Phantom: HEY EVERYBODY! I'm glad to say that my exams are officially over… oh, as well as Trainer's.

Trainer: Grr!

Phantom: She finished on Friday while I had finished on Thursday. When you have to deal with so many equations like I did, you might ask yourself if you've gone completely mad/crazy.

Trainer: And the answer is? Drumroll please.

*cue drumroll*

Phantom: The answer is… yes. I mean, no. I mean, ugh. Let's just say that it is SUCH a headache.

Trainer: Agreed. Exams are a pain. I really do hate them.

Phantom: I know! Hey, readers! Did you know that if you have a scientific calculator, you can actually type in 'Damn Exams!'? I figured that out back in middle school.

Trainer: It's really funny when you show it to a friend right before you enter an exam. It sort of… lightens the mood.

Phantom: So other than exams, we've also dived into our Chanukah gifts. So far, we've played/beat Rhythm Thief and the Emperor's Treasure and Trainer played/beat Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask. I personally loved the first one. Music, dancing, Sly Cooper style and more; what more could you ask for in that kind of game?!

Trainer: I liked both games. We also got Epic Mickey: the power of 2. Dibs on Oswald the Lucky Rabbit!

Phantom: You can have him. I prefer Mickey Mouse anyways.

Trainer: Enough talk! On with the celebratory end-of-exams chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom and some ideas are owned by Pearl84 and Truephan, but the plot is mine!

Chapter 13: Big Bang Boom

Everything was quiet, and that's how this particular being liked it. It helped him think when trying to dive into his past. He only ever saw snippets here and there, but other than that, he saw nothing. His only company being himself and his guardian; no, that wasn't right, that man was more like a master than a guardian. Sure, he taught him, healed him, and did almost anything involving taking care of another person, but he also punished him for in-completing tasks or talking back or any other number of things.

In truth, this being was actually quite lonely, but he could never understand why. It felt like he was missing something; like there was a hole in his life. The only thing that made him forget about that painful hole was to occupy himself, usually by doing his master's biding.

Speaking of doing his master's biding, where were his scouts? They should have been back days ago.

The being stood from his perch on, what appeared to be, an old archway and scanned the green, black and purple atmosphere. He was looking for something in particular; something blue with a faint tint of red and green.

It had been several days since he had sent them out to search for any clues as to where those blasted books were. Those idiotic hunters in white had managed to… graze his arm. Because of this though, he ended up dropping the books into their hands. The worst part was that it had been enough to anger his master, who promptly lashed out at him. He had managed to break his arm, so any searching he needed to do had to be done by his little pets.

Koŝmaro stayed where he was, looking out into the hidden part of the Ghost Zone, waiting for the little creatures to return. A few minutes of staring later made Koŝmaro very bored. He didn't know a lot about his past other than that he was a magician, had been with his master for as long as he could remember (which wasn't that far) and that he had died as a young adult at about the age of 25. That being said, he was still not the most patient being in the world. He was about to head back into the castle behind him when he saw something glint in the distance.

It was a group of blue beings; half of them looked to be humanoid with red, pupil-less eyes and glowing green claws while the other half being small mouse-like creatures that were about the size of puppies with the same red eyes.

All of them gathered around him while one of the smaller creatures jumped into his good arm and then onto his shoulder. This one was… different. It had a slightly different colour; it had a more purplish hue to it, like if his powers were to surround the small creature. It was also the only one that ever seemed to know when he needed company and was more than willing to give it to him. Koŝmaro let a small smile grace his lips. He wouldn't tell anybody this, but he appreciated the creature and what it did and he was certainly not going to let his master know.

Right then, one of the clawed humanoids tugged at his waist cloak. It then said something that sounded like gibberish, but to the young magician, it was purely English. He then narrowed his eyes and said, "Are you sure?"

His answer was another round of unusual sounds. "Hmm, this was unforeseen. I didn't expect those ghosts to send someone to search for those books so soon," he mumbled to himself.

This time, the creature on his shoulder said something into his ear and his eyes widened. "What! What do you mean that the books have already been taken from those imbecilic humans?!" Koŝmaro yelled.

The small blue being shrank under his piercing gaze and squeaked out a response. Koŝmaro sighed and said, "Well who has them then? And more importantly, how did they get them?"

This time, all of the creatures started calling out responses and by this time, Koŝmaro had had enough. "QUIET!" he yelled. Pointing to the closest humanoid he said, "You, answer my questions."

The creature started to fidget, but managed to find its voice. It explained how it had discovered that the hunter ghost was looking for the books, how he and the ghost child had come to a temporary truce, how the child had been captured and finally how the older half-ghost saved the boy and retrieved the books.

Throughout the explanation, Koŝmaro stayed silent, taking in every word. When the small creature finished he asked, "Do you, or any of you, know where they are now at this moment?"

Once again, the being on his shoulder spoke up and told him the answer to his question. "Wisconsin? Where the bloody hell is that? I can't just snap my fingers and make a portal to this Wisconsin if I don't know where it is!" he raved.

Taking a deep breath he said in a much calmer voice, "Well, at least those hybrids have yet to discover the books' purpose, right? It's not like any have been released yet." He laughed at the very idea, but then frowned when he saw that none of the other beings were doing the same. "I am to assume that this is true, am I not?"

When all he got was complete silence he yelled, "I can't believe this! Why is everything that my master wishes coming apart?!"

