We are nearing the end of this story, in case you haven't guessed. There are only a few more chapters left. Hopefully you'll like what I have in mind as I start to wind things up.
Unfortunately, a ghost holding onto the Gem of Osiris and trying to contain all that power is bound to cause some damage. That is simply an inescapable fact. And even though he's the Ghost With The Most, he's not getting through all of this completely unscathed.
Most deceased will only remain within their haunting boundaries for the length of their assigned time frame. Any point after that, they are allowed to apply to move on from their status as a ghost. The paperwork is available from their caseworker.
There is no obligation to move on by a specific point and the deceased are welcome to remain within their haunting boundaries for as long afterward as they prefer. Most, however, choose to move on shortly after they are offered the option. This is due to the fact that sufficient time will have passed that most of the living they once knew would have already died and being forced to observe from a limited location for an excessive amount of time often discourages the deceased from wishing to remain trapped longer. Thus, the loss of familiarity combined with a desire to move beyond the haunting boundaries encourages the deceased to move on when provided the opportunity.
Poltergeists, not being limited to a single location, are more likely to remain past their required time frame. The higher geographical freedom and opportunities to observe the changes among the living help poltergeists from feeling trapped or limited. But even poltergeists eventually begin to feel out of place as the living continue to change and evolve with each passing year.
The majority of the deceased, with slight variations depending on the length of their haunting time frame, move on within one or two centuries of their demise. Very few remain past three centuries.
-Excerpt from "The Living and the Dead"
"Adding yet more bruises to my collection," Sam muttered under her breath as she moved towards her friends. "Should we do something about them?"
His voice equally soft, Danny said, "Lydia barely stopped him. I really don't want to accidentally set him off again."
"How did she do it anyway?" asked Tucker quietly, eyeing the girl and poltergeist uneasily. "That's some mystical, freaky, mind-warping mumbo-jumbo. And all she did was get in front of him and tell him to stop."
Shrugging, Danny said, "Sam broke through to me a little when Freakshow used his scepter on me. We know it is at least possible."
"So we're just supposed to stand around quietly and wait?" Sam asked.
"Unless something else happens, that looks like the safest option," he said. "Because if he lashes out again, Lydia won't be able to get away from him in time. We can't distract them and risk it."
The grass outside looked weird and the walls of the RV were warping slightly, buckling and wobbling. The Ghost Shield was barely holding back any of the chaos now. Jack stared out at it all, wishing there was something he could do.
Then he noticed that effects were slowing down. And then reversing. He could see the vehicle smoothing back out and the grass started to look more like plants again. The man found himself smiling at how the world was clearly returning to normal.
"Looks like they're making progress," he said. "Never doubted you for a second, Danny."
"Apparently Lydia's doing something," reported Jazz. "Danny says Beej is listening to her. Barely."
The old woman ghost nodded firmly and said, "As soon as the park is back to normal, drop your shield. I need to go deal with the fallout of this mess."
"Just a little longer. You're almost done. I know you can finish this," Lydia said, wishing she didn't have to make him keep going.
The effects on the surroundings were clear. The world was returning to normal, concrete reforming and buildings rising from the ground. She could even tell that they were in front of the high school, standing where the front lawn should be. Reality was being restored to how it was meant to be.
The effect it was having on Betelgeuse was even clearer and far less pleasant. The cracks were worsening faster, widening and spreading. They covered his face, creeping under his hairline and down his neck until they vanished under his clothes. She spotted a few lines even on his hands, suggesting his whole body was breaking under the strain. The light glowing through the cracks and his eyes was so intense and bright that the green shade looked almost white. And she could feel the unnatural heat rolling off him in waves. The gem was destroying him.
But she needed to keep him going until the damage was repaired. And she hated herself for making him suffer further. It wasn't fair. And the longer she made him hold onto the gem and the more power he was forced to contain, the more damage he experienced and the greater the chance he would finally burn out completely. Which would happen first? Would he change everything back in time or would he be destroyed? Regardless of what happened, it would be her fault.
