

"Teddie, I'm sorry, but if you don't even know where you came from, how would we?" Danny replied carefully, receiving a slightly depressed shrug in response.

"I don't know...I know a few things. Mostly about this world...to be honest, I never really thought about it until now."

Yosuke shook his head sympathetically, "Man...no wonder we couldn't get a straight answer from you."

The bear let out a long sigh before looking back up at them pleadingly, "Will you guys...come back here...?" He asked plaintively.

The half-ghost nodded, "Of course I will, Teddie. I made a promise...I never break my promises." He responded seriously, unable to suppress the shudder that ran up his spine at the thought of his most important promise.

'I promised that I'd never turn into him...god, I hope I can keep it.'

"You'll...keep your word?"

"I will...besides, even if I didn't want to, you're the one that said you wouldn't let us out of here if we didn't."

Teddie blinked, blushing slightly at the comment, "Th-that's right! Okay, I'll let you guys out." He said, his happy demeanor back, "There is one thing though...I'll be waiting for you here, but you need to come in from the same place every time. So we can meet up."

"The...same place? You mean the TV at Junes?"

The bear nodded enthusiastically, "You could come in from somewhere else, but then you won't end up here. You could show up somewhere that I couldn't get to you. Then you'd be dooooooomed..." He explained, trailing off playfully. "You got it?!"

"Well...pretty much." Yosuke answered reluctantly, shifting uncomfortably, "Alright, can you let us out now?"

"Roger that! One exit coming up!"

Danny snorted at the bear's antics slowly walking towards the tower, "Alright...we just need to make sure nobody is out there first, and then I need to switch ba-" He started to say, though his eyes widened in terror as the bear ignored him, pushing the boys into the screens.

"Okay, go go go! Squiissshh!"

"W-wai-" He started, but his cry was cut off as he plunged head-first through the TV, feeling himself tumbling through the abyss before being spit back out into Junes, groaning pathetically as his chest impacted the floor, while Yosuke slammed onto his back.

The half-ghost tried to blink the stars away from his eyes desperately, though they quickly widened in shock as he heard a familiar screech, looking up to see Chie staring down at him, "Y-you guys came baaack!" She cried, before letting out another scream when she took in his new form. "W-what happened to you?!" She screeched in terror.

Danny shook his head quickly, glancing around desperately as the rings appeared around his middle and transformed him back into Fenton, drawing another squeal from Chie while he pushed Yosuke off of him and scrambled to his feet, "Shh shshh shhh! Chie, it's just me! Quiet, please, I can explain later!" He whispered desperately, as Yosuke slowly joined him on his feet.

"I-I what?!" The girl asked desperately, though the other brunette didn't quite seem to grasp the situation.

"Huh? Chie...what's with that face?" Yosuke asked in confusion, clearly not understanding the terror of seeing your classmate pop out of the TV covered in blood and looking completely different than he had when he went in. Thankfully the punch Chie delivered to his shoulder seemed to calm her down at least little bit.

"You guys are such jerks! You're such morons!" She shouted, stomping her foot as angry tears rolled down her face, "I can't believe this, you guys suck! The rope got cut off...and I had no idea what to doooo! I was so worried...I mean, scared stiff damn it! I hate you both!" She finally finished, stamping her foot one more time before spinning around and sprinting away from them angrily.

"I...I think that might have kinda sorta been our fault."

Danny blinked, staring at Yosuke incredulously before shaking his head, "Nah...ya think?" He asked sarcastically, rolling his eyes at his classmate's power for understatements. "Look...we'll apologize to her tomorrow, and I'll have to explain why I looked so different too." He muttered reluctantly, "But for now, let's get you home."

The brunette blinked in surprise at his bluntness before nodding slowly, "Yeah...probably a good idea, I'm wiped out..." He muttered tiredly, leading the way out of Junes. "Really though, you don't need to walk me home, I'll be fine."

The half-ghost shook his head, "No offense, Yosuke, but you look like crap. I'm not going to leave you alone right now." He said in a matter of fact tone, raising an eyebrow as the brunette let out a derisive snort. "What?"

"Dude...you have no room to talk. You look like shit...but I'll admit that when you're not covered in blood, and whatever that green...stuff is, that other you looks pretty badass." He said, chuckling as Danny rolled his eyes.

