It was dark.
"Buh-lowfish." Ferb said loudly.
"Shh!" Phineas whispered.
Even though there were faint lights along the walls, Phineas still felt extremely nervous. He didn't like the feeling this place gave off.
Ferb jumped suddenly. "Did you hear that?"
"Stop it." Phineas said, his voice shaking.
"No, really."
Phineas listened. He could hear very faint whispers.
Grabbed me by the arms…
People coming…
Hear something…
Where? Where are they…
I like sandwiches…
"F…Ferb…" Phineas clutched Ferb's arm.
"Perry?" Ferb called.
He walked over to a door near the stairwell and opened it. His face paled.
"What?" Phineas asked. "What?"
A chalk-white, transparent man was standing in the room. It appeared to be the kitchen.
He vanished almost instantly.
Phineas felt something cold brush against his back.
"Leave." A voice whispered, directly in his ear. "You are not wanted here. Leeavvee."
"Look." Ferb said.
He pointed. On the table sat an adorable baby platypus, giving off a faint pink glow.
"Sneakers?" Phineas asked.
Sneakers drooled bubbles and blinked her huge eyes.
"What is she doing here?" Phineas asked. "We gotta get her out of here."
Ferb picked Sneakers up. "Which way did we come in?"
Phineas turned, expecting to see the door they had entered from. Instead there was just a wall.
"…There… I think?"
"There's another door there." Ferb said.
"LEEEAVVVEEE!" Screeched a voice. "LEEAVVEE NOWWW!"
Sneakers opened her mouth, emitting a small noise.
The voice quieted.
Sneakers made another noise in a different tone.
Phineas felt warmer. The cold air seemed to be drawing away from Sneakers.
Ferb looked down at her. "She appears to be… singing."
Sneakers was, in a series of ominous sounds that did not sound like any noise a platypus could create.
"Well… i…it seems to be keeping the ghosts away." Phineas said.
"Sing it, Sneakers." Ferb said jauntily.
They headed through the new door.
...
Perry knocked on Willow's wall.
"Can't you see I'm busy?" Willow was sitting on the floor with her back to him, gluing a red stone to the front of a flowerpot.
"I'm going." Perry said.
"Good. Come back later. Unless it wasn't anything important."
"No, Willow. I'm going. I'm leaving Gluum. I'm going back to the living world."
Willow paused for a moment. Then she returned to her gluing.
"I… I'm pretty sure I could take you back with me, if you wanted."
"What's for me up there?" Willow asked.
"Is that a no?"
"It's a no." Willow stood up and placed the decorated flowerpot on a stool.
"Well… so long as you're staying down here, I guess you can have my house if you want. It'll be a lot more room for your flowers. They can be on shelves instead of on footstools and chairs."
"Fine." Willow said.
"And if you ever need anyone to talk to… I already told Terrence to look out for you. You remember Terrence, right?"
"Feathers. Yes."
"He's a lot like me, except more friendly."
"I don't get why you like being around me." Willow said suddenly.
"…What?" Perry asked.
"Most people don't. Just saying."
"Most people didn't take the time to know you." Perry said. "You're a good person, Willow. Really. And I know your flowers appreciate you."
For the first time since he had met her, something almost resembling a smile crossed Willow's face. "Maybe. Thanks… for everything. If you come back, let me know."
"Sure." Perry said.
He turned to leave, and noticed something on the door.
"…Is that your name on that sign on the door?" Perry asked.
Willow shrugged. She ran her hand on the Braille on the bottom of the sign. "Yes. Willow Duchess Curran."
"…Your last name is Curran?"
"Yes."
Perry frowned. "You… by any chance… don't know a Prince Curran, do you?"
Willow shook her head. "No."
"Didn't think so." Perry said. "Sorry. It's just someone I know. We'll meet again." He reached for the door.
"I know a Princess Curran." Willow said. "My sister."
Perry's heart stopped. "Couldn't be. Prince is an only child."
Willow shrugged. "She probably didn't take my death lightly. I was the only member of our family she liked besides our uncle. You know her, you said?"
"Yeah."
"How is she?"
"Great… doing great."
"Good. Say hello to her for me."
"I will." Perry said, still a little shocked at having just found his long-gone sister-in-law. "…I'm sure she'll be glad to hear I saw you."
...
Perry sized up the large mountain, sitting innocently in his path. It was large and dark. A swirling mess of colors spun in the sky above it.
He barely heard the ghosts behind him saying their goodbyes.
