truephan here: Well, dear readers, looks like we're just about to end this wild ride of a story and I'm going to have to send Ms. Hyde back to where she came for a while and—
Ms. Hyde: Wait a minute, dearie! If anyone's needing to go, it's you! I still want all this evilness to continue!
truephan: Well, of course you do, Ms. Hyde. But all good things come to an end and...
Ms. Hyde: And that's where all the evil things take over! Okay, then, dearie, in that case, let's get this over with!
truephan: Ah, that's not what I meant, Ms. Hyde! Ah, oh. Never mind. Let's just get on with the epilogue and we'll see you down below, everyone. Enjoy!
Vlad muse: Oh, so, do I finally get to talk for this story? How typical Pearl would leave me until the end.
Pearl: *grins* Oh, come on, Vlad muse. Don't you know the best is saved for last?
Vlad muse: *glares* Do not try to butter me up, girl. You have been ignoring me now that you have Truephan and her insane muse to help you. Well, it is time for the readers to know that I am the true mastermind behind this story—as I am for the rest.
Pearl: Hey, Truephan and Ms. Hyde also have right to equal credit!
Vlad muse: Poppycock. Those two are merely 'helpers'.
Pearl: Would you stop saying lies, and get on with it?
Vlad muse: *smirks* Living an illusion, then? Very well. *clears throat* I, Vlad muse, would like to welcome you all and present the epilogue of this great story. Dare to believe it…. *winks and vanishes*
Disclaimer: We do not own Danny Phantom; but this plot is our own.
Seeing is disBelieving—Epilogue
A few days had passed since Iluzisto had been defeated and destroyed, but the Amity Park mayor—more than anyone else—was still cleaning up the mess.
Vlad sighed tiredly as he finally got off the phone with the city's construction department. They were still making repairs, but at least it was all progressing as normal. The overall cost of damage was a few million.
But all the tedious work Vlad was doing was also costing him several headaches and constant late nights at City Hall for the past days.
At least he was home today. Things were well enough now that he could take care of most of his mayoral responsibilities at his mansion.
And speaking of which, it was a relief that at least his home was now repaired. He still had to replace the furniture and décor, but at least his house wasn't being invaded by the repair crew he hired anymore.
His ghostly employees were returning today, too, which meant no more takeout. George would see to it that he finally got a good home cooked meal. After all he endured at the hands of Iluzisto while in that wretched prison; Vlad was certainly never taking for granted his ghostly chef's cooking.
Slowly, yes; but things were returning back to normal.
And yet, Vlad wasn't sure if things would ever truly return to normal—at least when it came to his relationship with Daniel.
There was a part of him that had grown to respect and appreciate the boy more after all they had endured together. But another part of him just wanted nothing to do with him. And if he ever saw him again it would be too soon.
He kept telling himself that he was angry with Daniel for tricking him and betraying his trust like he had. But deep down he knew he was more hurt with the fact that the boy had no problem returning to his old life, as if nothing had happened between them.
Vlad frowned. Then again, he had just taken off without a word after they destroyed Iluzisto. But why wouldn't he? The last thing he had wanted to see that day was proof of how right Iluzisto had been about Daniel.
Would… he never really have the boy at his side? It seemed nothing he did—not even his willingness to trust and work with Daniel—was enough to win him over…
Plasmius suddenly glared. Well, then fine! If Daniel wanted an arch-enemy instead of a mentor and father, then that's what he would get. It was the brat's lost after all. Vlad had plenty of other things to invest his time on!
An evil smirk curled the man's lip. Besides, he couldn't say he came out empty-handed in all this…
Turning away from the unfinished papers on his desk, Vlad suddenly stood from his desk and morphed into Plasmius. In a blink of an eye, he was gone from his study and appeared in his lab.
But when he got there, he immediately spotted his ally working on something on one of his workbenches.
"Skulker?" he asked, surprised to see the hunter when he had not called for him.
Skulker paused in what he was doing, and said "Plasmius! There you are! I was about to go find you, but I just could not wait, and… Look what I recovered!"
Vlad raised an eyebrow when the hunter lifted up what looked like scraps of glowing metal. "I didn't know you liked to dig through junkyards, Skulker…"
"What? This is not junk!" Skulker protested. "This, as you humans say, is gold!"
"Uh-huh…," Vlad replied skeptically, though he moved closer to inspect what was in Skulker's hands. But still not seeing what the big deal was, the man shook his head and said, "Skulker, really, this is junk."
"It is not!" the hunter defended again. "I recovered this from the remains of your ship! I know you said to get rid of it all because it was useless, but it is a good thing I did not!"
Vlad smirked. "Oh, so you were sorting through garbage."
Skulker glared this time, but his employer rolled his eyes and said more tersely, "Alright, fine, what is it?"
The hunter's face lit up again and said, "This, Plasmius, is the remains of the level nine weapons the Ghost Boy's helpers took from the Realm Beyond Time!"
Vlad looked back down at the pieces of metal and finally saw that they were indeed remains of weapons. Still, he replied, "Alright, but they are completely destroyed, Skulker. How is that of any use to you—and more importantly, me?"
Skulker rolled his eyes before placing the scraps on the table. He quickly picked up a very small laser that was right next to it and began to cut through the metal.
Vlad raised an eyebrow, but just watched closely. Soon, the hunter pulled out a glowing purple cube from within one of the destroyed weapons and the man suddenly understood.
"The energy sources are intact," the man muttered in surprise.
Skulker smirked. "Precisely. With this, we can take any normal weapon and turn it into a level-nine weapon strong enough to harm even spirits! And the best part is that there are two of them: one for me, and one for you."
Skulker handed over the glowing cube to his employer, who accepted it and studied it intently. The hunter then turned his focus back on the other destroyed weapon and began to cut it open to remove the second cube.
"Quite a find indeed," Vlad said, nodding in approval. But then he paused and said curiously, "I'm surprised you are giving me one. I would think you would keep them both to 'test on the Ghost Boy'."
Skulker, who had just removed the second cube, tensed for some reason at the mention of Danny. But then he looked back at his employer and replied, "Well, you did give me a second suit. I figured I owed you something for it."
Plasmius smiled. "Yes, well, you are lucky I still had the proto-type for that new suit and that it only needed a few more adjustments to be as good as the completed version."
"Adjustments that I have already made and even perfected!" Skulker answered smugly. He lifted the second energy-source in his hand to eye level and added, "And with this, I will have the ultimate upgrade…"
"You know…," Vlad said thoughtfully. "I think I already know what I will use this energy-source for… I have added some improvements to my second stimulation room… but this might just be what I need to finish said improvements…" But then the man paused and abruptly added, "Just do not think that this means you still do not owe me a new ship."
Skulker quickly looked at his employer and scowled. Still, he grumbled out, "I am aware of that. But you have not given me the blueprints yet, remember?"