Lydia saw the grass that was supposed to be in front of the school growing back, the plants sprouting under her feet as she watched. The sky was filled with stars, the chaos and even the storm that Sanduleak summoned nothing more than a memory. She didn't see or hear a lot of traffic on the nearby road, but that didn't change the fact it almost looked like the world was back to normal. He was either finished or almost finished.
Whether because of bruises from her aunt's murder attempt or her emotions, Lydia's voice sounded a little rough and raw. But she managed to keep it calm and she avoided tears.
"All right, Beej. It looks like you fixed things. I know you're doing the best you can to handle this, but now you need to let go. You need to let go of the necklace."
Anger flared back up at the suggestion, his expression twisting into a snarl even as it cracked his face further. His grip tightened on the gem while his other hand grabbed her poncho. Lydia did her best not to flinch as he managed to lift her off the ground and brought her to face level. Behind her, the other teenagers scrambled into action. They were ready to attack if necessary to rescue her. But they weren't striking yet; they were holding off until they had no choice.
"Beej, calm down," she coaxed. "You need to put me and the necklace down. You have to do it. The necklace is hurting you. It'll destroy you. Just listen and do what I say. It'll be all right. Trust me, Beej."
Her calm and firm voice seemed to strengthen the fragile thread of sanity back, letting the fury fade away. Lydia smiled in relief as he set her back on her feet. But he didn't loosen his grip on her poncho or on the necklace.
"Let it go. Let the necklace go," Lydia said, feeling a little desperate because the cracks were spreading faster and she wasn't sure how much time they had left. "We can't take it from you. I know you won't let us try. You'll have to do it. Just let go of the necklace. It is very easy, Beej. Just open your hand and drop it."
He shuddered briefly, some of his confusion replaced by a spark of understanding and faint worry. Betelgeuse turned his eyes towards his clenched fist. But he didn't release his grip. Not yet.
"Please, Betelgeuse," she said quietly. "Don't do this to me. You need to let the necklace go. Please? Can you do this one thing for me? Open your hand and let the necklace go."
Because she was watching closely, Lydia spotted it. His fingers twitched. Slowly, gradually, and reluctantly, his grip loosened. More cracks spread along his hands like glowing spider webs, but he was doing it. Lydia held her breath in anticipation. It was working.
The Gem of Osiris finally slipped through his fingers and it was like someone cut the strings of a marionette. Lydia abruptly found herself catching the limp poltergeist as he collapsed, all his excess power gone. The teenage girl struggled to support the tall and heavy figure she suddenly had in her arms. She still managed to kick the necklace away though.
Danny almost instantly appeared at her side and helped her bear the weight long enough to lower Betelgeuse to the ground. He ended up sprawled limply on the grass, but they managed to lean his head against her as Lydia kneeled protectively next to her best friend.
"That was both scary and awesome," said Tucker as the others carefully drew closer. "But it worked."
Pulling back out her roll of duct tape, Sam said, "And let's make sure no one else messes with the gem and starts up another round."
As Sam started to cocoon the necklace in layers of duct tape, Lydia took a closer at Betelgeuse now that he was lying limply on the ground with his eyes shut. The cracks and the green glow were gone. And the unnatural heat had cooled.
Actually, he'd gone beyond his normal coolness into something that felt flat-out cold. And while he usually seemed rather solid for a ghost, he now seemed even less substantial than the Maitlands. Lydia actually had to focus to hold onto him. He usually looked like a corpse that dug itself out of the ground, but he somehow managed to appear paler and grayer than normal. He looked worn and washed out. Faded. In some ways, he appeared worse than when he was crazy enough to go through the Ghost Portal without being summoned.
There was unfortunately very little she could do to see how much damage he'd experienced. She couldn't check the pulse of a dead guy and he didn't need to breathe. But he wasn't cracking apart, crumbling to dust, or glowing a sickly green. That was the best she could use as a yardstick for his health.
Tiredly, Betelgeuse opened his eyes. While a little duller than normal for the animated and energetic poltergeist she knew, his eyes were no longer solid green glowing shapes with no hint of his true self. He met her gaze firmly and even managed a weak smile.
"I… need a… vacation," he mumbled.
"You've earned one, Beej," said Lydia, smiling in relief. "Nice to have you back."