"Whatever...let's just hurry up. I need to clean myself up...blood is hard as hell to get out of white, and it's even harder to explain why you have stains like that on all your clothes." He sighed, drawing another concerned stare from Yosuke, though the brunette chose to let it drop, falling silent as he led the way to his house.


'Why the hell haven't I bought a freaking umbrella yet? Seriously...I have got to be the stupidest person in this town not to have one, as often as it rains here.' Danny thought, sighing in irritation as he felt his shirt clinging tightly against his skin. 'At this rate, I'm going to have to change my bandages as soon as I get home...they won't do me any good if they're soaked. Still, I appreciate Yosuke letting me use his bathroom to clean up...at least now I only have to explain away that huge-ass bruise on my face. Damn it...looks like it's time for the legendarily clumsy Fenton to make a reappearance. Ah well...it could be-hello? What's she doing here?'

The half-ghost blinked in surprise as he saw a somewhat sad-looking Yukiko sitting under the gazebo off the side of the flood plains' road. His previous thoughts flew out the window as he turned to walk over, meeting her curious gaze with his own. "Daniel-kun...what are you doing out here? Where's your umbrella?" She asked, concern clear in her eyes, though he easily waved off her question.

"Ah...yeah. I still need to get one...I didn't realize how much it rained here before I moved." He answered with a sheepish smile, before casting a curious glance at her kimono. "So...you wear that kind of stuff often then?" He asked, hoping to redirect the conversation away from himself.

The girl blinked in surprise at his explanation and sudden change of topic before glancing down at her clothes tiredly, "Oh...are you surprised to see me dressed this way?" She asked, each of her words clipped with a seemingly subconscious formal air, "My parents sent me out on an errand..." Her words trailed off slightly towards the end, as if she'd just remembered something mildly unpleasant.

Danny's brow furrowed in concern, "Yukiko? Are you alright? You seem bothered by something...I mean...I understand if you don't want to talk to me, since you don't know me very well, but I'm here if you need me. And if you don't then I'm sure Chie would be willing to listen."

'Probably not tonight though...she's dealing with her own issues right now, I'm sure...yeah, sorry about that Chie.'

A small frown crossed the girl's face, her ebony hair swaying as she shook her head softly, "N-no...I'm alright. Thank you though, Daniel-kun." She answered. She sighed deeply, seeming to think carefully about what to say next when her eyes widened and she let out a small gasp, "W-what happened to your face?!" She asked, horrified as she motioned to the big ugly blue and purple welt spreading across his jaw and cheek.

Danny let out a well-practiced embarrassed laugh at the question, wincing slightly as he felt a small pang go through his face, "I uh...well, I'm kind of clumsy. I..." He muttered with a small smile that belied his mind's quick dismissal of several lies before settling on one with a sigh, "I tripped coming down the steps at school and hit my face on the handrail."

Yukiko's eyes widened even further at the explanation, staring at the ugly blotch in sympathy, "A-are you okay?"

The half-ghost nodded, letting out another, smaller, laugh as he waved his hand through the air, entirely unconcerned by the injury, "Oh yeah, I'm fine...trust me, this kind of thing happens more often than I'd like to admit." He replied nonchalantly, though his smile faltered slightly at her skeptical stare. "I'm really clumsy..."

The girl gazed at him with concern for several more seconds before shaking her head, "If you say so...so um, are you getting used to living here in Japan?" She asked, a somewhat awkward air falling over the conversation.

He shrugged in response, "Well, it's a little strange, I won't lie. The culture shock is about what you'd probably expect, and I've never really moved since I was a little kid...my parents built up their lab with government grants over years, so we never really left Amity Park. But...I think I like this place. There's just something about it."

"Really...? Well, I think I can kind of understand. It must be difficult moving to a place you know nothing about. I've never really been out of Inaba, so I wouldn't know what it's like to transfer schools, never mind go to a different country..." She said quietly, glancing away for a moment before looking back to him, a surprised look on her face, as if she'd just remembered something. "Oh! How are you getting along with Chie? I mean, I always leave so early, so...umm..."