The small creatures tried to calm him down, especially the one on his shoulder who was holding on for dear after-life with the way that Koŝmaro kept turning this way and that. Finally, one of the creatures said something that caught his attention and he turned towards them.

He pointed to the one in the middle of the group and said, "Say that again."

The creature complied with a shaky voice, but the simple sentences where enough to put that smile back on Koŝmaro's face.

"Wonderful! Well, wonderful for us. Go! Keep an eye on the hybrids and especially on little Frostigi. He could be useful in the future for negotiations," the magician said.

With that, the little creatures dispersed; all except the purplish-blue mouse-like being on his shoulder. Until his arm healed, he was stuck here at his home while his pets did his work for him. Letting out a tired sigh, Koŝmaro left the outer grounds of the castle and returned to his room.

He decided that he would take a nap and regain his strength, but first, he had to check something. Removing his gloves, belt, boots, cape and other such garments until he was in nothing but his pants and undershirt, he climbed into his bed; the small creature settled in right next to him. He turned his hand intangible and reached into the mattress. Pulling his hand back out, he held an old leather-bound book.

He opened it up to a blank page and with a flick of the wrist he held a quill. This was maybe the one thing he had found after his death from his past life; his diary/journal. It held everything that he had once been, but, unfortunately, it didn't help him remember who he once was completely; only partially. He gave a small smile and began to write.

Dear Journal,

Today, my arm seems to have healed a little more. For some reason, it just didn't hurt as badly as it had the day before. Perhaps master did something without my knowledge? Either way, I am happy that the pain is subsiding. I can feel my strength returning too. That punishment master gave me along with the damage those hunter did left me drained of almost all my energy.

I had another vision today. I have stopped telling master about it since he says a spell and I wake-up with fog covering my thoughts. What he doesn't know won't harm him, and more importantly, me. My vision was… different. It was of a young woman. She was smiling and laughing and calling out my name. Every time she did, my core fluttered. Whoever she was, I hope I have more visions of her. I somehow know that she's… important to me.

Also, my scouts returned today. At last, some news from outside this cage of a castle. Apparently, that hunter ghost, what was his name? Ah, Skulker. That's it. Yes, Skulker managed to escape them in the Ghost Zone, but ended up leading them back to where the books were.

The ghost child had gone to help the hunter retrieve them, but got captured in the process. I would have hated to be him. The older hybrid saved the child as well as acquired all three books that I lost. I don't know if I should be worried or not; the younger hybrid unlocked Frostigi. I doubt that he actually knows what Frostigi and the others are for, I barely know, but as long as they are in the dark, things can continue as planned; whatever that may be.

I also heard that the young boy was injured. I don't know whether to sympathise, pity or laugh at the boy. He is in a similar predicament as me… but I think I will sympathise with him. He probably does not wish to be anywhere near the older hybrid, but has to rely on him, much in the same way that I do my master.

Koŝmaro paused in his writing. Did he really just write/think that? He looked over what he wrote and confirmed it with his own eyes. He just said that he didn't like, no, that he hated his master! However, he had to rely on him to survive at the moment. Shaking his head, he banished these thoughts and returned to writing.

Forget that last part. Until I am healed though, I must remain here. At least master hasn't tried to disturb me in my moment of peace. I… like it. I truly do enjoy this time away from him. Especially with this unusual scout by my side, perhaps I should name it. That can wait for another day.

Signed, Koŝmaro.

Koŝmaro sighed contently and placed his journal back in his hiding spot. With one final glance at the little creature next to him, he turned off the lights, closed his gleaming red eyes, and went to bed leaving all his worries behind as he entered his master-less dreams.

Vlad had awoken the next morning and went through his normal morning routine. He took a shower, dressed in a stunning black suit, and pulled his hair back into his standard ponytail. Vlad was about to exit the room when something – or rather someone – caught his attention.

Frostigi was still lying on the couch wrapped up in a blanket. The only parts of his body showing were his fluffy tail and his head with its unusual coloured hair - which was in a total mess.

Vlad couldn't help but chuckle at the humanoid and how childish he could act. The billionaire walked over to the slumbering boy and ruffled his mop of hair while he gave an amused smile. It was at this moment that he truly saw the similarities between the humanoid and Daniel.

Making sure so as to not wake the boy, Vlad left his room to check on his other guests and – more importantly – Daniel. Phasing out of his room he made his way to Jasmine's room. If he was going to check on any of them, it would be the Fenton siblings first. Who knew what they could do if they put their minds to it.

He reached the oldest Fenton's room and knock. "Jasmine? Are you in there? I just came to… check up on how you were doing," Vlad said. When he got no reply, he tried again, "Jasmine, open this door this instant." A second round of silence was his answer. "Fine, have it your way. I'm coming in whether you want me to or not."

Vlad phased into the room to find it completely bare, but he knew that it had at least been used. The red-head's bag was on the floor and had been opened at least once while the covers on the bed were wrinkled and out of place. "Jasmine had definitely slept here… but where is she now?" Vlad thought.

He left the room and headed to Daniel's. "Perhaps Jasmine is already up and eating breakfast," Vlad assumed.

When he arrived at his next destination, he didn't bother knocking or announcing his presence. He just walked through the door and surveyed the room. He paused on the bed expecting to see a slumbering teen, but instead of one, he found two.