"Stupid… necklace…"
Sam said, "Don't worry. I put enough duct tape on the piece of junk that it'll never see the light of day again."
"Danny? Guys? Talk to me," Jazz's voice called over the Fenton Phones.
"We're fine," reassured Danny. "We're all fine. And the world is back to normal. We stopped the chaos and saved Earth. Tell Mom and Dad to stop worrying."
"I doubt they'll relax until they actually see you, but I'll tell them." Jazz paused briefly before adding in a confused voice, "And Juno just vanished."
Tracking them down once the Fentons deactivated their Ghost Shield was simple. All Juno needed to do was trace the various chaotic alterations and restorations to the environment. Also, the ectoplasm-based half-ghost shone like a beacon that any half-decent specter could track. Juno barely even had to try.
She found the group of teenagers huddled around the front yard of the local high school. The Fenton boy was still in his ghost form, but she barely spared any attention to him. Other than a brief moment to note the location of the Gem of Osiris, her focus was on her former assistant who was currently sprawled on the grass, his head resting against Lydia Deetz.
She couldn't see much from across the street. But she could sense plenty. She could detect the bright beacon from Danny and the duller auras of the humans. She could sense the unnerving and alluring power of the necklace. And she could sense that there was something seriously wrong with the Ghost With The Most.
After knowing and working alongside him for decades, Juno knew what his power and aura should feel like. Normally it was solid, bright, and intense, serving as a clear reflection of his strength as a powerful poltergeist. The last couple of encounters were different. After his insane attempt to use the Ghost Portal, she didn't even have to try very hard to realize that his casual demeanor was an act. His aura was shredded by his actions and barely stitched back together by power and stubbornness. The expended power would recover faster than his aura. That sort of damage took time repair, even for the strongest ghosts. So she expected to still sense the recovering tears in his aura since it was only a day later. What really concerned her was the new damage from Betelgeuse coming in contact with the Gem of Osiris.
She actually needed to focus quite closely to even sense his aura, which was beyond worrying. He felt dimmer than the living, severely scorched away and almost completely absent. It reminded her, if she wanted to use a metaphor, of a huge bonfire that eventually ran out of fuel and died down to a few fading embers among the ash. There was clearly a reason why there were no real records of ghosts surviving possession of the Gem of Osiris.
Juno cursed quietly. Idiotic, crazy poltergeist. He should never have touched that thing, even inadvertently. Frustration and anger with his actions, however pointless, was better than pity and regret about what happened to him. He'd finally got into trouble that neither of them could get him out of.
But she'd done her assigned tasks. She provided information to help navigate through the disaster. Reality was saved. And she'd located the necklace itself. Now she had one final instruction.
She called in upper management.
Betelgeuse could think again, the insane and blinding amount of power gone. He knew who he was and could remember what was happening. He would have expected to feel very relieved or at least sore after all the previous pain that wracked his body. But other than a little relief that Lydia seemed to be all right, he mostly felt numb. Physically and emotionally, he felt numb. Moving didn't seem like a good idea and he just couldn't motivate himself to do anything. He was just numb and tired. Not the inescapable and overwhelming exhaustion from the night before that forcibly pulled him under; just a desire to simply fall fast asleep and get some rest. So other than a few words to reassure Lydia that he was himself again, he was content to remain quiet and still. He vaguely listened to their voices talk around him, but nothing more.
He almost gently dozed off, embracing the numbness and tiredness he felt like he'd been wrapped in. It would be easy. But then several presences appeared out of nowhere and panic sparked through the numbness. Betelgeuse managed to push himself up a few inches in response to the arrivals, but that was all he could do.
There were three of them, figures so bright they looked like pure light and impossible to stare at directly for long. He doubted the teenagers could make out anything except the light and even he could only make out the vaguest of shapes in the center. Not that what he caught glimpses of made sense or were even accurate: wings, a humanoid body, multiple heads and faces, pieces of animals, a wheel of fire covered in eyes. Yeah, his eyes simply couldn't agree of what was hidden beneath the blinding figures wrapped in light. It really wasn't worth the effort to try peering through the glow.
