OBLIGATORY RANDOM CLICHE PRAISE TO THE FAITHFUL REVIEWERS
...That is all.
CHAPTER 5 - Interludes
Pariah Dark had spent close to three days thinking over those terms that his consort-to-be had given him, all the while pondering over his initial decision to continue the engagement with the insubordinate half-breed. Never in his life and unlife had he encountered such a rebellious person. Even through his megalomania, he could see that the boy would not be swayed to bow and scrape, even if the living half of his life depended on it; the tempermental wit he caught glimpses of was a testimony to that.
But anyway...the terms.
Stop terrorizing the ghosts? Phantom called it 'terrorizing'. Pariah Dark called it 'diplomacy'. It was how he ran his kingdom, quelled uprisings, and kept his subjects in line. Ghosts were not like humans, he knew - ghosts had powers humans did not have, and collectively, those powers could be a threat to his throne, something he was NOT about to let happen for a second time. He would have to sit the boy down and actually explain his method of ruling, something he was NOT looking forward to.
The second term, staying out of the human world, he could comply with. Hell, people died every day and many of them became ghosts; he would have more in his kingdom to come, no problem.
The third, letting him see his friends and family, WOULD have problems. From what he gathered, his friends and family were - mostly - human, and if he were to stay out of the human world, then so would his Prince. And he would be damned once more if he was going to let humans in turn sully HIS world. He would have to speak further into that matter with the boy later.
The final term gave him the most conflicted thoughts - Phantom wanted equal share in running the kingdom. He could tell from their limited interactions that the boy's way of running things would definitely clash with his own. But if it kept the boy here...he did some self-debating on the matter.
When he had come across the small 'kingdom' of Prince Aragon and his sister and demanded they work for him as a page and lady-in-waiting, the arrogant 'prince' had vehemently refused and had said a few choice words that left him nothing if not a broken puddle of ectoplasm. The princess, a timid but level-headed girl, had agreed when he said he needed a lady-in-waiting. When he told her she was to be the lady-in-waiting to his consort-to-be, Danny Phantom, she seemed all-too-eager to leave with him.
That intrigued him a bit, and so he had done some thinking and research. It was obvious from the boy's elemental power that he had allies with the Far Frozen, and as his consort, the Far Frozen were HIS allies, too. However, it was blatently obvious that those beings followed Phantom first, and the Ghost King second. If he and Phantom collaborated, then the Far Frozen would work for HIS benefit, too.
On another note, Phantom had allies in other powerful or useful ghosts, as well. And those he was not allied with, had a level of respect for him. Pariah Dark recalled the last time he was awakened; powerful ghosts that were once enemies with the boy had helped seal him back in the Sarcophagus of Forever Sleep. Those ghosts had no respect for the Ghost King; only fear. However, even though they were on fighting terms with Phantom, they RESPECTED him. Which meant Phantom could be the intermediary that quelled conflicts and uprisings BEFORE they began.
As nice as that sounded, it also instilled a spark of anger within Pariah Dark. HE was the Ghost King. HE was supposed to be the one his subjects respected. NOT his consort!
THAT little internal tantrum raged for about two days before Pariah Dark managed to calm himself down and look at it logically. Let his Prince have the respect for now; if he played his cards right, he would get the respect in time as well. Perhaps this ruling collaboration COULD work...he had about nine months until the boy's eighteenth year to work the kinks out. Plenty of time.
Making a mental note to speak to his consort-to-be tomorrow about it, Pariah Dark turned to a large book that made its use as a journal of sorts, and began writing down his OWN clauses to the terms Phantom gave him.
Fright heaved a sigh and swung up to Fright Mare's saddle, giving her instructions to head to the nearest Amity Park portal. He had been putting off the promised visit to the human world to let the boy's friends know he was okay for three days, but if he didnt abide by a promise to his future Prince, he was certain to be demoted once more by His Liege.
Not wanting THAT fate to befall him, he rode out through a portal and turned them both invisible and began scanning the area for those two children that always accompanied the boy. It didnt take him long to locate them. They were at Fenton Works, the home and workplace of those imcompetent 'ghost hunters' the boy called parents.