Danny blinked at her sudden change in conversation, 'I guess I'm not the only one that knows how to do that...' He thought to himself, somewhat bemused by the reversal of roles.

"Er...well, I think it's going alright...Yosuke and I kind of made her mad today but, assuming she ever talks to us again, I think we're getting along pretty well." He answered, rubbing his neck sheepishly at the confession.

Yukiko nodded, "Well, if Yosuke was with you then it wouldn't surprise me. He seems to have a talent for it...but I'm sure she'll forgive you. Chie's very supportive, you know. It's always her who gives me the extra little push I need. We had homeroom together last year too, and I still remember how we'd cut class sometimes." She said, a fond smile crossing her face, though it quickly faded as she glanced at her watch, "Oh...I need to get going. I have to make tomorrow's arrangements with our head chef. Our inn can't function without me right now. Um… I'll see you at school, then."

The half-ghost nodded in understanding, "Alright...I need to get home too. Don't work too hard, Yukiko." He said, offering her a friendly smile before making his way back to the road, his smile quickly falling as he trudged through the rain back to the house, though he was thankful at least that it didn't take long to get back.

Danny was unsurprised to find Nanako alone in the house, Dojima apparently still at the office. He'd waved a quick hello to his cousin before hurrying upstairs, quickly stripping his school uniform off to take a shower and change his water-logged bandages. He tenderly pulled on his pajamas before heading back downstairs, offering a small smile to Nanako as he sat down next to her on the couch.

The girl looked at him in surprise for a few seconds, though she smiled half-heartedly in return before turning back to her show, the two of them sitting in rarely broken silence for the next couple hours, broken only when they ate dinner. "Dad's late..." Nanako sighed as she sat back down from washing her plate.

He glanced at her sympathetically, opening his mouth to console her, only to be interrupted as the local news' music sounded off, "Our next story is an update in our ongoing report on the bizarre murders occurring in Inaba. At around 7:00 A.M., local high school student Saki Konishi was found dead in Inaba's residential area." The announcer droned, sounding for all the world as if he was merely commenting on the weather, "Since the body was positioned similarly to the last victim, and since Ms. Konishi was the one who discovered that body…Police are proceeding under the assumption that this may be a serial murder case related to the death of Mayumi coroner's report has established Ms. Konishi's time of death at around 1:00 A.M. last night. The body went unnoticed until this morning as a result of the heavy fog blanketing the area."

Danny watched the screen, a small pit forming in his stomach at the girl's name, though he was quickly distracted from it as Nanako broke her silence again, "Another incident...Dad won't be coming home tonight." She stated, clearly trying to be calm, though the worry was clear in her eyes.

The half-ghost gazed at the girl, a small feeling of helplessness prevailing inside him at her acceptance of the situation, "I'll be here with you..." He offered quietly, both unwilling and unable to sit silently after her declaration.

Nanako shrugged sadly in response, "...I'll be okay. Can...you help me do some stuff around the house?" She asked hopefully, a small smile spreading across her face when he nodded without hesitation.

"…Amagi Inn, located upstream of Samegawa River, is the town's oldest historical landmark. Vacationers are known to travel surprising distances in order to visit its open-air, radium-rich hot springs. After the incident with Ms. Yamano, the manager has stepped aside, leaving her daughter Yukiko to fill her shoes."

Danny's head whipped back to the TV as he heard Yukiko's name, surprised to see the girl standing in the same pink kimono she'd been wearing when he saw her earlier, "In other words, she's a manager who's still in high school. Now that has a nice ring to it...let's see if we can interview her. Excuse me!"

He watched as the girl spun to look at the reporter, clearly surprised to be addressed, "Hmm? Um...are you speaking to me?"

"Of course! We've heard that you're the new manager. Is it true that you're still in high school?"

Yukiko shifted uncomfortably at the question as she shook her head, "Oh, well, I'm only filling in temporarily..." She answered awkwardly.

The reporter laughed obnoxiously, shaking his head at her answer, "Some day though...that aside though, wow! You're looking gorgeous in that kimono! You must have a lot of male visitors." He stated, both Danny and Yukiko's eyes widening in shock at the reporter's nerve.

"H-huh? No, um..."