But he could feel them. And they were powerful and ancient. More powerful than anything he'd ever encountered. Stronger than him on his best day. Betelgeuse couldn't even remember the last time he'd encountered someone more powerful than him. The trio of lights could easily destroy all of them and he didn't have anywhere close to enough energy to do a thing about it.
"Gah, very bright," yelped Tucker.
Leaning protectively over the poltergeist, Lydia glared at the trio of bright shapes and asked sharply, "Who are you? What do you want?"
"We have come to collect items no longer needed in the hands of man," said the one in the center.
The voice sounded strange. It was impossible to judge the gender and there was a musical quality to it. And there was some kind of echoing wave to the sound.
The center figure of light continued, "It has long since served its purpose in the world and has caused undesired harm in the time since."
"If you mean the necklace, then 'undesired harm' is a bit of an understatement," Danny said, moving between the two groups defensively. "And you still haven't said who you are."
"Who we are is a complicated matter. The most relevant at the moment and simplest to understand description is that we are part of the afterlife bureaucracy," said the bright figure on the right, the voice nearly identical to the first. "We are part of the upper management, though we are not in charge overall."
"So you're Juno's bosses?" said Lydia.
"She rarely answers to us directly, but that is essentially correct," the one on the left replied, moving a little closer to them.
Part of Betelgeuse wondered if he should be worried about why they were there since no one ever saw the higher members of the bureaucracy. It just didn't happen. But the numbness had returned to the forefront and the desire for sleep left him unable to get worked up about the situation. He could barely keep awake and focused on the situation.
"So after we did all the work at get the necklace away from the crazy woman, Sanduleak, and Beej, you just waltz in and grab the thing? That's not fair," complained Tucker.
"We could not retrieve these objects until they were in the possession of someone who would surrender the objects willingly," the center figure explained solemnly. "Free will is important and something we cannot infringe upon."
"Wait, objects?" asked Sam suspiciously, glancing briefly at the wad of duct tape the size of an apple. "You mean more than just this?"
"We also intend to collect the blade warped until it only fulfills half its original purpose," the one on the right said. "It would be safer stored away and unable to harm innocent souls further."
Betelgeuse started to nod in agreement to the idea of locking away the evil necklace and creepy knife. But he only made it halfway through the gesture before his body gave up. His head slipped back down tiredly and his eyes began to slide closed. He caught a glimpse of a bright shape drawing even closer, but then his eyes were shut completely.
Peace and calmness settled on him like a blanket. Then, after a moment of nothing beyond his own thoughts, he saw something. Betelgeuse knew it was only in his head and he was still lying on the grass with his head propped against Lydia, but it looked like he was standing in an empty white room with one of the bright figures for company. But just because it was mental didn't mean it wasn't real. He was experienced enough to recognize that somehow the figure of light actually followed him into his mind and knew better than to waste time wondering how. He just accepted it as a fact and moved on. And because it was all in his head, finding the energy to talk and move was far easier.
"Why are you in my head?" asked Betelgeuse.
The figure of light came closer and somehow gave the impression of giving Betelgeuse a sympathetic look without having a visible head, let alone a face. And somehow it didn't bother him.
"Poor child," said the bright shape. "You have suffered so much for so long. Both in life and death, you have suffered more than you deserved."
It had been a long time since someone called him a child, at least not as an insult or a comment on this general maturity. The stranger actually viewed the poltergeist as a child even when he was over six hundred years old. Betelgeuse could feel the age on the figure of light, thousands of years hidden behind the glow. With the age and power of the bright stranger, he would not argue with the ancient being calling him a child. By their standards, he was. Besides, it sounded nice. There was kindness in the words that felt comforting to the tired poltergeist.
"We used you, poor child. Though every choice you've made has been your own and you could have strayed from our plan whenever you desired, your entire existence has been closely observed in the hope you would serve our purpose. We knew the Gem of Osiris needed to leave the hands of mortals long ago, so we searched for the perfect set of circumstances. The perfect series of coincidences. A strong-willed soul with unwavering loyalty to a select few that would cause disruption and yet still held personal morals, someone who did not back down even when faced with unimaginable challenges and limitations. A family tangled in the supernatural through the generations, seeking out objects of power and potential danger so that they might hoard and use them however they wished. A child full of forgiveness, patience, and compassion for those living and dead who could see the good in those who inspired fear and hatred and who truly believes in second chances. All of them tied together across time and space, weaving in and out of each others' existences until everything lined up perfectly. The living and the dead made all of their choices freely. All we did was predict what paths would be chosen by those involved and ensured your return as a poltergeist included the power you needed to succeed."