"Ah, yes," Vlad replied and turned around, heading for a file cabinet at the far wall. He opened a drawer and then searched through it, asking, "Just how fast can you have this done for me, Skulker? I need to check on my space station and—"
"Time-out!"
Everything abruptly froze and Clockwork then appeared in a spin of a clock face. His child form looked between the two frozen ghosts in the lab before he smirked at the older half-ghost.
He floated over to him, placed a medallion around his neck, and then floated back a bit, his form turning into an adult.
"—it is urgent that I—," Vlad abruptly gasped when a hot sensation curled around his core and then exited through his mouth. In an instant, the man whirled around and tensed at the sight of Clockwork.
"You…," Vlad said quietly, clearly surprised. But then he tensed even more when he felt the weight of a foreign object around his neck and looked down at the medallion. He then quickly glanced up and looked over at Skulker, seeing how he and everything else was frozen.
Well, this certainly was bizarre.
"I see you are recovered from your…last encounter with Iluzisto," Clockwork suddenly said in his usual calm voice.
Plasmius' surprise melded into a deep frown as he focused back on the spirit. "Yes… no thanks to you, Time Master. Then again, it should not surprise me since you have such an… abstract way of helping. "
Clockwork melded into a child and just the slightest smirk curled around his lip as he asked, "Is that a compliment?"
Vlad quickly narrowed his eyes and growled, "What do you think?" He scoffed suddenly and added, "You are such a hypocrite, Time Master. You defy the Observants, proclaiming they are short-sighted and their ways are not your ways; when in reality, you are just like them—if not worse."
The man raised an accusing finger as he further said, "You treat everyone in the timeline like pieces on a chessboard, manipulating them to your will!"
"You would recognize such arts of manipulation, wouldn't you?" Clockwork replied, raising an eyebrow.
Vlad lowered his hand and answered angrily, "At least I do not mask it for something else. I admit I use and manipulate others. But you, you make others that are naïve—like Daniel—believe you are 'helping' and that you are doing what's best for the 'timeline'. Well, I do not buy it, Time Master!" He paused only a moment before he hissed, "All this with Iluzisto, you planned it out. From the very beginning—from being our prosecutor to forcing Daniel and I to do your dirty work— because we both know you were powerless against Iluzisto, which is why you used us to get rid of him for you! Iluzisto might have been sadistic, but you practice a whole other level of sadism! You, Clockwork, are downright evil!"
The time spirit said nothing at first, and just watched the fuming billionaire. But as his form changed into his elder form, Clockwork turned his eyes thoughtfully on his time staff. There was another moment of silence before he spoke again. His voice was actually a bit careful in tone when he finally said, "I wonder… are you truly upset with me because of my ways of doing my job and for how I handled this situation with Iluzisto… Or…" Clockwork looked directly at Plasmius, and finished, "—is it that you are upset that the boy looks to me as his mentor and guardian instead of looking to you as such…?"
Plasmius' eyes widened, and for a moment, he opened his mouth to argue the fact, but nothing came out.
"I suppose it's understandable," Clockwork continued causally. "You both do share a connection; it is only natural for you to feel… enmity towards my relationship with Danny."
This time, Vlad finally reacted and snapped back, "I am not envious of you, Time Master, if that is what you mean! The boy only cares for you because he has not seen your true colors—ones which I will personally make sure he sees someday soon!"
"That almost sounds like a threat," Clockwork remarked, turning into a child and frowning.
Plasmius suddenly smirked. "Take it as you want. After all, I defeated one spirit… I could surely defeat a second, especially when you have nothing I have not already been able to destroy…"
Clockwork knew the man referred to destroying Iluzisto's power staff and implying that he could do the same to his own. The man could not be any more wrong, but the spirit decided to keep that to himself. Instead, he replied, "You possess that unique ability to sense spirits and wield… timeless magic. That makes you a threat to any spirit… But… I am the Master of Time, so anything you could possibly plan… I have already seen, Vlad Plasmius…." Clockwork said with a smirk of his own.
Vlad glared again and growled, "Then, you would know that this is where I am going to tell you to get out of my house before I lose my patience with you and make good on my threat sooner than later!"
"Do you not want to know the reason I am here?" Clockwork calmly asked nevertheless.
"No, I do not, because I am sure I do not care!" Vlad answered back.
"The Observants have requested both yours and your ally's presence at the Realm Beyond Time. They would like to publicly thank you for your… help," Clockwork said all the same.
Plasmius rolled his eyes. "What are you playing at, Time Master? You already know what my answer to that is. I couldn't care less for their gratitude, let alone see them. So, why are you really here?"
Surprisingly, Clockwork chuckled. "Forgive me, you remind me of someone…"
Vlad frowned, masking his confusion.
But then Clockwork nodded and smiled calmly, "Alright. My real reason for being here is to extend my own gratitude. You could have chosen to leave the boy to the dark fate Iluzisto had planned for him; but you did not. You protected him and aided him, like a guardian and mentor should. But you also helped him save the time stream and all existence. You understood that Iluzisto was too great a threat and that he needed to be eliminated. It was thanks to your intervention that my staff was able to overcome the boy's own noble desire to not cause Iluzisto's demise, and do what it needed to do. I did not force you to do what you did, Vlad. It was always your choice. And you choose justly. So, thank you."
Plasmius just stared back at the time spirit, his expression unreadable. But then he crossed his arms and coolly answered, "Nice speech. But I do not care for your gratitude, either."
Clockwork unexpectedly smiled at that. "I know… that is why I have given you something tangible to show my gratitude. After all, if the Observants knew I am letting you keep Okulo's orb, I would never hear the end of it…"
Vlad tensed, and seeing it, Clockwork added, "Did you not think I would know how you used Okulo's orb to destroy Iluzisto's staff? I am the Master of Time, Vlad. Of course I know. But… I will not interfere with your choices; though, I recommend you use the orb… wisely."
"Yes, of course. I will consider your words of wisdom," Vlad answered sarcastically.
"Then consider these next words," Clockwork replied, ignoring his sarcasm. "If you wish to win Danny over, reconsider your approach with him. You are still in time to rectify your path in the time stream. I truly hope you can make that ultimate right choice for the sake of yourself."
Before Vlad could reply to that, Clockwork levitated the medallion off him and his was frozen back in time.
"Time in."
Vlad gasped and looked around, only to find the time spirit was gone.
"Wait," Skulker abruptly said confused, pointing at Vlad. "How did you get from there to… there?"
Plasmius scowled to himself and muttered, "Blast it! I hate spirits!"
The entire Observant race had finally recovered thanks to the healing properties of the Timeless Magic embedded throughout the Realm Beyond Time.
