After lunch, Danny went back to his room. He did in fact nap for a short while, the moments of sleep invigorating for his sore muscles and tired mind.

The boy sat up in bed, a spark of excitement flickering in his core. The gardens… the image of the ice phoenix rose in his mind. The towering crystal apple trees, the rows of plants and mushrooms. The buzzing may-insects, an unknown fuzzy creature skittering by. And he had the entire afternoon to explore!

His eyes flickered to his desk, to the notebook and pencils sitting atop it…. Danny bit his lip, contemplating. He'd had a notebook at Vlad's, a way to keep up with his thoughts and the things he'd discovered about himself. He'd taken little notes and doodles, while exploring his garden. Not something he'd ever remembered the other Danny doing. But…. this Danny had enjoyed the practice.

And now… his eyes went back to the journal… He wanted to write again….

Without giving it another thought, the boy picked up the notebook and pencils, slung them on a cloth bag on his back, and flew towards the garden.

Coming through the curtain of plants for a second time, Danny lingered in the doorway, eyes wide and curious. The area was so big! So many different sections, different types of plant and animal life… Or was it life at all, being in the Ghost Zone? Were these creatures native to the Realms? Or were they former residents of the material world, like human ghosts… and at least some of the yetis that were former humans? And wasn't that a crazy thought…

His mind raced, already overcome with questions, even as his hungry eyes searched for more to see.

Just then, a loud rumble, like a crash of thunder, tore Danny from his musing. He looked up as a massive shadow fell over him. His jaw dropped. A massive eagle with talons large enough to pick up a full grown yeti flew overhead, its blue-white body crackling with lightning.

"The thunderbirds have returned!" A nearby yeti shouted, pointing up.

Sure enough, another boom sounded and a second giant bird swooped down, pursuing the first.

Danny drifted towards the yeti, staring up at the two eagles. They twirled in the air, paths intertwining in a mesmerizing aerial dance. Their calls were the sizzle of electricity, the boom of both close and far away thunder.

Then… the two dove at each other, talons interlocking. They tousled in the air, spiraling closer to the ground. The half ghost instinctively ducked, reaching for his yeti companion, to pull the other ghost out of the way.

But the yeti did not look afraid, face painted with a knowing awe.

At the last moment, the two thunderbirds pulled up. The trees shook with the movement, swift air ruffling Danny's head.

"What are they doing?" He breathed, mouth wide.

"Courting." They yeti grinned. "It looks like there will be a thunderbird chick on the cliffs this century!"

"Courting?!" His mouth opened and closed. "Like a mating ritual?"

The other ghost eagerly nodded. "How incredible that you are here to see this! The time of your visit was very lucky."

"Yeah." And the boy actually believed the word, awe bubbling up in his core.

For several more minutes, the thunderbirds danced in the sky, the sound of their wings shaking the very walls. But eventually, their flight leveled out, the two flying towards far away towering cliffs. Far too soon, they vanished.

"That was incredible." Danny's voice trembled with awe, his eyes fixed on where the two birds had disappeared.

"It always is." The yeti said. "I've seen their dance a dozen times at least since I arrived and each time, it's just as breath- taking."

With an agreeing nod, the ghost boy turned to look at the other ghost. His eyes met ones glassy with nostalgia.

Then, the yeti noticed his gaze. "My apologies, Great One." A shake of the head dissolved the far off look. "Mistress Periwinkle at your service." She lowered her head, giving a bow. "What can I do for you?"

"Please, you don't have to call me Great One." The boy smiled sheepishly. "Just Danny is fine."

"Then I suppose just Periwinkle will do for me as well." She smiled almost cheekily, mischievously pleased at the breach of formality.

"Periwinkle then." The half ghost chuckled. "Nice to meet you." Then, his brow furrowed, curiously confused. "Periwinkle… isn't that kinda…"

"A strange name for a yeti?" The other ghost cut in, interpreting his uncertainty. At the half ghost embarrassed nod… "It's my name from my first life, as a human. I choose to keep it after being re-born here."

Danny blinked, surprised. "Frostbite told me some of you used to be human. And so you…" He vaguely waved his hands, mind whirling as he put pieces together. "You said a dozen times… and this century…" His eyes widened. "How long ago was this? Where did you live? How did you end up here?" He blushed, mouth snapping shut as his mind caught up with his words. "Sorry."