He should have been angry. He should have been mad about someone using him as a tool for their plan, that his life and death were all part of a very long gambit to get the necklace. He should have been frustrated and furious that his entire existence apparently only had one purpose: to eventually grab the evil jewelry by accident.
But he wasn't. He just felt numb, tired, and empty. He felt washed out and faded. He felt the weight of every single day of his centuries of roaming the Earth draggin him down and just wanted to rest in peace. Getting worked up about the situation just wasn't worth the effort.
"You always had a choice, child. Never forget that. You could have rejected Galeren's offer of friendship. You could have cast his children out of your home, leaving Katelin and Henry to survive or die on their own. You could have let Sanduleak harm those women and roam free. You could have chosen different ghosts than Adam and Barbara Maitland to tempt into a releasing you to haunt their house. You could have ignored Lydia Deetz, descendant of Galeren, Derrick, Katelin, Nicholas, and countless others."
Katelin. Something in Betelgeuse's mind finally snapped into place and a lot of subconscious decisions abruptly made sense. But the glowing figure continued speaking without hesitation, so he couldn't dwell on it.
"You could have chosen not to strike a deal to save Adam and Barbara Maitland from the effects of an exorcism. You could have rejected Lydia Deetz's offers of forgiveness and friendship. You could have given up when Melinda Livingston banished you away. You could have decided never to risk the dangers of the Ghost Portal. You could have ignored the words of Lydia Deetz when she called to you through chaos, power, and madness and begged you to fix what changes you had wrought. There were thousands of choices you could have made that would have led you down a different path, just as everyone else could have chosen differently. We simply saw the most likely end result."
The bright light extended slightly towards him, like the figure was reaching out a hand, paw, tentacle, or some kind of limb. It brushed against his head gently, reminding him of how his mother performed the same gesture when he was small as she set him off to sleep. And Betelgeuse felt very tired.
"You have done what we hoped you would, but this path has led you to suffer and wander alone for far longer than any poor soul should need to. And now you have destroyed more than your power can heal. For that pain and damage that you have experienced in order to achieve our plan, we are sorry. But we no longer need your presence to achieve our goals and you deserve better. We no longer need your stubborn refusal to leave, which kept you here longer than most and long enough to serve our plan. Instead, we wish to reward you for what you have done and ensure you need not suffer oblivion for your actions." The bright figure said with an even kinder and gentler tone than before, "It is time to do what you were free to choose centuries ago. You have been lost, adrift, and alone long enough, poor child. You must be weary. Come home, Betelgeuse. You may have performed actions kind and cruel during both your life and afterlife, but what awaits you is nothing unpleasant. It is a far better fate than your final destruction or eternal suffering. Come home and end your wanderings, child. Come home and finally rest."
He knew what he was being offered, more or less. The figure of light wanted him to move on, just like everyone eventually did. Betelgeuse never really considered it, perfectly content to keep haunting the world, enjoying himself, and doing whatever he wanted. Leaving just never appealed to him.
But now, feeling numb, empty, and tired… The idea of rest sounded so nice. He was just so tired and couldn't ignore the offer. The centuries weighed heavily on him. In the face of oblivion, which was what he'd apparently suffer soon otherwise, it would be best to accept the proposal for something better.
For the first time he could properly remember, Betelgeuse could actually consider the idea of finally moving on. Perhaps it was past time to accept the inevitable. The idea simply felt right. It was time to stop.
The bright figure brushed back his hair gently again, like a parent settling their child into bed for the night. It seemed so peaceful. Comforting. True rest would be nice. He was just so tired. So very, very tired...
But as he succumbed to his weariness and started to embrace the idea of moving on, a single thought drifted through his numb mind. And he realized he couldn't give up. He couldn't take the easy way. The figures of light may no longer need him, but a person far more important did.