Justeco had been reunited with his healed brother, including having had thanked the Ancients so many times that the Ancients had to literally throw the prattling Head Observant out of their realm. This time, however, Justeco had not taken offense or insult with the Ancients for their rather rude parting. After all, he had changed in more ways than one…
For one, though he was healed, his near extinction by the hands of Iluzisto had left one scar on his ghostly body. It was the first small crater he had gotten, the one near the top of his large eye. And, really, he was glad it remained and, in a way, would treasure for the rest of eternity. For it would be a constant reminder of what he and his race went through and what kind of leader he would have to be from now on.
As the Head Observant glanced around the large room to where he had called all of his race, his eye glistened in satisfaction. No other Observant had succumbed saved the ones they knew were lost. They had atoned for their many sins of the past, including the one that almost had destroyed them…And now all was in proper order once again. Justeco sighed, suddenly realizing the irony as well. For—as Clockwork was so fond of pointing out time after time in the past— the Observants had also been given a second chance…and the choice of becoming a truly honorable race…
And now it was time to do the proper thing and call for this hearing. It was time to recognize those who had made all of this possible. In fact, the entire assembly was waiting to see if those summoned would honor their request…
As soon as Clockwork returned with them, that is…
Justeco's thoughts were suddenly interrupted when he caught sight of a group of Observants and guards gathering tightly in the center of the room. Whatever had them so interested was reeling more and more Observants and guards in.
The Head Observant floated over to investigate.
"…So, there I was! Trapped inside this small cell—eye-to-eye with the angry half-ghosts!" Spektanto exclaimed, a thick book in hand which he was waving around. "And even when I was sure that any wrong word I spoke might bring their wrath upon me, I was determined to defend my unstable clients all the same! After all, I knew all along they were innocent!"
"So, what happened next?" one of guards whispered in awe.
"Next! Oh, it was the best part!" the one-eyed lawyer proclaimed proudly. "But I… I cannot tell you. You must purchase my book, My Harrowing Adventures with the Infamous Half-Ghosts—a Journal of Brilliant Defensive Tactics. In fact, it is only 'Book One' of four. I am still working on writing up the last two. But you will not be sorry to own such a historical and accurate account of my most harrowing experiences in the Observants' greatest trial! It is an exclusive on what really happened and how I saved us all by saving the half-ghosts with my brilliant lawyer skills!"
Suddenly, everyone was raising their hands to have a copy of the book; and Spektanto somehow began to pull books magically right out of the book in his hand. "Do not worry! There is enough for everyone!"
However, Justeco suddenly intervened and said with an irritated voice, "Spektanto, what are you doing?"
The High Tribune finally understood why Spektanto had always been constantly writing during the whole trial with the half-ghosts. In fact, Justeco was even told the lawyer had been writing while trapped in that cave.
If Justeco had not questioned Spektanto's sanity before, he was certainly questioning it now. Honestly. Who writes a book in the middle of a chaotic situation? And a fabrication at that?
At the mention of his name, the lawyer froze and quickly looked at his leader. "High Tribune!" He chuckled sheepishly and quickly asked, "Would you like 'part one' of my book…?"
Justeco narrowed his eye a bit, showing he was not amused. Suddenly, however, before any other Observant could notice, Justeco spied Danny and his sister and friends entering the room in the near distance.
The head Observant rolled his pupil at Spektanto; and instead of saying what he had been about to say, he instead replied dryly, "No, thank you. And we will discuss this at a later time."
He then floated past him and the crowd, who quickly focused back on Spektanto as he continued to hand out copies of his book.
Justeco just pushed aside the incident, having more pressing matters at the moment. He was pleased to see the young half-ghost and his human companions, but then sighed a bit when he didn't see anyone else. Not that it surprised him. He knew the older half-ghost and his ally would not have wanted to attend, and probably never forgive him and his race for what they put them through, especially Vlad Plasmius.
But part of Justeco had hoped that the older half-ghost and his ally would have come, which was why he had also asked Clockwork to personally extend his invitation to Vlad Plasmius and his ally. Oddly, though, Clockwork was not currently present, either…
Nevertheless, the Head Observant didn't want to have any of the other Observants know right now that his 'guests' had arrived, especially when a sudden thought had crossed his mind. Motioning to Konsilisto to keep the other Observants occupied, he discretely flew over to the ghost teen and his friends and quietly said, "I am glad to observe that you and your loved ones wished to return here, Danny Phantom. And my thanks are in order once more." But before Danny could respond, the High Tribune asked, "Where is Clockwork?"
Danny shrugged, replying, "I don't know. First, what must have been one of your messengers came and said to be prepared without any explanation before he vanished. And then the next thing I knew, Clockwork just appeared in my room, told me you wanted 'our audience' and then he teleported us here. He then said he would meet us later. I didn't even get a chance to even ask where he was going. Heh. That's Clockwork for you," the ghost teen added with a small smile.
Justeco's eye curved a bit with a mixture of amusement and annoyance. "Indeed. No matter. I am sure he will show up eventually." The Observant Leader's voice sobered a bit and his eye narrowed as he then seriously said, "But, please, Danny Phantom, may I have a moment of your time alone before I call everything to order? I will have a guard escort your company to their seats."
Danny glanced at his sister and friends, bewildered—and even nervous— by the request, especially when Clockwork had not explained anything when he and his friends and sister had been whisked away to the Realm Beyond Time, and then left them to be escorted the rest of the way by the Tribune's guards. They had been sped here in so much haste he could swear that his head was still spinning.
Not only that, coming and then being here again so soon also had him nervous, especially after everything. After all, only two days had passed since Iluzisto's defeat and demise. True, Justeco had sent a rather terse message of thanks to him shortly after Iluzisto was destroyed, but that was all. But, he had not seen or heard anything else about the Observants since then until Clockwork had arrived. And the fact that Clockwork wasn't here wasn't a bit reassuring, either. So, he had no idea if the Observants had really changed at all—though, of course, he hoped they had.
But when his sister and friends silently nodded in encouragement, Danny nodded in agreement back to Justeco and followed the Observant to a small nearby vacant room.
Once Justeco was satisfied that this room would sufficiently give them privacy and a barrier to any listening ears, he turned around to face the young hybrid.
All of the sudden, however, the Tribune lost his nerve and there was silence between the two.
Danny frowned this time in apprehension. Wasn't it Justeco'sidea to come here? Maybe there was more bad news?
But the boy's facial change goaded the High Tribune out of his hesitation. He finally said, "On behalf of all the Observants, once again I would like to extend our utmost appreciation to you, your friends—and to Vlad Plasmius—for all that you did for us. And speaking of the older half-ghost, I am disappointed that he and his ally did not accept our invitation."
"Well," Danny began with a bit of sadness and regret in his voice, "I have to say that I'm not surprised. After all, we didn't part on exactly friendly terms. He found out about that lie about the curse and that almost cost everyone's lives. So, I'm sure his original feelings about you and the others—and even me—are back to square one; and that was that he wanted nothing to do with you and would never have agreed to help you."