Vlad was shocked of course. He didn't think he could, no, would ever see a moment where Daniel look so… so… much like his actual age. He had seen the boy fight ghosts, risk his life and several other things that most kids his age wouldn't even be able to imagine. However, he had also seen the teen act his age; he had seen the boy break-down and cry, ask for his help when he knew he couldn't do something and even watched him be stubborn and childish. This was just over the top however.

Daniel and Jasmine where asleep in the grand bed; Daniel was lying on his stomach with his head underneath a pillow while Jasmine was hugging the sleeping form of her brother. It really was a childish moment for the two teens considering that both didn't exactly act their age. It was, however, a very endearing sight.

He didn't want to ruin this for the two of them, but he would need the younger hybrid for what he intended to do today. He looked at the two teens for a few more minutes before deciding it was best to leave his plans for later. First, he needed to check on his other 'guests'.

Moving down to the first floor, he checked both rooms that Daniel's little friends were in. He didn't want to deal with the headache that he would undoubtedly get from trying to wake them, so he just listened to see if they were awake. He knew they weren't though when he heard even, slowed breathing coming from both rooms.

Satisfied that everything seemed to be in order this morning, the elder halfa made his way to the dining room. He moved over to an intercom in the wall and spoke into it, "George?"

Within a few seconds, he heard the voice of his chef. "Good morning, sir. What would you like for breakfast?" the ghost chef asked.

"Hm, anything is fine, George. Be sure to prepare enough for our guests as well," he replied. "Anything to stop them from assuming that I'm up to something," he added mentally.

"Right away, sir. Will those kids be joining you this morning or are you dining alone?" George asked.

Vlad was about to reply that he would be eating alone when Jazz and Danny - who was being supported by his sister - walked in. Vlad smiled slightly and said, "Bring in two more plates, George. I'll be waiting in the dining room."

Vlad turned from the intercom and made his way to his seat. Jazz had helped her brother into a chair and he gave her a thankful nod. Vlad turned to them and said, "Good morning, Daniel, Jasmine. I hope you slept well."

Jazz gave him an uncertain look, trying to determine if he had any motives. She couldn't find any though. "Darn, he has too good a poker-face," Jazz thought. "We slept fine, thanks," she replied.

Vlad nodded and noticed that she was dressed in her PJs still while Daniel seemed to have gotten into a pair of black sweat-pants and a loose white shirt.

In the next moment, Derek came in rolling a cart with three trays on it. He gave the first to Vlad who was sitting at the head of the table. He then moved on to the Fenton siblings who sat several seats away from the billionaire. He gave them their food, but handed something to Danny without anyone else noticing. Danny gave him a questioning look, but the butler just winked and left without a word.

Danny shrugged and decided that he would look at it later when he was alone, but first, breakfast. Vlad had already started eating and Jazz looked wary of whatever she would find under her platter. Danny gave her a supportive pat on the shoulder and she smiled.

Danny and Jazz lifted the lids off their dishes and found a stack of French toast with syrup, powdered sugar and fruit. Danny dug in happily. You would too if you hadn't eaten in several days. Jazz still wasn't sure, but seeing her brother eat the food encouraged her and she dug in as well.

"I have to admit, Vlad's cook really does know how to cook, but mom's French toast is still better in my opinion," Jazz mused as she ate.

"I wonder how Sam and Tucker are doing. I haven't seen them since last night. Speaking of last night, where's Frostigi? He just sort of disappeared," Danny thought as he stuffed another mouthful of food into his stomach.

The two siblings were so wrapped up in their own thoughts that when Vlad spoke, it startled them. "Daniel, when you're done here, I need to speak to you. Meet me in my study once you've finished."

As soon as he finished, the billionaire disappeared into a cloud of pink smoke.

Danny and Jazz had remained in the dining room even after they had watched Vlad vanish. They ate slower than before and were chatting about past events.

"Hey, remember when I first got in on the secret and how I wanted to help?" Jazz asked.

Danny started laughing, but silently. It's an odd sensation to laugh and not hear it. It was like the world was mute or something. Danny nodded and dried a tear from his eye.

"Yeah, that was pretty funny. I'm probably a worse ghost hunter than mom and dad. Actually, that one time that you and mom went to that mother/son bonding trip that Vlad had set for you allowed me to better my hunting skills before you revealed your secret to me. I still can't believe that wore one of the HAZMAT suits!" Jazz exclaimed.

Danny silently laughed again. Wishing to voice his thoughts, Danny grabbed his napkin and looked for a pen. "Why is it that every time I need an everyday object, I can never find it?" the hybrid thought.

Danny finally found a pen and wrote on the paper.

Come on, Jazz. HAZMAT suits look awesome on our family. Take my ghost form for example. Back to the part where you were starting to hunt ghosts with me; how is it possible that you 1) captured me in the thermos? 2) Managed to make those horrible names for my enemies when they already had actual names? 3) Captured me in the thermos? 4) Have the worst witty-banter I've ever seen? And did I mention 5) CAPTURED ME IN THE THERMOS!?

Jazz read the note and scowled. "Danny, that's not very nice. Like I said, I'm sorry how that all turned out. I thought we were over that? Anyways, you know that I'm as good at naming things as mom and dad and that I don't… well…" she trailed off.

Have a sense of humour because you're so uptight and such a spaz? Danny supplied.

Jazz glared and said, "No! That's not what I was going to say!"

Danny did the mature thing and stuck out his tongue. Jazz blushed a shade of red, which caused Danny to silently laugh harder.