"Thanks for the offer, but I'll pass," he said. "Someone needs me to stick around a little longer."
"You will not survive how you are now, child. The damage is too great. You are fading even now."
He certainly felt like he was fading away, just slipping deeper into numbness, tiredness, and emptiness. But he'd always been good at bluffing. He could even trick himself a little. He couldn't give up now. He needed to resist it at least a little. Otherwise there would soon be nothing left.
"I could still manage somehow. I have to at least try. I have to try for Lyds. Leaving her like this? After what happened with her folks? I can't do that to the kid." He smiled wryly and added, "Besides, I promised to take care of Galeren's children. And I don't plan to break my word now."
He still couldn't make out anything resembling a proper face through the intense glow, but Betelgeuse almost felt like he received a look of approval from the figure of light. He was honestly too tired and numb to consider why that might be. Most people were more upset when their generous offer was soundly rejected. But Betelgeuse couldn't really bring himself to care about the ancient stranger's odd reactions. He just wanted to get some rest.
"We cannot force you to move on. We cannot infringe on anyone's free will, even a poor soul who barely exists anymore. You always had the power to choose who you are and what you wish to do with the time have in existence. And you have chosen destruction and oblivion over a more peaceful and pleasant fate, one in which you would never suffer or want for anything ever again. But your decision is based on taking care of another. Even if you could only remain with Lydia Deetz a few extra seconds with this choice, you refuse to leave her. Generosity, loyalty, compassion, sacrifice for others. For all your vices, you also possess several virtues."
The figure of light moved the contact from Betelgeuse's head down to his chest. He honestly didn't have a clue what was happening anymore. It probably didn't matter much anyway. Only a few extra seconds to exist and all that...
Sorry, Lyds. Didn't want to leave you... Tried to stay...
"You do not consider our offer a reward because you feel it would cause harm to one you care about. We knew it was a possibility. We have observed you for far too long for your decision to be a complete surprise. You will come home one day. All souls seek to move on eventually. But for now, we will apologize for using you and reward your actions in a different manner."
Some of numbness was gently brushed away by a sensation of warmth, comfort, and light. The feeling spread from his chest where the bright figure touched. The sensation filled his body, soft and gradual. Betelgeuse didn't know what the ancient stranger was exactly doing, but it felt nice. Whatever it was, he craved the way the bright and soothing feeling pushed back the empty numbness. He hadn't truly realized how badly it was affecting him.
"Betelgeuse, son of Remfrey and Elinor," said the figure of light calmly. "Heal. This is your reward. Remain with the child you wish to watch over, who claimed you in friendship when so few would. Your strength will return in time, but let the damage that would destroy you be repaired. This is our gift to you for all that you have done and all you have suffered."
The emptiness and numbness completely left him. But as the bright figure pulled away, the tiredness hit at full force. He needed rest, but not the same sort of rest as before. There was no denying it by this point. Sleep was definitely not optional.
"Rest now, child. All danger has passed. Rest and recover from the challenges you have faced. You have done well."
He couldn't have disobeyed the order if he wanted. So Betelgeuse didn't even try.
In regards towards the bright figures that no one can really see clearly, those are totally open to interpretation of who/what they are. They are part of the highest levels of upper management in the afterlife bureaucracy. They aren't the ultimate boss, but they're close. They're really old and really, really powerful. And they tend to take the long view of time in a manner that Clockwork would probably share, full of twists and turns of various possibilities.
Beyond that, no one really knows. And that includes me. So if you ask me who/what they are, I don't have an answer for you. They could be angels, ancient ghosts, aliens from other dimensions or planets, or whatever. But their ultimate identities will not be revealed. Because there are still some things that people (living or dead) just don't know for certain. You can make your theories and stage whatever theological debates you want. Just understand you'll never get the ultimate answer to that question.
There are two chapters left to this story. It has been a very interesting experience writing my first crossover story. But all good things must come to an end. Time to start tying up loose ends and wrapping things up.
Remember, reviews are nice and I always appreciate them. I love hearing feedback on this and all stories I write. Thanks.