Danny frowned right after he said that last part. Maybe that wasn't really totally true. Or maybe it was. The man had told him he would have changed his mind only to help him…Still, that thought still didn't satisfy him. But then, his musings were interrupted by the spirit.
"I cannot say that I blame him in many ways, Danny Phantom. It will continue to haunt us for several more of your human years all that has transpired here, and especially what we put you through in order for us to realize what fools we have been."
The two were silent for a brief period before Justeco sighed and said, "Even so, we cannot extend enough appreciation for all that both of you have done for us, young half-ghost."
Silently relieved—yet still a little worried why the Observant Head was bringing up his thanks again when he had done that more than what was needed—Danny hesitantly replied, "Uh, you're welcome."
Once more there was an awkward silence between the two.
Danny was even more uncertain about this little meeting now that there really wasn't anything he didn't already know. What more needed to be said? But then, he frowned in worry again when he saw the next change in the Observant's eye.
Justeco had suddenly narrowed his eye in all seriousness before adding with a tone of voice that was just as threatening, "But I must warn you, young half-ghost…"
Danny's eyes widened in slight fear.
But then, the boy relaxed a little when he could see a suddenly mischievous twinkle peeking out of the Tribune's eye just before the Observant added, "We will still be watching you…with interest, Danny Phantom."
Rubbing the back of his neck in both embarrassment and nervousness, Danny slightly chuckled, "Well, I hope I give you 'hours of entertainment'—uh, the good kind, that is."
"No doubt," Justeco said with a slight glint in his eye. But then, he grew more serious again and almost in a hush, said, "There is something else, young half-ghost…"
Danny looked at him squarely, his throat tightening slightly once again. But he kept silent.
Justeco continued, "And, uh, though I know it will be hard— and I do regret that it probably will be—I hope you will be able to try to forget about all this business with Iluzisto and, of course, that mess of a trial. I will do my best to make sure that we Observants will be more proper with our duties in the future."
Danny relaxed a bit and said, "I admit that I wasn't exactly thrilled about coming back here, especially when your messenger—and even Clockwork—was so, well, abrupt. But now that you've told me all of this, I will try to….forget about all of this. And, uhm, I hope you forget about it, too. As long as we both understand each other, I don't think you should worry about it too much. I'm not."
Justeco's eye expressed slight amazement before he said, "I am honored and really not surprised by your gesture. But I am more honored at being able to finally get to know the real you, instead of a version of you conjured up by my own perceptions and misjudgments."
The Head Observant's eye soften a bit before he replied, "I thank you again and do apologize about the messenger….It seems that our ways are still our ways until we learn to be more…open to other ways."
Danny smiled a bit and felt more relieved again.
But the Tribune wasn't giving the boy any indication that they were through and could return to the others. In fact, there was that awkward silence once more.
Danny grew edgy again, but didn't want to seem rude when it was obvious that Justeco had something else on his mind.
But the spirit was still silent.
Finally, Danny felt he should say something when Justeco finally said in some hesitation, "And one more thing, Danny Phantom…"
"Yes?" Danny replied, now getting anxious again from the tone in the spirit's voice.
Justeco cleared his throat, himself now clearly uncomfortable and embarrassed about what he wanted to say. "When you see Clockwork…"
He paused again. "Uh, will you please, uh, not tell him how much involved my brother and I were in this entire affair; especially how we, uhm, were actively involved in getting our race rescued? I am already embarrassed enough to admit that he already has too much evidence to hold over us."
Now relieved as well as amused by the spirit's request, Danny's eyes widened before he narrowed them playfully and wryly gasping, "What? You want me to cheat?"
Both mirth and understanding showed from the Observant's eye when he saw through the young ghost's act. With a similar wryness in his tone that still was able to convey that it appeared that they were now in 'cahoots' with each other, he replied, "Well, I do now believe that there are twists and turns in that parade about which that Clockwork is always talking." Then suddenly, he actually winked at the boy!
Danny's face lit up in surprise at his own memory of what Justeco just said. And how that was almost exactly what Clockwork had said to him when the Time Master had saved his family and friends from that awful Nasty Burger explosion! He knew exactly what Justeco meant.
Danny then smiled and replied, "Well, maybe we can just think of this negotiation as a truce, then, okay?" He silently cringed. He didn't just say that, did he? That was almost exactly what Vlad had said to him when he had agreed to help him defeat Iluzisto. Mortified, he quickly threw that thought away.
"Thank you, Danny Phantom!" the Tribune said before nodding and then turning to leave the room.
Danny silently followed him and then rejoined his friends.
"Hey, Danny!" Tucker suddenly beamed, waving a book at him. "Look what your lawyer gave me! It's a story about you!"
The Ghost Boy blinked, and suddenly remembering all the scribbling Spektanto had done throughout his trial, the teen quickly put it together.
Danny faced-palmed, muttering, "A lawyer who's really a writer. Of course."
Meanwhile, Justeco, had moved to another part of the room. And then he finally saw whom he next wanted to speak with. Now that his business with the young half-ghost was completed, Justeco could now get on with his other business before he could call the meeting to order. And that other business was with… Clockwork, who had finally arrived. As he neared the Time Master, Justeco spied Konsilisto, and he motioned for his brother to join him.
Konsilisto immediately obliged him and flew to his brother's side as the two of them continued to make their way through the crowd.
Not too long after searching the crowd in earnest, the two Observants finally saw the Time Master's staff in the near distance. They headed in that direction and once they caught view of Clockwork, they could see that the time spirit had his back to them.
But this time, the High Tribune was not surprised when the adult form of Clockwork suddenly jerked around even before the Observants were within speaking distance. Still, Justeco casually said, "So, Clockwork, I see that you are in one piece, now that you have your Time Staff back. No worse for the wear?"
The young Clockwork showed no hint of emotion in his face or his voice as he replied, "No. And I might ask the same thing about you, Justeco." Then turning slightly to the Observant at the Tribune's side, he added, "And Konsilisto, as well, of course."
Konsilisto nodded politely back but said nothing.
Then Justeco continued, "And I was wondering, Clockwork…"
"Yes?"
Justeco hesitated slightly before saying, "Just how did you get your Time Staff back? The last I knew of it was that Iluzisto had it within his power and now somehow it is mysteriously back into yours…There have been some unusual reports of something extraordinary happening during that battle with Iluzisto that involved your Time Staff."
"Oh?" the now old time ghost uttered with that same non-committal tone in his voice and lack of expression in his face. "I merely thought that Iluzisto had pushed the wrong button. After all, I know that he was not the master of the Time Staff. No one really is. It just allows me...certain…privileges."
"I see," Justeco replied, his own tone hinting at being aware of that same underlying meaning. The old rascal would never admit to anything. He then added, "Well, then, that is most fortunate, is it not?"