Nanako sighed tiredly and glanced at him, "This is boring...oh, I need to finish the dishes. Can you fold the laundry for me?" She asked.

Danny nodded in agreement before smiling, "Sure."


Static crackled across the TV as it blinked to life, drowning out the rain pattering heavily against the window and forcing the half-ghost sitting tiredly on his couch to jerk back to life while he squinted at the blurry image of a girl as she faded onto the screen. He pushed himself up off the couch, stumbling to his dresser tiredly, though it didn't do much to help him make out who it might be. 'She...looks vaguely familiar. Wearing a kimono, I guess...but, then that could be half the town. Does it really matter what she's wearing? Damn it, I wish I could see her face...' He thought, frustration reigning supreme as he reached a hand to the screen, though the image dissipated with the ripples as soon as his fingers dipped through the surface.

A sigh sounded across his room as Danny turned the TV off and stumbled towards his futon, collapsing pathetically onto the bedding. 'Ugh...this is pointless. I'll talk to Chie and Yosuke about it tomorrow, but right now I'm not going to be able to figure anything out until I get some sleep.' He mused, wrapping his blanket tightly around his chest before fading blissfully into darkness.

The half-ghost had only known happiness for a few moments before he found himself regaining consciousness reluctantly. He let out a exasperated groan as he pried his eyes open, glancing tiredly around and cursing his luck as he realized he was in the car again. He ran a hand over his face and blinked in confusion when he realized he was in his ghost form.

"Welcome...do not be alarmed. You are fast asleep in the real world...I have summoned you within your dreams." Igor stated calmly, though as Danny dropped his hand from his face he noted that the smile that had previously graced the older man's face had disappeared. "And so, we meet again."

Margaret spoke up where he left off, "This is a space that only those who have, in one way or another, entered into a contract may enter." She started, her voice the definition of professionalism, however she paused as small frown crossed her face, "At some point in the last day, you subconsciously heard the call to awaken, and you chose to follow your destiny, however..." The woman trailed off, gazing towards her master worriedly.

Igor nodded solemnly, taking a deep breath before beginning again, "As Margaret has said, you have performed your role admirably so far, my boy, unfortunately it seems as if your power...that of your Persona rather than that of your ghost, is being suppressed."

The half-ghost gaped at the duo in shock, "My...Persona? W-what? You mean like Yosuke?" He asked, stumbling over his words slightly, confusion overtaking all else.

The old man nodded slowly, "Indeed, though the power you hold within yourself is much more than that. What you hold, or at least what you are meant to hold, is the Wild Card...compared to that of others, it is very special. It is like the number zero...empty, yet holding infinite potential within itself." He explained, before sighing, "However, as I have said, it seems that it is being suppressed."

Danny shook his head, confusion taking hold as he tried to process his words, "Wait...what do you mean by that? How is it being suppressed? What's doing it?"

Margaret shook her head as well, "We're not entirely sure, Mr. ...Phantom?" She replied, arching a perfectly plucked eyebrow at his name, before continuing at his hesitant nod, "However, the master has several theories."

"Igor, my dear, we've discussed this." He chided gently, before turning back to Danny, "While Margaret is correct, I'm afraid that until we're able to uncover more, it would benefit us little to discuss most of my theories. Though I must ask...you have been hearing disembodied voices, accompanied by headaches, yes?" At the teenager's nod he sighed, "I see...well that would be normal for your situation...though it doesn't help us to understand why you have failed to aquire your powers."

The half-ghost's eyes turned to the floor as his mind reviewed the admittedly small amount of knowledge he'd gained on the subject before turning his gaze back to the pair in front of him, apprehension displayed across his face. "I...when Yosuke developed his Persona, it happened because he faced his true self and accepted it...right?" He asked nervously, waiting for their nods to continue, "Well...is it possible that my powers failed to develop because...I haven't accepted parts of myself?"

Margaret quirked a sculpted eyebrow in surprise at the revelation, though when she glanced at Igor she saw him look calmly shake his head their guest's question, "While that is a possibility, I do not believe it to be the case, Phantom. You see, when the holder of the Wild Card awakens, he, or she, normally does so without facing their shadow. I am quite certain that there is another explanation as to why your Persona has been suppressed...though in theory, should you face your shadow and accept it, you could awaken your abilities in that fashion."

