Spheres

By: Garnet Sky

Disclaimer: I don't know Danny Phantom.

Conversations

Three sets of conversations were reported to Clockwork on this day.

Portal #1 showed Maddie and Jack with concerned expressions on their faces as they listened to a voice on the answering machine. Portal #2 showed the sons of Themis on the roof of Casper High talking about rules. Portal #3 showed a human girl in grecian clothing speaking to Pandora.

He turned up the audio on the first portal.

"Mrs. Fenton, Mr. Fenton, the school encountered a peaceful ghost attack this am. The ghosts are currently on the roof of the school having a conversation. Please come and remove them at once."

"Danny is obviously one of them," Jack sighed, "but who is the other?"

"Fallu maybe," Maddie giggled. "They can't keep their hands off one another."

"No, remember they have to keep their human guises unless something warrants the change," Jack told her seriously. "That stupid Bright woman probably sent another spy into our world to watch over our son."

"Jack," Maddie admonished, "Lady Bright may be an ancient goddess without a fan base anymore, but she is still very powerful. It probably is the Rulemaker again."

"I'd like to know which version of their stories are true," Jack muttered. Shutting off the answering machine, he stretched and sighed. "Come on, Maddie, let's go get them off the roof."

Clockwork smiled fondly at the female ghost hunter. "You are dear to my heart," he said, turning his attention to the second portal, as the first one went blank.

"I've been weeding out the stupid rules and freeing those prisoners who violated them," the Rulemaker said. "I must have been insane while I was asleep this time."

"Bit of an egotistical jerk," Dan'el told him, a bit of ice in his voice. "I was one of those prisoners, if you remember."

"Yes," came the Rulemaker's voice. "What are the triadic ghosts up to? There is much sadness radiating from their zone."

"I don't know," Dan'el replied. "That's probably has something to do with why one of the Green Triad is present. Okay, by now, my mortal parents have been summoned. What was the real reason you invaded my education today?"

"Rumors," the Rulemaker answered. "Everyone is whispering about a ghost tamer who is living with Pandora. She is mine, isn't she?"

"Yes," Danny told him. "You're going to have to go to her. I don't think she's going leave Pandora's island."

"How do I find it?"

"Follow the unicorns," Dan'el instructed, eyeing the growing crowd gathering below. "I think Paulina is another ghost tamer."

"To which of the Nine?"

"I am not sure," he replied. "I have other business to attend to. You had best go; Mom and Dad have just shown up."

Both ghosts hugged, then parted-Rulemaker to the Ghost Zone and Danny back to the boys' restroom so he'd have an excuse handy for Mr. Lancer.

The third portal yield a short, but interesting conversation.

"Why should I make him come to me?" Thalassa asked the Lady Pandora.

"It is how it is done," she replied. "No tamer willingly goes to the Prince she or he is destined to tame."

"Fallu did," Thalassa pointed out.

"Fallu is different," Pandora answered. "She and her Prince grew up knowing one another, even if they did not meet until mid-childhood. The Prince's human nature prevented both of them dying untimely deaths. They grew to love one another."

"So why be any different with the Rulemaker?"

"With each Prince, a different approach each tamer must make. The First Prince sought out his tamer the moment she was born and claimed her while she was yet a child. He has great wisdom beyond all years and uses it to that affect to manipulate the other Princes."

"Huh?"

"He keeps them in line."

"Oh," came the startled reply. Both girls began to laugh at the realization.

"They will kill him if they ever find out exactly how much he meddles," Thalassa murmured.

Pandora's red eyes twinkled. "And it will be fun to watch. Now, I want you to get some sleep tonight. Tomorrow, the Argus has agreed to try and thread the Minotaur's maze blindfolded."

"He's going to look like a mummy," Thalassa said, smiling as she imagined the sight.

Clockwork switched off the audio-visual components of all three portals. "So Pandora knows the the identity of my tamer. That is as it should be."