"It is alright." She smiled comfortingly. "I lived in what I believe you now call Scotland, thirteen centuries ago or so. As for how I found myself here…" Her brow furrowed, looking at him with some concern. "I am sure you know becoming a ghost requires the passage from one life to the next."

Danny shuffled awkwardly, looking away. "You don't have to tell me more if you don't want to…"

Periwinkle shook her head. "Speaking of my death brings me no pain. It has long passed after all. I am just wary of speaking of it with someone who experienced his own change so recently." She smiled at him kindly. "I do not want to cause you pain, young one."

His heart squeezed, for once touched at the worry over him. "That's really sweet actually. Thanks for worrying about me." He blushed again. "But I'm fine really. And I'm curious…"

"I can tell you are a curious soul." She chuckled. "I was young when it happened, barely seventeen. It was late fall. My husband was out hunting with his father and brothers, and I took our little son with me to collect water from the river. A sudden blizzard fell upon us." Her eyes wandered, far away in memory. "It was bitterly cold. I could not see my own arms in front of me. I knew I would be unable to find my way back until it passed. So I pressed myself into the hollow of a tree, my back to the wind to shelter my son. I hoped I could wait it out. But the wind blew harder. Soon I could not feel my toes. I was so cold… and then warm. But I could not take off my layers, not while holding my baby. He was crying… and it made my heart ache. I longed for nothing more than to keep him safe and to comfort him. So I kissed his head. I told him to be brave, that I loved him…" She trailed off with a shake of her head.

And Danny's heart twisted, at once saddened, horrified, and guilty. "I… I'm so sorry." He stammered.

"No, I apologize again. I am sure you did not wish to hear that much detail." Periwinkle gave him a comforting smile. "And take heart, while my love and his kin did not find me in time, I did succeed in saving our son."

"He survived?" The half ghost gasped.

"Aye. They found him safely nestled between the bark and my breast, cold and distraught but alive." A proud light sparked in her eyes. "He grew to become a caring husband and father. And when he passed from the first life, his soul found himself here as well, to my delight."

"So he's here too?" Danny asked. "Is he one of the warriors? Or does he help in the garden too?"

"Goodness no." The yeti woman laughed. "I have never seen someone able to make even silent plants scream. He has no talent with things of the ground, or for the spear. But he does have a gift for caring for the little ones."

"CrystalBreeze?" The boy blinked, surprised. "I met him this morning. He is really great with the kids."

"He is." Periwinkle smiled proudly. "You meet my Crys, then." The grin turned mischievous. "Did he send you to check on his old mother?"

"No." Danny gave a laugh. "Actually, I came 'cause I wanted to take a look around the garden. Maybe doodle some sketches?" He waved his notebook in example. "Ask some questions?"

"Well, if you have questions, I am most certainly the woman to ask. What queries tickle your brain?"

"There's so many!" His eyes flickered brighter in excitement. "I saw the ice phoenix yesterday. And maybe something that was a bee or butterfly. Do you have bugs here? And there's so many different kinds of plants! What are those called?" He pointed to the white and yellow flowers carpeting the ground. "Are they like… the ghosts of living plants? Or are they native to the Infinite Realms? Do you eat them? Do you even need to eat? And-"

"One question at a time, Danny." The yeti waved her hands, cutting him off with an amused note.

"Sorry." The boy blushed.

"No need to apologize. Curiosity is something to be admired." She soothed. "Your first question… about insects, wasn't it? We do have insects. See here?" Periwinkle bent down, pointing out a fingernail-sized gold and black creature perched on one of the flowers. "This is a gold bee." Its wings buzzed softly, drifting to the next flower. "We keep bees hives for the honey. And there." She pointed up, at a blooming crystal apple tree. "A bread-and-butterfly."

"That's an appropriate name." Danny laughed, eyes crinkling at the toast-slice shaped and colored wings.

"Quite." The yeti nodded. "And these are arctic poppies." She pointed to the yellow and white, cup-shaped flowers below. "We plant them for the bees. Their nectar produces an excellent honey." Her brow furrowed. "What else did you ask?"