Danny bit his lip hesitantly, unable to look his hosts in the eyes as he shook his head, "I...I don't think I can." He muttered, unable to dismiss the feeling of shame that passed over him at the admission.

The old man shook his head gently, "It is perfectly alright, my boy, you will not be judged while you are in this room. It is better to acknowledge your weakness than it is to tempt fate by rushing into a situation you know you are unprepared for. Regardless, even without your Persona, it seems many of your latent abilities remain active, hence your ability to enter the TV world on your own terms."

"While it seems the ma-, excuse me, Igor and I are unable to fulfill our original purpose, we are still capable of assisting you in fulfilling your destiny, as well as investigating the reasons behind your Persona's suppression."

Igor nodded in agreement, "Indeed. There is but one price for this assistance...you must abide by your contract, and assume responsibility for all decisions you make." He said solemnly, gazing firmly at the teenager. "Aside from that...it appears that among the latent abilities that have awakened in you is your ability to form Social Links. The Persona ability is the power to control one's own heart…and the heart is strengthened through bonds. As you form bonds by becoming involved with others, your own Social Links will gradually develop. While it is unlikely, there is a possibility that should you develop your links to a sufficient level, your Persona will be strengthened enough to awaken on its own."

"Regardless," Margaret interjected, "Social Links are necessary for more than strengthening your Persona. At times, they may help light the way to the truth you are searching for, so you should not neglect these bonds."

The half-ghost let out a small sigh, though he nodded in understanding, "Of course...of all the things I could have ended up with, I had to get the super powers that require making friends and having social skills." He muttered sarcastically.

The old man grinned in acknowledgment, "I am confident in your abilities, young detective. However, I believe it is time for you to depart, once again. I look forward to traveling the road to your destiny together..." He trailed off, chuckling, "Until we meet again..."

Danny's eyes struggled to stay open for several seconds, however it only took a few moments longer before he lost the battle and faded into unconsciousness before blinking out of existence. Margaret continued gazing at the spot he had occupied for several moments before turning to gaze at her master, "Master...what does this mean for us? Have you ever seen anything like this happen before?" She asked, maintaining her professional air, though he was able to hear the slight tremble of fear in her question.

Igor let out a tired sigh, crossing his fingers under his nose, the silence as he organized his thoughts brief but oppressive, "I am afraid, my dear, that I have not seen anything quite like this before. However, as usual, I have several theories as to what the consequences may be." He muttered, before standing slowly, "At the moment, though, I have another appointment that I fear is of the utmost importance. Please...relax while I'm away, Margaret...I'm afraid we may be quite busy in the near future." He finished, before fading out of existence, much like Phantom before him.


Clockwork stared intensely at the wall of screens as they floated around him, letting out a resigned sigh as he watched his own destruction, the razing of the Earth, the conquering of the Ghost Zone, and the death of Daniel hundreds of times over. In contrast he observed that the instances of him surviving the coming war occurred twice, he saw the Earth survive completely intact seven times, he watched the Ghost Zone go untouched three times, while he could count the realities where Daniel survived, conquering his journey in Japan and defeating Dan without submitting to the darkness in his heart, on one hand.

"Hello, Igor." He greeted his guest tiredly, gazing at the screens for several more seconds before turning to face his friend.

"Greetings, old friend." The old man replied, his hands clasped behind his back. "I'm afraid to inform you that my meeting with young Daniel did now go the way we had hoped."

The ghost nodded in acceptance, "I am not surprised, Igor...though I must admit I am somewhat disappointed, as well as frustrated to be incapable of viewing the passage of time within your realms. I have become used to knowing how events are progressing...I find it rather unsettling to be faced with so many possibilities while not knowing which one is to unfold."

Igor nodded solemnly, though he was unable to suppress the small grin at his friend's frustration, "I would have much preferred a different outcome to the meeting as well, Clockwork. Unfortunately we must play with the hand we have been dealt, if you will forgive the pun."

"I always do, don't I?" Clockwork replied, the poor joke managing to bring a smile to the ancient ghost's face despite how often he'd heard it.

The man chuckled, smiling brightly, before his solemn demeanor resurfaced, "At any rate, I'm afraid that while I value our time together, I do have pressing matters elsewhere, so we should get started right away."