"Yes," the adult form of Clockwork simply said, "Is that all?"
Thinking of still another suspicion he had on his mind, the Tribune added, "No. I have something else I wish to discuss with you, Time Master."
Clockwork said nothing to that.
Justeco continued, "Now that Iluzisto has been destroyed, we are able to be at a more leisurely position to discuss this entire event, do you not think? After all, we both know that the half-ghosts could only have defeated and not destroyed Iluzisto."
This time old man Clockwork sighed with slight annoyance, "Luck is a strange phenomenon. Still, I really do not have time to discuss this. I have to get back to…"
But Justeco interrupted him, "Yes, yes, I know, Clockwork. I might have anticipated that remark. But I will be brief."
This time, one of the time ghost's eyebrows hitched very slightly in surprise. A short conversation would be a definite first for the usually long-winded Observant.
Justeco saw that tiny reaction but ignored it as he pressed on, "I would like to tell you about a most curious thing that happened to Konsilisto and me when we were prisoners in the cave."
"Oh?" Clockwork replied without a hint of emotion as he melded from his young into his adult version.
Justeco's eye narrowed, searching for any shred of evidence that would suggest that the Time Master was in-the-know about this. He was certain that Clockwork knew and had some role in it! Still, he continued, "When we were in such dire straits, we uttered the desire to know of the future. We were even saying, uh, things that were… atypical of us. And then suddenly and mysteriously, we found that we had a key to our cell door in our possession! Can you imagine? And would you mind venturing a guess for an explanation for that?"
Again, neither Clockwork's now very mature face nor his voice betrayed his true reaction as he calmly replied, "I never guess. But since I see you are pressing the issue, I would suppose that Iluzisto was sloppy again. He had been in the past, as you know."
The Tribune, of course, wasn't satisfied with the Time Master's answer. He really wanted Clockwork to just come out with it and tell him that he had been the one who…"
But his thoughts were interrupted by Clockwork. "Or perhaps…." the Time Spirit slowly began, the tiniest of upward movement forming on the corner of his mouth. "…things aren't set in stone as you had previously believed…"
"All right, Clockwork," Justeco said, getting a little exasperated at all his cryptic words. "And I suppose that you want me to believe that you never knew what would happen in the future of all these events or the circumstances that could alter that future?"
"I cannot tell you what to believe," the oldest form of the time ghost said, evading the question. But then, he suddenly countered back, "So, then, what did you do when you found that your cell door was unlocked?"
The Tribune's eye widened in surprise. The sly dog was twisting things around again! But then his eye betrayed its little impish glint as he innocently replied, "Why, Time Master, do you not know the answer to that? You know how passive we Observants are!"
Once more, young Clockwork's side of his mouth hitched ever so slightly, though he couldn't help but think, "Touché, Master Tribune!"
Clearing his throat a little, Justeco continued, "Ahem. Well, there is another bit a business we need to sort out."
One of Clockwork's eyebrows arched upward in slight surprise. But then, he silently groaned in annoyance but said nothing.
"Ah-ha!" Justeco thought. "Maybe this time it is my turn to catch you off guard!" Instead, the Tribune said, "On behalf of the Observants, I wish to discuss the terms of our business arrangement."
"In what way?" the adult Clockwork replied, now growing suspicious.
"I would like to dissolve our contract."
This time, Clockwork couldn't hide that his eyes had widened a bit in surprise. Still, he quickly countered that with his standard poker face and muted answer.
Justeco continued, "And, instead, I wish for you to become an advisor to us…as friends."
The youngest form of Clockwork then said, "But what about Konsilisto?"
Turning to his brother a little before winking at him, Justeco replied, "Oh, he will always be my personal advisor. He can't help but be meddling into everything. You know how he is."
His brother's eye conveyed slight annoyance, but he knew that his brother had been teasing him and he made no comment.
Justeco then said, "But what we both—and all the Observants—will need is an unbiased opinion that will help us see things more clearly when our passion for the ideals sometimes, uh, blinds our lone eyes, if you know what I mean….So, what say you, Time Master?"
"I will consider it," old man Clockwork replied, but said no more.
Though a bit disappointed that the time spirit didn't jump at his offer, Justeco added with restraint, "Of course. I understand. But still, there is one final matter I feel a duty to discuss."
Clockwork groaned to himself again. He should have known that whenever he spoke with Justeco, it was never brief. He finally said with a hint of exasperation in his voice, "Yes?"
Justeco's eye narrowed slightly in annoyance but answered, "There is the matter about…Danny Phantom."
The adult Clockwork frowned slightly at the Observant's words. Now what?
"I must say that I am now quite impressed with the youngling," the Tribune began. "His actions make us all think that we did the right thing when we appointed you his mentor. I am sure that you had something to do with his success in this matter all along."
But the youngest form of the time ghost tersely replied, "I assure you. His success was all his own."
"Yes, I do agree. But I still think you would not have fulfilled your duties as his mentor unless you could somehow find a way to help the boy…."
"Why, Master Tribune," the eldest Clockwork innocently interrupted him, "Are you saying that I cheated? You know how much my employers used to frown upon that!"
Justeco's eye widened in surprise before it glistened with a smidgeon of triumph and satisfaction, "Quite right, Time Master…"
But before the Observant could say anymore, Clockwork interjected, "Pardon me, Master Tribune. But if you'll excuse me, I really must be going now. You know that Time waits for no one!"
Though disappointed slightly again that the Master of Time and Manipulation didn't want to further discuss the issue, Justeco gave in and said, "Of course, Clockwork. Until next time, then."
Young Clockwork smirked a little and then without another word, turned to go.
But as the Time Master left, Justeco continued on that train of mind, "Yes, until next time, my friend…"
Suddenly, Justeco felt a blow to his arm. "Ow!" he cried, turning to his attacker.
"Always meddling?" Konsilisto finally said in a feigned huff. "I would rather be a busybody than a bombastic blowhard!"
Justeco merely chuckled and replied, "Quite right, brother. Quite right!"
Later that day, Danny and Team Phantom were back at their own 'realm': Amity Park. The gathering at the Realm Beyond Time had been the most… weird—alright, no, it had been the most boring—celebration they had been to.
For the most part, the Observants had just talked and talked. Then, the rest of the time, they had floated around. There wasn't even any food! The most exciting part of the whole thing had been when Justeco had made a public speech about what had happened and how grateful they were towards the half-ghosts for their help.
Out of Team Phantom, Tucker, in particular, had been disappointed about the whole thing. Sam, however, was slightly irritated by it all; and Jazz was fascinated. Danny, though he had been pretty bored, had just shrugged it off. It was not his way of 'celebrating', but whatever. To each his own. And besides, it was the thought that counted. The Observants wanted to show their gratitude and they had done so in the best way they knew how: by talking.