"Are there flowers like this in the actually arctic? Or are these like…. Realm natives?"

"Arctic poppies do exist in the human world." Periwinkle said. "Though many of our plants and animals no longer have living realm counterparts or never have. I know little about why certain creatures reflect in this realm and others do not. Or why some only exist here…" Her brow wrinkled in thought. "Thunderbirds are creatures of human legend, so perhaps that plays a role."

"That's cool!" Danny grinned. "I'm pretty sure yetis are legends in the human world too." He tapped his chin, thinking. "Did you have stories about yetis when you were alive? Is that why…." He motioned up and down her furry form.

"No. I suspect this had more to do with my freezing to death." She stated it plainly, a fact she had long seen grown used to. "I've heard similar from others of the dead here. And my Crys, being death touched from a young age and by the cold no less…." She shrugged. "It is hard to know for sure. I just know similar souls tend to find each other." Periwinkle smiled at him affectionately, ruffling his hair. "I am sure that is why you keep finding your way back to us.

The boy laughed, leaning into the touch. Then he straightened, a realization hitting him. He side-eyed the yeti. "I'm not gonna grow horns and…." He made a face. "A lot more hair, am I?"

The yeti woman shrugged again. "Only time will tell."

He grimaced, then dismissed the thought. Without functional ice powers, it was unlikely anyway, wasn't it? Plus, he was part human. He couldn't exactly stay in the Far Frozen forever.

"Tell me more about the garden." Danny pointedly changed the subject. "You grow a lot of this to eat, right? Do you guys actually have to eat though?"

"No. That is a blessing of this second life. We eat for pleasure, not sustenance. We sleep for the same reason. Both are ways to pass the time. And I for one enjoy tending the plants and watching them grow. It is much easier work than during my human days for sure."

The boy nodded thoughtfully. "Frostbite said as much, that yetis don't have to sleep."

"It is very enjoyable though." Periwinkle said. "Most especially after a hefty meal."

"Speaking of meals…" The boy's eyes flickered to a lattice wall with neon orange mushroom protruding from it. "I've eaten some of this stuff before. Jelly mushrooms, crystal apples." He motioned to each in turn. "And is that ginsdo?" He pointed towards a shrub with heart-shaped leaves. His brow furrowed. "I didn't realize those were leaves. How were they chewy?"

"They take on that consistency when boiled." The yeti explained, walking over to pluck one of the leaves. "I believe it is because of the inner portion. You will notice the leaf itself is quite thick with a tough skin." She handed him the object.

Curiously, the boy gripped the leaf. Rubbing fingers over it, he noted the smooth yet firm surface. Then, pressing gently… "Huh." The skin easily depressed, the shape bulging to one side as his fingers almost touched on the top and bottom sides of the leaf. "It almost feels like it's hollow."

"Indeed." Periwinkle nodded. She reached a paw towards him, wordlessly asking for the leaf. Danny handed it back over. "If you break the skin…" With a crack, the leaf broke, showing the honey-combed inside. "It is for the most part hollow inside, with pockets of watery sap." She swiped a clawed finger on the inside, extracting some sap and then licking her paw. "It is quite sweet with a savory note."

The yeti handed the leaf back over, offering the boy a taste. "Hum." He perked up curiously. "That's really good." His head tilted. "Tasted different than when it's cooked though."

"Boiling does bring out the savory flavor." Periwinkle tipped back the ginsdo, letting more sap drip on her tongue. "It thickens the sap." She smacked her lips, pleased. "But uncooked ginsdo is a delicious treat while working."

Danny laughed, drinking from his own portion. "That does hit the spot."

Then a coo sounded behind him. The boy whipped around, aura flashing brighter in his excitement. "Ice phoenix!"

With a long whistle, the bird startledly flapped away.

"Sorry!" The half ghost whined, flying after it. "I wanted to sketch a picture!" Enthusiastically, he waved at Periwinkle. "Thanks Peri! See you 'round."

The boy followed the mourning dove, keeping his distance to avoid the cold flickering flames. The blue fire ripped over the wings like a cape. It added a crackling sound to the whistling of wings, as the bird flitted from tree to tree.