"Of course, Igor." The ghost replied, waving his hand towards the table and chairs that had appeared in the middle of the room, "Sit, please...so, you've mentioned that the meeting did not go well, however you haven't said why yet."

"Indeed..." He said, letting out a tired sigh as he sank into one of the comfortable chairs, joined moments later by Clockwork across the table, "May I first say that I am most impressed by your agent, Clockwork. He is quite capable in his own right...he handled his first encounter with the Shadows admirably, and even managed to awaken another's Persona."

Clockwork nodded slowly, "I expected no less, Igor, you know as well as anyone that I do not tolerate failure among my wards."

"Quite so. Unfortunately, despite his admirable qualities, it appears as if there is something suppressing his true Persona, and therefore his abilities as the holder of the Wild Card. In short, whatever is stopping him from accessing his true self is crippling his ability to combat any large amount of shadows on his own."

The ghost blinked twice, stunned by the revelation, before shaking his head in disappointment, "I see...this is worse than I feared. Is there a possibility that this has been brought about due to his autophobia or his susceptibility to samaritan syndrome?" He asked, worry clear in his tone.

Igor shook his head hesitantly, "He raised a similar possibility to me, however I do not believe it to be so. While, as I told him, it may be possible for him to awaken his Persona by facing his shadow or by pursuing his social links to the point that he accepts himself through them, I do not believe it is the root of the problem. I'm much more inclined to believe that there is another, unknown, factor that is preventing him from realizing his true potential."

Clockwork stroked his beard in thought for several moments as he considered the possible branches in the time line they could be experiencing, before rising slowly and floating over to the screens. He waved a hand at the wall heavily, banishing over three-quarters of the view-screens, destroying both his chances of survival as well as the possibilities where the Ghost Zone went unconquered. "I'm afraid that this was not the way I wanted to narrow down the possibilities, Igor." He breathed quietly as his friend stepped quietly behind him.

The old man gazed sadly at the screens as he watched the boy he was quickly becoming fond of suffer unspeakable horrors time and time again, while his eyes managed to catch only three instances where he emerged fully victorious. "I understand, I wish-" He began, before pausing as an enraged howl echoed through the tower, the battered and scorched thermos it originated from trembling and bulging dangerously behind a ghost shield.

"You'll have to forgive me, my friend...he is getting more and more unruly by the day. I believe he's aware that he will escape soon, and he wants to break free sooner, rather than later." Clockwork explained, motioning absently towards the weakening prison.

"Then that's the one that is causing Daniel so much duress?" The old man asked, cautiously eyeing the thermos as if it were a venomous animal.

"Indeed...I'm afraid he is quite a source of emotional baggage for him. Understandably so...the fool has personally brought about the apocalypse numerous times. Young Daniel would be foolish not to fear him."

Igor's gaze lingered on the prison for several more seconds before turning back to his friend, eyeing the screens portraying the catastrophe the monster they were speaking of so casually could and, most probably, would inflict upon their dimensions. "There are still quite a few possibilities left up there..."

"There are...however there are fewer favorable outcomes than I'd anticipated. Out of the three possibilities that he succeeds, only one of them would be ideal, both for him and the rest of the world...the other two depict a life filled with conflict and pain for my ward. I would much prefer the first." The ghost explained heavily, before turning away from the screens again, offering a melancholy smile.

"That is, of course, where I come in, my friend. I will guide young Daniel along the path to the truth. We still have a good few months before the earliest possible release of your prisoner...that is plenty of time to shape the path of our ward." The old man assured his friend confidently, clasping his hands behind his back again as he stepped away from the ghost, "However as I said before, I'm afraid I must leave you now. I have yet another important meeting in the Velvet Room at the moment. Until next time, my friend."

Clockwork nodded in agreement, not bothering to turn away from the screens as Igor faded away from his tower his face regaining its intensity as he focused his gaze on his last great hope for the half-ghost he had become attached to. "I pray that we will be able to guide you in the right direction, Daniel...both for your sake, as well as the world's." He muttered quietly, staring unblinkingly as Daniel slumbered peacefully, clutching the dark haired girl in his arms protectively.