But with that now over, Danny, Jazz, Sam and Tucker all lazily lay spewed over the furniture in the basement of Sam's house. They had just finished a marathon of several videos of all the movies that they had not meant to miss in the past but had because of all those ghost distractions. And now they were content just to be as passive as Sam's plants, vegetating with their dazed eyes still full with the memory of those great movies and their stomachs overloaded with junk food.
"Man, that was great!" Tucker finally blurted out. "When's the next snack—and movie, of course?"
The other three merely stared at him in disbelief, but they didn't say anything or budge an inch. They couldn't.
Tucker frowned at their lack of enthusiasm and went to the snack area. He quickly helped himself to a large bowl of popcorn.
Just the smell of it so near to them made the other three teens groan.
Not at all affected by their reaction, Tucker beamed, "Oh, well. More for me—" But he quickly corrected himself when he heard his friends groan again. "I mean, all for me!"
His friends rolled their eyes before moaning again.
"And start 'em up again! I can't wait to catch the parts I missed the first time around!" the bespectacled boy announced with a little too much gusto for his friends.
"Movie theater's closed," Sam grumbled through her annoyed, gritted teeth.
But that didn't faze her friend in the least. Popping a huge handful of popcorn in his mouth and talking in spite of the large lump in his mouth, Tucker insisted, "Oh, c'mon, guys! These movies rocked! And I'm sure that seeing them again is way better than seeing all those lame reruns that Clockwork showed you during your trial, Danny!"
Not amused, Danny's eyes flared green a moment before he growled, "Don't remind me!"
"And these movies haven't got a thing to do with that viewing globe, Tucker," Sam said, clearly irritated. "You know that Clockwork's thing is a time thing about real things that happened in time."
"Hey, I know! Then maybe it would be way cool to watch ourselves on the viewing globe watching these movies again!" Tucker flippantly, yet excitedly, said.
All three of his friends glared at him this time.
The dark-skinned boy cringed a bit, but he was still undaunted. "Aw, c'mon, guys! Don't you want to see these movies a second time?"
"No time," Sam tersely said.
"For the second time, I'll pass!" Jazz quipped.
"Just one more time!" Tucker whined.
"How many times do we have to say 'no', Tuck?" Danny sighed in exasperation, before wincing from the feelings in his overstuffed stomach.
"Yeah," Sam growled. "Don't want to see a viewing globe about time. Don't want to see the movies another time. Got it? So let's just end it, okay?"
"Yeah, guys, let's not waste any more time arguing, okay?" Jazz piped in.
"Okay," they all agreed.
There was silence and then Danny finally said, "Well, it was about time!"
Three sets of groans answered him back, but then Sam added, "Hey, speaking of 'time', did you see Clockwork at the Observants' celebration?"
"If you could have called it that!" Tucker grumbled. "How can you celebrate without food? Now, Frostbite and his people—they know how to throw a real party!"
Danny rolled his eyes, but that reminded him how he needed to visit Frostbite soon, so he could thank him again and also let him know everything got resolved…
"Anyways," Sam suddenly said with an annoyed look at Tucker. "Did you see him, Danny?"
"Who?" the ghost teen asked, pulling out of his thoughts. But then remembering, he said, "Oh, uh, no, actually. I mean, I saw him briefly when we first got there, but then I never saw him. But that's Clockwork for you. He's there one minute and gone the next."
"Huh. And he never did explain to you how you were able to use his staff when you're not a spirit, right?" Sam asked with a frown.
Danny shrugged. "Nope. But that's okay. I'm sure he has his reasons. But I still don't get how Vlad was able to use Justeco's orb, either."
"Well, it's a good thing he could, Danny," Jazz answered. "If not, Okulo's orb would have never been destroyed."
"Yeah, dude! You would have had a tattoo on your forehead for the rest of your life!" Tucker exclaimed.
"Ugh. Don't remind me!' Danny muttered.
"You know what else was weird?" Sam added in thought. "Just how did Vlad destroy Iluzisto's staff at the last second, especially when he was as weak as he was?"
"Well, it was a blue ecto-blast," Danny said, "So, he was definitely weak. But, yeah, it was strange that he was able to destroy it. Justeco said a timeless object, like Iluzisto staff, can only be destroyed by another timeless object. And the only other timeless objects there had been the… "
"Had been what, Danny? The orbs?" Jazz asked, confused by how her brother abruptly froze and stopped talking.
But the Ghost Boy didn't answer as something clicked in his head. He quickly replayed a certain scene in his fight with Iluzisto, and he instantly knew it was true. Why had he not realized it before? Vlad could control timeless magic. The beam that destroyed Iluzisto's staff was blue. And Clockwork said…
"The only way you can destroy a timeless object is with another timeless object. A simple fall will only break the orb, but as you can see, it easily reforms back to its original state. "
"Well, then, where's Okulo's orb?" Sam asked with a frown.
"I see no evidence of another orb," Clockwork replied.
Okulo's orb vanished! No, it didn't vanish, Vlad had—
Danny suddenly jumped to his feet, exclaiming, "Oh, crud!"
"Danny!" his friends and sister exclaimed.
But the Ghost Boy just morphed into Phantom, and hastily said, "Sorry, guys! I gotta go! I'll explain later, okay?"
And before Team Phantom could say anything, Danny turned intangible and flew out of Sam's house.
His eyes narrowed as he picked up speed through the night sky, heading straight for a certain half-ghost millionaire's home. ..Of course. He should have known Vlad would find a way to take advantage of even this situation.
Danny scoffed. And here he had been feeling bad for tricking Vlad. He was such an idiot! The only one being duped was him this whole time!
Well, then, it was time to settle scores!
Having finished showering, Vlad slipped a towel around his waist and walked over to his large bathroom mirror. He frowned as he inspected his bruised abdomen. He had to admit, Iluzisto stabbing him was the worst injury he had ever sustained. Usually, shallow wounds disappeared in an hour, and deeper wounds could take from a day to a few.
He was sure this particular wound would be gone in another day. After all, it was just bruised now. Still, he could have died from it, if he had not been able to remain in ghost form.
And all to protect Daniel from Iluzisto.
He really had been giving a lot of thought to everything that happened with the young hybrid and that insane spirit. Somehow, Clockwork's words were still ringing in his ear from this morning…
And as he stared at his fading stab wound, he had to admit that he really suffered through a lot just for that deceitful boy. It was quite out of character of him to put someone before himself. But then maybe that gave testimony of how important the young half-ghost was to him.
And, yes, he was still resentful towards Daniel for his betrayal, but all things considered, he should also be proud. After all, the child had thrown aside his moral ethics, and manipulated him to do his bidding…
Like father, like son.