For about half a minute, the phoenix fled but soon the frantic flapping calmed. Danny slowed his pursuit, lingering back farther. And soon the bird realized she was in no danger. She landed on a lower branch of a broad needled tree.

"Aww." The half ghost cooed appreciatively as the phoenix preened at her wings.

He drifted to the ground, sitting with his knees bent in front of him. He grabbed the notebook from his bag and balanced it on his knees. "Let's see…."

For several minutes, Danny's eyes flickered from the page to the branch and back. He stuck his tongue out, brow furrowed in concentration as his pencil worked. Slowly, the image came into shape.

The boy studied it, nodding approvingly. "Not too bad." It was rough, yes, but his quarry was clear at least.

Danny watched the bird for a few more minutes. Lifting her wings, she flitted down to the ground. Paying no attention to the boy, she hopped around the ground. Her eyes swiveled, seeming to look for something. The ghost boy tilted his head curiously. The phoenix pecked at small bits of grass, a tiny pebble, a twig picked free of bark. All seemed to dis-satisfy. Then, the bird paused, letting out a coo. Head bending low, she grasped a pair of rusty orange pine needles in her beak. With a whistling, she took wing and soared up, soon disappearing past the garden's walls.

"I wonder what that was about." The half ghost muttered. He shrugged, jumping up to search out Periwinkle. Quickly he found her bent over a series of tall, feathery stalks, cutting the flower buds from stems.

"Look at this!" Danny held up his drawing. "What do you think?"

"Beautiful work." The yeti smiled approvingly.

His core tingled pleasantly at the praise. Then, another spark of curiosity…"What are you doing now?"

"I am pruning the arugula." Periwinkle answered, clipping another flower.

"A-ru-ga-la." Danny said the new word slowly, enunciating each syllable. "How do you spell that?" He whipped out his notebook, scribbling the name as the yeti spelled it. "Why?"

"We eat the leaves." She smiled, offering him a leaf. "Cutting the flowers before they bloom will encourage the place to grow more, instead of spending energy on flowers and seeds we do not want."

The boy nodded in understanding, before popping the leaf in his mouth. "Hum." He hummed, appreciating the peppery flavor. "That's good."

Periwinkle went back to her pruning. Meanwhile, something small, black, and furry caught the half ghost's eye. And he was chasing a fleeing creature through the garden again.

This time though… eventually, Danny slowed. He knelt and peered at the animal through the branches of a wide ginsdo bush. It was tiny, no longer than his hand. It crouched against the rock cave wall surrounding the garden, back arched, tail raised, hair raised on end.

The boy tilted his head. The creature looked familiar. The idea coalesced in his mind, not a specific memory of interacting with such an animal. But the knowledge was there nonetheless.

"It's a kitten." The word, the realization hit him and he practically vibrated with excitement, stars in his eyes. "Come here. It's okay." He moved to lay on his stomach, cooing at the small cat. A hand reached forward, eager fingers beckoning.

The kitten hissed, sharp talons swiping forward.

"Woah!" Danny's hand jerked back just before he could be clawed. "I'll stay away then." His lip jutted out in a pout.

Still, the black kitten stayed in place, watching him cautiously. After a long moment, its back lowered, its fur settling flat. The boy's eyes widened, hope flickering. Another minute long stare down and the cat sat, beginning to lick its paw.

Danny bit his lip, wanting to reach forward again. But he stayed his hand.

The kitten laid down, shifting to gnaw at its back paws.

The ghost boy himself shifted, sitting up. Again taking out his notebook, he doodled a picture of the kitten as he watched it.

After more long moments… "Hi there." Danny spoke softly, this time slowly moving his hand forward as the kitten padded towards him. Its whiskers quivered, sniffing him. Then after a lengthy sampling of his scent….. The cat walked away, determining him uninteresting.

"Okay then." The boy huffed with a roll of his eyes, and stood, looking for something else to see.

Danny drifted around the garden, following different bees. He stumbled upon a line of purple ants, watching them carry cut pieces of leaf to a hole near the mushroom's trussell. He found a box of pink flowers, a dozen almost pointy petals and the size of his thumb, that swayed slightly, almost seeming to sing.