This wouldnt do at all; the boy had told him to tell his friends, not his family. Understandable, really. If he told the friends, they would relay the message to the parents without him having to actually fight his way back home. The fun part, now, was getting the two away from the rest of the boy's family.
He observed them all for some time, well after dusk, until the pair left Fenton Works, no doubt to go to their own homes.
Excellent.
Waiting until they were alone, Fright steered Fright Mare to the ground and made himself visible, making his voice and demeanor calm and non-threatening to avoid the expected reaction. "Samantha Manson. Tucker Foley."
...Wishful thinking. Both of the teenagers whipped around, instincts from three-plus-years of ghost fighting kicking in as they reached for their respective weapons.
Fright hopped off of his Mare and held his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "I have word from Phantom!" he said quickly, getting their attentions before they attacked him. He was successful, and both Sam and Tucker froze at the mention of their friend.
"You know where Danny is?" Sam asked, her eyes full of worry. Fright nodded. "Where is he? Who took him?"
"Phantom is currently in the Ghost Zone, and has given me a message for the two of you." He paused, almost as if to build up the ambience. "He is safe, unharmed, and unable to see you for the interim...but he has also told me to inform you that you are NOT to try to 'rescue him'. Stay out of our world."
"Oh, yeah, right!" Tucker spoke up angrily. "And how do we know YOU'RE not just holding him hostage, or hurting him, or - !"
"If it is proof you require, I will be more than happy to provide it for you," Fright cut in quickly. "There are happenings in our world that humans such as yourselves neednt concern yourselves with, and Phantom is a vital part of these happenings. To take him out of the Ghost Zone right now would have...disasterous concequences."
"...What kind of concequences?" Sam asked slowly, looking more worried, and subsequently more eager to go rescue Danny. Fright wondered if he should tell them the whole story, but decided against it. If the boy had misconstrued the situation, the gods only knew how these paranoid teenagers would take it.
"...You would word it as...a change in social structure," he said, choosing his words carefully. "Phantom is without a doubt a very important person in the Ghost Zone...he is...needed, you might say. For the changes that are being made."
"What, like, he's being made President, or something?" Tucker asked. Fright felt his eye twitch.
"...Something like that," he replied. "...More like...Vice President. A...co-leader."
Pensieve silence.
"...Danny's going to be a ruler of the Ghost Zone?" Sam asked, getting the gist first. Fright nodded. "...But why cant we see him?"
"Phantom is currently going through a...collaboration with his co-leader," Fright replied, hoping and praying to whatever god precided over this realm that His Leige wasnt listening to this. "I can assure you, though...visits may be permitted, should things go smoothly, and he will be able to provide you with more information. For now, I'm just the messenger, telling you that Phantom is safe and he just wants you to know that."
There was more silence that was broken by Tucker. "...What do we tell his parents?" he asked. Fright shrugged.
"Not my problem," he said. "But what I DO know, is that they are ghost hunters, and their son is in the Ghost Zone. If they head into our world, guns blazing and shooting at the ghosts in search of him...they may become permanant members of the Ghost Zone as a result. My advice? Dont tell them. Let the situation see itself out."
Sam and Tucker looked conflicted and upset by this revelation, but Fright could do nothing to ease their burden.
"...We should still tell Jazz," Sam told Tucker. "She'd understand, and she's smart enough to think of something to tell her parents..."
"Right," Tucker agreed, doing some thinking. "...Well...what about...you know..." He made a face. "...Vlad?"
"Yeah, he's half-ghost, too," Sam concurred. "Would he know...?"
"Vlad Plasmius does NOT know, and does not NEED to know," Fright cut in sharply. "Steps have been taken to insure that the...half-breed does not take advantage of this situation in an attempt to gain control for himself. Surely you can understand."
Sam and Tucker nodded, knowing and understanding all-too-well, indeed.
"Right," Fright said, mounting his Mare again. "I must return to the Ghost Zone poste haste. Next time, I will bring you proof of Phantom's safety." He nodded to them and turned invisible before guiding Fright Mare back into the Ghost Zone, hoping that he wasnt missed by His Liege.
This was just an interlude, but we'll get back to the main story soon.