Vlad grinned at the thought. It seemed nothing Daniel did could deter him for very long from his desire to have the boy as his own. Yes, he would have to be severely punished for his lie and deceit. After all, that was intolerable for a son to do to his father—or, in his case, he's soon-to-be father.
But it was nice to see the teenager learning from him. In fact, in spite of the horror it had been to be at the mercy of Iluzisto in the prison, something good had come out of it; and that was that Daniel had relied solely on him and had allowed him to teach and guide him.
They had made the perfect team. And the amount of power they held individually was nothing compared to the amount of power they held together.
He had only heard of gold energy—or, sometimes called, synchronized energy. He had thought it was only a myth. After all, to have two such different ghost energies merge perfectly was all but an impossibility—like grabbing two random pieces from two different puzzles and connecting them perfectly.
And yet, he had witnessed that impossibility a few days ago.
If he had wanted Daniel at his side before, he wanted the boy all the more now. No, he had to have him.
"Hmm…," Vlad said, his smile still on his face. "Perhaps you were onto something after all, Time Master. Yes, I do wish to win the boy over, and perhaps, it is indeed time for a change…"
As the wheels in the man's brilliant mind turned, he quickly stepped out of the bathroom and finished getting dressed. He had been about to go to bed, but with such a delicious plot forming in his mind, how could he possibly sleep now?
However, something else interrupted his thoughts…
Vlad gasped as a puff of red smoke escaped his mouth, and he quickly tensed in anger. "Curses! When will these infernal creatures leave me be?"
The man morphed into Plasmius and teleported to where he was feeling the spirit's presence at. He still wasn't use to this 'spirit sense' and he wasn't sure if he ever would. It was so much different than his internal sense. Perhaps this was how Daniel's visible ghost sense felt for him. It certainly was annoying.
Vlad pushed aside the thought when he appeared in his lab and found Justeco floating there.
"You need to leave right now," the older hybrid growled menacingly. "I think having to put up with one spirit is enough for a day!"
Justeco's eye widened. "One spirit? Who—?" The head Observant suddenly rolled his pupil, realizing who had been meddling again. "Of course," he muttered dryly, but then focused back on the older half-ghost. "Forgive me, Vlad Plasmius. It was just necessary for me to come and—"
"Thank me?" Vlad finished for him.
"Yes," Justeco replied. "You did not attend the ceremony, though I understand why; but I felt obligated to come see you and tell you how grateful the Observants and I are for all you did for us."
"I did nothing for you," Plasmius answered coolly. "In fact, I am a bit disappointed that you all did not perish. It would have served you right."
Justeco's eye widened, but then he lowered it. "I see. But… I suppose you are right. And nothing I could do would ever be enough to compensate for everything Iluzisto and the High Council put you and the young half-ghost through. But…" The spirit looked at him and said seriously. "I am sorry. And we have learned from our mistakes. And… we will always be grateful to you and the boy for saving us—even if in your case, it was not intentional."
"Well, perhaps there is one thing you could do for me…," Vlad casually added. "It will not undo all you have done, but… it is fair…"
"As long as it is reasonable, then, I will do anything you ask me," Justeco answered.
"I want the Observants and Clockwork—especially, Clockwork— to keep out of my life and Daniel's," Vlad suddenly said seriously. "We are not your puppets. We have the right to make our own path, and you all have no right to interfere! I want you all to leave us be!" Vlad said firmly.
Justeco sighed. "It is our duty to watch over the timeline and those in it, Vlad Plasmius. And when it comes to such powerful beings such as you and the other half-ghost, we sometimes are forced to interfere for the good of Existence. Nevertheless, I now understand you both are not puppets or some unimportant part in a parade; that you do have the right to make your own choices and choose how to live your lives. So, as long as you and he do not do anything that will bring about the destruction of Existence, you have my word we will leave you and him be. I cannot guarantee much from Clockwork. He has always been his own boss, even when we were his superiors. However, I will try my best to have him stay away as well."
Justeco paused, but then his eye narrowed the slightest bit. "Now, allow me to warn you, Vlad Plasmius. If you step into the Observants' territory to cause trouble, we will respond with hostility. Consider us at a truce, so do not do anything to break that. It is my responsibility, after all, to protect my kind and our way of life—so to speak."
Plasmius studied the spirit for a moment, but then a small smirk curled his lips. "Ah, spoken like a true leader. Very well. I think your warning is reasonable, and I will bear it in mind. And you need not worry, my interests are far from the Realm Beyond Time—right now, anyways," he added evilly.
Justeco knew he should be bothered by the comment, but instead, his eye curved a bit in amusement as he said helplessly, "It seems not much has changed, then."
But before Vlad could answer, something—or someone—got his attention.
"VLAD!"
Justeco shook his head, answering himself, "Indeed." And then vanished.
Vlad looked back at the spirit, but seeing him gone, the man just briefly frowned.
"PLASMIUS, SHOW YOURSELF!"
"Such a loud little thing, isn't he?" Vlad muttered with annoyance. But by the angry voice, he knew his visitor was ticked off.
Plasmius grinned. "Could it be he finally figured it out…?" The older hybrid chuckled before he teleported to the main hall leading to the front of the house.
The boy was in ghost form, so he was easy to find. Still, not wanting to give the boy the impression that he was threatened by him or that he wanted to fight, Vlad turned human.
He then walked the rest of the way to the foyer.
"FRUIT LOOP! DON'T MAKE ME COME UP THERE!" Danny yelled as he stood in the center of the foyer with fisted hands.
"You realize it is past ten at night?" Vlad causally voiced as he finally turned the corner and appeared in the foyer. "Good children should be in bed by now…"
"Whatever, Plasmius," Danny dismissed before he extended a hand and demanded, "Hand it over."
Vlad almost grinned when his suspicions had been confirmed. "Hand what over, Daniel? What are you pouting about now?" he asked calmly.
"Don't play dumb with me, Vlad!" Danny snapped. "You know I'm talking about Okulo's orb! That isn't yours!"
Vlad looked at him without an inflection on his face and just as relaxed answered, "The orb was destroyed, Daniel. I do not understand why you think I have it…"
Danny suddenly growled and passed a hand through his hair, grumbling, "I swear, Vlad, you can be so… You didn't destroy it!" he abruptly yelled at him. "I remember the fight, Plasmius! You used Justeco's orb, but the timeless beam hit Iluzisto's hand—not the orb! And everyone knows Timeless objects can't be destroyed unless with another timeless object! Now, take that and the fact that the orb's remains were mysteriously gone when you suddenly left, and the truth is obvious: you have the orb!" the teen accused.
Vlad smiled this time. "Ah, Daniel. You are so paranoid."
"No, I'm not!" Danny protested. "You have it! You even used it to destroy Iluzisto's staff at the end! There is no way you could have done that with just your own energy—not matter how powerful you think you are!"
"I am more powerful than you could ever imagine," Vlad replied, almost sinisterly.