Eventually he found Periwinkle again, this time setting up stakes beside a small yellow flowered vine. "Where did you run off to in such a hurry?" The yeti woman chuckled, kneeling to gently tie the plant to the wood with some string.

"There was a kitten." Danny crossed his arms, lip jutting out. "It didn't like me very much."

"Ah, you saw Sesame. He is a skittish one." She shook her head. "You came on too strong, you did." She explained gently. "Bring a treat next time, a nice little bit of snow hen. And be patient. He needs to know you mean no harm, that you are a safe person."

"Oh. That makes sense." The boy blushed, feeling a bit foolish.

The yeti stood up. "It is alright." She smiled, ruffling his hair. "Do not worry. He will be curled up at your feet before you know it."

Danny nodded. "I drew another picture." He showed her the drawing to another approving nod. "And I saw some purple ants. And these flowers that were… singing? What are those?"

"Oh yes." Periwinkle's eyes twinkled. "Singing Dahlias."

"How were they making that noise?"

"Well…."

One question led to another and another and another. At first, the yeti tried to continue on with her work. She knelt, digging a hole for another stake. Ears attentive to the boy's questions, she drove the wood into the ground. Danny rambled while the yeti shuffled the dirt back into place and jostled the stake to determine how surely it was anchored. Finding it secure, Periwinkle explained its purpose. At the same time, the half ghost jotted down notes. He began a sketch of his yeti companion, peppering her with more questions and after a while…

"This time in the cycle, the mammoths graze on the far north edge of the island." The twine and stakes lay long forgotten as the two sat, chatting under a crystal tree. "Come a few human world months and their pounding feet and trumpeting will be heard all hours."

"And is that-"

The loud droning of a bell cut off the ghost boy's question.

At the noise, Periwinkle's eyebrows drew together. "Oh my, how the time has gotten away from me!" She stood, whipping her paws on her smock. "I have greatly enjoyed our conversation, young Danny. But I did promise Laura help with grooming the ice drakes in the hours before last meal and I am a woman of my word. Perhaps we can finish while we eat later?"

The boy frowned. He'd been enjoying himself so much, he hadn't even realized he'd been keeping her away from her work. "Oh. Okay then." Disappointment and guilt clashed.

The yeti woman must have noticed the hurt look on his face. "Or you could help as well. Would you like to learn how to shine drakes' scales?"

Danny's eyes brightened at the question. "Yes! I'd love to." A flicker of nervousness had him looking down, quilling the excitement. "I mean if that's fine with your friend."

"I am sure Laura will enjoy the company." The other yeti smiled gently. She lowered her arm, offering him a hand up.

The half ghost took it and stood. As he followed Periwinkle to the drakes' pin, excitement again grew, the spike of anxiety quickly disappearing.

"Is this right?" Danny asked, looking up. In one hand he held a jar of sweet smelling oil, the other, soaked in the container's contents, rubbed small circles against the ice drake's neck scales.

"Yes." Periwinkle smiled proudly. "You went to keep the movements small and gentle. Go in circles."

The boy nodded, turning back to his task. "Does that feel nice?" He talked soothingly to the animal which rumbled contentedly in response. The noise sent a pleasantly chill vibration through his hands. "Yeah it does. Good boy."

"You take to this very well." Laura, the herd' keeper, congratulated.

"Thanks." The half ghost smiled at the complaint. "You two were good teachers."

The three worked at grooming the drakes for a while, Danny bombarding both yetis with questions about the animals and their care.

"They make fine mounts." Laura patted her lizard's snoot. "We also collect fallen scales. They are what give Aojngofls its wonderful shiny and crunchy exterior."

"Wonderful?" The ghost boy shook his head, sticking out his tongue. "No thank you."

"You are not a fan, I see." Periwinkle chuckled. "Aojngofls is often an acquired taste."

"Yeah, it's not for me." The half ghost shook his head again. And… somehow, the thought did not hurt this time. "I will not be eating any drake scales. No. No, I will not." He turned his attention back to the lizard, currently knocking its head against his hand with increasing eagerness. "Alright, alright!" He laughed, raising a hand to scratch behind its horns.

The creature again rumbled for a while before swizzling its head. It shifted, mouth closer to his forearm, and stuck out its long tongue to lick him.

