Human world.
Danny wondered why Val had been forgotten. He looked carefully at his to companions. Still while they may have forgotten Val, the other side of her had been too necessary both here and in the ghost zone to be completely forgotten. He sighed, "The Red Hunter?"
"Hmm? Yeah. She seems to turn up when there's something bigger going on. Axion was controlled by Vlad, there was the invasion led by The Ghost King and then there was Technus. The Red Hunter's a weird ghost, but definitely a ghost."
Danny sighed. Val was considered a ghost now, but he had never seen her as one. Somewhat bad-tempered and a bit vengeful, but also had a greater dedication to protecting people from ghosts than anyone else. Danny sighed; this was obviously part of Val's punishment. Why wasn't he affected? If only he had someone else to talk to about this.
Danny got up from the table. "I really need to think about things."
Sam looked at Tucker. "What's up with him? I don't see why he's so upset about the Red Hunter. It's not as if he ever dated her." Sam didn't understand why she winced at that last sentence. She sighed at his retreating form.
Once he got home he got a message from his sister. "Damon Grey phoned asking for you Danny, so does he know then?"
Danny nodded then he phoned Val's old number. He hoped that her father would remember her. Then he heard her father speak "I think we need to talk to each other about Val, since our friends don't remember her. What this means is she lost her case? She'll call us when she's ready but she's got some things she'll have to sort out.?"
"Like what?"
"Her realm, her concept, and her job. I hope she finds one that's good for her. It also needs to suit her personality."
"Why'd Clockwork lets us remember? It seems cruel somehow."
"It's more for Val's sake than ours. We have strong ties to the ghost zone and thus can visit her. She requested you as Phantom, which means she still trusts you in many ways. I just worry what will happen when she finds out who you are."
"That worries me as well especially since I missed so many opportunities to tell her early on. The handing over to you of details on ghosts was part of my way to make it up to her."
Ghost Zone: Val's realm
Val looked at the desert. Ember was going to teach her how to adjust the realm to her whims. While it came naturally to born spirits, those born human had a much harder time getting to grips with this very basic skill. They tend to make mistakes. But Val wasn't even managing anything. She tried without her spirit armour and nothing happened. She tried with it on and still nothing. "I though you said, there would be some change here, Ember?"
"I did. Something should have happened, but you have to be able to do something. You're still part-spirit." Ember noticed Valerie wince. As much as Valerie had accepted that she was spiritborn, and was trapped in the ghost zone, she wasn't yet willing to accept that she was partly spirit. This was a new problem. In earlier times humans disliked getting kicked out, and weren't willing to accept they were still classed as human. Still Ember still had a little control of this realm, so she could help set it up. But it was best if Val did it.
Then Ember smiled, she had a way around this. She quickly formed a basic house and garden. Val could sleep here, and hopefully her subconscious would do what Val was unwilling to do consciously. She spoke. "Okay I'm just forming a small camp for you. Since you have difficulty doing this consciously and your teleportation was instinctive I'm thinking..."
"Yeah. Not a bad plan."
----
Clockwork sighed. There was something he wasn't considering. Something he had missed. It was time to look at the past. The time blurred, and he looked before Pariah Dark's invasion in on Val. and Star.
"I don't get it. Why such a mad on for Phantom, Val? I can understand hunting ghosts but Phantom?"
"Star. I may accept that he gives us a measure of protection but that's only because he sees this town as his private haunt. You remember the big ghost invasions when Phantom held the town hostage. And remember when he robbed the place. He's powerful yes, but he's also erratic."
"Perhaps he's two ghosts?"
"I'm going for the simplest explanation. He's erratic and can't take responsibility so he's too dangerous to have around."
Star sighed. Axion was partially Val's fault, and she still hadn't taken responsibility for that. "You two are so alike."
"I'm nothing like the ghost kid!" Val snapped.
The images of the past faded out.
"More like him than you knew Val. More like him than you knew." Clockwork sighed. Then he blinked in surprise. Was that the answer? Val the half ghost who was mostly human, Vlad, the half-ghost who was mostly ghost. And Danny who was exactly half ghost and half human. Clockwork shook his head. That was too obvious, and even if it was so it wouldn't be enough for appeal.
----
Val's realm
Val slept rather peacefully, and though during her sleep her realm had changed at times, each time the structure had faded away quickly. Ember sighed. Val still did not want to admit she was part spirit and Ember doubted she ever would. Oh she acknowledged it, but admitting it to herself was something different. Clockwork and Damon had been right; Humans were complex and contradictory creatures. And her daughter was one of the most contradictory. There was no point in Ember telling Val that the plan had worked to an extent because Val was not willing to believe that. This was only going to make her existence harder.
Val woke up refreshed form her sleep. She was about to ask Ember whether this proved she wasn't a ghost when Ember sighed. "Many ghosts do require some form of rest. But different ghost require different lengths and times. In fact there's one ghost who's most powerful when sleeping and sleeps about 24 hours a day."
As Ember and Val exited the realm, they were jumped by Skulker. "Now you are a ghost, I can hunt you without repercussion. You have earned a place on my wall. You are the only mortal-born that I have granted this honour to."
Ember sighed. "Skulker we don't have time for this."
"You know the rules. Stand Aside." Skulker jumped at Valerie and before she could counter pulled out this huge rocket and launched it only to curse when he suddenly got an urge to research purple-backed gorillas. The path of his jetpack taking him into the path of the rocket.
"You were lucky that time Val. He will hunt you until your attached somewhere other than his realm. That might not stop him though. You need a patron whose power can be used more often than Clockworks."
Val nodded. "It's going to take time, but I hunted down nuisance ghosts beforehand. I can do the same here. And from the information I got I'll be protecting the world I left behind occasionally too. There's no choice, really. I have to attach myself to protection. Besides sleeping on the possibilities I realised that that was the right choice for me."
"Occasionally you'll be protecting us Spirits in the Human world."
"I'm willing to do that as long as they don't break their contracts. But be warned I will limit what people are able to do. So, yes, you will be able to have a concert. And I'll protect you from Danny. But attempt to take over the world..."
"I get it."