"Danny! You are so immat-, " she began, and was about to pounce on the laughing teen when Sam and Tucker came in, already dressed.

"Um… did we miss something?" Sam asked, seeing the future sibling battle that was about to commence.

Jazz and Danny shared a shocked look before blushing out of embarrassment and returned to their breakfast.

Sam raised an eyebrow and said to Tucker, "What's with them?"

"Got me," he replied. Walking over to the table, he and Sam took a seat and waited for their food to be delivered. Tucker finally noticed that the Fenton kids were still in their sleeping attire and couldn't stop himself from commenting. "Nice PJs you two. What, did you just come down here after you woke up?"

When both teens remained quiet and blushed even harder, the Techno-geek laughed. Danny glared, Jazz shifted uncomfortably and Sam hit the Techno-geek upside the head, effectively knocking his barrette off.

Ignoring his upset 'hey', Sam watched as the butler, Derek, returned to the room with two more plates of food. Danny, Jazz and Tucker didn't notice, but Sam saw the uneasiness in the butler's movements. "Is he scared of us or is it that he just doesn't trust us?" Sam wondered as she began eating.

Part way into their meals, Jazz finished and excused herself so that she could change out of her pyjamas before Tucker could comment on them again. The three other teens nodded and continued with their meals.

Danny was just about done when Tucker spoke, "Dude, aren't you going to go change too? We did bring you some of your clothes with us."

Danny raised an eyebrow and shook his head 'no'. Tucker was about to ask his half ghost friend why not when Jazz came back in the room and said, "Danny, when you're ready, I'll help you to Vlad's study."

Tucker stared wide eyed and Sam started choking and coughing. Finally, she managed to choke out, "wait… WHAT! Why do you need to go the fruitloop?!"

Danny put his hands up in a calming gesture to the fuming Goth when she got into his personal space. Sam was about to go on a rant when Jazz spoke up again. "Sam! Calm down! As much as I hate to say this, but Vlad has actually done a good job of taking care of Danny, no matter how much of a fruitloop he is."

Danny nodded in agreement.

"And besides, I think he's only trying to help Danny heal faster. I'm not completely sure, but I don't think he'll let Danny go back to Amity Park until he's sure that Danny is completely healed," Jazz continued.

This time it was Danny's turn to choke. Everyone saw this, but they expected this sort of reaction from him, so they paid it no mind.

Danny, on the other hand, had a million and one thoughts flying through his head. Jazz was right. Vlad wouldn't let him leave until he was healed. What if he got injured again or something else came up? Then how long would he have to stay here. He had a town to protect for ghost's sake! Then there were his parents. He had to be back before they did. And Vlad had to do the same or rouse suspicions as to why the mayor coincidentally decided to tend to his companies the same time that his 'old college buddies' left town for a while.

Suddenly, Jazz spoke, effectively bringing Danny out of his frantic thoughts. "Danny, come on. If we keep him waiting too long he might think something's up. Then who knows what he'll do?" she said.

Danny rose from his seat, but winced when he felt his stitches pull. Jazz saw him struggle and said, "Here, let me help you." Danny didn't stop her, but he felt a little embarrassed for not being able to protect her and instead she was protecting him.

Sam and Tucker quickly finished their food and said in unison, "We're coming too!"

Jazz was about to protest, but Danny shook his head and Jazz sighed in defeat. "Fine, you can come, but do not, under any circumstances, do anything that could get us all in a lot of trouble. Vlad asked for Danny and is probably expecting me since he saw me help Danny into the room earlier."

Sam and Tucker nodded, but the Fenton siblings could tell that it was done reluctantly. Danny almost laughed at the role reversal that had happened. Normally, he was the one who protected his loved ones, but now they were protecting him!

Jazz supported Danny and they walked to the billionaire's private study with Sam and Tucker hot on their heels. When they arrived, Jazz knocked on the door. Almost immediately, they heard a "come in" from the other side of the room.

Pushing the doors open, the four teens were greeted by the sight of the billionaire at his desk typing on his laptop. Danny remembered the time when he and Vlad went to Germany. Vlad left him in his office and told him not to leave the room. When Danny went on the laptop, he played a few rounds of solitaire, but quickly got bored. He then went to check up on his town, thinking Vlad hadn't blocked it like he had back in Wisconsin. He was wrong. As a sort of revenge, he delved into the older hybrid's files. His passwords were obvious and Danny doubted that the man had changed them.

Danny couldn't stop the smile from forming on his face. No one saw however, since his head was dipped down and his bangs covered his face.

Jazz helped her brother over to the sofa, and then turned her attention back to Vlad. "Alright, Vlad. What did you want to speak about with my brother?" she demanded more than asked – her eyes narrowing.

Vlad smirked at her attempt to look intimidating. He stood from his seat and walked over to the teens. All of them jumped except for Danny. Vlad stopped short and said, "It's not so much about us chatting at the moment, but more about my helping Daniel with his wounds; especially the one that seems to be his lost voice."

Jazz raised an eyebrow as if asking 'really?', but then Vlad added, "Oh, and I'm laying down some ground rules for the time being." Jazz rolled her eyes. "Of course he is. There always has to be a catch," all the teens thought.

"Ok. So then how are you going to heal him?" Jazz asked - the slight undertone of challenge in her voice.