Danny hesitated, but then firmly said, "Give me the orb, Vlad. I mean it."
Vlad crossed his arms and asked casually, "If I had it, why would I hand it over, hmm?"
"Darn it!" Danny exclaimed. "I should have known you would take advantage of all this somehow! I trusted you and you just—"
"Lied to you?" Vlad abruptly interrupted. He then moved closer to the teen and got in his face, adding, "Or, was it that I tricked and deceived you? Did I betray your trust, little badger? Hmm…. That sounds all so familiar, doesn't it?"
Danny just stared back in silence.
"It's no fun to be at the receiving end, is it, Daniel?" Vlad asked darkly. "So, then, call us even."
"I said I was sorry. What more do you want?" Danny muttered back, though he remained frozen.
Vlad smiled before he slowly moved his face away from the boy's own. "Oh, you know what I want, Daniel. And your showing me how more like me you are each day only makes me more sure of that want. And you know what else?"
The man began to circle the teen, and Danny just watched him, like a mouse watches a circling hawk.
"I think deep down you want to be like me. You want to join me. I am your forbidden apple, little badger, and it allures you so much. That's why you jumped at the chance to fight alongside me and have me guide you throughout the entire ordeal with Iluzisto. It's such a small sample, though, and yet, you still fell in awe of it. Hmm. Yes. I now have no doubt of it. But you know what?"
Vlad suddenly stopped in front of the teen and placed a hand on his head almost affectionately, "You will take that delicious bite out of your own free will, Daniel. I am hoping it will be sooner than later, but you will give in to the temptation I am for you."
Danny suddenly jerked away from the man. "It's so like you to twist everything," he answered with a mixture of anger and disappointment.
"Oh, Daniel. I do not need to twist the truth, for it is the truth," Vlad answered back. "Honestly, you cannot say you could not have done any of this without me—I won't even deny this fact holds true on my end, as well. I do not understand why you delay the inevitable. Think about it. Think about all you did that you would not have done in this week, if it had not been for me. You even got your first taste of destruction. It feels good to know an enemy as dangerous as Iluzisto will never bother you again, doesn't it?"
Danny's eyes widened, but he quickly defended, "What? No! I didn't waste him! It was the staff!"
Vlad smiled. "Oh, you naïve boy. Is that what Clockwork told you? Come on, Daniel. He planned all this from the beginning. He gave you the staff because he knew he couldn't destroy Iluzisto—he needed you to do it. Of course, I did give you a bit of a push by destroying Iluzisto's staff, but all the same… it was all you, little badger. You're finally coming out of your shell. You are growing, my son… You should be proud… I am."
Danny shook his head. "No, I didn't destroy him! I—"
"It's okay, little badger," Vlad almost cooed, placing a hand on the boy's tense shoulder. "The first time is always hard."
Danny closed his eyes, trying to gain control of his emotions. And he forced himself to, as he said, "I am not letting you play these mind games with me, Plasmius."
The teen stepped away from the man and said, "I am thankful for your help. Yeah, I couldn't have done any of this without you. So, I'll always be grateful for you helping me, because you didn't have to. But I'm not letting you take advantage of that gratitude more than you already have. Think what you want, but I'm warning you now. If you use the orb for your evil schemes, you will be seeing me here sooner than later—but to kick your butt, Plasmius!"
Danny didn't even wait for a response. He turned intangible and flew out of Vlad's house.
Vlad just smiled at the empty spot for a moment; but then he morphed and teleported back to his lab. He moved to a small vault hidden in the back of his lab.
With a fingerprint and a combination code later, he opened the box and pulled out…. Okulo's orb.
Plasmius grinned as he watched the orb turn a bright red under his touch. "I am not sure about evil schemes, Daniel, but I have a wickedly good plan in mind just for you, my little badger. You will bite that forbidden apple on your own, but I will make sure it is very soon…"
The older hybrid's laugh echoed through the lab, as the orb flashed between red and blue…
truephan here: Heh-heh, I see that you made it down here! Awesome! Of course, we want your thoughts about all of this but first, let us let you in on a little secret. Were you curious as to how we came up with all of the Realm Beyond Time's characters' names? Well, we're going to tell you right now! They were all a translation of an English name into Esperanto! Here is the rundown for ya:
Esperanto Meanings of the Major Characters' Names
Iluzisto= Esperanto word meaning "Illusion"
Justeco=Esperanto word meaning "Judge"
Konsilisto = "Counselor"
Kvargvid= "Four Heads"
Okulo = "Eye"
Spektanto = "Viewer"
Antovid= (partial Esperanto for "Seer". The full translation is pli anto vid)
Minor Characters
Trupo=Esperanto word meaning "Troop"
Gardisto= "Guard"
Skolto= "Scout"
Heh-heh. How about that? Yeah, we think of things like that! So, we have nearly come to an end to this story and I want to thank each and every one of you readers from the bottom of my heart for your AWESOME support and encouragement. You have made this incredible BLAST and honor of co-writing with pearl truly SPECIAL! And, thanks, of course to you, pearl, my very AWESOME friend and epic writer!
But wait, everyone! Don't close the book on this story, yet. We have one more surprise for ya! Hope you stay tuned!
Pearl:
Ah, we have finally reached the end. But, as truephan said, we have one more surprise left for you all. Think of it as an 'extra page' to this book. But you'll see it in due time.
A few things, I am working on DoaS, so just to let you know I have not given up on it; I also hope to have that one-shot with Danny's point-of-view soon, too. Also, next week, Truephan is starting her newest conquest, which will tie into this story. It is called 'Gold Tested in Fire.' I am beating, and let me tell you, it's gonna be good! So, make sure you read.
And speaking of which, I did promise a sweet reader of mine, Jenniezzz88, that I would advertise her story, 'Like father, like Son.' She has wonderful writing and the story is a future fic, dealing with Danny and… someone else's kids. I'll let you find out the rest on your own. So, definitely, if you like future fics, you'll like this one!
Link: w ww. fanfiction. n et/s/7497535/1/
Also, another reader, Lightningpool, has begun a quest to bring back Danny Phantom. I know it's been many years, but things are only impossible when we don't try. So, help me lend her a hand with her campaign. We all love Danny Phantom, or you would not be reading this story, so go to her website and sign the petition!
Website: h tt p : / / savedannyphantom. weebly. c om/index. html
Lastly, I want to thank you all for your support. You readers make writing all the more fun, and you give us that drive to keep doing what we do. So, thank you all. Of course, a big thanks to Truephan. We sure had fun writing this piece for you, especially the challenge of merging her ideas and my own. But we are very synchronized, like Danny and Vlad! Lol! It was our intention for both our styles to meld together, so I hope we accomplished that! And I hope we were able to give you a new prospective on the Observants. Thank you all once more.
Ta for now.