The boy gasped, faux offended. "I'm not food!"

"This one wants a treat for being a good patient, doesn't he?" Laura leaned over, scratching behind the other horn. "Would you like to feed him?"

Danny agreed eagerly and she handed him a bundle of bright blue carrots. The ice drake gobbled them up eagerly.

"I think we should finish for now." Periwinkle said, leading her lizard back toward the barn. "The trip meets for last meal soon."

"Yeah." The boy gave his drake one last pat, following. Once the three animals were secure with the rest of the herd…. "Thank you! Thank you!" He beamed, bobbing up and down in his excitement. "Thanks for answering my questions and letting me help. I learned so much! Oh! I should write some of this down." He whipped out his notebook, scribbling while trying to also keep an eye on the path back. "Can I come back tomorrow and make some sketches?"

"Of course!" The drakes' keeper eye's crinkled in mirth. "Look at the little scholar."

Periwinkle gave another laugh. "He reminds me of my grandfather." Her proud gaze turned to him. "He would want to apprentice you in a core pulse."

"Oh uhmm." The half ghost blushed, the green bleeding up onto his ears. "That's nice but I don't think I'm looking to apprentice right now?" Whatever that meant?

"He is no longer with us." The yeti dismissed with a wave of her hand. "He passed on to the true afterlife some five hundred years ago."

"Oh I'm sorry." The boy frowned sympathetically.

"It is the way of things. We do not fade of old age or disease, but even with a happy existence…" She shrugged. "He longed to see his Creator's face and the Divine granted him His peace."

Danny…. had no idea what to do with any of that. Instead he asked… "Was he your grandfather in your human life? You didn't mention anyone other than your son earlier."

"No." Periwinkle shook head. "He adopted me after I arrived here." Her eyes glazed, far away in memories. "I was young and scared, in need of guidance and comfort. He welcomed me into his home and taught me everything he knew. He would make me ground ginsdo cakes, our special little treat. And tea when I was homesick for the human world. He wept with me when I wept for the life I'd lost, and shared my joy when my son found himself here." She shook her head. "I really loved him."

"Oh. That's…." His core twisted, a feeling he couldn't quite put his finger on. "He sounds… like a good granddad."

"He was." Periwinkle smiled sadly. "And he was a curious soul, like you. Full of questions and thirst for knowledge. He wrote extensive notes and studies on the plants and creatures we tend in the Far Frozen. His papers are kept in the library, if you wish to look."

"Maybe I will." The boy shifted awkwardly in the air.

"You should." She ruffled his hair. "The thought of his knowledge blessing one who shares his passion brings me joy. I know it will be an enjoyable read."

"Alright then." Danny couldn't help but say yes, heart squeezed pleasantly at the yeti's affection.

The next morning, first thing, he went to the library and asked for Periwinkle's grandfather's papers.

The next week and a half or so followed a similar happy pattern.

Danny visited the nursery, answering more of the young ones' questions. The child excitedly taught him more games. They begged him to play block with them, color, make up silly songs. He read to them and listened to CrystalBreeze entertain the little one's with stories.

The half ghost also lounged in the garden. He explored, drawing more pictures and writing more observations. He asked dozens and dozens of questions, his curiosity even unsated. And he helped Periwinkle, Laura, and the other yetis with their tasks. He picked vegetables, weeded the garden, fed the ice drakes.

And he sat quietly under the shade, a piece of snow hen in hand. Patiently he waited, three different attempts over three different days. And finally…

"Good kitty." The boy smiled, gently petting the tiny head as the kitten curled up at his feet.

The half ghost read in the garden as well. He studied ChillSmoke's, Periwinkle's grandfather's, papers, adding to his own notes. He ooed and awed over the pictures. Other creatures filled the pages, ones he had yet to see but lived in the wasteland surrounding the village. Mammoths, which mated in the far north of the tundra, returning south to tend their calves. Horned rabbits, that laid eggs along the bottom of the cliffs, nearly invisible in the snow. Giant hairy worms that lived under the ice, swimming in a frozen sea.

With each word, his inquisitiveness grew all the more. The question filled his head, pushing out other worries. And so, reading, learning, and exploring, the half ghost was happy.