Vlad smiled his conniving smile and motioned for them to follow. He paused at the door and said, "First ground rule: I expect no trouble from any of you while you are here." He then looked down at Danny, who was giving his best innocent look. "Especially from you, Daniel," he added, his eyes flash red long enough for only the young hybrid to see.

Danny mentally scoffed, "Who? Me? I wouldn't think of it. Fruitloop." Danny then flashed his eyes back in responce.

All the teens nodded and followed the man around the castle until they came to a greenhouse. As they entered, Danny heard Sam gasp. He always thought that she would like it if she ever saw it. And look, he was right!

There were plants of every shape, size, colour and even breed. Sam had to pause and look around. It was no surprise that she caught the curious eyes of Bennie and Jasper. Jasper made some hand motions to Bennie and he nodded. The two were about to return to their work when they saw Danny walking in the group.

They were excited to see the boy finally moving around, but they couldn't get close to him at the moment since 1) Vlad was there and probably didn't want them to disturb him and the teens, and 2) Danny friends and sister were being very protective at the moment. Who knew if they had weapons on them? In all reality, Sam and Tucker always had some small weapon on them - the wrist ray and lipstick gun respectively.

Instead, the two smiled and waved at Danny. Danny returned it and mouthed 'we'll catch up later' and the two ghosts returned to their duties.

Vlad continued to walk until he came to a second door to the greenhouse.

Sam leaned over to Tucker and whispered, "What do you think is behind that door?"

Tucker whispered back, "I don't know, but keep an eye out for anything that could, you know, jump out at us."

"Will you two stop? We're here for Danny's sake. I highly doubt that Vlad will try anything to harm Danny while he's in this state or to us because of my brother," Jazz hissed to them.

"You know that I can still hear you?" Vlad stated as he pushed the doors open. All the teens (minus Danny) shut up and stared ahead.

The group entered the new room only to find that it was actually colder and that everything was glowing with a ghostly aura. "Do not touch anything," Vlad said as he maneuvered through the rows of plants to the back.

The teens followed and passed many different ghost plants; one being a certain Venus flytrap that Danny remembered all too well.

Danny's head tilted in pure bafflement when he began to hear a very familiar sound coming from the plant. "Is that thing…. purring?"

Vlad shrugged. "I suppose you could call it that. It produces the sound when it begins to settle back into its dormant state. Come here and touch it; you'll see what I mean."

"Uh, no, thanks," Danny said warily, not moving from his spot.

Vlad smirked as he teasingly remarked, "Oh, Daniel, you cannot possibly be afraid of a mere plant, can you?"

"No!" the boy replied defensively, before approaching the man and the ghost plant.

"With these types of spectral plants, you have to touch the underside of its feeding opening," Vlad began to explain, once the young half-ghost was beside him. "Raising your hand above it triggers its sensory receptors—its 'eyes'—and therefore, its defense response. And touching it on the upper side of its feeding opening will make it believe you are food. You just did both," the older hybrid ended, a smirk back on his lips.

Danny briefly scowled at him, but then looked back at the plant. The red color had just about drained away from it, but it was still purring. With a bit of hesitation, the teen finally placed his hand against the plant's lower 'jaw'… And immediately feeling what the man meant, the teen looked up at him with an enlightened smile…

The memory faded and Danny realised something. The reason he was even there in the first place was so Vlad could use some of the ghost plants to heal his throat like the first time around. The only differences where that he could barely stand up, his sister and friends were here and he could not speak at all.

Danny finally looked around the greenhouse and found that they were moving to the part of the room that held a certain little ghost plant that Vlad used to make his healing ointment. "This can't be good" Danny thought miserably.

The group stopped at a table where Danny could see Vlad pulling on special gloves that had been lying next to the plant he just thought about. The younger hybrid grabbed his throat, remembering how the white substance that that plant created was super cold and even painful for him to experience.

Vlad prepared a leaf and said, "Daniel, come over here, would you?" Seeing the teen's reluctance, Vlad scowled and continued, "I'm sure you recall what this is, but I'm afraid that this is the best solution to your sore throat, just like last time. But I will warn you now; I'll have to hold it on your neck longer than last time because of the severity of the injury. So be prepared for the slight discomfort."

Danny's eyes flashed green in anger. He broke away from his sister's hold and started pointing a finger at Vlad while gritting his teeth. "Best solution? I highly doubt that. I bet that it's just the quickest solution. And what do you mean by 'slight discomfort'? Last time it was unbearable and it had started because of you! You're the one who messed up by vocal cords!" Danny yelled with his thoughts, but Sam and Tucker weren't trying to connect with the younger hybrid and to Vlad, all he saw was a simmering teen.

All in all, no one really knew why Danny was so upset, except maybe Vlad, but he either didn't care or didn't notice.

Jazz put a hand on Danny's shoulder and he immediately calmed down. Still glaring at the billionaire, Danny moved forward and prepared for the worst. He pointed at his throat and mouthed 'make it quick'.

Vlad seemed to get the message and said, "Just imagine that you're outside in the snow, Little Badger."

Danny flinched at the name, but thought, "Yeah, just me... outside in the snow… it the Arctic!"

Danny moved into a position in the corner, slowing his breathing down. If he started hyperventilating, he would pass out and then Sam, Tucker and Jazz would freak. Then again, they might as well freak anyways since Danny was about to go through icy hell all over again.

"Danny? What are you-?" Jazz started, but stopped when she saw Vlad move towards her brother with a prepared glowing leaf.