"Per?"
Perry turned. Terrence put his arm around him.
"Safe journey back, okay?"
"Thanks."
Perry gave him a hug. Terrence's spirit still smelled just like Terrence used to, the scent of hay and fresh grass.
It comforted Perry.
"What's with the skies?" A pig ghost asked.
"Spring Storms." Daly muttered. His eyes glowed slightly, and he stepped forward.
Mr. Brownie put a hand on Daly's back.
"You know what will happen, Daly." Teresa warned. "Last time you climbed up there…"
"I'm guiding you." Daly said.
Perry looked at him. "Huh?"
"I'll take you up the mountain." Daly said. "Could be dangerous. Spring Storms are brewing."
"Daly, no!" Teresa said.
"I wouldn't…" Mr. Brownie began.
"Shut it." Daly snapped. "You guys stay down here. I'm in charge, and I'm guiding this spirit up this mountain. You got that?"
Mr. Brownie and Kevinly Drake exchanged nervous glances.
"Come." Daly said. He began to claw his way up the mountain.
After a slight hesitation, Perry gave Terrence one last squeeze and followed.
"Goodbye!" Mr. Brownie said.
"Come back soon!" Arthur said. "And don't take that offensively!"
"Watch out for-" Sir Knightenhorse began, before Shy ran off with his arm again.
After climbing a few feet, Perry looked down one last time.
Arthur, Teresa and Mr. Brownie smiled encouragingly at him. Terrence was gazing at him fondly with tears in his eyes, keeping a firm grip on Willow's hand.
Willow glanced upward, and for a second, their eyes met. Perry knew she couldn't see him. But it felt like a goodbye all the same.
"I'm not stopping, so you'd better keep up." Daly said.
Perry took a deep breath and turned away, focusing back on the dark swirls in the sky.
...
"This looks like a hallway of some sort." Ferb said.
Sneakers continued to sing her little song. Phineas wished she had picked a more cheerful tune. The ominous little sounds added to the already spooky mood.
"Ah- look down there for a minute, brother." Ferb said, pointing behind him. But Phineas had already seen what was directly in front of them.
A skeleton, lying facedown on the ground.
...
The higher they climbed, the more alive Perry felt. He was aware of air entering and leaving his lungs. He could feel the cool cloth of sheets against him. He was in a dream that he couldn't wake up from, but once he got to the top, he knew he'd be able to open his eyes and find himself back in his own body.
It was a strange sensation, a kind of weakening strength.
He noticed a change in Daly, too. Daly seemed to be getting angrier the higher they got, and he was turning a strange color of transparent blue. He snapped at Perry any time he got too close or too far behind.
"Not far now." Daly said irritably. "Why didn't I build this stupid town closer to the surface? Then I could have just made Gluum Hill instead of Gluum Mountain."
He stopped suddenly, seconds away from the peak. Perry nearly bumped into him.
Daly turned to look up at the sky, his eyes flaming with rage.
Deep laughter sounded in the distance.
"All right, I'm here." Daly snarled. "You can come out now."
The clouds swirled into the shape of another dog, in chains and wearing a tattered coat.
"It's been a long time since you've come up, Dalrond." The dog said.
"I will not free you, Malete!" Daly shouted. "You will be forced to roam aimlessly forever!"
"Although I am chained physically, you are not free either." Malete said. "You have invisible chains of rage, envy and revenge holding you back. It is as it has been. I win, you set me free. You win, I set you free. We both lose, everything remains until the next time we meet."
Daly leapt into the air. The two dogs collided, growling and snapping at each other, all while floating magically in midair.
Perry felt like all they needed was a dramatic soundtrack.
"Uh… if you don't mind, Daly, I'm just gonna head up to the top." Perry said.
Daly made no objection whatsoever.
Perry placed his hand on the next niche and hoisted himself up. He was almost to the top of the mountain. He could feel himself waking. He was physically pulling himself into consciousness. He was…
In the middle of some random person's hallway. A young woman wearing an apron was staring at him.
"Great, there is another person in this house." She mumbled in a strange accent. "I have to fix the locks."
"Um… I was kind of… am I…?"
"Climbing the mountain, yes. I'll move the house in a moment, and then you will be on your way." The girl said. "My name is Leanna."
"Figures." Perry muttered. "Right when I'm finally about to get home, I wind up in some random mansion of a girl with a funny accent."
"Excuse... me? Did you say something?" Leanna asked.
"Nothing." Perry said.