Vlad placed the leaf in the palm of his right hand and then handed Danny something that looked a piece of leather. Danny looked at him with a curious gaze and Vlad explained, "Bite down on this."

Danny complied and put the material in his mouth. He was about to take a deep breath to calm himself, but Vlad grabbed his neck without a warning. The effect was immediate. Danny's eyes widened by the sudden contact with the ghostly substance and he was shocked for a moment by how cold it was. He almost forgot how bad it felt; almost.

He wanted to scream, but couldn't because of the material in his mouth and the fact that the only reason he was putting up with this was so he could fix his voice… again. He settled for biting the material and letting out a strangled whimper.

He vaguely heard his friends and sister shouting at the man to stop and trying to help Danny get away, but Vlad had apparently seen this coming and put up a shield to stop them.

Danny started crying tears of pain and closed his eyes shut. He just wanted the pain to stop. It felt like an eternity, but it probably only lasted a few minutes to complete the act. Danny didn't know how much more he could take. He needed a better outlet than biting down on this stupid piece of leather!

Suddenly, small balls of green energy started to erupt all around the teen and billionaire. Danny didn't know what was going on since he was more focused on the pain, but he heard several gasps and tiny explosions at random intervals.

"CHEESE DOODLES!" Vlad yelled, and then all hell broke loose.

*At the exact moment that Vlad placed the plant on Danny…*

Frostigi was fast asleep in Vlad's room, unaware of what was going on in the greenhouse. Well, that is until the moment when Vlad grabbed Danny's neck.

"Daaaahhhh!" Frostigi screamed as he felt an incredible cold spread throughout his entire body. He continued to thrash and scream even after he fell off the couch that he was sleeping on.

He paused for a moment when he heard several small explossions followed by a faint cry of 'cheese doodles'.

The little Familiar's eyes widened when he realised what was going on and started running through the castle towards the sounds. "CrapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrapCRAP !" Frostigi repeated over and over again.

He finally found his way to the greenhouse and burst through the doors. He looked around for any signs of someone being there and found Bennie and Jasper under one of the many tables holding Vlad's plants.

The Familiar dove towards the two ghostly gardeners and rolled under the table. The two ghosts looked at the newcomer with a curious gaze and were going to demand who he was and why he was on their employer's estate when another blast went off and they shielded themselves from the impact.

Frostigi did the same, but then asked, "Have you seen a boy that goes by the name of Danny come through here? He has raven black hair, sapphire blue eyes, likes to make witty comebacks in the faces of his enemies?"

Bennie and Jasper's eyes narrowed. They didn't know who this being was or how he knew the younger hybrid, but they weren't going to tell him anything until they were sure they could trust him. So far, Frostigi ranked pretty low on that scale.

Another blast went off and all three shielded themselves. Frostigi gritted his teeth and said, "Tell me where he is! Do you want this place to start coming down?!"

Bennie and Jasper looked to one another as if having a silent conversation. Jasper made several hand motions that said 'maybe we should tell him. I don't know what's going on back there, but if he's going to help Danny, then let him.'

Bennie sighed. He really hoped he was doing the right thing by doing this. "Danny, Master Plasmius and those other kids are in the back where the ghost plants are being kept. One moment, nothing is happening and the next, everything starts to shake and explosions can be heard from the room they're in."

Frostigi nodded and said, "Thanks! I'll hopefully get to explain everything later. Don't worry; I should be able to help Danny… if I don't get blown up first." With that, the young Familiar ran out from under the table and towards the room everyone else was in.

He pushed open the doors and several things occurred at the same time. First, he felt a sudden rush of cold. Most would think that it was because the room was actually several degrees colder than the rest of the castle, but in reality, it was because another wave of chills was felt by Danny, therefor, Frostigi felt the unpleasantness too.

Second, several balls of energy exploded right in front of Frostigi. He had no time to react and was only able to wait for the scorching boom, but it never came.

The third thing was that around the green energy appeared a pink shield. The Familiar knew immediately whose shield it was and was grateful to the older hybrid. Frostigi didn't know how the man knew where the energy had been in the first place, but he realized that every time a green explosive ball appeared, so did a solid pink shield that would capture the blast and prevent any damage to the area's surroundings.

After getting over the initial shock, Frostigi ran through the room until he found the two hybrids and three other teens. Sam, Tucker and Jazz were hiding under a table like Bennie and Jasper had before. Danny was pressed into a corner biting down on the leather and gripping Vlad's forearms like his life depended on it. Vlad, on the other hand, was trying to keep his right hand on the boy's neck while using his other hand to create the shields.

Frostigi walked over to the group and everyone turned to look at him. The three teen's stared wide eyed while Vlad raised an eyebrow before his attention was brought back to another energy ball. Frostigi moved fast and created a sword from his powers that looked like the one that Danny had used that one time he was a ninja.

The little Familiar ran forward and sliced the energy, effectively dispersing it without the explosion. Vlad wanted to ask how the young boy had done that and what he was about to do, but he was too busy preventing his greenhouse from being blown sky high.

Frostigi saw that Vlad was still holding Danny's neck and yelled over the explosions, "Vlad, you cheese head! Let go of Danny's neck!"

Vlad's eyes flashed red at the insult, but complied. He let go of the younger hybrid's neck and Danny slid down the wall until he was sitting on the floor. The energy still kept coming though. Vlad focused all his attention on his surroundings, but saw Frostigi move towards the unresponsive teen.

"What are you doing, Frostigi? Now is not the time to check on Daniel. If you haven't noticed, his powers have started acting up again!" Vlad shouted.

"I know, I know, but I think I know what to do to stop it!" Frostigi shouted back. "Danny's in immense pain and discomfort from that… what was that anyways? It was sooooo cold. Anyways, we have to calm him down somehow."

Vlad turned to the Familiar and said, "I think I might know how todo that, but I need you to get those three out of here." Vlad pointed to the other teens and Frostigi nodded.

"You can count on me," he said and then moved over to the group explaining that they needed to leave the room and that he would provide cover.

Vlad watched as they left and then made three duplicates that would deal with all the explosions. The real Vlad moved over to the fallen hybrid and shook him lightly. Danny opened his eyes, everything being blurry and had a slight tint of green. Vlad saw that the boy's eyes were their ghostly green instead of his usual sapphire blue.

Vlad sighed and said, "Daniel, listen to me. I need you to calm down and relax. Your powers are acting up because of your emotions."

Danny didn't seem to respond except for his breathing started to slow down. Vlad smiled and said, "that's it, Daniel. Nice slow even breaths."

Danny closed his eyes briefly and when they opened again, Vlad saw that the boy's eyes were flashing between green and blue. Vlad ruffled the boy's hair and then got an idea. Frostigi had said that the plant's substance was extremely cold and now that Vlad thought about it, Daniel was shivering slightly, but how Frostigi knew that in the first place, Vlad didn't know.

Vlad lit his hand with his soft blue energy and started rubbing Danny's back in slow, calming circles. Danny's body started to let go of its tense muscles and the boy slowly relaxed. Vlad watched as the boy before him relaxed more and more with every passing second.

Danny tense again when he felt a pulse surge through his body, but relaxed into it once he realized that it was probably Vlad and that it had a steady rhythm. Vlad let out a tired sigh and smiled down at the younger hybrid.

"I think you might have to stay longer, Little Badger, since not only are you not fully healed, but also need some work with controlling your newer powers," Vlad said.

Danny nodded slightly - not really thinking about what he heard - and before he knew what he was doing, he leaned on Vlad and fell asleep. Vlad was surprised to say the least. After getting over the initial shock, Vlad smiled and picked up the sleeping boy. As soon as Danny fell asleep, the energy stopped forming and everything fell silent.

Jazz, Sam, Tucker, Frostigi, Bennie and Jasper peaked into the room just as Vlad picked Danny up. Jazz and Frostigi ran into the room and Jazz whispered to Vlad, "Will Danny be alright?"

Vlad nodded and Jazz let out a sigh of relief. "Jasmine," Vlad started, getting the red-head's attention again. "Daniel may have to stay longer than I had originally anticipated because of his condition as well as his new powers. as much as I hate to allow this, you and Daniel's friend may come here to see him. However, I'm sure that you'll all be needed back home soon so…" Vlad motioned for Bennie and Jasper to enter the room and he said, "Bennie and Jasper will show you three the way back to the front of the castle."

The two gardeners nodded and lead the way for the three teens. They were almost out the door when Sam glanced back at the two hybrids and she said, "Tell Danny that he should go onto 'Doom!' as soon as he can when he wakes up, ok?" It was more of a demand by the young Goth instead of a question and before Vlad could respond, the raven haired girl left without another word.

Vlad glared at the entrance for a moment before he teleported back to Danny's room. When he got there, he found Daniel's dog, Maddie – his cat, and… Frostigi? "Didn't I leave him back at the greenhouse?" Vlad wondered.

"Frostigi, how on Earth did you get here? Weren't you just down in the greenhouse?" Vlad asked.

Frostigi was sitting on one end of the bed cross-legged with his tail swishing back and forth in anticipation. "Yes and no. You were about to leave, but then I hitched a ride and I teleported here with you," he replied cheekily.

Vlad raised an eyebrow and placed Danny on the bed. After making sure that his young rival was well and secure, Vlad turned around and faced the other boy in the room. "I really should give you more credit. You could be an accomplished thief with those talents," the billionaire stated.

Frostigi glared and said, "I am a ninja, am I not? And I don't steal!" "At least nothing simple and boring," he added mentally.

"Yes, well, that being said, are you going to stay here with Daniel or are you going to follow me around all day?" Vlad asked.

"I'll be around. I don't like being in one spot for too long," Frostigi replied.

Vlad nodded and exited the room, Frostigi right behind him.

Frostigi was walking around the castle, exploring his temporary surroundings. He had followed Vlad around for a few hours, but that quickly became boring. Vlad was usually in his study filling out papers for his companies or in his lab doing something that he forbids the young Familiar to see. Overall, Frostigi had nothing better to do.

Until Danny was better, he couldn't move forward in the plans he was told, so he had to busy himself another way. He found his way to a room that he recalled was right under Danny's; the employee lounge, or at least that's what it seemed to be part of the time.

He walked in and found nobody there until he heard voices getting closer from the other doorway. "Oh CRAP!" Frostigi thought. In his panic to find a hiding spot, he unintentionally transformed into his animal form – a Little Badger.

He became just a little smaller than Vlad's cat and had short black and white fur. He was white from head to tail. His tail was very bushy just like in his humanoid form. His paws and ears were skin tone with no fur on them. His nose was pink and he had a patch of black fur from his nose to the top of his head – broken in the middle by some white fur, creating two patches of black instead of the one. Finally, he had a stipe of black fur running down his back with a thin sliver of white in the middle of that. His eyes were still green though.

Frostigi looked at his new form and said, "Well, I wasn't expecting that."

Just then, Vlad's ghost staff walked… floated into the room. Martha and Patricia were fighting as usual, while everyone else just watched and sometimes added their own input.

"I think he made Walker mad again. That's how he became so hurt," Martha said.

"No, no, no, no, no. Danny obviously was hunted by Skulker and Master Plasmius obviously helped the boy," said Patricia.

Carl nudged Derek and said, "Watch this." he turned back to the two arguing sisters and said, "But wasn't it Skulker who told Master Plasmius about Danny being in trouble in the first place?"

Derek leaned over to the ghost chauffer and said, "You are so mischievous sometimes." Carl only chuckled and nodded his head.

"Ha, so you are wrong!" Martha smiled.

"What?! No! I merely forgot, that's all. Maybe Danny was caught in an explosion of some sort. You saw how his clothing was burned," Patrcia countered.

"Then how do you explain all the deep cuts?" Martha spat.

It continued like this for a few more minutes before Bennie said, "Not to ruin anyone's fun in trying to solve this mystery, but did anyone else see those kids that just left?" Jasper nodded in agreement.

Derek was the first to speak up. "That red-headed girl, I heard her on the phone several days ago before Master Plasmius took it from me. She was older than all the other kids. Didn't Danny mention him having a sister?"

"Oh, yeah," George added. "Now that you mention it, he did say something about her. They sort of look alike, don't you think?" He turned to Niane who just nodded knowing that George had solved some of this on his own.

"Then who were those other two kids with her if she was the sister?" Carl asked.

"I believe those were Danny friends," Derek supplied. "I remember those three coming here before they were chased away the last time Danny was here."

Everyone nodded, but then Jasper did some hand signs to Bennie, who said, "I don't know Jasper. They seemed nice, especially that raven haired girl who looked really excited when she entered the greenhouse, but I think that they're also kind of dangerous." Jasper frowned, but nodded.

"They just better not make a mess of this house," Martha said.

"Yeah, I don't want them ruining my work," Patricia agreed.

Niane giggled while the boys chuckled. None of them where going to say it, but the two fighting sisters just agreed on something. That hadn't happened in a long time.

Just then, Frostigi sneezed, causing everyone to jump a little and Frostigi cursed under his breath.

"What was that?" Carl asked.

Everyone started searching for the source of the noise. Frostigi saw a shoe come near the table he was hiding under and he started to back up. Unfortunately, that resulted in his tail coming out the opposite side, which Derek stepped on.

Frostigi let out the loudest badger squeak he ever made and tried to get away from the offending foot. Derek jumped at the sudden sound and saw a white blur run out from under the table. Everyone saw Frostigi and almost instantly both Martha and Patricia screamed jumping and floating into the air.

"What is that?!" they both asked, refusing to land on the floor again.

They circled around the badger leaving no space to run away. George knelt down and said, "It's a… badger, and a pretty young one too. What's it doing here?"

"Badger?" Niane thought. "why on earth would there be… a… badger… Oh, Frostigi!" she exasperated. Now she needed to try and find a way to get the little trouble maker out of this.

Just then, Frostigi started mumbling, "I'm not here, I'm not here. Maybe they haven't notice me yet. Maybe I can still make a run for it." Frostigi uncovered his eye and nearly fainted right there. He then squeaked and mumbled, "No, no, no, no, no, bad idea, bad, bad, BAD idea." And then he turned invisible.

"Correction; It's a ghost badger," George said.

Frostigi became so panicked that he accidentally turned back into his humanoid form with a puff of green smoke. Everyone gasped, including Niane, but she was faking it. She knew that Frostigi could do that.

Finally after what felt like an eternity, Bennie said, "Hey, you're that boy from the greenhouse that helped Danny and Master Plasmius."

Frostigi blushed and asked hopefully, "Any chance of you all forgetting what you just saw?" When everyone answered 'no', Frostigi pouted and said, "Didn't think so."

Niane mentally shook her head. She had a lot of work to do and would definitely need to talk to the little Familiar later – that is, if there a later.

Phantom: Well that's the end of this chapter. I also wanted to say to all of you guys Happy Holidays! I know I'm still hyped up on Chanukah, but Marry Christmas and any other holiday!

Trainer: whew. That was a long chapter. I'm tired already.

Phantom: what are you talking about? I'm the one doing all the work!

Trainer: whatever. It looks like Frostigi has gotten himself into quite the predicament, hasn't he?

Phantom: yep. And then there's also the fact about Koŝmaro. Dude's in trouble too, from the looks of it. Will Koŝmaro get the books? How will Danny react to having to stay longer than planned with Vlad? What is going to happen to Frostigi? Well find out in the next few chapters.

Trainer: what are you? The end of a corny TV show?!

Phantom: NO! Anyways, look forward to the next couple of chapters.

Trainer: and don't forget to write us a review! Oh, and I… am Asparagus.

Phantom: pff… hahahahahahahahahahahaahahah a! I… I thi-ink y-y-you mean Sp-sp-sparta-hahahaha… Spartacus!

Trainer: that gag always gets her. See you guys next time!

Phantom: See ya!